Eyes on Target: Military Domestic Surveillance in Canada - Guest Post by Trevor Ford

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Eyes on Target: Military Domestic Surveillance in Canada - Guest Post by Trevor Ford

In wake of Bill C-51 being introduced in parliament, there has been much discussion about what kind of latitudes law enforcement agencies should have when it comes to terrorism prevention through the monitoring of Canadians. Today many Canadian’s know what CSIS is and how the RCMP complements their intelligence gathering abilities to combat all forms of perceived threats. Yet, in recent years there has been some alleged violations of their mandate by launching investigations on Aboriginal rights activists such as Associate Professor Cindy Blackstock who was researching welfare for Aboriginal children on reserves. Likewise, another Aboriginal rights activist Pam Palmater, a Mi'kmaq lawyer and professor at Ryerson University, has alleged that CSIS and the RCMP opened up investigations on her due to her association to the Idle No More protest movement. In both cases the entire story is unclear but it can be surmised from the available evidence against both activists that some form of investigation has taken place.

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Technology and Commemoration: Remembering the Unknown Soldier

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Technology and Commemoration: Remembering the Unknown Soldier

In the aftermath of the First World War, many of the belligerent nations instituted memorials to the Unknown Soldier. First in France, Britain and Italy – then others – governments laid to rest the remains of a soldier that could not be identified. It symbolized the futility and terribleness of modern war that left so many of the dead lost to the churning trenches of European battlefields. The Unknown Soldier, though still familiar to us today, is a symbol of a time increasingly distant from contemporary commemoration.

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The Wonders of Scientific Imagination: Hugo Gernsback and the First World War

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The recent release of the film Interstellar proves once again that science fiction is capable of great imagination about the future of human technological development. The film envisions interstellar space travel and some of the real and fantastical stellar phenomenon we might encounter when we travel beyond the confines of our planet. For more than a century, this scientific imagination has shaped stories, art, and movies.  In this post, we examine one of the founding voices of science fiction, Hugo Gernsback, and some of his technological imaginings during the First World War.

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Historians of Canada's First World War: What do we know?

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Recently, the Canadian Historical Review published a series of articles reviewing the state of First World War scholarship in Canadian history. This collection is great for scholars, but probably more difficult for the public to engage with it.  So, we’re going to talk about where Canadian historians stand on the First World War in 2014 – how does it compare to what you’ve read?

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Wilson at War and the American Entry into the First World War

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Much has been written in recent months about whether or not President Obama should take action in trouble parts of the world. Be it in the Ukraine against Russia, or in the Middle East against ISIS, or his position on Israel's recent war in Gaza, the President has had a lot of conflicting advice from the public sphere. We offer a short story of another President under public pressure to act, President Woodrow Wilson during the First World War.

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The Pioneering Journalism of Agnes C Laut during the Great War

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Canadians probably don't think much about women and journalism any more. Both Adrienne Clarkson and Michaëlle Jean were former journalists who became Governor General, capping off successful careers with one of the most prestigious appointments in the land. There are many more female journalists who came before them, and no doubt many more will follow, but one of the earliest and most successful female writers and journalists in Canada has received little recognition from our historians. Today, we briefly examine the career of Agnes C. Laut.

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The Incredible Beginning of the First World War: Madame Caillaux on Trial

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One hundred years ago, Europe was on the road to war. By the end of July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, starting a series of declarations between the Great Powers that ended on August 4 when Britain declared war on Germany for its invasion of neutral Belgium. A month before on June 28 1914, the heir to the Habsburg crown, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated by the young Serbian nationalist, Gavrillo Princip. None foresaw that Princip's actions would become one of the most monumental acts of the 20th century, though in July of 1914 few cared to notice. For most Europeans (and Canadians!) they were more interested in the “trial of the century” taking place in Paris. French socialite Madame Henriette Caillaux was found not guilty on July 28, the same day Austria declared war on Serbia.

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The Problems and Wonders of Family Histories

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Academics and ordinary people often disagree on what history should include or exclude. Academics have trained for years to gain the authority to teach and write about history. Given the sacrifices we have make to achieve that position, it is perhaps understandable that we defend our status as gatekeepers to the past. Once, when history books were few and far between, so we could reasonably control what “history” was. That is no longer the case. Today anyone can explore the past, sometimes without even encountering a historian. It is less an academic exercise and more a personal journey into a past that is relevant to the individual. One of the most popular ways for non-academics to delve into history is genealogical research and family histories. Why is this aspect of history so compelling?  What does it mean for historians?

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The Easter Rising in 1916 - Ninety Eight Years Ago

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The Easter Rising of Ireland in April 1916 was the second last attempt of the Irish to throw off the yoke of their British masters. Just recently we passed its 98th anniversary and Ireland is preparing for its centenary with the novel idea of inviting historians to advise their government on its commemorations. It's almost like we're especially skilled to discuss history's role in society and government. It's always worthwhile to refresh ourselves about the facts of the Easter Rising, one of the most significant events in Irish history.

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The Pope of Peace and the First World War

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It has been slightly over a year since Pope Francis was named the Vicar of Christ to replace the ageing Pope Benedict XVI. From the beginning, Pope Francis has been committed to shaking things up in Rome. He was the first non-European Pope since the Syrian Pope Gregory III in 1272, the first Jesuit Pope, the first South American Pope, and the first Pope to use a name not used by a predecessor since Pope Lando in 913. His pronunciations on the role of the Catholic Church and commitment to be a more humble and personable representative of Christ have been met with positives reactions by many. Though some critics wonder if Pope Francis is only speaking of reform but not initiating it, he's at least attempting to maintain the Church's influence in a world where religious institutions seem increasingly parochial – no pun intended. Today we examine one of Pope Francis' predecessor who also struggled to keep the Catholic Church relevant in a changing world.

