Monthly Archives: November 2010

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie, 2010

It’s been a busy month here at “History to the People” and I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you about some seminars and workshops I have taken part in recently that have been both helpful and have given me further knowledge in this wonderful world of built heritage and cultural landscapes.

The first event was a four day workshop hosted by the University of Waterloo’s Heritage Resources Centre which took place at the beautiful Museum of Steam and Technology in Hamilton, Ontario from October 23-24 and November 6-7, 2010. Here, Professor Robert Shipley and his staff led a series of lectures, group discussions, and team exercises on the world of heritage planning. As someone who eventually wants to become a heritage planner, I had literally been waiting all year for this workshop to take place, and it was worth the wait!  (more…)

Photo Credit: Urban Toronto

We have come to the final chapter of our series on Canadian Castles and we end with the youngest of them all, Toronto’s Casa Loma. Since its construction, Casa Loma has been a tourist attraction and prominent landmark in the city of Toronto. It was built as a dream castle for wealthy financier and military man Sir Henry Pellatt and his wife, Lady Mary Pellatt. When construction began on the castle in 1911, Pellatt had amassed a vast fortune by investing in a number of Canadian businesses which included the Toronto Electric Light Company, the Home Bank of Canada and Cobalt Lake Mining. At the height of his financial success, Pellatt was the Chairman of 21 companies and through his own personal investments, he was in control of 25% of the Canadian economy. But before he even moved into his “dream home on the hill”, the seeds for his downfall were being sewn. Unlike his fellow Canadian Castle owners, Pellatt was forced to vacate his property less than a decade after he moved in.  (more…)

Photo Credit: Guelph Museums M968.346.1x

So, you know that Lt. Col John McCrae was a surgeon with the Canadian Army during the First World War who just happened to write the most famous war poem of all time which would create a global symbol of war remembrance still in use almost a century after his death. Yet, you may be asking yourself who was John McCrae the man? There are a lot of interesting little stories about the non-military side of John McCrae that a lot of people don’t know. For example, what was the one thing he did to ease the pain of a dying child, what special thing  did he do for his nieces and nephews back home in Guelph, and who was the young woman who captured his heart? Read on and I’ll fill you in on some stories not so well known outside of Guelph and I’ll show you some rarely seen pictures, courtesy of Guelph Museums, of John McCrae.  (more…)

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie, 2010

Remembrance Day is observed all across Canada through various services and memorials. Two that I had the pleasure in taking part in today were the services at the Colonel John McCrae Birthplace and Memorial Gardens and the Woodlawn Memorial Park Veteran’s section in Guelph, Ontario.  (more…)

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

Do you recognise this place? Well, if you are a World War One buff, or a regular reader to this site, then you know this is the Colonel John McCrae Birthplace and Memorial Gardens in Guelph, Ontario. Remembrance Day is probably the most perfect day to visit McCrae House as you will witness an array of festvities. And what better place to spend it than at the home of the man who wrote a poem that launched a global outpouring of remembrance for all those who have served their countries in war?

Photo Credit: Guelph Museums via McCord Museum M968.358.1x

The ceremonies kick off at 9am with the Flag Service at McCrae House, followed by the official Remembrance Day Service at 10:30am. Come on out and see the house, talk to the war veterans who will be there, and take part in the activities of the day.

Stay tuned to this site, and I will provide updates on how the day unfolded. It is sure to be a very moving day. These Remembrance Day services are brought to you by the Guelph Museums McCrae House, the City of Guelph, and the Royal Canadian Legion. We look forward to seeing you there!

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

The National War Memorial in Ottawa is a monument every Canadian is familiar with whether we have seen it in person or on Remembrance Day national TV broadcasts. The history of this memorial is an interesting one. For one thing so many obstacles got in the way like political bickering and the death of the sculptor that it almost didn’t get completed at all. But, 14 years after it started, Canada became one of the last Commonwealth countries to finally dedicate a national memorial to its fallen soldiers of the First World War.  (more…)