Search results

In this riveting, beyond-belief true story from the author of The Borden Murders, meet the five children who captivated the entire world. When the Dionne Quintuplets were born on May 28, 1934, weighing a grand total of just over 13 pounds, no one expected them to live so much as an hour. Overnight, Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Émilie, and Marie Dionne mesmerized the globe, defying medical history with every breath they took. In an effort to protect them from hucksters and showmen, the Ontario gover...

An extraordinarily powerful and evocative literary novel set in Iran in the period immediately after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Using the lyrical magic realism style of classical Persian storytelling, Azar draws the reader deep into the heart of a family caught in the maelstrom of post-revolutionary chaos and brutality that sweeps across an ancient land and its people. The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree is really an embodiment of Iranian life in constant oscillation, struggle, and play...

From 1906 to 1914, the Empress of Ireland, one of the fastest and most elegant liners of the Edwardian era, graced the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Remembered primarily for sinking in only 14 minutes in the St. Lawrence River and for having a greater loss of passenger life than the Titanic, the Empress's true legacy is the significant role it played in the building of Canada. During the ship's many crossings between Canada and England, it ferried royalty, politicians, scientists, authors, actor...

The history of the Chinese community in Toronto is rich with stories drawn from over 150 years of life in Canada. Sam Ching, a laundryman, is the first Chinese resident recorded in Toronto’s city directory of 1878. A few years later, in 1881, there were 10 Chinese and no sign of a Chinatown. Today, with no less than seven Chinatowns and half a million people, Chinese Canadians have become the second-largest visible minority in the Greater Toronto Area. Stories, photographs, newspaper reports,...

Orange Shirt Day: September 30th aims to create champions who will walk a path of reconciliation through promoting the message that 'Every Child Matters'. Orange Shirt Day, observed annually on September 30th, is a day to honour Residential School Survivors and their families, and to remember those who did not come home.  This book explores a number of topics including the historical impacts of Residential Schools on Indigenous Peoples, the history of the Orange Shirt Day movement, and how you...

"Take a trip back in time to the chaos and destruction of the greatest invasion in military history, viewed through the lens of Canadian paratroopers. Men of Steel is the exciting story of some of Canada's toughest and most daring soldiers in the Second World War" "In the dead of night, on 5/6 June 1944, hundreds of elite Canadian paratroopers hurled themselves from aircraft behind enemy lines. That daring act set the stage for the eventual success of the Allied invasion fleet. From aircraft for...

In the fall of 1899, Britain entered the Second Anglo - Boer War in South Africa confident that its army would make short work of a collection of armed farmers. However, initial confrontations quickly changed attitudes. Following a series of humiliating defeats, Britain quickly sought additional troops. Canada answered the call, and its first contingent consisted of the 2nd (Special Service) Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR). Fighting their first battle at Paardeburg Drift from Februa...

Celebrated as the saviour of Upper Canada, Major General Sir Isaac Brock's charisma won him respect and propelled him into the significant role he would play in the War of 1812.

Talking About Freedom explores the history and significance of this freedom festival in Canada. Discover the main features of Emancipation Day celebrations, learn about the people of African ancestry's struggle for freedom, and the victories achieved in the push for equality into the 21st century.

The name James FitzGibbon struck terror in the hearts of U.S. soldiers and this is the dramatic story of his life and his daring exploits. Irish-born James FitzGibbon came to Canada with the 49th Regiment to serve under his hero, Major-General Sir Isaac Brock. After the death of Brock at Queenston Heights and the capture of Fort George in the War of 1812, FitzGibbon spied on the enemy encampment, disguised as a settler selling butter. Armed with his intelligence report, the British launched a...

Canada was young. Twenty thousand underage soldiers left their homes to serve in the Great War. Jim, at seventeen, was one of them. His letters home gloss over the horrors of war, focusing on issues of the home front: of harvesting, training horses, and the price of hogs. His letters rested ninety-five years in a shoebox decorated by his mother.