Artists illuminate the spirit of our nation, whether they are painters, musicians, writers, dancers, actors, or even the philosophers who explain the effects of the arts on our lives.
“Their works call to my very soul,” Emily Carr wrote when she first met the painters of the Group of Seven. “They are big and courageous. I know they are building an art worthy of our great country, and I want to have my share, to put in a little spoke for the West, one woman holding up my end.” Emily Carr certainly held up her end. Her magnificent paintings express the mood, the mystery and the soul of the West Coast.
Thirty years after the Group of Seven produced their portraits of Canada, French-speaking Montréalers began to seek an artistic language to convey the complex reality of their changing society. Under the leadership of painter Paul-Émile Borduas, this group of artists laid the foundations for a social and artistic revolution.
During the hard times of the Great Depression, a young woman from the Gaspé, known simply as La Bolduc, laid the foundations of the Québec chanson.
These Minutes illustrate Canada's artistic spirit.
Artists illuminate the spirit of our nation, whether they are painters, musicians, writers, dancers, actors, or even the philosophers who explain the effects of the arts on our lives.
“Their works call to my very soul,” Emily Carr wrote when she first met the painters of the Group of Seven. “They are big and courageous. I know they are building an art worthy of our great country, and I want to have my share, to put in a little spoke for the West, one woman holding up my end.” Emily Carr certainly held up her end. Her magnificent paintings express the mood, the mystery and the soul of the West Coast.
Thirty years after the Group of Seven produced their portraits of Canada, French-speaking Montréalers began to seek an artistic language to convey the complex reality of their changing society. Under the leadership of painter Paul-Émile Borduas, this group of artists laid the foundations for a social and artistic revolution.
During the hard times of the Great Depression, a young woman from the Gaspé, known simply as La Bolduc, laid the foundations of the Québec chanson.
These Minutes illustrate Canada's artistic spirit.
A hero is someone who is willing to put himself on the line to help others. Heroes are often ordinary people who make extraordinary decisions in times of crisis.
Maurice Ruddick, one of the few black men employed at the Springhill mine in Nova Scotia, saved the lives of six other miners when they became trapped.
Today's comic books owe a great deal to the “man of steel” we know as Superman. The first great superhero, created by Toronto-born Joe Shuster and his high school buddy Jerry Siegel, became the first comic book best-seller, creating generations of imitators and spawning an entire industry.
Artists illuminate the spirit of our nation, whether they are painters, musicians, writers, dancers, actors, or even the philosophers who explain the effects of the arts on our lives.
“Their works call to my very soul,” Emily Carr wrote when she first met the painters of the Group of Seven. “They are big and courageous. I know they are building an art worthy of our great country, and I want to have my share, to put in a little spoke for the West, one woman holding up my end.” Emily Carr certainly held up her end. Her magnificent paintings express the mood, the mystery and the soul of the West Coast.
Thirty years after the Group of Seven produced their portraits of Canada, French-speaking Montréalers began to seek an artistic language to convey the complex reality of their changing society. Under the leadership of painter Paul-Émile Borduas, this group of artists laid the foundations for a social and artistic revolution.
During the hard times of the Great Depression, a young woman from the Gaspé, known simply as La Bolduc, laid the foundations of the Québec chanson.
These Minutes illustrate Canada's artistic spirit.
Artists illuminate the spirit of our nation, whether they are painters, musicians, writers, dancers, actors, or even the philosophers who explain the effects of the arts on our lives.
“Their works call to my very soul,” Emily Carr wrote when she first met the painters of the Group of Seven. “They are big and courageous. I know they are building an art worthy of our great country, and I want to have my share, to put in a little spoke for the West, one woman holding up my end.” Emily Carr certainly held up her end. Her magnificent paintings express the mood, the mystery and the soul of the West Coast.
Thirty years after the Group of Seven produced their portraits of Canada, French-speaking Montréalers began to seek an artistic language to convey the complex reality of their changing society. Under the leadership of painter Paul-Émile Borduas, this group of artists laid the foundations for a social and artistic revolution.
During the hard times of the Great Depression, a young woman from the Gaspé, known simply as La Bolduc, laid the foundations of the Québec chanson.
These Minutes illustrate Canada's artistic spirit.
Artists illuminate the spirit of our nation, whether they are painters, musicians, writers, dancers, actors, or even the philosophers who explain the effects of the arts on our lives.
“Their works call to my very soul,” Emily Carr wrote when she first met the painters of the Group of Seven. “They are big and courageous. I know they are building an art worthy of our great country, and I want to have my share, to put in a little spoke for the West, one woman holding up my end.” Emily Carr certainly held up her end. Her magnificent paintings express the mood, the mystery and the soul of the West Coast.
