Monthly Archives: September 2010

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

One of the more interesting things I have seen around the Cambridge area is the Main Street Bridge all decked out in a multitude of colourful knitting projects. It is the brainchild of one local knitter, Sue Sturdy, and it first came to my attention through a picture posted at the Weather Network by a viewer. So I thought I’d go check it out during the Doors Open weekend in Waterloo to take some photos as well as get an idea about this bridge’s long history. (more…)

I was talking to a group of students last week about the discipline of history and commemoration and where it may be heading in the future, when an interesting side topic came up. One student asked about the origin of certain key phrases, like “hat trick”, “here’s mud in your eye” and other things that we’ve heard but don’t necessarily know their origins. One common phrase was “daylight robbery.” Many of the students had heard their parents or grandparents say this in reference to the Federal Government and taxation. When I explained that origin to them, they stared at me in disbelief. So, here’s the story on that.

In Renaissance England, only the rich could afford windows on their homes. This was not only because the glass itself was expensive and considered a luxury, but because you were taxed on the amount of daylight that entered your home. That’s right, daylight was taxed heavily. The more windows you had, the more daylight came through, so therefore, the higher your taxes. If someone moved into a property they did not build themselves, a representative from the town council would enter the home and estimate how much your daylight taxes would be by the amount of sunshine coming through the windows. If you could not afford this tax, you would brick the window up to avoid the tax. Window coverings such as drapes and curtains did not prevent you from paying this tax. You’re only alternative was to brick up the window.

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie, 2009

In the picture above, do you see the bricked up windows above the green, yellow, and blue coloured shop fronts? These are in the city of York in northern England. They were bricked up in the 1830s. York was one of the last cities in England to abolish the daylight tax. Citizens accused the governments of stealing their daylight and, thus, the phrase “daylight robbery” came into being. It usually is in reference to government taxation but our modern society uses the phrase to mean something unfair in general.

All over Britain you can see examples of bricked up windows to avoid that ancient tax. And now you know the history of this little phrase. And you thought modern Canadians were heavily taxed!

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

If you love a good story about a person’s rise from rags to riches yet never loses their kindness and compassion for others, then the third instalment of the “Canadian Castles” series is for you. Nestled in the heart of Baden Ontario, is a stunning Italianate home that was built in 1877 for James Livingston, a flax and linseed oil industrialist whose empire stretched as far west as Manitoba and south into the United States. On the home’s exterior, Livingston had been criticised for its “plainness” yet, on the inside, it boasted one of the finest collections of ceiling paintings and handcrafted local furniture anywhere in Canada. Considered the “Jewel of Wilmot Township”, Castle Kilbride was the Livingston family home for four generations and represented a little piece of Scotland that was so dear to James Livingston.   (more…)

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

Canada’s military has quite a distinguished history. From victory in the War of 1812 to its participation in Afghanistan, Canada has earned some hefty and significant battle honours. Canadians shocked the South Africans in the Boer War with their courage, were feared by the Germans in the Great War for their strength and ability to adapt to extreme conditions and earned the respect of many nations for its peacekeeping efforts in the Cold War. For its mere population compared to the powerhouse nations of the United States and Britain, Canada’s valour is quite extraordinary. Citizens of Cambridge and the surrounding areas had a chance to explore a local piece of that military history when the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada opened their doors during this past weekend’s Doors Open event for the Waterloo Region. (more…)

 For all you archaeology and liguist buffs out there, I wanted to share this story with you about a newly discovered language. It’s always exciting when something like this pops up. This story has come courtesy of the Reuters Newswire…. (more…)

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

He was not welcome to some, laughed at by a few, yet in the end was  revered by many. William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada’s tenth and longest serving Prime Minister, with just three simple words uttered on September 3, 1939 would help raise Canada up from Dominion status to full autonomous nationhood. He also created a vast Canadian based Air Training Program that same year which has never been surpassed by any nation since. Yet, at the heart of Mackenzie King there was a country boy who loved the wilderness, a roaring fire, gardening and fishing. He had the pleasure of being able to do these things on his Kingsmere Estate in the Gatineau Hills of Quebec while he was Prime Minister. However, he wrote in his diary that the home with the fondest memories for him was the King family residence in Berlin, Ontario called Woodside. This home is now a National Historic Site and is beautifully maintained and operated by Parks Canada. Woodside was open this weekend for the Doors Open Waterloo Region event and hundreds of people came out to take a glimpse into the young life of one of this country’s greatest Prime Ministers.

