Sisters of the Ice

 Publisher: Harbour Publishing Author: R. Bruce MacDonald In Sisters of the Ice, R. Bruce Macdonald documents in vivid detail the adventurous histories of two ships, the St. Roch and North Star, as well as the history of the Northern communities in which they gained renown. Recounting daring escapes from dangerous ice conditions

Canadian War Museum: Forever Changed, Stories From the Second World War

 Forever Changed, the current temporary exhibit at the Canadian War Museum, explores Canada during the Second World War. For those who are wondering why a museum that already covers Canadian military history is presenting a special exhibit on the Second World War, the exhibit focuses less on the technological aspect of

Education, Information and Democracy

 Fretting about the health of democracy has recently moved from being an esoteric activity of academics to a widespread preoccupation across much of the developed world. We treasure the ideal of democracy for good reason. While there are many forms of democracy, some more direct than others, some more secular

Canadian History Sings with Sir John A. Macdonald: The Musical

 If the musical theatre world has taught us anything, it’s that pretty well any topic is ripe to have suddenly burst into song. We’ve had singing plants, dancing cats, shows on Mormons, the final days of Christ and even one about Spiderman. However, how would Canadian history fair if given

Ottawa Needs To Think About the Odawas

 Illustration: Shooting the Rapids by Frances Hopkins (1879) Official Ottawa is struggling to define a new era of relations with our founding nations almost indifferent to the central role they played in the exploration and opening up the continent to trade. In fact, the very savvy Odawa peoples based in

Book Review: Backs to the Wall

 Backs to the Wall: The Battle of Sainte-Foy and the Conquest of Canada The dramatic battle of 1760 is a timely reminder of the fragile nature of Canadian history. The 1759 Battle of the Plains of Abraham and subsequent capitulation of Quebec set the stage for an equally significant FrenchBritish

Man in the Shadows Sheds Light on History

 Former journalist and filmmaker Gordon Henderson’s first novel Man in the Shadows is a tremendously engaging historic novel about the assassination of D’Arcy McGee on April 7th, 1868. Photo of Gordon courtesy of Jason van Bruggen. To Canadian history buffs, the backstory is legendary: in 1867, three British colonies became

Before Bytown – Part 1

 Sketch of the Ottawa River and Rideau Falls in 1826. At this point, they’re still untouched, and looked pretty much the same as they did when Champlain passed them. (Archives of Ontario, I0002118)  Ottawa’s story starts with the river that gave it its name. Of course, it wasn’t always called the

Co-Op Students Explore Ottawa Part Two – Justine on Parliament Hill

 All photos courtesy of Alissa Dicaire What would you do if you were a tourist in Ottawa? Ottawa Life Magazine asked our co-op students this question and put them to the test. Each student was asked to pick an area of the city that they wanted to explore for an

Women and the World Wars

 Photo © Canadian War Museum The Canadian War Museum is celebrating Canadian women’s roles and contributions made during the First and Second World Wars in the museum’s new exhibit, World War Women. Dr. Stacey Barker is the Acting Historian, Art and War, at the Canadian War Museum. Barker has been working at the

Citizenship Week Event Engages Youth

 Photo courtesy of Ryan Parent How much do you know about Canada? Historica Canada has celebrated Citizenship Week by engaging youth from across Canada. The event assembled 82 students and encouraged them to reflect on Canada’s history and identity. Guest speaker Charlotte Gray. Image courtesy of Ryan Parent. Taking place

Remembering the Past to Look to the Future

 This year  holds  special  significance for the world, as it marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and the creation of the United Nations as well as the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. In May, a special plenary

Debra Komar Turns Back Clock to Uncover One of Canada’s Notorious Murder Mysteries

 How far would you go to crack one of Canada’s greatest mysteries? Centering in on a mystery that dating back over 170 years ago, internationally renowned forensic anthropologist, Debra Komar, breaks down the murder of John McLoughlin Jr., chief trader for The Hudson's Bay Company, in her latest novel The

Building Relationships on Anishinaabe Territory: Community and University Working in Partnership

 Above: Dr. Katrina Srigley Centuries-old land claim disputes. Armed standoffs. Treaty agreements marred by deceit. Terror, abuse and confinement. The history of the relationship between Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples is fraught with mistrust, misunderstanding and multiple challenges. That’s no way to build a future. But there is hope. There is

Phoenix Players: Rexy!

