John Cabot and David Thompson, though born centuries apart, shared common traits. They were businessmen who used exploration to gain advantages over their competitors. They also shared the courage to go beyond the edges of the map, to push back the horizon that had constrained previous generations.
Exploration today is far easier than it was back then. Crossing the Atlantic used to take weeks in a tall ship. The journey is now measured in hours by plane. Pleasure cruises now ply the frozen waters of the Northwest Passage, passing by the cairns and bones of dead explorers. Even the summit of Mount Everest is accessible for people who are relatively fit — and well-off.
For decades, The Beaver magazine has chronicled the exploits of the explorers who increased our understanding of Canada. And so we thought it was only fitting to focus on explorers as we begin our new journey as Canada’s History magazine.
In this issue, two of our greatest explorers — David Thompson and John Cabot — are the subjects of major features. We also bring you the story of courageous Aboriginal men who in 1710 crossed the Atlantic to visit the strange homeland of the European newcomers. And we present the story of a modern-day conflict over a river with a rich historic legacy.
In our inaugural issue, we introduce new departments and new columnists. And the magazine itself has been redesigned.
New items include: “Timeline,” a visually driven look at key moments in Canadian history; “Brushstrokes,” in which we feature a historic painting and tell the stories behind the image and of the artist who created it; and “Laugh lines,” a spotlight on editorial cartoons from the past.
We are proud of The Beaver’s ninety-year legacy, as well as our ongoing relationship with the Hudson’s Bay Company. That’s why we created “Trading Post,” a new department that highlights stories from The Beaver from thirty, sixty, and ninety years ago and also presents the history behind artifacts from the HBC fur trade.
For those of you who enjoy engaging commentary, we have added two new columnists to our roster of writers. Joining regular and long-time columnist Christopher Moore are historian Tina Loo of the University of British Columbia (page 49), and best-selling non-fiction author Ken McGoogan,who will appear in the June-July issue.
Some changes have been made to enhance the readability of the magazine. The editor’s note, for instance, has moved deeper into the magazine to make room foran improved contents listing.
And for even more Canadian history, visit CanadasHistory.ca, our dynamic new online portal. It features a host of content — much of it exclusive to the website — including podcasts, video blogs, breaking history news,photo galleries, and even a Canada’s History Photo Club for avid camera buffs.
Much has changed here at Canada’s History,but our commitment to telling Canada’s stories remains as strong as ever. So please, do explore your new magazine. We hope you enjoy it.