If you recall, I spent about two months on the road last fall, promoting our then-new book, 100 Photos that Changed Canada.

During the book tour, I gave countless media interviews and did a presentation on the book at seven cities, at my hometown highschool, and even my alma mater, the University of King's College in Halifax.

At every stop, people would ask me which photo was my favourite, and each time, I would answer: Terry Fox.

Well, it's now time for me to put my money where my mouth is.... two Sundays from now, I'll be running the Terry Fox run in Winnipeg -- skinny white legs and all. It's a 10-km run, and I can honestly admit that I haven't run 10 kilometres in at least 20 years -- at least, not all at one time....

To me, Terry Fox is at the top of the list for inspiring Canadians. Running to honour his memory, and hopefully, helping to someday cure the terrible disease that claimed his life, is the least I can do.

Wish me luck!
Mark

P.S.
If you want to read the original 2008 magazine essay on Terry Fox that helped inspire the 100 Photos book, click here.
 

“Look, I’ve wiped more liquor off my chin than those other fellas drank, now you want to believe that.”
— Charlie Chamberlain, vocalist, Don Messer and the Islanders, 1969.

With his trademark bowler hat and his silky smooth tenor, Charlie Chamberlain (see image below) was the unmistakable voice of the group Don Messer and his Islanders.

A CBC biography of Chamberlain describes him as Messer’s “hard-living, hard-drinking sidekick.” He certainly did like the occasional swig. Unfortunately, Chamberlain passed away in 1972 at the age of 61.

As I was only nine months old at the time, my memories of Don Messer’s troupe are largely limited to the few black-and-white reruns I remember seeing on CBC television during my childhood. However, I recently discovered an online video clip of Charlie and the rest of Messer’s band that offers great insights into the man and his music.

The movie, just two minutes and six seconds long, is titled Canada Vignettes: Don Messer — His land and his music — Charlie Chamberlain 1911-1972 Pt. 1. It was made for the National Film Board in 1969 to capture Messer’s farewell tour. The long-running CBC TV program Don Messer’s Jubilee had just been cancelled, and there’s a definite air of sadness in the documentary; for Chamberlain and his mates, it’s the end of the line.

One of my favourite scenes shows Charlie reminiscing about sharing smokes and booze at barn dances: “Two dollars a gallon — and you got a gallon of that between the four of ya — you went to a dance with a package of tailor-made cigarettes and you were a millionaire, mister. Everybody was all around ya.”

Now, I could try to describe Chamberlain’s Irish-by-way-of-New Brunswick lilt, his bear-like frame, and his leprechaun grin. But the truth is, there are some stories that are better seen and heard, rather than told.

September is Canadian Country Music Month, and we’re exploring our rich country music legacy with Charlie’s video, as well as those of groundbreaking pioneers like Hank Snow and Wilf Carter and superstars like Anne Murray and Shania Twain. We also have a country music timeline starting in 1918.

Enjoy!

 

The "Caledonia," first square-rigged vessel on the Great Lakes

As a history buff, I love historical mysteries that needsolving. And when The Beaver magazine is the key to solving the puzzle, all the better!

 That's the situation today at Lake Erie, or rather, should I say, under Lake Erie, as officials debate whether to raise a finely preserved shipwreck that could be an important vessel from the War of 1812.

The story, "Legal battle brews over War of 1812 shipwreck," was written by a former colleague of mine, Randy Boswell, of Canwest News Service.

In it, Randy details the controversy surrounding the shipwreck, which is purported to be the Canadian-built frigate Caledonia.

The Caledonia started the War of 1812 on the side of the British -- which, technically, was the Canadian side -- and wound up in 1813 on the side of the Americans after being captured by U.S. forces.

Now, this is where The Beaver comes in.

In the December 1934 issue, an article by historian George Cuthbertson details the fate of the Caledonia. Cuthbertson writes that after the war, the ship eventually scrapped and "sold for firewood and old iron" in Erie, Pennsylvania.

If true, this blows out of the water the theory held by those who want to raise the wreck that the ship is indeed the Caledonia. 

A group in Buffalo wants to raise the wreck and make it the centrepiece of a new tourism destination in New York state.

