In this article I take a brief look at the origins of Thanksgiving and its celebration here in Canada, given that we will all be celebrating on October 14th. We all learned as children about the American Thanksgiving myth of the first US Thanksgiving but what of the early Canadian celebrations. It is said that…
Tag: Oral History
Glenway Most Significant Development At The Time in Newmarket
Nemarket’s Glenway development was one of the most spectacular projects undertaken in the town’s history at the time, growing out of the sale of two historic farms and re-development of more historic properties. Since our history is always the underlying focus of my articles, let us begin with the history of what has become the Glenway…
ROOTED: History Hound Digs Up Tales of Newmarket’s Past
It was while Richard MacLeod was helping his uncle research local history that his grandmother told him he was a real “history hound.” The moniker stuck. The Newmarket man, known for his depth of knowledge of all things Newmarket and member of the Newmarket Historical Society and local genealogy enthusiast, used that title for the many years…
Were We Really Better Off In The ‘Good Old Days’?
Were the “good old days” really better, or are we just programmed to look back fondly at the past, thinking life was so much better back then? I grew up in the 1950s, and I know I tend to look back nostalgically at that decade, and at times find comfort in that. While the past may seem to…
Davis Drive Had A Vital Role in Newmarket History
Quakers Came To Play Central Role In Anti-Slavery Movement
This column is Part 2 of my two-part series on slavery and the Quaker movement. You can read Part 1 here. An ever-increasing number of free Black Christians prompted the slaveholders to create the concept of white supremacy. We begin to see lawmakers write new laws, redefining citizenship to include the word “white” and “Christian.” This was…
Were The Quakers Actually The First Abolitionists?
My next two articles on NewmarketToday will centre on a topic that has intrigued me going back to my early days as a budding historian. I tend not to take what I am told about our history as gospel and frequently have questions. As a child I was intrigued by the Quaker faith and its place within our local…
Oliver Edgar Trench
In this column, I continue documenting the extraordinary lives of Newmarket pioneers of the early 1900s In previous columns, the name Oliver Edgar Tench has surfaced regarding the designing of local schools, buildings and houses, so I felt he was an excellent historical character to examine as part of this series. Oliver Edgar Tench (1859-1941)…
Few Could Afford TVs In Its Early Days
This is part two of a series on the history of Canadian television. You can read part one about the most popular and long-running shows here. I must confess, in the past, I have been prone to watching too much television, more than was likely good for me. Today, I tend to watch primarily sporting events…
Ryerson Was Influential — For Better And Worse
The practice of “officially erasing” figures from our history has become more commonplace today, which has prompted me to undertake an examination of Egerton Ryerson. Ryerson rose to historical stardom and then, recently, was practically erased from history. In this column, we shall examine Ryerson — warts and all. Hopefully, I will present a balanced view of…
