Ottawa, ON 1901
Illuminated (Old) Centre Block for the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall & York
Source - LAC
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Posts tagged Canadian history
“Early in February, when the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa were razed to the ground, Mrs Ross read all the accounts of the disaster in the papers-cut them out and put them in her bureau drawer. She studied them like textbooks-making notes in the margins. She believed her country was being destroyed by fire and said so to Davenport. She was also impressed by the fact that when the bells in the centre tower fell they were in the process of striking twelve o’clock-but had only tolled eleven times when they crashed to the ground. She wrote in the margin alongside this information -‘No more midnight.’ It was like a prayer.”
-The Wars by Timothy Findley, 1977
"We Demand"
On August 28, 1971, homosexual men and women rallied on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, in the first large-scale gay demonstration in Canada.
Despite pouring rain the assembled throng — the Canadian Press wire service reported “close to 100”; The Body Politic said “about 200” — stayed for 40 minutes, listening to speeches by Charlie Hill of Toronto Gay Action (organizers of the demo), George Hislop and Pat Murphy of the Community Homophile Association of Toronto, Pierre Masson of Montreal’s Front de libération homosexuel, and US activist John Williams.
All were there in support of a brief prepared by Toronto Gay Action and submitted to the federal government on August 21. It was printed in full, along with pictures of the demo (not the same as the ones shown here), on four pages of the first issue of The Body Politic, where it was titled “We Demand”. It was preceded there by the letter that had accompanied the brief — with a note that “To date, no response has been forthcoming.”
More.
Here, take a look at some old Empire Marketing advertisements found at the Library and Archives of Canada website.
Back between 1926 to 1932, a company called the Empire Marketing Board was created to promote cheaper trade between Britain, her Colonies, and her Dominions. Basically we all helped each other out, and advertised through posters, radio ads, and even film exhibitions.The posters themselves are gorgeous, and I’ve got some national feelings for the Canadian ones. (We offered wood and salmon.)
Letters of nobility of Robert Giffard de Moncel, seigneur of Beauport, March 1658
CA ANC MG18-H1Like their counterparts in French society, the nobles of New France, though few in number, occupied a position of privilege. Favoured by the Crown, which granted them seigneuries, fur-trading licences and positions in the civil administration, they were for the most part military officers who played an important role in the various wars and negotiations with the Aboriginal peoples. Being noble did not, as in France, preclude commercial activity, and offices conferring nobility could never be bought. Nobility was granted for personal merit and by order of the King. To the 170 nobles who immigrated—Claude de Ramezay, for example—were added 11 Canadians. One of these was Robert Giffard, who received letters of nobility from the King of France “in the hope we cherish that being honoured to this degree and with a noble title in the country of New France that he will emulate the actions of the nobility and that he and his family will render us the services that those
in this position owe to us.” After the Treaty of Paris of 1763, many nobles left the colony, and those who remained had difficulty holding onto their rank and fortune.
There’s this movie I’ve been looking for.
A long time ago I saw a movie on TV, and I either forgot its name or just didn’t catch it. It was some low-budget Canadian film about a teacher from (I think) Toronto who goes out to teach in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Saskatchewan during (what I think were) the 1930s. He stays with some family in their farmhouse and generally acts really awkward until he earns the children’s respect and falls in awkward love with some local woman etc etc. And then I think there was something about the school being in danger of being closed down, I don’t know. It’s been a while.
The one specific exchange of dialogue I do remember went something like:
“Who can tell me what a peninsula is?”
“A piece of land bordered on three sides by water.”
“And who can tell me what a lake is?”
“A body of water surrounded on all sides by land?”
“And young girl, what is a beach?”
“A female dog?”
So yeah, I remember it being kind of surprisingly funny and heartwarming and I’d really like to find it again. If anyone steeped in obscure Canadiana knows what the hell I’m talking about, please let me know?
#Canada #flag #cdnhistory
Red Ensign “Circa 1920”
This immigration promotion poster is presented as being from after World War One. This seems unlikely as the crests of only four provinces are in the fly: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Hark! A Vagrant: Canadian History Superquiz, 1
1. Which sounds more correct to you, “The Harper Government,” or:
- We The People
- L’etat C’est Moi
- The Government of Canada
- One Ring To Rule Them All
2. Memorize these figures:
- 49th parallel
- 51st state
- 19th birthday
- 18 in Quebec, Manitoba and Alberta
3. Which speech put the most voters to sleep:
- “Let me reiterate at length what I just repeated” - Meighen
- “You’ll vote for conscription or I’ll just keep talking” -Borden
- “The following is a list of people who said something I have chosen to take the wrong way” -Diefenbaker
- “Reflections on my humble upbringing, part 14” - MacKenzie
4. The following is a quote from the Canadian Pledge of Allegiance:
- One Nation on Top of America
- One Nation Underneath Santa
- Several Distinct Societies under God
- Distinct Societies Stuck In One Nation what a Damn Nuisance
5. Responsible Government was:
- Responsible (good)
- Irresponsible (a trick!)
- Charming (but in a roguish manner)
- A front (for a bootlegging operation)
6. How did General Wolfe get his men to ascend the cliff at the Plains of Abraham?
- Shimmy
- Conga line
- In broad daylight with prosthetic noses and other disguises
- Under cover of darkness in their jimmie jammies
7. Which Prime Minister have you forgotten about:
- Sir Abbotthompsonbowellltupper
- Sir Mix A Lot
- Sir Gawain
- To Sir With Love
8. The following is not made up:
-British Columbia had a premier who changed his name to Amor De Cosmos, “Lover of the Universe”
9. When Trudeau said “Just watch me” he was talking about:
- The October Crisis
- The November Pickle
- a lot of bleeding hearts who can go on and bleed
- Doing a sick wheelie on his dirtbike
10. Who will lead us?:
- A vaguely non-offensive, nondescript older white gentleman
- The offspring of an unholy union between Justin Trudeau and Ben Mulroney, as was foretold
- That 1972 summit series photograph, in a nice frame
- (Too apathetic, refuse to attempt an answer to this question)
please circle all your answers and submit your papers via unmarked luggage abandoned in airport lounge