As the anniversary of the War of 1812 draws nearer, controversies such as this will likely hit the news with increasing regularity as both Americans and Canadians try to find ways to commemorate the almost 200 year old conflict.

However, I predict that doing so will pose a challenge for both sides of the border, largely because the actual war doesn't fit into an easily digested black-and-white scenario.

I have just started researching the war in order to prepare for a special issue of Canada's History magazine that will focus on the War of 1812.

In fact, yesterday, I finished a book on the subject by Jeremy Black, titled "The War of 1812 in the Age of Napoleon."

I was struck by how the war was really a series of half-victories, punctuated by missed opportunities on both sides. It really was a conflict in which both sides regularly found ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

It's also a war of what-ifs: what if England had not been embroiled in a battle against Napoleon at the time of the War of 1812,  and had been able to bring the full weight of its army and navy to bear on the Americans?

Would the United States today only be a shadow of itself, comprised of the original 13 colonies and a handful of others in the southeast?

What if the British had pushed harder to win for their native allies the creation of a new "Indian Country" centred around the southern Great Lakes region.

The British had hoped this new nation would give natives a common homeland, and also would box in the Americans, preventing them from flooding westward in search of new lands to conquer. Sadly, for the natives at least, this demand was dropped from the Treaty of Ghent that brought the war to an end.

As for the Americans, what if they actually had believed in maintaining a strong regular army after the War of Independence, rather than trying to capture Canada with poorly trained militias who often refused to fight outside of their home states?

Imagine what Canada would look like today if a powerful, professional American army have swept over the St. Lawrence and captured Quebec and Montreal during the War of 1812? 

In Randy's story, he mentions that that Caledonia played a role in smashing the Royal Navy's fleet on the Great Lakes.

That's true.

But it's also true that the Americans were no match for the Brits on the high seas. The Royal Navy dominated the oceans, while the Americans held the lakes.

Just another stalemate in a war of stalemates.

With the Beaver at the centre of the upcoming court case involving the Caledonia, we'll certainly be watching with interest here at Canada's History. 

I'm sure, as we get closer to the anniversary date, that this won't be the last time that Canadians and Americans go to "war" over the War of 1812.

One of the great joys of working at the Canada's History Society.

When we relaunched our magazine in April, one of the new departments we included was called Brush Strokes. It is meant to showcase the wealth of Canadian art, as well as tell the stories behind the paintings and the painters who created them.

In October, the painting we will be featuring is called To Prince Edward Island, by Maritime artist Alex Colville.

I'm sure you have seen it -- it shows a woman on a ferry to Prince Edward Island, watching something through a pair of binoculars.

The painting prompted me to take a voyage of a sort down memory lane, back to 1997, when I had the honour of being a passenger on the last ferry to ever sail between Cape Tormentine, N.B., and Borden, P.E.I.

It was the M.V. Abegweit, and the occasion was the opening of the Confederation Bridge to PEI. 

The only other passengers were the crew, past and present captains of the ship, and their families. 

It was a somewhat sad and poignant voyage. The Confederation Bridge represented progress, I suppose, but there was something romantic about the ferry service. I went to college in Charlottetown for a year, and remember racing for the ferry on countless occasions. You aways got a bit of a thrill when you "just" made the last boat... and trust me, your heart sank if you "just" missed it.

Riding the ferry was an adventure - in both the good and bad senses of the word. I remember being aboard the ferry in the middle of winter, and having our ship almost collide with an oncoming ferry. We were both following a narrow seam in the sea ice, and the floes began pushing both ships toward each other.

As we neared, both captains sounded their warning horns. When the ships passed, I swear we were only metres apart. I still recall the fearful looks of the passengers who peered back at us from the other ship's windows as we slipped by each other in the stormy winter night.

I loved the sea breeze that always blew in the middle of the Northumberland Strait. I even loved the cafeteria food, and the slightly oily smell of the holding area where the passengers parked their cars.

I'll never forget my first ride on the the Confederation Bridge either, but largely, because of the feeling of being underwhelmed. The concrete guards along either side are extra high to shield cars from the buffeting winds, but they also prevent you from enjoying the views for most of the journey.

