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History without the stiffness and polish time creates. Canada’s journey to Confederation kicked off with a bang — or rather, a circus, a civil war (the American one), a small fortune’s worth of champagne, and a lot of making love — in the old-fashioned sense. Miss Confederation offers a rare look back, through a woman’s eyes, at the men and events at the centre of this pivotal time in Canada’s history. Mercy Anne Coles, the daughter of PEI delegate George Coles, kept a diary of the social happenings and political manoeuvrings as they affected her and her desires.

2017 Orillia Museum of Art & History Award, Historical Publications and/or Research — Winner The history of Orillia, told through the stories of its people, bringing to life the community’s heritage and significance. The Orillia Spirit: Muddling through Canada’s first, and hilarious, experiment with daylight savings time, Mayor “Daylight Bill” Frost had it. Creating his own money and dreaming a drainage ditch would become a tourist attraction, Mayor Ben Johnson had it. Taking his town’s electric company by force, Mayor J.B. Tudhope had it.

More than just a Parkway, the Don Valley is a vital natural habitat in Toronto's city core. Naturalist Charles Sauriol was a key player in its preservation. Here Sauriol shares a history of the Don Valley, from earlier times when the Mississauga First Nation encamped along the river teaming with salmon to cottaging to the naturalists who worked to save the Don Valley.

A colourful look at Toronto's pioneer roots, tracing the history of three neighbourhoods from their farming days to modern day. Includes: Don Mills: From Forests and Farms to Forces of Change As recently as 1970, wheat crops were grown at Don Mills — and no small amount, but enough to line Toronto’s grocery-store shelves with baked goods. Single-herd milk was also commonplace, thanks to this last vestige of the city’s agricultural past. By 1980, it had been paved over, but Scott Kennedy offers a glimpse of the way things used to be. 200 Years at St.

Following a disastrous campaign in 1777, the alliance between the Six Nations and the British Crown became seriously strained. Relations were made even more difficult by the hands-off stance of Quebec’s governor, General Guy Carleton, which led to the Native leaders developing their own strategies and employing traditional tactics, leading to a ferocious series of attacks on the frontiers of Vermont, New York, and Pennsylvania, supported by Loyalist and Regular troops.

Revisit Hollywood’s Golden Age with insider Charles Foster, who befriended the many Canadian stars that peppered the film sets. Foster reveals the stories of the amazing influence Canadians had in the early days of the film biz. Includes: Stardust and Shadows: Canadians in Early Hollywood A Hollywood insider brings together the stories of eighteen Canadians who were celebrities during Hollywood’s formative years.

An enthralling exploration of the lifestyles, ideas, habits, organizations, customs, fears, and aspirations of Canadians in the age of Confederation. Too often we think of Victorian Canada as dull. We imagine our ancestors as sepia-tinged, dour, excruciatingly respectable figures sitting stiffly in over-decorated parlours. In How Different It Was, Michael J. Goodspeed changes all that, bringing to life the tumult and enthusiasm of ordinary and unconventional Canadians — from across the country and every walk of life — in an extraordinary time.

Bravery, patriotism, and sacrifice marked the women caught up in conflict during the Second World War. This special collection of three books tells the stories of a young airwoman, prisoners of war, and women in service. Includes: The Accidental Captives: The Story of Seven Women Along in Nazi Germany In April 1941, a passenger ship sailing from New York to Cape Town was attacked and sunk by a German raider. The passengers were pulled from the water and transported to Nazi-occupied France, where the majority were released. Among those left behind were seven Canadian women.

A history of the Mariposa Folk Festival, from its humble roots in Orillia in 1961 to international acclaim and legendary status as a premier folk music gathering. Mariposa began in the heyday of the early 60s “folk boom.” In its more than fifty-five years, it has seen many of the world’s greatest performers grace its stages: Pete Seeger, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Jann Arden, and Serena Ryder. The festival has long held a musical mirror to popular culture in Canada.

Read between the front lines: The stories of three Canadian female journalists stationed in England and France during the First World War. Europe: 1914–18. Mary MacLeod Moore, a writer for Saturday Night Magazine, covered the war’s impact on women, from the munitions factories to the kitchens of London’s tenements. Beatrice Nasmyth, a writer for the Vancouver Province, managed the successful wartime political campaign of Canadian Roberta MacAdams and attended the Versailles Peace Conference as Premier Arthur Sifton’s press secretary.