I am captivated by the late 1800s to early 1900s, a time when discovery, invention, social upheaval and the Industrial Revolution changed the landscape of Canada forever
“That must be boring!” I hear those words often about writing a Canadian history column. The opinion never fails to surprise me. There is nothing boring about history, especially Canadian history. It is alive, tiptoeing and dancing through our daily lives, leading us from one useful discovery to the next finer-tuned invention. It takes us from moments of deep grief to moments of proud glory.
I don’t know what it is about the particular era, but I am fascinated with the late 1800s to the early 1900s. It was a time of social upheaval and progress, the industrial revolution creating both extraordinary wealth and aching poverty. Much of what we use and take for granted today - the telephone, the automobile, electricity and home conveniences like light bulbs, washing machines and refrigerators – were invented or discovered in that time. Voting rights for women changed the political landscape forever. It must have been a glorious era where everything seemed possible.
Perhaps even more than now, though, the rich became richer and the poor were so very crushingly poor, with only the beginnings of social networks to help. At least now, Canadians can depend on assistance for the most unfortunate and medical care for all who need it, not only those whose wallets can sustain it.
The vehicles of the past century are some of my favourite topics. Seeing the old cars and trucks at auto shows and in museums is to be able to touch the imaginations of the creators. With solidly constructed bodies, simple engines with durable parts, the vehicles were built to run and last. Some can still be found purring along on the road today.
How can that kind of Canadian history be boring?