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Caring for our Veterans: The History of VAC

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On 31 January, thousands of Canadian veterans gathered to protest Veterans Affairs Canada’s [VAC] decision to close eight offices across the country. As early as the First World War, local offices have been the primary point of contact between veterans and the government, allowing hundreds of thousands of ex-servicemen to access VAC’s client services in a direct, timely, and (most importantly) personable fashion. The Canadian government has justified the closures as a cost-saving measure in anticipation of declining demand from clients. The closures, however, will deeply affect thousands of Canadian veterans who frequent these outlets. Saskatoon’s regional office, for example, served some 4500 veterans with a staff of only 14. These men and women will now have to visit their local Service Canada center where a dedicated VAC representative will handle their queries. Prince Edward Island, where VAC’s head office is located, has also lost its regional office, leaving veterans with no direct access to frontline services on the island. Instead, as many as 2,200 PEI veterans’ files have been transferred to two caseworkers in Saint John, NB. The closure of these offices has understandably raised the ire of Canadian veterans and their advocates. To place their discontent in context, we should explore the history and trajectory of VAC and its antecedents.

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Debunking the debunking of myths about the First World War

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We are now in the centenary year of the outbreak of the First World War. No doubt some events will be incorporated into the ongoing commemorations, while others will be forgotten despite their seeming relevance at the time, like the trial of Madame Cailloux that enthralled the public in July 1914 just as the crisis in the Balkans unfolded. Memory – the combination of history that is remembered and forgotten – is hard to distinguish from history for non-historians. This is precisely why, as we've discussed before, it's important that the memory of the war be reasonably and clearly debated in the public forum. Though we might accept that the government has some license to instil a patriotic narrative about the war, it's equally vital that this narrative not overpower some of the basic historical facts put forward by historians. Outing “myths” about the war is especially useful for remembering what happened one hundred years ago and what has been forgotten.

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From Shell Shock to PTSD: How Far Have We Really Come? by Kellen Kurschinski

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Kellen Kurschinski, a PhD candidate at McMaster University, offers an in-depth look at the historical development of PTSD. This is a timely and critical piece that places the recent suicides of four Canadian combat veterans in historical context.

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Roger Casement - Traitor and Humanitarian

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International and moral humanitarian action is very much a product of the 20th century. We've written about the history of humanitarianism in the past and its roots into centuries previous. Today we're exploring a facet of modern humanitarianism as it emerged in the early 20th century in the context of colonies and Empires.

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The Future of Remembrance Day: Hold the Torch High

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As today is 11 November, we want to explore the current and perhaps future of Canadian commemoration. Today, Remembrance Day has taken on a far different meaning than it's original intention. As we discussed last week, Remembrance Day originally sought to remember the end of the Great War – but after the outbreak of the Second World War it transformed into a broader act of remembrance about the tragedy of all wars. It was less about the First World War and became entrenched in the concerns of the present, and continues to be to this day. Yet, the language used to describe a different type of commemoration before the Second World War—Judeo-Christian rhetoric—is still applied to speak about events in later generations. The way we talk about war has changed very little over the last 100 years.

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The Past of Remembrance Day: Breaking the Faith

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The white poppy movement begun at the University of Ottawa has sparked a great deal of controversy about Remembrance Day and the use of the poppy as a symbol. Today, Clio's Current wants to add to this discussion by talking about the past and future of Remembrance Day in Canada.

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The Trouble with Canada's Great War Centenary

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Our last two posts have touched on two very distinct ideas: the ways in which Harper's Conservatives have politicized Canadian history and the recent developments involving Quebec sovereignty and Bill 99. In this post, we've decided to try and blend these two ideas together to look at the problems Harper's Government faces in commemorating the centenary of the Great War.

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Common-Ground: Assad's Syria and Summer 1914

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According to most contemporaries in the summer of 1914, a European war couldn't have been further from the imagination. After all, they were living through Europe's longest, general peace since the Napoleonic Wars and many had never witnessed war. The small crises which riddled global news bulletins were not at all tied to the survival of their own countries. Yet, when the Balkans erupted for a third time in just a decade, European peace was broken and the Great War engulfed nations from around the globe. In this post, we raise questions about similarities between the situation in Syria and how states have reacted to US and British plans to attack Assad's regime.

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Robert Borden and Canadian National Government

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Last week we discussed how Prime Ministers Stephen Harper and Pierre Trudeau redefined Canada's history for their own purposes.  Their attempts to reshape Canadians' national identity saw varying levels of success – Trudeau tried to do away with Canadian nationalism and failed while Harper has thus far tried to craft a modern Conservative vision of it with lacklustre results.  Admittedly, it has been successful enough to ensure electoral success since 2006, but many Canadians still disagree with the national government expressed through the policy of our current Conservative government.  Today’s post looks at another attempt at national government in Canadian history and its consequences for Canadian politics: Robert Borden's Union Government.

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What Role Should History Play in the Centenary of the First World War?

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The British government has recently unveiled its plans for the upcoming Great War centenary, which has sparked some controversy over what exactly the conflict accomplished and how people should remember it. Plans for official Canadian centenary events have yet to be made public, but we can expect similar discussions to take place between historians, journalists, and political commentators. In this post, we raise a number of important questions historians and the public at large might consider as we hear more and more about the First World War in the media.

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