History – Spoke

Man of three worlds

Kitchener’s John Norton building commemorates a key figure from the War of 1812.

OPINION: To solve white supremacy, begin by unpacking notions of empire

The alt-right movements of today have their roots in notions of cultural and religious superiority going back to the Crusades, writes Ahmad Khan.

Longtime prof Geoff Johnstone set to retire after more than 48 years

The Liberal Studies instructor says he won’t miss the marking. But the students? That’s an entirely different story.

Indigenous people want better education about Thanksgiving’s history

It’s time, they say, to do a reality check on romantic mainstream notions of how the holiday came to be and, instead, see the season through a different lens.

BY MEGHAN WEATHERALL Take a step back in history with THEMUSEUM’s travelling carnival exhibit. Step Right Up: The Travelling Carnival in Canada looks back on how this country’s travelling carnivals and midways have shaped our entertainment and agriculture. It all started when two men met back in the 1920s. Originally they performed shows across the U.S., but they decided to move their act to Canada. “Conklin and Garrett were partners, … Continued

A Christmas celebration Victorian style

BY SHARON SAMUEL Did your grandparents teach you how to decorate your Christmas tree? If so, who would have taught them? “We can actually thank Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for some of the traditional Christmas customs we have today,” said Karen Richardson, curator at the Haldimand County Museum, at a lunchtime lounge talk at the Homer Watson Gallery. “We, as British subjects, followed every single thing that Queen Victoria … Continued

Makeup through the years

By JENNA BRAUN Long gone are the days where a woman seen wearing some makeup was perceived as a harlot. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, women scarcely wore makeup as it was seen by society as appropriate only for actresses, but often also seen on prostitutes. Truthfully, however, most women wore a little bit. They learned to excel at the “no-makeup” makeup look, appearing natural to the … Continued

History must not repeat itself

In light of the attacks on Paris and Beirut, there has been a lot of talk about refugees, and people who are against allowing them to emigrate from the countries they’re living in. People have been fuming about refugees on social media, writing posts blaming them for the attacks and expressing the opinion that they don’t want to allow them into their countries. “… close borders, return so-called refugees. Process … Continued

Fun off the starboard bow

BY BECKY SHEASBY If you hear loud shouts like “avast, me hearties” ringing through the air, it’s probably coming from Waterloo Region Museum’s newest exhibit, Odyssey’s Shipwreck! Pirates and Treasure. Over the past 3,000 years, war, plunder and storms have sunk some of the world’s greatest ships, with some of the remains now on display at this exhibit. Artifacts from the 1600s to 1800s, the history of pirate lore, pirate … Continued

Tag: History