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Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

This weekend was a great opportunity to get out and enjoy a Doors Open event across many parts of Ontario. From Ajax to Mississauga, from Barrie to Sudbury and from London to Waterloo, there was something for everyone to see and enjoy. Since I was in the Waterloo Region this weekend, I decided to take advantage of what the Tri-Cities area had to offer. There were a few places I visited including the Sun Life Financial building in downtown Waterloo.  (more…)

Photo Credit: Alan L. Brown

Last year, I was mentoring an undergraduate student at Leeds University who was writing her history dissertation on the London School of Medicine for Women. This school, established in 1874, was the first medical school in Britain to admit women. My student’s particular focus was the violence these pioneering women faced from threats of physical violence to being shunned by society, which included their own families. These young women showed extreme courage and determination to forge a path that today’s women find much less challenging.  However, this was Britain. What was it like in Canada for our own pioneering women in medicine? What was the first Canadian school to admit women into their medical programs? Who was the first licensed female doctor in Canada?  How did these events help the development of medical treatment for women in general? To answer some of these questions, we’ll examine two of those pioneering Canadian women as well as the Women’s Medical College of Toronto and the roles they played in bringing Canadian women into the medical professions.  (more…)

Photo Credit: Brandon Godfrey

School is back in session this week for hundreds of thousands of young students across Canada which includes university students. This is a perfect segueway into our next instalment of “Canadian Castles”. Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia is one such place that will see thousands of students on its campus this week to begin classes. Considered to be one of the most beautiful campuses in the country for its location as well as its splendid architecture, Royal Roads started out in a much different way. It is the former home of James Dunsmuir; coal baron, BC Premier and Lieutenant Governor. Not to be outdone on any level by his father Robert, James set out to build the finest Edwardian mansion of its time in western Canada; Hatley Castle.  (more…)

Have you ever wondered how the economics of heritage preservation works and what new strategies are out there that you can use in your community? From public-private partnerships to urban revitilisation, it can all seem a little daunting. Heritage Strategies International in Washington DC provides professional information and technical assistance that encourages the economically productive use of heritage resources. They also have a webinar series that allows heritage professionals from all over the globe to learn and share their experiences with others. There are three webinars coming up and here is a description of each.

Session 3 – Incentives for Heritage Conservation
September 16, 2010 10:00am ESDT / 3:00pm GMT
In even the richest countries in the world, there are not sufficient public or NGO resources to conserve all the built heritage that merits saving. That means, by default, it is necessary to look to the private sector. But heritage investments are often perceived by the private sector as risky and encumbered with complex regulations. Therefore it is often necessary to use the “carrots” of incentives along with the “sticks” of regulations. This session will cover how incentives work, who might provide them, and give examples of alternative incentive systems established in different countries in the world.

Session 4 – Heritage Conservation and Public-Private Partnerships
October 14, 2010 10:00am EST / 3:00pm GMT
For many valid reasons, public-private partnerships are often viewed with suspicion by the heritage conservation community. This session will detail when a PPP should be considered, the risks to both the heritage resource and the sponsoring agency, and suggest ways to mitigate both risks.

Session 5 – Emerging approaches in documenting benefits of heritage conservation
November 18, 2010 10:00am EST / 3:00pm GMT
As more interest has been paid in recent years to the economics of heritage conservation, innovative scholars, public sector analysts, and heritage advocates have begun to experiment with new methodologies and approaches. Some of these have attempted to quantify what had formerly been seen as non-quantifiable values such as “quality of life” and “strengthened local communities.” This final session will look at these new approaches, how they are conducted, and some of the findings that have been reached.

Pricing
Pricing has been established according to the World Bank Economic Categories. Since Canada is considered a high income nation, sessions are $30 each.

If you wish to register, or get more information, please visit the Heritage Strategies International webinar page. The first two sessions in June and July have passed, but it is not too late to take part in the upcoming three. They are well worth the effort.