The Halifax Explosion occurred during WW1 in 1917 so that was a munitions ship on its way to Europe. It remains the largest accidental non-nuclear explosion. Nova Scotia sends a giant Christmas tree to Boston every year in thanks for the support Halifax received after the disaster. Nova Scotians kids learn about it in school. Can't speak for the rest of Canada. Maybe you realized it already, but Nova Scotia is latin for New Scotland.

@AL-fl4jk

Жыл бұрын

We do in Ontario

@Nikki7B

Жыл бұрын

I Remember learning about it in Ontario

@alysial6826

Жыл бұрын

The entire hold of the Mont-Blanc was loaded with TNT and picric acid and there was barrels of benzol on the deck of the ship as well all headed for the European theater. When the 2 ships collided the sparks set the benzol on fire and when the fire made it to the hold and heated up enough it turned the entire almost 100 meter long cargo ship into a giant bomb. I remember learning about it in school in Ontario as well but I learned a lot more about it through some great documentaries here on KZread. I believe I read somewhere that the Canadian Institute for the Blind came about because of this disaster. So many of the wounded suffered eye injuries from flying glass and needed help after that it lead to the starting of the institute. It was a truly horrifying accident but very interesting to learn about.

@seanj2582

Жыл бұрын

In the 90's I learned about the halifax explosion in Alberta.

@TristouMTL

Жыл бұрын

We learned of it in B.C.

The reason the Heritage Minutes are in the format that they are is that they were shown on normal television broadcasts in place of commercials (commercials are normally 30 seconds). Quite often you would see them during children's television programs so that kids would get a bit of education with their cartoons.

@jackc3205

Жыл бұрын

I remember those. They were great. Those and the Hinterland who's who shorts. Canadian tv was pretty awesome back in the day. Sure we didn't have the big name productions, but we had Forest Rangers, Beachcombers, King of Kensington, Littlest Hobbo, etc. Loved it as a kid.

@johna6352

Жыл бұрын

I loved when those would pop up instead of commercials...those and the Hinterland Whos Who...definitely found them more enjoyable and interesting to watch.

@tysoncomfort4244

Жыл бұрын

They need to bring them back tbh

@PaulMartin-qu5up

Жыл бұрын

It was to raise awareness and interest. They'll give you knowledge of the story so you can look into it deeper if it grabs your interest. Mert, I see you followed up on the Halifax explosion. You keep asking how we learn about these things in Canada while demonstrating the process yourself. ;)

@mickosmile850

Жыл бұрын

These were mini series to look forward in commercial breaks watching X-Men cartoons.

I'm canadian and me and my history class and I went to the Netherlands during the 100 year start if the first world War. We where walking in Bruge and a man came up and asked us if we where Canadian and when confirmed he started crying and telling us a story about how the Canadian soldiers gave the shoes off there feet to him and his family during the winter.

@deborahbarry8458

Жыл бұрын

I too had life changing moments as a 14 year old Canadian visiting the Netherlands

@709mash

Жыл бұрын

We share a very tight bond with the Dutch. They're great people and to this day have not forgotten our help during the war.

I am a first nations man. My mom is a product of residential schools. The only time I ever saw her cry was when she talked about what happened to her. She is the strongest person I know. We are still here. MiiGwetch(Thank you)

@sklaWlivE

Ай бұрын

Ojibwe?

A lot of Canadians do not know about this history either. That is why the Canadian Heritage Commercials were created - to teach us about our heritage, whether it be about celebrating out best or learning from our failures and worst moments.

@deedoucette22

Жыл бұрын

I graduated in 2002. Just after that, they added a gradation requirement that you had to have one Canadian History course credit. My school, at the time, did not have Canadian history as a course you could take, even as an elective. So yeah, a lot of us don't know our own history.

@curtisberard7831

Жыл бұрын

My grade 12 history class focused solely on Canadian history.

The Canadian Institute for the Blind came out of the Halifax Explosion because so many people were looking out there windows when the ships exploded. The glass blasting in damaged the people's eyes. It also lead to advancements in eye surgery and treatment too.

An interesting fact, during D-Day, James Doohan, (who would later play Scotty on Star Trek) was a Canadian officer who led forces of the Canadian Highland Regiment on Juno Beach. He was wounded twice, and lost his middle finger of his right hand during the battle. After the war he obviously became one of the most recognized Canadian actors in movies and television.

