Menu Close

Articles on Canadian history

Displaying 1 - 20 of 21 articles

Reproduction of a landscape drawing of London, Ont. (Canada West) in 1855. (Map & Data Centre/Western Libraries at Western University)

Black Londoners of Canada: Digital mapping reveals Ontario’s Black history and challenges myths

The Black Londoners Project approaches Black history geographically by supplementing narratives of 16 Black individuals with archival evidence about their lives.
Eden Hagos (right) the founder of Black Foodie, sits with fellow African content creator Yvonne Ben. (Black Foodie)

The diversity within Black Canada should be recognized and amplified

While “Black Canada” is a useful blanket term and important organizing identity, a closer look reveals a detailed tapestry of communities that also deserves visibility.
By reflecting on sugar’s origins, we can trace the pathways that have made this commodity so abundant. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Uncovering the violent history of the Canadian sugar industry

By reflecting on the violent origins of the Canadian sugar industry, we can bring wider attention to the exploitation underpinning the history of Canadian cuisine.
Anti-Catholic riots, like this one in Philadelphia in 1844, worried Canadians. H. Bucholzer via Library of Congress

Canada has long feared the chaos of US politics

‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’ were the founding principles of the US. In Canada, the goals are ‘Peace, Order, and good Government.’
A statue of Terry Fox at Parliament Hill was decorated with a Canadian flag, protest sign and hat when protesters participating in a cross-country convoy against measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Why defacing the Terry Fox statue touched a nerve with so many Canadians

When the “freedom convoy” used the Terry Fox statue as part of their demonstration, people were outraged. It showed the public still finds value in protecting a memorial that represents their values.
A man fishes the head of a statue of Queen Victoria from the Assiniboine River in Winnipeg. Her statue and a statue of Queen Elizabeth were toppled and vandalized on Canada Day. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly Geraldine Malone

‘History wars’ in the U.S. and Canada provoked by a racial reckoning with the past

Movements that challenge former national icons demonstrate the importance of history-making in an age of racial reconciliation. But ‘history wars’ won’t get us anywhere.
Workers lower a a statue of Canada’s first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, onto a truck as a crowd watches in Kingston, Ont., June 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg

Commemoration controversies in classrooms: Canadian history teachers disagree about making ethical judgments

A survey of history teachers in Canada showed the prevalence of the myth of objectivity among history teachers.
A person lays shoes on the steps of city hall in Kingston, Ont., at a memorial for the 215 children whose remains were recently discovered on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg

Why many Canadians don’t seem to care about the lasting effects of residential schools

Canadians need to understand the basic harms and violences that continue to be experienced by Indigenous people across the land we call Canada.
As part of the citizenship process, new Canadians are required to reflect a knowledge of Canadian history and politics. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Canadian citizenship study guide should tell the truth about racism

The current Canadian citizenship guide needs to be updated to more accurately reflect the truths about Canada’s past and present.
A recent report on discrimination and harassment at the CMHR is a wake-up call for the museum’s management and board of trustees. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

New report finding racism at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights was shocking — but predictable

The CMHR has released an interim report confirming incidents of censorship and discrimination. The crisis should be understood in the context of the CMHR’s institutional history and governance.
John Marrion depicted here was part of the 104th (New Brunswick) Regiment of Foot. The 104th soldiers once snowshoed over a thousand kilometres in about fifty days during the War of 1812. Beaverbrook Collection of War Art/Canadian War Museum/CWM 19810948-008 (NO REUSE)

Meet the Black snowshoers who walked 1,000 kilometres across Canada in 1813

The Canadian soldiers who took part in one of the biggest feats of the War of 1812 included Black soldiers of the 104th New Brunswick Regiment of Foot.
Historians’ work looks like meaningful disagreements around how to grapple with an ambiguous, complicated past. Here, ‘Pi’ sculpture by Evan Grant Penny, Wellington St., Toronto. (Brendan Lynch/Flickr)

Don’t despair if your teen wants to major in history instead of science

Put down the science brochures. If your high schooler really wants to be a history major, smile, knowing that they’re taking the first step to a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Mother Earth: Aataentsic is a woman in Wendat legend who falls from the sky and gives birth to humankind. Viv Lynch/Flickr

Who are Canada’s ‘most historically significant’ women?

Inspired by a recent poll that said Canadians don’t know enough about women’s history, some media outlets explored women’s history but they left out some important stories.
An illustration called “British Burning Washington” depicting the White House on fire in 1814. U.S. Library of Congress

What Donald Trump doesn’t know about the War of 1812

Donald Trump was under the mistaken impression that Canadians once burned down the White House. But he’s not the only one who has a fuzzy sense of the history of the War of 1812.
Quebec school children are seen here in this 2008 photo. In 1997, the province of Quebec divided secular schools along English and French lines instead of by religion. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Why Canada divides children into separate schools

Recent calls to create one secular school system in Ontario for each official language, like the system in Quebec, may actually reinforce the divisions that have plagued Canadian history.

Top contributors

More