 Take a step back in time with Rexy! Phoenix Players is back at the Gladstone Theatre with a production of the beloved political satire, Rexy! Phoenix Players, a staple in the capital community since 2001, brings affordable, high quality live theatre to the communities in and around Ottawa. Dedicated to

Publisher’s Message: Wrong

 In January 2013, Ottawa Life Magazine featured Kathleen Wynne on its cover with the headline A Few Good Women. Wynne was running for the provincial Liberal leadership which she would end up winning later that month. Today, she is Ontario’s first female Premier and the first openly gay Premier in

Maplelea: Empowering the Canadian Girl

 Looking for the perfect gift for the young Canadian girl in your life? Discover the wonderful world of Maplelea dolls. Maplelea, the Newmarket-based company founded by Kathryn Morton in 2003, aims to make a difference in the lives of Canadian girls. By providing dolls that promote creativity, encourage a healthy

Summer Reading

 Be sure to add Ottawa Stories: Trials and Triumphs in Bytown History, by Clifford Scott to your summer reading list. A collection of historical vignettes will take you on a journey through Ottawa as it once was to where it stands now. Read about the devastation of fires and diseases

Tiny Pieces of Paper Tell Canada’s Story: The Canadian Stamp Collection Is Now Open

 More than 3,000 stamps are on display at the Canadian Stamp Collection. This exhibit is now open to the public at the Canadian Museum of History. Museum goers can trace Canada’s history from 1851 with the extremely rare and valuable 1851 Three Pence Beaver stamp (Canada’s very first stamp), to

Following in the Footsteps of Sverdrup: An International Team’s Mission

 Reliving history offers the perfect opportunity to rediscover an important explorer. More than a century ago, a Norwegian shipmaster failed to circumnavigate through Baffin Bay, forcing him to overwinter on Ellesmere Island. During his time there, he explored countless fjords and passageways on the western part of the island, mapping

Closing Doors on Canada’s History

 On June 19, 2012, David McGuinty, Liberal Member of Parliament for Ottawa South, rose during Question Period to ask which federal departments or agencies have closed or will be closing their libraries and what is the rationale for such closures. In posing these questions, McGuinty spotlighted a development that has

Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont

 By Joseph Boyden • Penguin, 2010, pp.204 After a night spent alone in mid-May 1885, Louis Riel emerged from the wilderness and surrendered to Canadian military. He was the leader of the Métis rebellion that the government of Sir John A. McDonald was intent on crushing. Riel hoped that voluntarily

The Future of Northern Resource Development in Canada — Optimism or Pessimism

 Natural resource development in the Canadian North is emerging as one of our country’s most interesting economic policy issues. Climate change, mineral prices, Aboriginal relations, northern sovereignty, and environmental review efficiency are environmental review efficiency are among those issues that are closely integrated with northern resource development and will influence

Wings Of History

 The fragile biplane rotates in a slow circle above the visitors who wander through the Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa. Stephen Quick, the associate director general, smiles as he looks up at the structure made of balloon cloth, wood, and steel tubing. “It all started here." Shadows from The Silver

The master plan for the growth — A Plan for the Capital

 By Katharine Fletcher Capital cities are fortunate entities. Their unique role is to symbolize a people's concept of nationhood. As such, they present particular challenges to planners. Ottawa is no exception. Does Ottawa and the National Capital Region (NCR) embody a sense of Canadian-ness? Marcel Beaudry, chairman of the National