@DioneN

Жыл бұрын

I didn’t know he was Canadian. TIL!

@dawnwennberg9884

8 ай бұрын

I'm going to have to watch for that. Scotty always cracked me up.

@gussiejives

7 ай бұрын

This is why you’ll often see Doohan hiding his injured hand (behind his back, behind crossed arms etc.). There’s a couple scenes in the Original Series where you can see it, notably in Trouble with Tribbles where he comes into frame with an armful of tribbles.

@Pete-tu7qg

16 күн бұрын

Shatner Wing at McGill?

Viola Desmond was such an inspiring story and she was one of Canada’s early civil rights leader, she was recently put on our 10 dollar bill

@supergirl0526

Жыл бұрын

I always found it funny that everyone knows Rosa Parks, but Viola was earlier. She's a true hero

@marlatnicholls

11 ай бұрын

Viola Desmond's official charge was not paying the 1 cent extra for a floor seat. In that town, black people were expected to sit in the cheaper balcony seats. The box office agent would only let her pay for a balcony seat so it was considered theft, maybe, for sitting in a floor seat.

@KristineMaitland

7 ай бұрын

​@@supergirl0526The irony was for the Americans Rosa Parks was not the first. Claudette Colvin was months earlier - and kicked butt. But because she was not gentil Rosa got the accolade.

@robertjulianagnel1100

19 күн бұрын

a decade before Rosa Parks

One of the things I love the best about our Heritage Minutes was……They showed Canadian History, warts and all. We got to see the good, bad and ugly of our past. Nothing was sugarcoated. The facts were all very researched and the depictions were excellent. The Halifax Explosion has a lot of videos explaining what happened. One ship was loaded with every kind of explosive you can imagined. Halifax was where allied ships harboured during WWI. They would raise submarine nets during the night to prevent German U boats from attacking the various ships. There were mistakes made that caused a Norwegian ship to collide with the French munitions ship. This resulted in the largest man made explosion recorded before the dropping of the Atomic bomb in Hiroshima. It was like a shock wave effect buildings were flattened, a tsunami was created. Of the wounded I believe over 500 were blinded by flying glass. As if things weren’t bad enough ….a blizzard hit the very next day greatly hampering rescue efforts. Vince Coleman the telegraph dispatcher was a true hero sacrificing his life to save the people on the train. Many slaves who escaped to Canada did so through the Underground railway, but they weren’t always completely safe in Canada as there were American “ bounty “ hunters who would cross the border and grab them to return them to their “ owners “.. A lot of the Acadian French who were expelled from Canada ended up in Louisiana and other Southern states. Viola Desmond now graces the Canadian $10.00 bill. The Indian Residential Schools were one of the worse abominations in Canadian History. Because they were run by mainly religious organizations……I think a lot of Canadians thought that the indigenous peoples were being helped. Nothing could be further from the truth. Children as young as four ripped from their families and taken thousands of miles away. Stripped of their native tongue their names stolen from them. Cruel treatment. Many parents never saw their children again.. We will never be able to completely atone for what these poor people have suffered. I am so glad you are looking into our “ Minutes”. They were great for helping kids to learn and remember details and for adults they were a great “ refresher “ of things we may have long since forgotten.

@kf9346

Жыл бұрын

YES! I always appreciated that about them.

@GaisSacredCreations

11 ай бұрын

The British screwed the Indigenous population over after France lost the battle at the Plains of Abraham at Québec city in 1759 to General Wolfe of the English forces and Montréal was lost to the British in 1760, When France succeeded New France and all its territories to England in the 1763 Treaty of Paris, that is when the attack on the Indigenous peoples began. The French always had a good relationship of trade with the Indigenous tribes from the very first meetings with the St Lawrence Iroquois in 1534 at Stadacona (now Québec City) and the other tribes across the province from James Bay down to New York state. Many French married and had families with several of the Indigenous tribes, creating the Métis peoples of today who are officially recognized as Indigenous by the Canadian gov't. Even today, there are many Québecois families and people who have mixed heritage from Montagnais, Métis, Abenaki, Mohawk and others. However, even though some tribes sided with the British (the Iroquois confederacy signed a treaty with the British in 1701 giving them access to firearms to fight the French with) and during the 7 years war against the French, eventually, once England was fully in the picture, they threatened all the Indigenous nations that had been allies of the French since the 15th century to either pledge their alliance to England (by contract, signed with an "X' for each Nation). If they did not pledge their alliance and cut off all ties with the French colonists, they would have their villages burned, women and children, and men executed. They, put them on reservations. Yes, we learned this history in Québec schools and the official documents are on display in the Québec City Museum..however, all mention of these documents were removed from the Canadian school curriculum except for in Québec.