It takes mere minutes now to cross the "Fixed Link."

P.E.I. no longer seems, to me at least, to be a distant, exotic destination. Don't get me wrong. It's still beautiful. But it is also just like the rest of the provinces now. The mystique and mystery of "The Island" is gone. And that's a bit of a shame.

Today I bid farewell to an old friend. Well, we have only known each other for roughly eight weeks -- but it feels like its been much longer.

Of course, I'm referring to the latest issue of the magazine! It was sent to the printer this morning -- and, as usually, I have mixed feelings.

I'm proud of our latest issue; it has great feature articles, including a rollicking tale of piracy on the East Coast, as well as great departments (hockey fans will especially like Brushstrokes, which examines the famous goalie painting, At the Crease).

However, the mixed feelings come in because it is sometimes tough to let go of an issue. Every eight weeks, we are forced to literally "turn the page" and move on to the next issue in the lineup.

To be honest, it's been a whirlwind of activity here at Canada's History over the past year. In the past 12 months, we redesigned and relaunched the magazine, complete with a new name; we did the same to our websites; we published a nationally best-selling book, 100 Photos that Changed Canada, as well as a special edition of a new magazine, called Teaching Canada's History.

When you work on an issue, you can immerse yourself in the daily rhythms of publishing. The first few weeks are all about editing, editing, editing. Then comes the search for images -- art and photos and illustrations that will help make the stories come alive.

Then it's time to ship the stories to our talented art director, Michel Groleau, who works in our Montreal bureau.

Suddenly, I arrive at work to find his designs in my inbox -- signalling the start of the back-and-forth creative process of transforming designs into finished layouts.

One of the last things we do here is pick a cover -- which can be a unique challenge, when we do this by committee, and everyone has their own preferences and personal aesthetic!

The last week or so is all about the details - checking spellings, fixing captions, correction errors, hoping that we caught them all.

And then.... poof.... the magazine is gone, and all you're left with is a cluttered desk piled with papers that need sorting, and the incessant hammering of the roadworks jackhammer crew outside your Winnipeg office window!

In a way, it feels a bit like being in a time machine. As you, the reader receives your copy of the June-July issue, we have just sent the August-September edition to the printer, and are about to start the eight-week journey toward October-November!

Anyhow, they say its not the destination, but the journey that matters -- and here at Canada's History, we believe our magazine is a journey worth taking. 
Thanks for listening...

Mark

Suddenly, after several days of rushing from venue to venue on the Concordia Campus, I find myself sitting down to write my final blog instalment.

My conference ended with a session on political biography, featuring four panelists -- among them, famed writer Peter C. Newman, and John English, the editor of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography and recently, the author of a biography of Pierre Trudeau.

It was remarkable to listen to the panel, particularly these two senior members of the panel, as they recounted insiders' stories of the lives of the politicians whom we know consider the giants of 20th century politics -- Lester Pearson, Pierre Trudeau and John Diefenbaker.

In a way, however, it made me lament the end of the days of almost unlimited access to our political leaders.

There's an anecdote I like to tell about sitting in the newsroom of the Calgary Herald, back when I was a news reporter. I was a young man, and I was complaining about the layers of PR that I had to cut through to even reach someone at the Calgary Police Service for comment.

A longtime city editor, and one of my mentors in the newsroom came by and regaled me of tales of what it was like when he was a cub reporter. Decades ago, he would start his day by heading down to the Police Chief's office, where, unannounced, he would sit in the chief's office and the two would share shots of scotch and ponder who might have really killed the victim of whatever murder the force was investigating at the time.

How times have changed. Today, biographers face diminishing access to politicians, and also, with the advent of email, the disappearance of the lengthy, and often telling, correspondences that past biographers relied upon to gain insights into their subjects.

One of the panelists, Adam Chapnick, said he feels political biography has a bright future, particularly because of the public's continuing appetite for it.

The question is, with all these challenges facing them, will tomorrow's biographers be able to feed this appetite?

Anyhow, with this post, my conference comes to an end. I fly home tonight, and hopefully, will have photos and audio from my interviews available on the website in the coming days.

Until then, thanks for reading!

