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History Education for a Brighter Future
After six years on the board of Canada’s History Society — two of them as chair — Bruce MacLellan still looks forward to attending the annual Heritage Fair in Toronto. Canada’s History-supported Heritage Fairs take place all over Canada. Students, generally between about nine and fourteen years old, choose a question about Canada’s past that interests them, create a physical presentation to display, and answer questions from judges and visitors from the community.
“You’re meeting kids whose families literally come from every corner of the planet. And here they are, helping to place themselves and their families within Canada’s history,” MacLellan says. “They’re coming to understand how we came to be where we are today and how we collaborate to go forward together in a positive way.”
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In an age of misinformation, it’s never been more critical to support an understanding of the past, he adds. “We need reliable, credible sources of learning and teaching,” whether in the classroom, museums, or community organizations. Canada’s History communicates with all of them to help bring history alive.
“We share all the stories, all the facts, all the current interpretations,” MacLellan notes. “We’re not biased, we’re not selective, we’re not ideological. We’re honest brokers of Canada’s history and how Canadians can learn together. History is not all glory and there are dark parts of our history that we all need to learn, not so we can judge and criticize but so we can do better in the future.”
Classroom educators in particular are expected to lead challenging conversations about our complex history as they guide students to identify and value trustworthy information, all in an environment of greater diversity and fewer resources. Nevertheless, MacLellan says, “the enthusiasm of young people to learn and the passion of educators to help them learn” underlines why the work of Canada’s History Society to provide training and resources for history and social studies teachers matters so much.
To anyone considering donating to Canada’s History, as he and Girling continue to do, MacLellan says, “Whether it’s a Heritage Fair or the Governor General’s History Awards, go to an event where you get to meet young people and educators. You’ll be so inspired and happy you donated. It’s such a rewarding experience.”
Help keep Canada’s stories true, strong, and free
We hope you’ll help us continue to share fascinating stories about Canada’s past by making a donation to Canada’s History Society today.
We highlight our nation’s diverse past by telling stories that illuminate the people, places, and events that unite us as Canadians, and by making those stories accessible to everyone through our free online content.
We are a registered charity that depends on contributions from readers like you to share inspiring and informative stories with students and citizens of all ages — award-winning stories written by Canada’s top historians, authors, journalists, and history enthusiasts.
Any amount helps, or better yet, start a monthly donation today. Your support makes all the difference. Thank you!
