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Although she called herself "just a singer," soprano Lois Marshall (1925-97) became a household name across Canada during her thirty-four year career and remains one of the foremost figures in the history of Canadian music. She rubbed shoulders with Canada's musical aristocracy – Glenn Gould, Sir Ernest MacMillan, Jon Vickers, Maureen Forrester – but Marshall always held first place in the hearts of her adoring fans. At the height of the Cold War, Moscow and St. Petersburg embraced her as warmly as Canada had.

Toronto is truly a city of communities. Designed for tourists and for residents, Toronto’s Many Faces is the one and only guide to the multicultural character of the city, featuring profiles of more than 60 ethnic communities, including local histories, festivals, food, and art. The book identifies each community - where its people come from, why, when, and where they settled in Toronto. The contribution of each community is also traced, with biographical notes on prominent people whose achievements have been extraordinary.

Marc Garneau, Roberta Bondar, Julie Payette, Robert Thirsk, Chris Hadfield, and more recently, Guy Laliberté, the founder of Cirque de Soleil, all have one thing in common: they’re some of the very few Canadians who have been in space. The launch of a spaceship is terribly exciting. That’s why thousands of people come to watch. They laugh, cheer, and applaud as the rocket rises. They see the smoke, steam, and white-hot fire as millions of litres of fuel burn in seconds. They feel the chest-thumping impact of the sound.

Eugene Forsey combined vision with protest and erudition with wit. A legacy for the common good: Eugene Forsey’s wit and wisdom.Feisty and erudite, Eugene Alfred Forsey (1904-1991) was an activist scholar, labour researcher, constitutional expert, and senator who fought all his life for the common good. His speeches, articles, and letters informed and provoked Canadians for more than 60 years, and now his daughter brings that legacy back to life in this fascinating and relevant book.One of Canada’s foremost constitutional experts, Forsey was also a provocative voice for social justice.

Known as the "only living Father of Confederation" in his lifetime, Joey Smallwood was an entertaining, crafty, and controversial politician in Canada for decades. Born in Gambo, Newfoundland, Joseph ("Joey") Smallwood (1900–1991) spent his life championing the worth and potential of his native province. Although he was a successful journalist and radio personality, Smallwood is best known for his role in bringing Newfoundland into Confederation with Canada in 1949, believing that such an action would secure an average standard of living for Newfoundlanders.

2013 Speaker’s Book Award — Shortlisted Laura Secord is now famous for her singular feat of bravery during the War of 1812, but did she warn the British and help defeat the American invaders as her legend says? After dragging her injured husband off the battlefield during the War of 1812, Laura Secord (1775-1868) was forced to house American soldiers for financial support while she nursed him back to health. It was during this time that she overheard the American plan to ambush British troops at Beaver Dams.

This tract of land in Niagara-on-the-Lake has witnessed an amazing cavalcade of Canadian history. For 250 years a large tract of oak savannah at the mouth of the Niagara River designated as a Military Reserve has witnessed a rich military and political history: the site of the first parliament of Upper Canada; a battleground during the War of 1812; and annual summer militia camps and the training camp for tens of thousands of men and women during the First and Second World Wars.

For 200 years people have sought the treasure buried on Oak Island on Canada’s East Coast. Bob Restall got his chance, but it ended in tragedy. A fabulous treasure lies buried deep within an island on Canada’s East Coast. Or so they say. For more than 200 years, treasure-hunters have come to Oak Island, spent fortunes, worked long and hard, and left empty-handed. When Bob Restall and his family got their chance to search for treasure on Oak Island, they believed they soon would succeed where others had failed. But the island resisted.

Explore the connection between people and places on the rugged shore of Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake. Conor Mihell offers a compelling image of Lake Superior’s Canadian shore through colourful personality sketches, adventure stories, and environmental accounts.

Sixty people died in 1857, leaving behind their stories and the tales of those involved. In 1857, the Desjardins Canal bridge collapsed under a Toronto-to-Hamilton train, creating one of the worst railway wrecks in North American history. Sixty lives, including that of the main contractor, were lost. The story of how the Great Western Railway was conceived, where it was located, and how it was constructed is replete with high irony covering political intrigue, commercial skullduggery, and bold entrepreneurship.