Amazing people, events and places which infuse the country with life
Invented in France in 1867, oleomargarine was banned in Canada in 1886. The spread was enriched and affordable, and it was a threat to the dairy industry. Margarine, the butter substitute that is slathered on toast, baked into muffins and melting on top of a scoop of mashed potatoes, was a welcomed product for consumers […]
Though not recorded, it is possible that the Vikings from Greenland observed North America’s first Christmas at their settlement in Vinland (Newfoundland) An adventurous man with a spirit of curiosity, Leif Ericson was an explorer. As a young Viking boy, Leif inherited his father Eric’s bravery and fearlessness. Exiled from their home, the Norwegian Ericsons […]
The Dominion Parks Branch was introduced May 19, 1911 under Parks Commissioner J.B. Harkin. Its aim was to preserve Canada’s natural and cultural heritage. Nearly hidden treasures, Canada’s national parks are jewels of nature nestled into the background of a vast country. “National parks tell the stories of Canada’s natural beginnings – mountains forming, lakes […]
Eleven minutes. The gruesome battle on June 1, 1813 between British HMS Shannon and America’s USS Chesapeake was fought and over in eleven minutes. Aboard the frigate HMS Shannon, Captain Philip Bowes Vere Broke of the British Navy issued a challenge to the commander of the USS Chesapeake. The American vessel was in the Boston […]
A native community on the south and northeast coasts of Newfoundland, the Beothuk were traced back to prehistoric ancestors, but became extinct by 1829. Constructing comfortable wigwams of saplings covered with bark or perhaps caribou skins, the Beothuk home was a temporary summer refuge. On the south and northeast coasts of Newfoundland, the wigwams were […]
Under the direction of Fuller and Jones, Ottawa’s beautiful Library of Parliament opened in 1876, rich in carvings and beautiful, classic architecture. Crates of books, maps, papers and important records were packed and unpacked with each move of the United Province of Canada’s parliament. Containing the business of government from the Legislatures of Upper Canada […]
During a brief air battle in WW2, Audet raised the RCAF bar by shooting down five enemy aircraft over Osnabruk in five minutes from his Spitfire. High over the battlefield in World War Two, the young pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force scanned the skies for enemies. His Spitfire swooping and soaring under his […]
With no formal training, Maud Lewis painted the colourful scenes and character of rural Nova Scotia using random art supplies and painful hands Her hands gnarled into untenable positions, her shoulders permanently hunched and with a chin marred at birth, Maud Lewis sat at the window in her tiny home and created bright, cheerful scenes […]
The patented Oliver Typewriter was developed by Canadian-born minister and inventor, Thomas Oliver. A million “Visible Print” machines were sold for business and home use. An Oliver Number 9 Typewriter A minister needs to compose a lot of sermons. He needs to be able to read with confidence and grace at the pulpit to his […]
Enjoying hockey games, Lord Stanley realized a challenge prize was needed. A silver punch bowl purchased in 1892, the Stanley Cup is a coveted annual award. Watching his sons and daughter enjoy the winter sport of hockey on the winter ice in Ottawa, Governor General Lord Stanley began to ruminate about the popular game. His […]
The Canadian National Railways Radio station in Montreal, Quebec produced Canada’s first series of national radio dramas for avid listeners across the country. As the strains of orchestral music drew silent, the radio speaker crackled. “And now it’s time,” the CNR Radio announcer may have said in his smooth, inviting voice, “for this week’s episode […]
Joining the CWACs in WW2, Molly Lamb was sent overseas to paint the soldiers and the aftermath of the war. Prolific, Lamb Bobak’s paintings are Canadian treasures. “It was the humanity I tried to capture in my paintings,” said Molly Lamb Bobak in a past article about her wartime artistic involvement entitled, “I Love the […]