History News

Perspectives on Canada 150: Do We All Have Reason to Celebrate?

What if the country threw a party, but not everyone saw a reason to celebrate?

This year will bring numerous official events to mark the sesquicentennial of Confederation in Canada.

University of Guelph professor Kim Anderson says many Canadians have reason to throw themselves a 150th birthday party in 2017— even if only to celebrate the perennial anti-fact of not being American, particularly in the new Trump era.

Today historian of the United States, Dr. Susan Nance is interviewed in the L. A. Times about the announcement last weekend that Feld Entertainment, owner of the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth Circus, is shutting the show down after over 150 in the business.

This week our acting Department Chair and historian of Canada, Dr. Alan Gordon, is interviewed in The Ontarion.

History: Canadian Confederation celebrates sesquicentennial in 2017

2017 marks the 150th year of the Confederation of Canada; where in 1867, the British North America Act was given royal assent by Queen Victoria, and created the Dominion of Canada.

Dr. Matthew Hayday is a featured speaker in the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences "Big Thinking" lecture series. Professor Hayday will speak February 21 in the Parliamentary Restaurant, Centre Block at Parliament Hill: “Canadian-ness,” Citizen Engagement, and Canada 150: Using History to Inform Policy

As a hockey fan and author, University of Guelph PhD and history instructor Jason Wilson landed his “dream job” when he helped author a book about one of the most storied franchises in sport.

Dr. Alan McDougall's book on East German football, The People's Game: Football, State and Society in East Germany (Cambridge University Press, 2016) made The Guardian Best Sports Books of 2016 list.

Now available in paperback and makes a wonderful Holiday gift. 

Congratulations from all of us! 

Recent Grads Talk about their Careers

Each semester the History Department invites some of our recent graduates back to campus to talk about their careers. Our Fall 2016 Gateway Seminar, 27 October, featured Monica Finlay (MA 2011) researcher and analyst for Edelman, the world's largest communication-marketing company; Graham Shular (BAH 2012) occasional teacher in the Thames Valley District School Board; and Robbie Berardi (BAH ‎ 2012) teacher/interpreter specialising in blacksmithing at the Waterloo Region Museum.

The Department is delighted to announce the appointment of our new Post-Doctoral Researcher, Dr. Allyson Stevenson.

Dr. Alan McDougall tells us that his recent book The People's Game: Football, State and Society has just come out in paperback with Cambridge University Press.