You shouldnt be embarrassed about not knowing this stuff, you're actually going out of your way to learn and engage, that's quite admirable. You know more Canadian history now than most Canadians lol

@Black-Rat

Жыл бұрын

Sad reality, immigrants know more about Canadian History than most Canadians... Yeah they should bring back those Canadian heritage minute, so many need to go back to school in history class nowadays...

@rig4365

Жыл бұрын

​@@Black-Rat lol that's not true at all. How can you conclude that? I do see these clips on tv from time to time.

@KristineMaitland

7 ай бұрын

​@rig4365 immigrants have to learn Canadian history in order to pass the citizenship test. My mother had to do it. I had the advantage of being born in the 70s so I constantly saw these heritage minutes. Plus I had to take Canadian history in grade 13. Kids in Ontario take it grade 10.

@barbarathibault1846

7 ай бұрын

So true. A few new comers were going to take the test to become Canadian Citizen. A few of us who were from here. And ranging from 30 to 60 yrs old looked up the test on line. By question 10 we were in trouble. One girl kept asking, did we learn this in school. lol

@user-gj1eu5mr6t

7 ай бұрын

Agreed there is a good portion of Canadians who don't know all of these.

Aye, lad....greetings from New Scotland! My father was one of those that liberated Italy and The Netherlands. It is hard to put into words as it is a deep visceral feeling, but when Canadians go to war they become absolutely ferocious. An entire German army surrender when they found it was the Canadians they were about to face in Denmark.

My grandmother lost an eye at 2yrs old in the Halifax explosion. We lost family in the blizzard that landed that same week on the devastated city. Before she passed, fairly recently, she was one of the 4 surviving injury victims. Made of strong stock, a tough lot we Canucks! Thank you for this content. Be well, ❤️🇨🇦

When Nova Scotia created a new holiday called Heritage Day in 2015, Viola Desmond was the first honouree. Each year a part of our history is featured with ads, school programs, and other awareness campaigns. This year was a Mi'kmaq elder and author named Rita Joe.

Dr. Banting is also the youngest Nobel laureate to this day (He was 32 when he received it.) The four inventors also prevented a singular company from patenting it by signing the patent over to the University of Toronto, a public university and, as such, allowed as free use as possible in order to help as many people as possible. This move was hailed as a step forward in medical ethics worldwide.

Fun fact, James Doohan or Mr. Scott from Star Trek, stormed Juno beach on D-Day, in the Canadian Army and was injured, being shot 6 times. One bullet blew off his middle finger which you can see in some Star Trek episodes.

@junkyardjim

Жыл бұрын

My Grandfather stormed the beaches too, I've often wondered if they may have met. "Your grandfather stormed the beaches with the rest of the Canadians... everyone he knew died" This was the only thing ever told to me about my grandfathers service. I knew better than to ask my gramps myself but when him and my pops died i asked my aunt. It broke me. My gramps was 20 on D-day

You'll have to do the "Log Driver's Waltz" to get the full experience of breaks between Canadian shows. Plus to this day I can still hear the Ducks Unlimited music that was broadcast too. :)

@inkyminky184

Жыл бұрын

I was just going to mention the log drivers waltz! I now have the song playing in my head, lol.

@stephenolan5539

Жыл бұрын

Hinterland Who's Who for real old time nostalgia.

@deborahbarry8458

Жыл бұрын

@@stephenolan5539 thanks for the ear worm

@mikematson6323

Жыл бұрын

The story of Flin Flon..

