In the early 1850s, white American abolitionist Benjamin Drew was commissioned to travel to Canada West (now Ontario) to interview escaped slaves from the United States. At the time the population of Canada West was just short of a million and about 30,000 black people lived in the colony, most of whom were escaped slaves from south of the border. One of the people Drew interviewed was Harriet Tubman, who was then based in St. Catharines but made several trips to the U.S. South to lead sla...

Voyageur Classics is a series that issues special new versions of Canadian classics, with added material and special introductions. In this bundle we find two classic works of Canadian historical writing. During three extraordinary years, 1805-1808, Simon Fraser undertook the third major expedition across North America, culminating in his famous journey down the river in British Columbia that now bears his name. Fraser’s exploratory efforts helped lead to Canada’s boundary later being decl...

"Pens and Types" by Benjamin Drew explores the intricate relationship between writing instruments and the art of communication. Drew delves into the historical evolution of pens, from quills to modern ballpoints, illustrating how these tools have shaped the way we express thoughts and ideas. The book is not just a technical examination; it also reflects on the emotional and cultural significance of writing. Through vivid anecdotes and personal reflections, Drew invites readers to appreciat...

In the mid-1850s, Boston abolitionist Benjamin Drew visited numerous Canadian towns, interviewing scores of refugees from Southern slave states and taking notes of what they had to say. For reasons of safety, he protected the identity of his informants and used fictitious names.Drew's subsequent book was an immediate response to a volume by a Boston preacher who opposed abolition. Drew's soul-stirring account, the culmination of countless fugitive slave autobiographies that preceded...

First published in 1935, Pilgrims of the Wild is Grey Owl's autobiographical account of his transition from successful trapper to preservationist. With his Iroquois wife, Anahereo, Grey Owl set out to protect the environment and the endangered beaver. Powerful in its simplicity, Pilgrims of the Wild tells the story of Grey Owl's life of happy cohabitation with the wild creatures of nature and the healing powers of what he referred to as "the great Northland" of "Over the ...

On March 7, 1800, Philemon Wright, a farmer from Woburn, Massachusetts, arrives on the north shore of the Ottawa River in Hull Township. On September 1, 1860, on the south side of the river, Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Albert Edward, lays the cornerstone for Canada’s Parliament Buildings on Barrack Hill in Ottawa.While Chaudière Falls: A Novel of Dramatized History dramatizes the real events that unfold between those two dates—Wright’s determination to establish a communi...

Newmarket, one of the oldest communities in Ontario, was founded on the Upper Canadian frontier in 1801 by Quakers from the United States. Fur traders, entrepreneurs, millers, and many others were soon to follow, some seeking independence, some seeking wealth, and some even seeking freedom from creditors. The community was at the heart of the 1837 Rebellion, found prosperity when a stop on the colonys first railway, and has sent military personnel to every war in Canadas history since the ...

This is a fascinating collection of short pieces about Canadian firsts, ranging from Canada's first Potter's Field through technical developments and inventions like Sonar and the variable pitch aircraft propeller, to Canada's first female winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. The collection is presented in chronological order from 33 to 2014 CE, which contributes a historical context to each innovation while maintaining a sense of the eclectic range of Canadian originality and achieve...

Mike Filey's "The Way We Were" column in the Toronto Sun continues to be one of the paper's most popular features. In Toronto Sketches 3, the third volume in Dundurn Press's Toronto Sketches series, Filey brings together some of the best of his columns.Each column looks at Toronto as it was, and contributes to our understanding of how Toronto became what it is. Illustrated with photographs of the city's people and places of the past, Toronto Sketches

The Canada Company was responsible for the opening and settling of over two million acres of land in Upper Canada. Author Robert C. Lee focuses his attention on the extensive parcel of land on the shores of Lake Huron that became known as the Huron Tract. His comprehensive research explores the underlying forces leading to the formation of the Company, the intriguing mix of people charged with responsibilities for the Company and the overall impact of its operations, leading to its present...

Between 1912 and 1925, Ireland convulsed with political and revolutionary upheaval in pursuit of self-government. Canadians of Irish descent, both Catholic and Protestant, diligently followed these conflicts, and many became actively involved in the dramatic events overseas.Irish Canadian Conflict and the Struggle for Irish Independence tells the unique story of how Irish Canadians identified with their ancestral homeland during this revolutionary era. Drawing on ethnic we...

Three beautiful gothic buildings loom over the Ottawa River just below the historic Chaudiere Falls. They are the seat of Canada’s federal government, visited by thousands of people each year. Canada’s Parliament Buildings, filled with heraldry and history, instill pride in our country and give visitors a deep sense of being Canadian.Constructed in controversy, and steeped in decades of political lore, the Parliament Buildings have been the stage for the evolution of Canada from a ...