Monthly Archives: December 2010

Photo Credit: Brock House

Having done my undergrad in architectural history, I am fascinated by architects in general and one of my favourites has always been the work of west coast architect, Samuel Maclure. The more I learn about and practice the art and methods of architectural renderings and landscape design, the more I come to appreciate Maclure’s work. The previous chapter of our Great Canadian Architects series profiled one of British Columbia’s greatest institutional architects of the early twentieth century, F.M. Rattenbury. So, this chapter will look at British Columbia’s greatest architect of private residences of the same period, Samuel Maclure. The two men often competed against each other for commissions and had even worked on a couple of projects together as co-architects. But, Rattenbury and Maclure could not have been more opposite from each other in almost every aspect from training to achievements to their domestic lives. Maclure was the early “Canadian Dream” in many respects: he was BC born, he was a completely self-taught architect, and his marriage was something that could have made a perfect Hollywood love story. And more importantly, Maclure leaves us a multitude of brilliant examples of west coast inspired Tudor Revival and Arts and Crafts homes throughout southwest British Columbia, most of which are now municipally designated heritage buildings.

Note: Just a fair warning to you all, the following story is a bit long and contains LOTS of photos. When it comes to my love and appreciation of Samuel Maclure, it appears that I just can’t shut up about him!!!  (more…)

Photo Credit: Chris Keen

As Christine showed us in our last posting of Traditional Family Recipes, anyone can take a recipe given to them and pass it down to members of their own family for generations to come. Now, our next recipe in the series looks at how an old favourite can come from a foreign land and become adapted to new environments and food selections.  The spirit of the dish is still present, but its contents may vary slightly based on the local ingredients available. This week’s recipe comes to us from June who was born to Finnish immigrants who fished and lived in a Finnish speaking community along the banks of British Columbia’s Fraser River called Finn Slough.  (more…)

The decorations have been put up, the baking completed and gifts all wrapped. Now, I just wanted to take a moment to write a quick note to wish everyone out there a very safe and Happy Holiday season.  Thank you for your continued support of this site and I look forward to posting new stories soon and, as always, I love reading your comments and suggestions.

So from our house to your’s, the very best  of the season to you all and much health, success and happiness in 2011, no matter what your hopes and dreams are!

Cheers,

Laura

Photo Credit: David Ellis

As I’ve been sorting through the recipes I have received and reading the wonderful stories attached to them, I was struck by one particular submission from Christine in Powell River, British Columbia which helped me realise something important. Not all our recipes have been passed on by family members but by other individuals in our lives such as friends, neighbours or co-workers. Maybe these recipes have been in these other families for years. What is just as important in these recently acquired recipes is the opportunity to start a new family tradition of passing on a recipe, and Christine is proof of that new tradition of family recipes. Over 30 years ago, she received a recipe for carrot cake that came from a Scottish neighbour and now she would like to pass this new family favourite recipe on to you. (more…)

Photo Credit: Brandon Godfrey

One of British Columbia’s most celebrated institutional architects of all time was also a man who inspired many things away from architecture including high end London plays starring famous actors, a legal case taught to many young lawyers to this day, and a number of novels. His life was filled with almost every kind of sensationalism that could inspire Hollywood filmmakers for years to come: lying about his credentials, illicit sexual affairs, dizzying fame and recognition, alcoholism, the fall from Grace, and, finally, murder. Who was this man? His name was Francis Mawson Rattenbury and he created such architectural wonders in British Columbia as the Empress Hotel and the BC Legislature Building in Victoria; the Court Houses in Vancouver, Nanaimo and Nelson plus numerous other buildings in the province. Before Arthur Erickson, another famed BC architect who began his illustrious career in the 1960s, it was Rattenbury who set the bar of excellence for institutional building design in British Columbia. However, for some, his enduring legacy is undoubtedly his complicated and very tragic personal life.  (more…)

Photo Credit: Giampaolo Macorig

When Margaret speaks of her Italian grandfather, Sergio, a smile comes to her face and tears to her eyes even though he has been gone nearly 40 years now. He was a compassionate, quiet and soft spoken man who had a 30 year career as a master shipwright carpenter in the shipyards of Glasgow, Scotland. Yet, his true passion and great love was cooking for his family and passing down his long-time family recipes to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In this chapter of Historic Family Recipes, I’ll tell you about a 150+ year old Italian pasta and sauce recipe that started in Rome, came to Glasgow and is now being used in Oakville, Ontario.   (more…)

McIntosh Castle in Kingston, Ontario

It’s always nice hearing from readers who have questions about my posts or if they are looking for specific information to something….and even when they are setting me straight on something! I got a great email from Judi in Kingston in response to my Casa Loma story telling me there was a castle I didn’t mention. So in this post, I will tell you a little bit about this castle which is also a perfect stepping off point to launch a new series dedicated to Canadian architects who have built some of this country’s most beautiful public and private buildings. The first architects to be profiled are John Power, and his son Joseph, who built many impressive dwellings in nineteenth and early twentieth century Kingston, Ontario.   (more…)

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

Have you ever wondered what a Victorian Christmas looked like in Canada? Did Victorian Canadians celebrate Christmas much the same way Canadians do today? The answer is yes, many Victorian Christmas traditions have continued through the years and one place to see those traditions is at the Colonel John McCrae Birthplace and Memorial Gardens in Guelph.  (more…)

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

Well, I want to launch something fun here at “History to the People” and something I hope you will both enjoy and want to be a part of. One of my little hobbies on the side is to experiment with and try out a vast array of culinary dishes from around the world. I have to admit, I am a foodie at heart and just love to cook. I also have the embarrassing ability to name all the shows currently showing on Food Network Canada! I thought it would be a cool idea to post some recipes onto this site from readers. But, in keeping with this site’s focus on heritage and history, I would like to post some recipes that have been passed down through the generations. You may never have known your great, great grandparents, but you keep their spirits alive by preparing their favourite recipes  such as Scotch Baps or Newfoundland Chowder for your loved ones still to this day. If you have a favourite hand-me-down recipe you would like to share with others, please email me and tell me the story about your favourite generational recipe and I will post it on this site. Perhaps this can be the start of a Heritage Canadian Cookbook! For the first post I will pass along to you a couple recipes that have been passed down in my family.  (more…)

Photo Credit: K. Manning

So, you own a home that was built prior to 1940 and you’re listening to all the hype out there from window companies about how great vinyl windows are at saving you money on your heating bills. You want to rip out those old “nasty” windows and put in some vinyl instead. Should you do it? There was a workshop I attended on November 20^th that was sponsored by the Aurora Heritage Advisory Committee that addressed the prevailing attitudes about our society’s need to abandon the old and adopt the new when it comes to replacing windows in older homes. You may save a few dollars in the first few years, but that will eventually change. Quite simply, you could be causing your home more long term damage if you replace those old wood windows with vinyl. An alternative you should consider is repairing your original windows instead.  (more…)