Toronto Reference Library Blog

Left to right: Vickery Bowles, City Librarian, His Excellency David Johnston, Her Excellency Sharon Johnston, Mary Rae Shantz, Manager of Special Collections.

The Library was pleased to host a very distinguished guest on April 20th. His Excellency David Johnston, the Governor General of Canada visited the Library launch of his new book The Idea of Canada: Letters to a Nation (Signal, 2016). Prior to the Launch in the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon, he and his wife Sharon Johnston stopped by the Marilyn & Charles Special Collections Centre to view a few of our treasures of Canadian history.

The Toronto Public Library began Canadiana when it was first formed in 1884. In his inaugural address, the Chairman of the Board directed the first chief Librarian to acquire documents of national significance, giving the Library a mandate to preserve our cultural heritage. Today, the collection has grown to be one of the most significant collections of Canadiana in the world – in fact the internationally recognized bibliography of pre-confederation Canadiana is the Toronto Public Library catalogue.

Their Excellencies viewed a small sampling of that Collection, concentrating on some of the great moments of nation building, embellished with the stories of everyday people whose lived experience helped to shape our country. Here are a few highlights from the visit:

An Account of the Seven Years’ War in America, Jan. 16, 1757- Sep. 20, 1759, by an anonymous officer

Purchased in 1886, this was the first item acquired for the Library’s collection of historical manuscripts. This personal journal of an anonymous officer of the 48th Regiment of Foot provides an eyewitness account of the scouting party to Ticonderoga in January 1757, the French attack on Fort William Henry in March 1757, and the Siege of Louisbourg in June 1758.

Evsebii Cesariesis Episcopi Chronicon. [Parisiis]: Henricvs Stephanus; eiusdẽ & Iodoci Badij in hoc opere sociorum paruis expensis, 1512.

This is the earliest item in the Canadiana collection.  This day by day chronology of world history was originally written in the 4th century by a Roman bishop. During the Renaissance era it became a “thing” to update the chronology. This Paris edition of 1512 contains the first printed reference to Canadian aboriginal peoples. The entry for 1509 describes the seven Newfoundland aboriginals who were abducted and brought to Rouen. The fate of the people is unknown. It is unlikely that any of them ever saw their homes again.

Histoire de la nouvelle France, by Marc Lescarbot. Paris : 1609

Lescarbot was a French lawyer and man of letters who came to Acadia in 1606, and published his account in 1609. This rare first edition is bound with Lescarbot’s  Les Muses de la Nouvelle France includes a masque entitled  Le Theatre de Neptune first performed at Port Royal in Acadia in open boats, on Nov. 4, 1606.

Nova Francia, by Marc Lescarbot. London, 1609

Lescarbot’s Histoire was so popular, that Richard Hakluyt commissioned an English translations of a portion of it. This translation, published the same year as the Histoire, covers only some of the settlements, but includes his observations of the aboriginal peoples.

Voyages de Decouvertures  by Samuel de Champlain, Paris : 1620

It is impossible to talk about Canadian history without mentioning the Father of New France, and the first Governor General of the Colony —  Samuel de Champlain. This classic narrative of early Canadian travel and exploration describes Champlain’s epic journeys, and contains his observations made during the winter of 1615-16 when he lived among the Hurons. Our copy (1620) is a re-issue, with a few minor changes, of the 1619 edition.

We also looked at some of the original manuscripts in the Collection. Some of our historical manuscripts are essentially eyewitness accounts to great moments in Canadian history, such as Simon Fraser’s journal of exploration down the Fraser River in 1808. 

Other manuscripts are more personal snapshots – sometimes anonymous, but they give us a compelling glimpse into past times, and a sense of the day to day lives of average Canadian. Some of these stories are sad, such as the Register and list of Apprenticeships for the Protestant Childrens’ Home 1854-1873.

And of course, we could not leave the room without a nod to the Governor General’s personal passion – Hockey.

Stratford Hockey Team, 1900 

On the far left is Charley Lightfoot, one of the first black hockey players in the Ontario Hockey Association, and was recognized as one of the best players in the league. This picture is the 1900 team which won'the OHA Junior Championship. Lightfoot eventually left hockey to play baseball.

Hockey in Riverdale Park, 1900.

And some familiar views of Quebec.   

A plan of Quebec (London: E. Oakley, 1759)

This plan shows the Citadel, one of the official residences of the Governor General.

Quebec from Point Levi, 1836

This pencil sketch by an unidentified artists was from the personal collection of Lord Elgin.

To learn more about Canada’s rich history, be sure to read The Idea of Canada: Letters to a Nation (Signal, 2016), or stop by the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre on the 5^th floor of the Toronto Reference Library. Be Our Guest!