Detailing Canadian history, date by date, ‘Canadian Facts and Dates’ presents the country’s spirit and transformation year over year in appealing form.
Browsing the library book shelves to find inspiring books on Canada’s history, I spotted an old copy of Fitzhenry and Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates. A small, older volume with a white cover, inside was a truckload of information on Canada. It was the perfect place for a history buff to find ideas and begin nosing around for the true story. I was so thrilled with the discovery of this book that I immediately ordered my own new copy.
The latest version of Canadian Facts and Dates is much larger than the first publication. Edited by Richard W. Pound, it was published in 2005 by Fitzhenry and Whiteside, and is rich in detail. Before the book jumps into Canadian history, the first couple of pages covers the “Beginning of a Planet” then moves into a short examination of native peoples of the continent from as far back as 11,000. Their movements across the land are traced, along with visits by the Norse, settling in the Maritimes. It’s fascinating stuff.
Thumbing through, almost every page has an interesting tidbit. For example, in June of 1720, the pirate Black Bart sailed into the port at Trepassey, Newfoundland with the Jolly Roger flag flying high. In May 1803, slavery was declared “inconsistent with Canadian laws” and the “3” by 1” rubber disc” was “the official puck” of the Amateur Hockey Association, instead of the usual wooden puck. (Ouch!) Canada Post honoured the Chinese Year of the Ox in February 1997 with a 45 cent stamp.
Pioneers, political events, musicians, artists, scientific innovations, business growth and failure, winners and losers, it is in the Fitzhenry and Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates. The book is a satisfying link to our past and a treasure trove of great information.