Cheers,
Mark

Is it possible to accurately tell a history story on film, and and have it also be engaging and entertaining to viewers?

What about in a theatre setting? When historians collaborate with actors, directors, cinematographers and others, is the final project a reflection of compromise, or does one participant's vision have to ultimately rule?

This morning, I managed to fit in two separate presentations, each dealing with history on film, or more accurately, historians participating in filmmaking.

The first presentation was a round table, titled "Theatre, History, Storytelling."

Participants came from the full spectrum -- there were historians who acted or act as consultants to theatre companies, historians who have had their works adapted into films, as well as directors, and playwrights, who are both tasked in their own ways with interpreting history and presenting it in a fashion that engages their audience.

Tough questions were raised.

What is the role of the historian? To ensure accuracy in the details of the history displayed in the production?

What if the movie or play is a revisioning of something like Macbeth, and the director wants to move the time period several centuries into the future to "update it" for the audience? Does a historian argue that this destroys the accuracy of the piece? Or are they really there to ensure authenticity -- that the work is true to the intentions of the person who first produced it?

The second session, titled Film and Public Memory, explored the way film can help us understand our understanding, and in some cases, misunderstanding, of the way we think we understand the past. (Now that's a mouthful!)

The bottom line for both presentations? That film is an extremely complicated medium in which to tell a history story, raising many questions for both the people who make them, and the audience that views them.

Thankfully, many historians are up to the challenge.

Cue the drum roll.... and the winners are...Okay, so let's step back, just even for the sense of maintaining suspense.

The Montefiore Club, located on Rue Guy in Montreal's forest-fire-smoke-shrouded downtown, was packed with some of the brightest historical minds in the country. Mingling, chatting, drinking red and white wine, they were all wondering who would take away the 18 prizes to be handed out later in the night.

The evening's event was to be extra special, because the rarest prize in Canadian history -- the Francois-Xavier Garneau Medal -- was also slated to be awarded. This award is only offered every five years, and goes to the book that displays "exceptional merit" in the preceding five-year period.

MC Peter Gossage, a historian at Concordia University got things started around 7 p.m. Waiting in the wings was the house band, who, rumour has it, includes Gossage's brother as a band member.

Amid camera flashes and rounds of applause, the awards began. Here are the winners, beginning with the three main awards:
 
* Francois-Xavier Garneau Medal, awarded once every five years for the best history book published during that time period: John Weaver, for his 2003 book, "The Great Land Rush and the Making of the Modern World, 1650-1900.

* Sir John A. Macdonald Prize, for best book on Canadian history: Beatrice Craig, for "Backwoods Consumers and Homespun Capitalists: The Rise of a Market Culture in Eastern Canada.

* Wallace K. Ferguson Award, for the best book not focused on Canadian history: Luke Clossey, for "Salvation and Globalization in the Early Jesuit Missions.

Other award winners:
* CHR Prize for Best Article: Mary Ellen Kelm
* Eugene A. Forsey Prize: Arnaud Bessiere.
* Neil Sutherland Biennial Article Prize: Ellen Boucher.
* History of Sexuality Prize: Patrick Dunae.
* Hilda Neatby Prize:
-- English language, Shirley Tillotson.
-- French Language, Elise Detellier.
* Canadian Aboriginal History Book Prize: Shirleen Smith and Erika Tiza, representing Vuntut Cwitchin First Nation.
*Journal of Canadian Historical Association Prize
-- Vol. 1: Michael Gauvreau;
-- Vol. 2, Jane Sampson.
*John Bullen Prize: Amelie Bourbeau.
* Clio Atlantic, Beatrice Craig
* Clio B.C.: Becki L. Ross.
* Clio North: Liza Piper
* Clio North: William Morrison.
* Clio Ontario: Sharon Wall.
* Clio Prairies: Royden Loewen and Gerald Friesen.
* Clio Quebec:  Eric Bedard.

So there you have it. As I type this, the historians are partying the night away in Le Belle Province. Tomorrow, however, it's back to work, with more presentations as Congress wraps its final day.

