CNE at the Library
The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) has been a Toronto tradition for 140 years and a personal tradition of mine for my whole life. (I even had the privilege of being the CNE's "First Family" ten years ago after winning a contest run by a local radio station.)
If like me you are planning to be one of the approximately 1.5 million people who will visit the CNE this year, you will get the chance to experience all of the fun, food, and festival that this wonderful event has to offer. There will be 18 days (Aug 17 to Sep 3, 2018) for you and your family to experience all the wonders that "The Ex" (as it is also fondly called) has to offer. (And trust me, we know a little bit about "Summer Wonder(s)" at Toronto Public Library!)
A visit to the CNE might spark your child's curiosity and might have them wondering more about some of the things that were part of their day at the fair. And that's where we come in. So if they want to learn some of the science or history behind the midway, are inspired to perform in their own shows, or just want more information about some of the spectacles they might have seen, they should check out some of these books that are available to borrow from TPL (Toronto Public Library).
Rides & Food - Science & History:
The Thrills and Chills of Amusement Parks by Jordan Brown (Ages 6-9)
The Scoop on Ice Cream! by Bonnie Williams (Ages 6-9)
The Deep Dish on Pizza! by Stephen Krensky (Ages 6-9)
Sensational Performers, Skaters in the Sky, & Superdogs – Studying the Shows:
Learn to Speak Dance by Ann-Marie Williams (Ages 8-12)
How Figure Skating Works by Keltie Thomas (Ages 8-12)
Superpuppy: How to Choose, Raise and Train the Best Possible Dog for You by Jill Pinkwater and Daniel Pinkwater (Ages 8-12)
Down on the Farm, Up in the Air, & Along the Silk Road – Inside a Book:
Farm Animals by Joanne Mattern (Ages 4-6)
How Airplanes Get from Here to There by Jordan Brown (Ages 6-9)
The Silk Road: Explore the World's Most Famous Trade Route with 20 Projects by Kathy Ceceri (Ages 9-12)
As you can see, both the CNE and TPL have some wonderful things for kids and adults too (read about of some the history of the Canadian National Exhibition on their website or check out Lee Shimano's book Treasures of the CNE: Memorabilia and Tales from the Canadian National Exhibition from your local library).
So…
Let's Go to The Ex!
…and don't forget the donuts!
4 thoughts on “CNE at the Library”
Thank you for sharing this! Unfortunately, I will not be going to The Ex this year. As much as I enjoy all the fun things they have to offer, I will not cross the picket line of workers locked out of their jobs for over a month.
That’s a fair point Victoria.
Hopefully an equitable resolution will come soon so that everyone can enjoy the fun and, more importantly, the situation can be fairly resolved.
Thank you, Katherine McG, for an excellent and informative blog post. Since you made reference to Lee Shimano’s adult-level book entitled Treasures of the CNE: Memorabilia and Tales from the Canadian National Exhibition, I would like to offer a cross-reference to another excellent blog post done by your colleague lfeesey entitled “The Early Years of the Exhibition in Toronto” (URL: https://blogs.tpl.ca/local-history-genealogy/2018/08/the-origins-of-the-cne-or-the-ex.html ).
Thank you John P. It’s wonderful that we can celebrate and explore the history behind the CNE in so many ways here at Toronto Public Library and that we have the opportunity to in turn share this exploration with our patrons.