July 1, 2019
Over the past three years we have been traveling all across Canada, diving into local history, and telling the stories of the people, landscapes, and ideas that shaped this immense and varied country.
We’ve put together a photo page showing all the places we’ve partnered with, to give you a sense of the breathtaking scope of this country. It’s at www.onthisspot.ca/canada.
Often when talking to people about Canadian history, their eyes will glaze over. They’ll often say it’s boring or that nothing interesting happened in this or that town.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The history of every community we’ve worked in, from the cosmopolitan metropolis of Toronto to the sleepy Hamlet of Gleichen, is chock full of stories of colourful figures, brilliant ideas, and extreme living conditions we can scarcely conceive today.
In every community we find accounts of stunning courage, burning injustice, and feats of survival that are anything but boring.
These are stories that should be remembered and recounted, not only because they are fascinating, but because they remind us of the debt we all owe to those who came before, and they can teach us much as we all engage in the shared project of building a better, happier, more equitable Canada.
The lived experiences of people from St. John’s to Victoria have varied as much as the geography of this country, yet everywhere we see the same desire to create a more just and prosperous society, and preserve the lessons of the past that they may benefit our tomorrow.
The people at the forefront of these efforts are the dedicated and enthusiastic heritage professionals–the archivists, museum curators, and heritage society members–who are working to share the past with the young today. Working with them has been a humbling and inspiring experience that has made us feel a weighty responsibility when sharing their stories.
So this Canada day we’d ask you not just to remember the sacrifices of the people who came before to help build this country, but think of the people working to keep their memory alive.
From everyone at On This Spot we wish you a happy Canada Day!