I’m just back from a whirlwind trip to Ottawa-Gatineau where I got to emcee the 10th annual Canada’s History Forum and gala. They were held at the Canadian Museum of History on the Quebec side, and it was a stimulating and inspiring series of events. At the heart of it all, I felt, were discussionsContinue reading “Canada’s History Takes Centre Stage in Ottawa-Gatineau”
Tag Archives: history
Alberta Railway Museum: All Aboard for History and Fun!
It may be a little off the beaten track, but the Alberta Railway Museum is worth the drive if you’re a history buff – or the parent of small children. In fact, when my family and I ventured over on Sunday, June 15 (Father’s Day), the majority of people there were young families, often withContinue reading “Alberta Railway Museum: All Aboard for History and Fun!”
Shrink Rays and Airplanes: City Hall School
On Monday I got the chance to hang out with the Grade One’s from John A. McDougall school for an hour. It was so much fun! First we listened to coordinator/instructor Linda Hut take us on a historic walk of downtown Edmonton, with great factoids about everything from City Hall to the Alberta Hotel toContinue reading “Shrink Rays and Airplanes: City Hall School”
Author Q&A on Aviation, History, and Writing/Publishing!
I’ve often said this little apple didn’t fall far from the tree: I was destined to write about aviation because there were so many airplane nuts in my family. Well, maybe I was also destined to write – period – because of my genetics. I come from a long line of journalers, journalists, radio play writers, andContinue reading “Author Q&A on Aviation, History, and Writing/Publishing!”
Canada’s History Magazine Mention
It was really exciting (and flattering!) to see this write-up in the Feb-March 2012 issue of Canada’s History Magazine (formerly The Beaver). Thanks so much to the Canada’s History team, who have supported me and my projects, and consistently put out a high-quality publication about this country’s heritage.
How to track people down – past and present!
I’ve had several people contact me recently who are trying to track down long-lost flying buddies or people related to a particular era or area of aviation (for interviews, research, etc). Here are some general tips on how to do this online, as well as aviation-specific resources. General: 1. Input the person’s name into Google (www.google.com) orContinue reading “How to track people down – past and present!”
Deep Research
I’ve been contacted recently by several people embarking on their own writing projects, many of them involving historical research. I love it – the detective work, the chase – but it can be tricky, even after having ethical considerations and methodologies pounded into me for my degrees in history. Being part terrier helps, but forContinue reading “Deep Research”
Charlotte Gray Comes to Edmonton!
Me and Charlotte Gray after her talk in Edmonton I was absolutely thrilled to learn that Charlotte Gray, my CanHist hero, was going to be in Edmonton this week as a guest of LitFest and STARFest. Last Saturday night she spoke at the St. Albert library to a room full of fans – one ofContinue reading “Charlotte Gray Comes to Edmonton!”
Murder in Life and on the Page
I often write about aviation history these days and am invariably asked if I’m a pilot. Back in university when I was focused mostly on First Nations history and missionaries, people also made assumptions about my religious background (although interestingly few wondered if I was FN, even though I fit right in at Kahnawake andContinue reading “Murder in Life and on the Page”
Passing the Conch
Last Friday I spent the morning as one of the speakers at a Young Readers Conference in Edmonton. During each of the two 40-minutes sessions, I worked with 25-odd students ranging in age from 10 to 15, talking about aviation history. It was terrifying. Exhilerating. Fascinating. I got an email about this “gig” out ofContinue reading “Passing the Conch”