I recorded fantastic interviews with both John Weaver and Beatrice Craig; they both speak eloquently about what inspired them to write their books, and what messages or insights they hoped to pass on to their respective readers. These will both be on the podcast when I return to Winnipeg.
Thanks for reading, and bonne nuit!
Mark

As I write this, most members of the Canadian Historical Association are making their way to the ritzy Montefiore Club for the association's annual award gala.

Tonight, the CHA will announce the winner of the coveted Sir John A. Macdonald Prize, given out to the best academic history book of the past year.

I'll be there to cover the gala, and will be getting a podcast interview with the winner that I will be posting once I return to Winnipeg.

In the meantime, come one back here later tonight, when I update my blog with the announcement of the winner.
Cheers
Mark

The Canadian Historical Association had its annual general meeting this afternoon, and the association invited a special guest speaker to address the assembled academics.

Dr. Daniel Caron told the association that Library and Archives is trying to grapple with a major issue that we are all facing - how do you preserve information when the technology we use to collect it and keep it is changing, seemingly on a daily basis?

I have been to the LAC's preservation centre in Gatineau, Quebec on several occasions. I am amazed each time I tour the facility, especially when I head to the area where audio files are kept. Picture a room that looks like a scene out of time - there are eight-track players, casette tape players, as well as record players for LPs, 45s, and even ancient technology that plays the earliest known forms of musical playing technology.

Now we have CDs .... and digital mp3s, and even now, thanks to Apple, things are m4as....

Imagine trying to keep pace with these changes -- even more, imagine trying to pay the cost of keeping pace!

This is of immense concern for historians, many of whom make LAC their second home when they are researching primary sources.

"Our biggest challenge is: how to preserve digital documents," Caron said.

During a Q and A session, some academics challenged Dr. Caron to work harder at improving service at the LAC office, and questions were raised about digitizing archival material, so academics and others - read, people like you and me -- can more easily access the vital documents, files and other items that make up our shared heritage.

Dr. Caron ended his speech to a round of polite applause, but also a friendly reminder -- historians  want to work with LAC to overcome these future challenges, but they also expect to be involved in the solutions and consulted every step of the way.

Imagine trying to co-ordinate the largest meeting of academics of multiple disciplines -- in the world.

That equals more than 9,000 academics from every discipline in the broad spectrum of humanities, arts and social sciences.

Well, that's the job that Dr. Ronald Rudin has been tasked with -- and so far, it is has been a great success. Dr. Rudin teaches history at Concordia University, which is hosting the annual Congress that I am attending in Montreal.

I sat down with him today to chat about the logistical challenges of hosting such an event, and also, the great opportunities it provides for academics from different disciplines to come together and learn from each other.

He says it is important to make the conference accessible to the general public. He also says academics should reach out to the larger community of Canadians.

He believes that the public has a right to know what is being discussed in the ivory tower, so to speak, and that, as taxpayers, they should also be included and interested in broader discussions surrounding post secondary institutions.

Listen to my full interview here:

I read with sadness today of the passing of Duff Roblin, the former Manitoba Premier who fought for the creation of the floodway that protect Winnipeg from the ravages of the Red River.

While he will be forever remembered in the province and across Canada as one of the ley figures in modern Canadian history, we at the history society remember him also as a great friend to history.

Mr. Roblin was a member of our Advisory Council, and he will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family and friends.

Morning dawns in Montreal over a smoke shrouded city. More than 24 forest fires in Quebec, many burning out of control, have sent a dense pall of smoke into the city this morning.

Looking out of my hotel window, I could barely makeout the outlines of skyscrapers through the hazy clouds.

Nonetheless, the show, or in this case, the Congress, must go on.

On tap today -- a presentation on the importance of storytelling in history, an interview with the president of the Congres, more presentations in the afternoon and then tonight, the Canadian Historical Associations Annual gala.

I will report on the gala later tonight, once the festivities are over.

Until then, keep thinking historically!
Mark

So.... after a busy day of listening to historians debating their craft, I decided to relax by taking in a movie about, yep, you guessed it -- history.

Well, it was supposed to be history. The movie was Robin Hood, by director Ridley Scott, and starring Russel Crowe.

The movie purported to be the origin story of the legendary Robin Hood, and as a visual experience, it was shot well, and the scenery was beautiful.

