Archive for the ‘Canadian History’ Category
The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 by Rick Atkinson
Finished reading this detailed account of the battles of Sicily and Italy. It was a difficult read, not because of Atkinson’s style but because of the content. The incredible waste and suffering of so many soldiers and civilians. I had prior to reading this book only a sketchy idea of the Italian campaign. Growing up in Toronto, my next door neighbour was a Canadian Combat Engineer Major who I believe had been in Italy during the war. I thought of him often while reading this book. Highly recommended.
new flickr pool – Historic Huronia
Today I set up a photo pool on flickr: Historic Huronia pool. Purpose is to hold photos on the history of the Huronia area, historic places, buildings, and events. Huronia is most of Simcoe County in Ontario, Canada…..the home of the Huron (or Wendat) native peoples and was a major area of contact between first peoples and the French in the 1600s. The reconstructed fortified French mission of Ste. Marie among the Hurons is located just east of Midland, Ontario.
You can find it about 100 miles north of Toronto and has the towns of Midland, Penetang, and Tay and Tiny Townships… it also extends a little further south towards Barrie. Samuel Champlain may have first entered the area over at Orillia. Nowadays it is cottage country, farming country and some light industry. Another major historic site is Discovery Harbour, a 19th century British Army and Navy post with reconstructed buildings.
another blog – for the Huronia Museum
Helping to supplement the Huronia Museum communications/participation I set up a blog: Huronia Museum Blog. Huronia Museum (HM) in Midland, Ontario, Canada consists of the museum building (housing collections & art gallery) & the Huron/Ouendat (Wendat) village (palisade & longhouse), is open year round & has nearly one million objects. HM receives some 20,000 visitors each year. The collections hold artifacts of native history & maritime history. HM provides educational programmes for schools & adults. Established in 1947.
Grosse Île – a poem
Grosse Île is an island in the St. Lawrence River downstream from Ville de Quebec. It has had a fascinating history including biological weapons research during World War II (anthrax), but less alarmingly, it was the quarrantine immigration station for Quebec. In other words, it was Canada’s Ellis Island. Actually Ellis Island was America’s Grosse Île. Irish and other immigrants entered Canada at this point at the time of the Potato Famine, 1848. It continued to be used as an immigration depot into the 20th century. Today you can visit the island, Parks Canada manages the island. It is a moving experience to tour the site.
Grosse Île
We are guided through the Reception Hall,
lose the sound of the St. Lawrence River.
Gape at the baggage cages,
the immigrants’ luggage and clothing
packed on these
for disinfection
in the steam and sulphur
boilers.
Our guide explains why the shower stalls
have wire mesh roofs.
To keep the people from climbing out.
I look inside the galvanized grey casing
and stare at the shower tube and the three
wrap-around shower pipes
and I step back.
Later we walk down the trail
to the Irish cemetery
from 1847,
the famine year,
the big death year.
There is still one building from then.
One old cover shed still there.
Later I read how the government debated
the costs of sheds to cover the immigrants,
to get them out of the tents and the open air.
Not enough money for milk and bread.
For medical supplies.
The doctors and nurses, the nuns and priests
falling sick, dying.
How the St. Lawrence was full of ships
anchored, waiting with their sick, and dying
with their dead lying in the bunks of the crowded
stinking lower decks.
Where family members were too frightened.
To touch their own dead, for burial.
I read the list of those who died.
Unknown Dutch man
Unknown Irish child
There was one William Gibson,
Captain of a ship out of Liverpool,
his ship with sick and dead
in 1847.
Blue Tyger Series #2 Grosse Île and Other Poems by William J. Gibson Copyright © William Joseph Gibson 1998, 2007 All rights reserved. published by Alburnum Press Victoria Harbour & Callander, Ontario First printed in Victoria Harbour, Ontario Canada First Printing: April 1998 Alburnum Press
Jesuit cell – desk and chair – Ste Marie among the Hurons 068
Jesuit cell – desk and chair – Ste Marie among the Hurons 068
Originally uploaded by canuckshutterer (W.J. Gibson)
it is interesting to imagine sitting at this spot in 1640s a long way from home in France, working to convert the Hurons to Catholicism
Ste. Marie Among the Hurons is the reconstruction of the 1640s era central mission to the Hurons (Wendat) in central Ontario.
Located just east of Midland, Ontario.
I have visited many times over the years. Not many chances to step back in history.
door latch 1640s reconstruction
Originally uploaded by canuckshutterer (W.J. Gibson)
Ste. Marie Among the Hurons is a reconstruction of the 1640s fortified French mission located just east of Midland, Ontario. The reconstruction was undertaken in 1967. The original buildings were burned to the ground during the Iroquois campaign against the Huron in 1649.
This photo is of a door in the French compound. The French had a blacksmith’s forge at Ste. Marie.
The Battle of the Atlantic, 1939-1945
I am reading “In Great Waters” by Spencer Dunmore, an account of the Battle of the Atlantic during WW II. Tremendous loss of life as the German U-Boats tried to cut the supply line from North America to the United Kingdom. There are stories of great courage and tragedy, technical innovation, code breaking, and bureacratic idiocy all woven together. I can’t imagine having the courage to sail in one of those slow merchant ships, expecting a torpedo at any moment.
New Brunswick farmhouse King’s Landing
farmhouse colour King’s Landing
Originally uploaded by canuckshutterer (W.J. Gibson)
taken on a trip quite a few years ago….beautiful place
King’s Landing is a reconstructed village of the mid to late Victorian period. Near Fredericton
Churchill Tank WW II heavy tank
Churchill Tank WW II heavy tank
Originally uploaded by “canuckshutterer” wj gibson.
Today I revisited the museum at Canadian Forces Base Borden, west of Barrie, Ontario, Canada…..part of my remembrance of those who gave their lives.
across to Port McNicholl
Originally uploaded by “canuckshutterer” wj gibson.
the old grain elevators at Port as seen from the Albert St. dock in Victoria Harbour, Ontario taken around noon on November 8, 2006. (Nikon 5700 camera zoomed out to 280mm equivalent – so you can see it is a fair way across to Port).
clarify function in PSP 9 used to manipulate brightness and contrast
there is talk of a major real estate development over at Port
there used to be major gardens and major dock there for Great Lakes passenger ships, the grain ships came down from Thunder Bay (Port Arthur and Fort William in those days) up at the top of Lake Superior.
