As folks collect to recollect those that fought and died to guard this nation in previous wars, a brand new ballot suggests many Canadians know little about their nation’s historical past.
That is probably as a result of highschool college students in most provinces and territories usually are not required to take a Canadian historical past class earlier than graduating, consultants say.
Many Canadians are at nighttime concerning the individuals who helped construct this nation and the seminal moments that outline its previous and will inform its future, in response to an Ipsos ballot performed on behalf of Historica Canada — the tutorial charity finest recognized for producing the Heritage Minutes.
One query that stumped most ballot respondents was about Viola Desmond.
The pioneering Black beautician-turned-civil rights icon has been on the $10 invoice for the final six years, however she’s an obscure determine to greater than half of the 1,001 Canadians surveyed for the ballot.
A portrait of Viola Desmond, circa 1940. (Communications Nova Scotia/Financial institution of Canada/Flickr)
As for acclaimed author Lucy Maud Montgomery — creator of Anne of Inexperienced Gables, arguably Canada’s most well-known literary export — about 56 per cent of these surveyed mentioned they’d by no means heard of her. One other 15 per cent mentioned they knew the identify however could not inform pollsters what she did.
A younger woman enters Inexperienced Gables Home in Cavendish, P.E.I., on July 3, 2011. The positioning is taken into account the inspiration for the setting of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s basic story of fiction: Anne of Inexperienced Gables. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)
Ballot respondents have been additionally largely clueless about celebrated creator and historian Pierre Berton (57 per cent mentioned they’re in no way acquainted with him) and pioneering surgeon Norman Bethune (63 per cent drew a clean). And 71 per cent of ballot respondents mentioned they could not establish Rosemary Brown, Canada’s first Black main get together management candidate.
As for figuring out sure Canadian historical past moments or factoids, 82 per cent of individuals surveyed received a failing grade on Historica’s quiz, in response to the ballot outcomes.
Of the 30 true-false questions requested, fewer than one in 5 respondents (18 per cent) managed to move the quiz with 15 or extra solutions proper.
“Our respondents fared terribly. It was dangerous,” mentioned Anthony Wilson-Smith, president and CEO of Historica.
WATCH | Heritage Minute depicts final moments of Louis Riel: 
Heritage Minute depicts final moments of Louis Riel
WARNING: This video portrays a reenactment of the execution of Louis Riel.
This Heritage Minute, made in 1991, imagines the ultimate ideas which will have run by way of Métis chief Louis Riel’s head earlier than he was executed for top treason in 1885. The minute was faraway from the Historica Canada portfolio in 2020. Supply Wayback Machine/YouTube/Historica Canada
Whereas among the questions requested have been obscure (figuring out comic John Sweet’s birthday is on Halloween would not let you know a lot about Canadian historical past), Wilson-Smith mentioned the ballot identifies a common pattern.
“There’s not an amazing information of historical past. It is getting misplaced within the bushes proper now,” he mentioned.
“We have to know what was carried out effectively, the place we may have carried out higher and the way we got here to be this fashion. We’re all collectively hamstrung by this totally infuriating perception that Canadian historical past is not fascinating — and that is demonstrably false.”
Jubilant Canadian troopers return to their billets after the Battle of Vimy Ridge in Could 1917. (Equipped by Library and Archives Canada)
Historica’s knowledge additionally exhibits that Desmond is changing into much less referred to as the years go by, regardless of her outstanding place on the foreign money.
“Canadians actually ought to find out about considered one of our nice civil rights pioneers,” Wilson-Smith mentioned.
Historica’s earlier polls on Canadian historical past information additionally supplied troubling information for subject material consultants.
Final 12 months’s ballot discovered Canadians know extra about American army historical past than their very own nation’s wartime experiences.
Nation-defining moments like Canada’s function within the Battle of Vimy Ridge within the First World Battle or the Juno Seaside touchdown on D-Day get second billing to American army exploits.
Members of the twenty second Infantry Battalion (French Canadian) are proven draining trenches in July 1916. (Equipped by Library and Archives Canada)
Furthermore, almost 30 per cent of survey respondents could not establish the 12 months Canada grew to become a rustic by way of Confederation (it is 1867) and an identical proportion could not establish Sir John A. Macdonald as Canada’s first prime minister.
Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. (Equipped by Library and Archives Canada)
Specialists within the subject say there is a motive for these outcomes. It isn’t obligatory for highschool college students in some provinces and territories to take a course on Canadian historical past.
Whereas there are “social research” and “world research” programs which will cowl facets of the Canadian expertise, some provinces — together with Alberta, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador — have determined it isn’t essential for college students to take a course explicitly targeted on Canadian historical past earlier than graduating highschool.
In different provinces, comparable to Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan, college students can take programs on African-Canadian or Mi’kmaw or Native research to fulfil their Canadian historical past necessities. Some francophone faculties in predominantly English-speaking provinces educate virtually nothing about Canadian historical past on the secondary faculty stage. Different provinces, comparable to B.C. and Ontario, have a extra sturdy curriculum, though the fabric taught has are available in for criticism.
“The vast majority of provinces and territories do not dedicate very a lot time — if in any respect — to instructing Canadian historical past. It is both nonexistent or it is put underneath the rubric of social sciences,” Wilson-Smith mentioned. “In different places, it is a one-year factor. It is onerous to show 15,000 years of historical past in a 12 months.”
Within the U.S., American historical past is a compulsory course for highschool college students in 46 of the 50 states.
Studio portrait taken in July 1882 of the surviving Six Nations warriors who fought with the British in opposition to the Individuals within the Battle of 1812. (Equipped by Library and Archive Canada)
Michael Zwaagstra is a Canadian historical past trainer in Steinbach, Man.
He mentioned it is “problematic” that the nation’s historical past is routinely brushed apart by the individuals who craft faculty curriculums.
“To operate in society, to be a great citizen, it’s essential understand how the federal government works and it’s essential perceive our historical past as a result of how issues are at present [is] closely influenced by issues previously,” he mentioned in an interview.
He mentioned some new Canadians could know extra concerning the nation’s historical past than some graduating Grade 12 college students as a result of, as a part of the citizenship course of, candidates are required to review the 68-page “Uncover Canada” information and move a take a look at.
Canada may lose what makes it distinctive if its historical past is not broadly taught, Zwaagstra mentioned.
“If we’re not grounded in Canadian historical past, then lots of Canadians will simply default to American stuff. We’re not Individuals, we’re Canadians, and we have to find out about our personal historical past,” he mentioned.
The Battle of 1812 — which noticed the Individuals prevented from annexing what’s now Canada — the distinctive circumstances round Confederation, the daring resolution to construct a transcontinental railway to bind this huge nation collectively, Canada’s outsized function within the First and Second World Wars, Quebec’s Quiet Revolution, the ugly legacy of residential faculties — these are all seminal moments that needs to be understood by each Canadian, Zwaagstra mentioned.
Hon. Donald A. Smith, co-founder of the Canadian Pacific Railway, drives the final spike to finish the railway in Craigellachie, B.C., on Nov. 7, 1885. (Equipped by Library and Archives Canada)
“Usually, the individuals who suppose it is boring are individuals who have not studied very a lot. It is easy to imagine it is boring if you do not know a lot about it,” he mentioned.
“Our historical past is inspirational. Our nation did not simply come out of nowhere. It was fashioned and there have been errors made alongside the way in which — fairly just a few of them — however there are additionally lots of optimistic and spectacular issues.”
Whereas training is a provincial accountability, advocates say Ottawa ought to step in to make sure higher information of the nation and its previous by establishing some type of nationwide requirements.
Zwaagstra mentioned it should not be simply new residents who study the foundational materials in what he referred to as the “wonderful” government-produced Uncover Canada information.
The federal authorities will get concerned in different areas like well being and housing that are not strictly its accountability and guaranteeing higher historical past instruction needs to be added to the checklist, he mentioned.
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He was the primary Chinese language-Canadian CFL participant
There is a new Heritage Minute coming quickly and it highlights the story of Norman Kwong, a former Alberta lieutenant-governor who first rose to fame as a CFL fullback, profitable 4 Gray Cups with Calgary and Edmonton between 1948 and 1960. CBC visited the set to seek out out extra concerning the portrayal of his extraordinary legacy.
Canadians do appear to care about their historical past once they get a probability to have interaction with it.
Historica’s content material, just like the Heritage Minutes, is broadly considered — the minutes get hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
“There is a quiet satisfaction amongst Canadians and while you awaken it, it is a very exceptional factor to see,” Wilson-Smith mentioned.