But, as history, well, it was sadly lacking.

I think the biggest crime in the film was that it forgot it was telling the "story" of Robin Hood. It was as if Scott became fixated on depicting battle scene after battle scene, and totally forgot to flesh out his character of Robin Hood into a three dimensional, living, breathing Englishman worthy of our emotional investment.

Why do I mention this? Well, ironically enough, the focus of the History Congress I am attending over the next few days is, of all things, "telling stories."

To me, the key to keeping history alive is in the quality of the storytelling. Facts alone do not inspire future generations to remember history. It requires a storyteller's skill to weave facts and narratives into something more powerful than mere dates and events.

From what I've seen so far at the conference, there are a lot of historians who are getting this -- and this is a good thing for all history buffs.

What a fantastic couple of days. I have just finished the first official day of presentations at the 2010 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, which is being held in Montreal at Concordia University.

Events got started unofficially on Saturday, when I attended a day of special seminars on Oral History.

During the day, I was able to sit in on a terrific seminar with Eve-Lyne Cayouette-Ashby, who spoke about Concordia's Montreal Life Stories Project, a groundbreaking project that relates the lives and stories of Montrealers. She also spoke about the challenges of interviewing subjects who have undergone terrible traumas, be it wars, genocides, or other violence.

In the coming days, I will be creating podcasts based on the audio interviews I have conducted, and will be conducting, with Cayouette-Ashby and other academics.

On Sunday, I spoke with academics engaged in studying the power of graphic novels (comics, to some) to tell history. It was really interesting to see how some academics are telling history through an art form once thought only to be the domain of kids. In fact, studies are showing that graphic novels may be a great way to introduce history to younger audiences.

On Sunday night, I attended the keynote speech by renowned oral historian Dr. Joy Parr of the University of Western Ontario.

She gave a powerful presentation that asked very difficult questions regarding the motivations, and indeed, the ultimate goals, of oral historians. Why do they do the interviews they do? What should they do when confronted by subjects that are unwilling to recount particularly painful memories? Should they push forward, aggressively seeking out the anecdotes they want? Or are they simply there to observe, to facilitate discussions for their subjects.

Parr has considerable experience interviewing subjects about the Home Children controversy, in which children from poor economic circumstances in Britain were sent to Canada and other outposts of the Empire to act as labourers or servants for their new "families."

The stories they told, of abuse and considerable hardship, were often difficult to deal with.
"I was interviewing people carry a considerable burden of pain," she told a packed audience on Sunday night.

Her speech on the complexities of interviewing "vulnerable" populations was thought-provking, and perhaps even a bit polarizing. One of the key messages she gave is that she is not in favour of pushing subjects to reveal darker or more painful memories.  Some scholars have argued that the interviewer has a duty to seek out these stories, but Parr questioned what justification there is to do this, especially when doing so might cause emotional harm to the subject.
"Do we need to write anything?" she said, adding that too often "we keep a loose tether on our right to harvest pain."

Certainly provocative stuff.

Stay tuned over the coming days as I blog more about the sessions I am attending. When I return to Winnipeg, I will put together a package of podcast interviews, and photos from the conference, for you to digest. Until then, take care.
Cheers
Mark

 I was saddened today to read about the death of Marianna O'Gallaher, the Quebec historian who detailed the many contributions that Irish immigrants made to Quebec Society.

I was fortunate to work with Marianna in 2008. She wrote a fantastic article for us on Grosse Ile for the Quebec at 400 special anniversary issue.

She had a great sense of humour and a real passion for her Irish heritage, and the Irish heritage of Quebec. 

Her dedication and enthusiasm will be missed by many. You can read more about Marianna here.

 I was saddened today to read about the death of Marianna O'Gallaher, the Quebec historian who detailed the many contributions that Irish immigrants made to Quebec Society.
I was fortunate to work with Marianna in 2008. She wrote a fantastic article for us on Grosse Ile for the Quebec at 400 special anniversary issue.
She had a great sense of humour and a real passion for her Irish heritage, and the Irish heritage of Quebec. 

Her dedication and enthusiasm will be missed by many. You can read more about Marianna here.

