Historian | Hon. BA, PGCert., MA, GDPS

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner can carry about 250 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,100 times in 2012. If it were a Dreamliner, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Hello All! I had the opportunity last week to be invited to one of many round-table discussions regarding the creation of the new Canadian Museum of History. The announcement by the government to re-brand the Museum of Civilization into a Canadian history museum is one that has caused both controversy and consensus. I feel there is a need in this country to construct a national institution where Canadian history may be debated, celebrated, and researched. Unlike our neighbours to the south, we are still  very much developing a national identity and so our historical narrative is ongoing. This new museum must be a part of that nation building experiment and must tackle the outdated perceptions that surround history, both among the younger generation and adults. Indeed, any national institution must speak to our collective experiences, personal stories, and uncomfortable aspects in history that will be relevant to Canadians and informative to those who visit. Likewise, we must learn from the lessons of our other national treasures like the National Archives and be able to tell a story of Canada that is accessible, comprehensible to different groups, and relevant to our process of identity building. Please feel free to have a look at the newly minted interim website for the new museum, and input your opinions and suggestions of what you believe a national history museum should include.

http://www.civilization.ca/myhistorymuseum