Comments on: Related: WHAT IS THE CANADIAN STORY?

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:17:37 +0000

I would tell the story of Canada by discussing the lived experience of ordinary people who came before us. What was it like to live in Huronia in the 1600s, what about a worker in an 1890s factory? What do these stories tell us about Canada? What was it like, how has it changed, and why?
I would also focus on what’s important not just what’s well known. The museum should tell less known stories and not just rehash what people learned decades ago in high school textbooks.

By: Melanie Rebane

Melanie Rebane — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:18:43 +0000

Would be wonderful to revive the archives of the former Portrait Gallery to illustrate the personalities along this timeline.

By: K. Desroches

K. Desroches — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 01:51:12 +0000

[continued from email 4] the French would be interesting and give a broader view of the early years.

Finally, I think that asking for feedback with a low character limit is a bit disingenuous. It’s probably also irritating for the poor person stuck connecting these all together, so why have it? Either you want public feedback, or you don’t.

[end of final email]

By: K. Desroches

K. Desroches — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 01:49:40 +0000

[continued from email 2]

Finally, I would like to see further examination of the other groups who built this country. The French and English and First Nations are, of course, amply covered, but what about the heavily marginalized Irish or Scots (particularly the Gaelic speakers placed here after the clearances). Gaelic was the third most commonly spoken language at the time of Confederation. Today, it is all but none existent. A word about the forced Anglicization of groups other than [con't]

By: K. Desroches

K. Desroches — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 01:47:04 +0000

[continued from previous email]

To the best of my knowledge, the Canadian War Museum will not be changing, so why add additional emphasis on the military?

I like the frank inclusion of some of the darker elements of our history, such as the Chinese Head Tax or the Grande Dérangement (though wonder about the new exclusion of the Beothuk extinction). However, I do wonder if this might make the exhibits too dark.

[to be continued in email 3]

By: K. Desroches

K. Desroches — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 01:44:16 +0000

Judging from the events placed here, there’s not much coherence to be found in the new museum. There’s social history, military history, Aboriginal history, and political history all mashed together. I think it will be difficult to create any sort of narrative from so many disparate pieces and that the future exhibits will suffer greatly for it. In particular, I’m concerned about the inclusion of military history, as that is quite amply represented by the Canadian War Museum.

By: Daniel Myerscough

Daniel Myerscough — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:15:53 +0000

I like the timeline however, there is not enough early Canadian history the really shaped our country i.e. Capt. Cook and Vancouver discovering and exploring the west coast, Champlain voyage and routes, the inland exploration of what are the prairie provinces.

By: AGL

AGL — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 12:48:28 +0000

The new exhibitions should focus less on the object itself and more on the moment in history that it came from and the meaning to Canada’s history.

By: Joseph Graham

Joseph Graham — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 01:46:22 +0000

The space allotted is not great enough. Five subjects missing: Wendat-Huron history; Responsible government (Lafontaine-Baldwin-Howe); Catholic Church, Canada East; Communism; Refus Global. I am willing to present in Montreal or Gatineau.

By: Jonathan Koch

Jonathan Koch — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:50:29 +0000

This is a commendable initiative. Please include more insight and analysis into the history of the Prairies prior to World War II. To understand the social, political and economic transformation of the West, the trials and tribulations endured by homesteaders on the frontier, particularly in the drought-ridden southern plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan, must be understood.