@Tardisntimbits

Жыл бұрын

I'm new here, has he done any of the National Film Board of Canada animations? So much of that lives rent free in my head from my childhood

Heritage Minutes are fantastic, I wish they would bring them back. As a 58 year old white dude, I can say we learned nothing about residential schools when I was in school. When I found out about them during the 90s, I was ashamed, & there are more discoveries being made about these atrocities even now. A good thing about Heritage Minutes is that they show the good AND the bad. As they say, they're all a part of our heritage.

@deathandthehermit4283

Жыл бұрын

Hey Rob, they still make Heritage Minutes but now they're found online. Historica Canada is on KZread, FaceBook, and Instagram. Hope you're hangin' in, bud.✌🏻🍁

@MaryHemmings

Жыл бұрын

I learned about the residential schools because I live in Kamloops and have visited the school here. These were children. Children……

@MaryHemmings

Жыл бұрын

Insulin… free inCanada.

@MaryHemmings

Жыл бұрын

Can we have a Heritage moment for Bethune?

@shannonyeatman53

Жыл бұрын

I’m a 59 year old white woman, born and raised in Canada. I certainly did not learn about the residential schools, growing up in Manitoba. My children where raised in the Northwest Territories and they had native studies in school. That encompassed Indigenous Canadians and Inuit peoples. Grade school all the way to high school. I’m grateful for that. These Heritage moments made me cry back when they where aired on National television. And they still do, watching you, watch them. Thank you for the reminder.

Somebody has probably mentioned this already, but when a Canadian enters a pub in The Netherlands, and the locals find out about it, that person drinks for free for the rest of the evening. The Netherlands sends millions of tulip bulbs to Ottawa yearly for flower beds around our government buildings for free.

@evelynsaungikar3553

Жыл бұрын

The tulips are in thanks for hosting the Dutch royal family during WWII.

@BridgesCaleb

Жыл бұрын

It's because in WW2, when the Dutch princess was taking refuge, she went into labor so the Dutch "brought" the land the hospital was on, so the baby was born on Dutch land. Now Ottawa has a tulip festival every year In celebration

@cycletricity

Жыл бұрын

Yep, one of my Canadian cousins found this out when he was taking part in the Nijmegan marches along with his Canadian Army colleagues! The fact he was Canadian meant a free round, being Canadian Army was doubly so!

@KahinAhmed72

3 ай бұрын

How interesting!

I watched your video about the fact that Canadian has never lost a war. I am from a Canadian militay family. My father served in World War II in the Seaforth Higlanders. He saw action in Italy during the Battle of Ortona (one of the bloodiest battles Canadians fought in). He was wounded in Italy. He was always proud of being in the Seaforth Highlanders. I took highland dancing and we attended every Scottish festival - bagpipes, the cabre, etc. etc. I have wonderful memories of those times. My mother served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Women's Division during World War II. I am so proud of both of my parents. When I was in Amsterdam my ex-husband and I were in the lounge of the Schiphol Hilton Airport. When we ordered a drink the group of people sitting at a table not far from us heard us speak English and they immediately invited us to their table as soon as they found out we were Canadian and they wouldn't let us pay for anything. Yes, the Dutch have never forgotten that Canada liberated their country. Thank you so much for your channel. It touches my heart how you want to learn about Canada. By the way, I lived in Singapore and Brunei and I have visited Malaysia.

The insulin story is really cool and really makes me proud to be Canadian... Especially when you think that the team that developed the technique to extract the insulin decided that rather than try to get rich off it, the discovery belonged to the world and , "on 23 January 1923, Banting, Collip and Best were awarded U.S. patents on insulin and the method used to make it. They all sold these patents to the University of Toronto for $1 each."

@onefromfive3119

Жыл бұрын

Indeed that is a most significant aspect of the events (not profiteering from the patents) that is surprisingly absent from the Heritage Minute

@KyChimerical

Жыл бұрын

The saddest things is the drug companies charge way over what it costs to produce insulin today.

@starpetalarts6668

Жыл бұрын

It's crazier still because Banting was forced out of Toronto and took up his practice in London just to without any resentment sell those patents to UoT.

@MrsKrupse

11 ай бұрын

Best was excluded from the award for the discovery. For a truly sad story, look into the death of Banting. Crashed in a plane in Newfoundland and laid in the rubble for days before succumbing to his injuries.

