Fall is one of the best times of year to get out for a hike, a pastime long enjoyed by Ontarians across the province. Digital Archive Ontario offers a window into that history. It has over 100,000 digitized photos, maps, postcards and other items related to Ontario's past. Below is a bit of background on […]
As the summer heats up, Ontarians cool down in the water! To find out where swimmers of the past made waves in the province, I turned to Digital Archive Ontario. It has over 100,000 digitized photos, maps, postcards and other items related to Ontario's past. Photo from our Toronto Star Photograph Archive, 1972. Portion of […]
It’s been two years since marijuana was legalized in Canada on October 17, 2018. This changed the course of the small town of Smiths Falls, home to a significant pot-producing factory in Canada. So how did my hometown (hi, Mum and Dad!) get to where it is today? To find out, I turned to Digital […]
One of my favourite things to do when I visit a new place is to check out monuments and public art. Every street tells a story, and monuments are a big part of that narrative. They invite us to "read" our built environment. Of course, I’m not travelling right now due to the pandemic. But […]
As summer weather comes to Ontario, many people hit the road to "cottage country." You may have a favourite hotspot to enjoy the outdoors — but do you know how the region developed into what it is today? Each area has its own unique history (including its Indigenous land status, as mapped on Native Land). […]
“It is an appalling reality that, during the first five years of World War II, 36,000 Canadians died of TB, while 38,000 Canadians were killed by enemy action.” — Saturday Night newspaper, quoted in Katherine McCuaig's The Weariness, the Fever and the Fret Tuberculosis (TB) used to impact a huge number of Ontarians. It's hard to even imagine […]