 I was happy to see a story online today about Sable Island's wild pony population finally getting official protection. We wrote about this issue in a recent edition of Canada's History, but it wasn't clear at the time when the decision will be made. Read all about it here.

Just read a news item saying that relatives can't decide whether they want the Nova Scotia government to declare a day honouring the legacy of Viola Desmond, the Canadian civil rights icon.

Desmond is a woman from New Glasgow, N.S., who became embroiled in a court case that was spurred on by racism in the 1940s.

Dean Jobb, a professor of journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax, profiled Desmond in the April-May 2009 issue of our magazine.

Hopefully both sides will work out their differences, because if anyone deserves a day named after them, it's Desmond.

To read the full story, click here. 

Jessie Aberhart’s Heavenly Hash

1/3 kilogram of graham-wafer crumbs
1/3 kilogram of miniature marshmallows
¼ kilogram marachino cherries
two cups walnuts
one can sweetened condensed milk
sprinkling of icing sugar

Combine ingredients in medium sized pan, and then pop into the freezer. Enjoy!

This recipe was concocted in the 1920s by Jessie Aberhart, wife of William “Bible Bill” Aberhart (premier of Alberta from 1935–43), in the interest of fattening up a young Ernest Manning (premier of Alberta from 1943–68). Author Brian Brennan describes the recipe in his 2008 book “The Good Steward,” a biography of Ernest Manning.

To learn more about “The Good Steward,” go to:

http://members.shaw.ca/brianbrennan/writings.html
 

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.

“This is a ‘journal of progress’ in every sense.” — Clifton Thomas, founding editor of The Beaver, October 1920.

The cover of this issue depicts a scene from Nanook of the North — considered the world's first feature-length documentary film. The image shows Nanook — played by a Canadian Inuit man named Allakariallak — with his arm cocked and ready to hurl a harpoon at his prey.

Shot by American moviemaker Robert J. Flaherty, the film captivated audiences around the world after it debuted in 1922. Released two years after the founding of The Beaver in 1920, Nanook, like The Beaver, offered a window on a world most Canadians would never witness first-hand.

Viewers obviously connected with Nanook's realistic vision of life in the Canadian North, just as they yearned for the stories found in The Beaver.

Launched as an internal newsletter of the Hudson's Bay Company, The Beaver: A Journal of Progress soon outgrew its modest aspirations. By the 1930s, it had a large following among many non-HBC employees and was relaunched as The Beaver: A Magazine of the North.

Over the next few decades, The Beaver carried a fascinating mélange of travelogues, photo essays, book reviews, and news from the North. It featured history stories, too, but for much of its existence The Beaver was not a history magazine. It was, as the founding editor stated in the inaugural issue, a “journal of progress,” with eyes clearly focused on both the present and the future.

Over time, our vision of, and fascination with, the North, changed.

With the Arctic no longer inaccessible, old ways of life fell to the wayside. Spears were replaced by rifles, dogsleds by snowmobiles. As the nation moved forward, we increasingly looked backwards, reminiscing about the stories and people who came before us. The magazine was no different. And so we redefined ourselves again, this time as The Beaver: Canada's History Magazine.
 
This issue will be our last as The Beaver. Beginning in April, we will begin a new journey as Canada's History. It is more than just a name change — it's a reaffirmation of who we are and what we do. While born of the fur trade, the magazine's mission today is to tell the stories of all Canadians.

As we take this bold next step, I think back to the words of Clifton Thomas and the well-thumbed copy of that first issue of The Beaver that sits on my desk. Under the title “We Make Our Bow,” Thomas promised readers he would endeavour to make The Beaver a worthy journal of the HBC.

“Whether it measures up to this lusty ambition is not for The Beaver to say, but for you, the readers to judge,” Thomas wrote. “Thumbs up or down, The Beaver craves your indulgence — to remember that it has not yet found its legs, the first issue being largely an introduction.”

Like Thomas, we also crave your indulgence as we embark on our new journey as Canada's History. We will endeavour to make the magazine vibrant, intelligent, and relevant, while never forgetting where we came from. At Canada's History, we will hold true to the legacy of The Beaver and continue to be a “journal of progress.”