Thirty years after the Group of Seven produced their portraits of Canada, French-speaking Montréalers began to seek an artistic language to convey the complex reality of their changing society. Under the leadership of painter Paul-Émile Borduas, this group of artists laid the foundations for a social and artistic revolution.
During the hard times of the Great Depression, a young woman from the Gaspé, known simply as La Bolduc, laid the foundations of the Québec chanson.
These Minutes illustrate Canada's artistic spirit.
Artists illuminate the spirit of our nation, whether they are painters, musicians, writers, dancers, actors, or even the philosophers who explain the effects of the arts on our lives.
“Their works call to my very soul,” Emily Carr wrote when she first met the painters of the Group of Seven. “They are big and courageous. I know they are building an art worthy of our great country, and I want to have my share, to put in a little spoke for the West, one woman holding up my end.” Emily Carr certainly held up her end. Her magnificent paintings express the mood, the mystery and the soul of the West Coast.
Thirty years after the Group of Seven produced their portraits of Canada, French-speaking Montréalers began to seek an artistic language to convey the complex reality of their changing society. Under the leadership of painter Paul-Émile Borduas, this group of artists laid the foundations for a social and artistic revolution.
During the hard times of the Great Depression, a young woman from the Gaspé, known simply as La Bolduc, laid the foundations of the Québec chanson.
These Minutes illustrate Canada's artistic spirit.
Few Canadian black bears have achieved the literary renown of "Winnipeg," Captain Harry Colebourn's pet black bear. Lasting fame came to Winnipeg after a boy - Christopher Robin - and his father - A.A. Milne - saw Winnipeg at the London Zoo.
Captivated by Winnipeg, who gave zoo patrons piggyback rides around the zoo and ate treats from their hands, Christopher Robin urged his father to take her home. Instead, Milne transformed Winnipeg into the hero of a classic childhood story, "Winnie-the-Pooh." This unusual name is a combination of the nickname London zoo patrons gave Winnipeg, and the name of Christopher Robin's pet swan, Pooh. The Pooh stories describe the explorations of a loveable bear and his friends - Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore - in the innocent world of childhood, demonstrating the value of friendship and pots of honey.
Winnipeg emigrated to Britain along with her owner, Captain Harry Colebourn, an army veterinary surgeon in the Canadian military. In 1915, as World War I raged, Captain Colebourn was sent to the front in France. Unable to take Winnipeg along, he donated her to the London Zoo, where she quickly became a star attraction.
Colebourn purchased Winnipeg in White River, Ontario from a trapper who had killed the cub's mother. She was named after Colebourn's hometown. In 1989, White River erected a statue commemorating Winnie-the-Pooh's namesake.
A.A. Milne (1882-1956) was a journalist and contributor to Punch magazine. His books Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928) are two of several children's books. Milne also wrote plays and novels, the best known of which is his play Mr. Pim Passes By. The original illustrations to Milne's books were created by Ernest Shepard, who also illustrated an early edition of Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows.
There was much to celebrate in the year of Canada's Centennial, but its crowning achievement was Expo 67, one of the greatest birthday parties in history. One of the most successful international exhibitions of the 20th Century, Expo 67 gave Montréal the opportunity to show itself as an international city and proved once and for all that Canada had come of age.
But the story of Expo 67 must begin with the fact that it almost didn't happen at all. The Canadian government's application to the International Exhibitions Bureau in Paris for the right to hold a "first-category" exhibition, as this was called, was rejected in favour of the U.S.S.R, which was marking the 50th anniversary of the Communist regime. However, when the staggering costs forced Moscow to withdraw their bid, Canada re-applied and was selected.
The controversy and friction about the fair then began in earnest. Montréal mayor, Jean Drapeau, came up with the idea of enlarging Ile Ste Hélène, an island park in the St. Laurence, and adding another island to become the fair site. His plan was met with skepticism and derision by almost everyone. But Drapeau and his engineers persevered, and began the momentous task of filling the river with 25 million tons of earth to create a magnificent and unique locale.
The choice of the islands in the St. Lawrence River for the location also carried historical significance for Canada. As an important trade route, and the access point for early immigrants, the St. Lawrence symbolizes the link between Canada and the world.
But the real meaning of Expo 67 came from the theme itself, a clear representation of the optimism of the time. "Man and his World" was the official title, and the fair guides explained it in this way: "It will tell the story of man's exploration of the physical world, his drive to discover, understand and produce; of how he assimilates, organizes and uses his knowledge to improve his lot and how, as a social being, he has sought and still seeks to live in peace and harmony with his fellow man."
Expo 67 was a huge success. It changed the world's view of Canada, and more importantly, it changed our view of ourselves. Expo brought us together for the first time in mutual pride and appreciation for our talents and accomplishments.
