Amazing people, events and places which infuse the country with life
Activism and turmoil churned in the streets of Halifax, Nova Scotia in the 1840s, struggling toward the political system of responsible government. If activists stopped to inhale, they would have noticed an appealing aroma coming from the local bakery. Bread! By the 1870s the scrumptious scent of Moir and Son chocolate was in the air. […]
FA Bean established the Robin Hood Flour Company in 1910. Over the century, the milling factory has become a recognized brand in Canadian kitchens. The enormous stone grinding wheels turned with a grand noise. Pulverizing the wheat harvested from the farm fields, the substance was transformed from grain into flour. Texture of finest quality made […]
In 1842, the Province of Canada named geologist William Logan the founding director of the GSC, to map minerals and resources. It was to be a short-term task. Few maps and surveys were available in 1841’s Province of Canada. The areas of Ontario and Quebec were thought to be rich in minerals and coal, but […]
A passenger on the Three Sisters ship, Edward Jordan took control of the schooner, viciously murdering several men. He was hanged and left on the gibbet as warning. A gun blast was aimed directly at Captain Stairs, commander of the Three Sisters schooner. The ball fired “grazed his face and nose,” said Cindy Vallar in […]
The dust, the construction workers, the blasting-rumbling-crashing noise; it would all be worth the frustration in the early 1950s. Transportation in Toronto changed with the opening of the Toronto Subway System on March 30, 1954. As Canada’s first subway, it was a transit triumph. As Toronto grew and sprawled, streetcar systems struggled to keep up […]
“Queen of the Great Lakes” was the finest and largest fresh-water cruise ship. Ignited in a closet, flames soon engulfed the SS Noronic at a Toronto dock. A luxurious passenger ship, the SS Noronic plied the waters of the Great Lakes. Cruise ships toured the fresh water lakes just as liners cruise the oceans today. […]
Financed by prominent businessmen, the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad was built in 1836 as a portage to enhance transportation from Quebec to New York. Growing commerce and expanding business, colonists in British North America risked the rapids of the Lower Richelieu River to carry goods and people from Quebec to New York. There had […]
Martin’s Opera House featured an opulent interior and spacious stage. Later renamed Grand Theatre, a fire destroyed the building but not the spirit Lavish costumes, enchanting actors, riveting music, and scripts to suit almost every audience, the theatre was a highlight of entertainment in the late 1800s in Canada. The residents of Kingston, Ontario yearned […]
Political tensions ran high in the 1950s. Aggravations between the USSR and the United States stirred frightening visions of Cold War hostilities turning into the heat of nuclear battle. If this happened, Canada would be midway under soaring atomic bombs. Governments devised an ingenious strategy. An underground bunker would keep a protected eye on the […]
In May 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) was established to share the culture and creativity of Canadians with our own country and the world. Film and video are a way of life in this era of Canadian life, on television, the Internet, on DVDs and a range of video players. Under the […]
Stepping into the sleek car, passengers are whisked to upper floors or downward at great speed. Safety is imperative, especially as residential and commercial buildings stretch higher toward the clouds. The Fensom Elevator Works thrived in Hamilton for nearly two decades, then merged with the world leader in elevators, Otis Elevator Company. Moving freight in […]
Realizing the need for healthy and sanitary dental care in the mid-1800s, Barnabas Day organized a group to submit a bill to government, leading to the first regulations on dental profession. Pick up a box of dental instruments in the 1800s or earlier, set out a shingle with your name and new title, and […]