Canadian forces in the Netherlands liberated the country, not simply Appledorn. The Battle of Scheldt opened maritime traffic to Antwerp and was a bloody hard-fought affair. My father was a tank squadron commander that completed the clean up: Fifth Armoured Division - Lord Strathcona's Horse.

@denisecampbell6736

Жыл бұрын

My Uncles & a Cousin served as Gunners in The 1st Canadian Anti Tank Regiment & were among those who fought for The Liberation of the Netherlands. Sadly, my one Uncle was killed in a stupid training accident in England. New mortars were coming into use & they were learning how handle & use them. Sadly, a live round was missed, my Uncle Leslie got it &…😢. My Uncle Elwood wouldn't talk about it at all & ended up drinking himself to death. My Cousin Nelson did talk about it & some of the stories he shared…Both the Good & the Bad. The only thing he'd never ever talk about The Battle of Ortona in Italy. All he say, "There's a reason it’s called Bloody Ortona." That was all he'd say. The last time he was able to go back to Holland was for the 60th Commemoration Events. His Daughter was finally able to go w/her Parents & she said all the Stories told about how the Vets are treated like Royalty? Even that doesn’t come remotely close to describing it. They never paid for a single thing the entire trip!! Not even a Chocolate Bar in a little store they popped into to grab a snack from. "You helped free my Country & my People. Your Money is no good here." They have never forgotten & I think it's criminal a child in Holland is taught more about what our Forces did for them, than our own are & that needs changed fast we're losing our WWII Vets so fast now. When that living history's gone, who tells their Stories? Anyway, I'm so sorry for babbling on, but making sure OUR History is taught & properly is a passion of mine &…Yeah. 😊 Thanks for reading & Take Care!! 😊

@pacscanadadatabaseservices3711

Жыл бұрын

@@denisecampbell6736 Very well put, Denise. My Dad and three of his brothers saw overseas service in WWll.

@dneyder

Жыл бұрын

I wonder if someone may be trying to wind us up with that "liberated the tiny village" bit..? Also, check out the tulip festival in Ottawa, cool history.

@flybynytt

Жыл бұрын

Yes Sir. Canada kicked serious ass. I had the honor of knowing one of our last. He lived in and died in the house he built after the war. Married and had 5 boys and a girl. In his last days I would stop by and politely ask him "whatchya up to sir?" With a scowl on his face he would turn to me and say "Wating on the Grimm reaper". What a warrior!

@ryvisthemad3357

Жыл бұрын

Lord Strathconas Horse is a regiment even i, a relatively young man, have heard about. Like most Canadians fighting back then, the “hardest drinking, hardest partying, hardest fighting men that we are thankful are fighting for us.” (To paraphrase a quote)

The experience of Chanie Wenjhack is illustrated in a 2016 graphic novel/ music by Jeff Lemire and Gordon Downie called "The Secret Path". A must-read/ view. Indigenous history is taught unevenly in schools across Canada. Jeff Lemire also wrote the graphic tome "Essex County" which is a slice of life for many young men in Canada's rural communities.

I think you are awesome to pursue so much about us Canadians. I’ve watched a bunch of your Canadian reaction videos and have become huge fan of yours. Thank you for having such an open mind.

Between these and the Hinterland Who's Who commercials, we learned a lot. (Hinterland was animal themed but same idea)

New subscriber from Canada. Love this. My ancestors were Acadian and were deported in 1760, The family of six kids ended up split and some ended up in Louisiana and some back in France. They never saw each other again, but 2 of the family members in France returned in 1773, and I am a direct descendant. (My 4 and 5 times great grandparents.) But I understand this is history and I blame no one alive today for someone else's action centuries ago.

@SharonFromNB

Жыл бұрын

I, too, am of Acadian descent. My father's ancestors, Comeau, ended up in northern NB, Louisiana and (of all places) Bristol, England.

@louiselloyd1523

Жыл бұрын

Despite such dreadful treatment of such people it is inspiring that the culture lives on.

@beccablais3207

Жыл бұрын

I'm also of Acadian descent. Luckily, my direct ancestors managed to find safety in Quebec where we could keep most of our culture, though of course it morphed over time. I still love going back out east to feel connected to my ancestors though.

When Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was born in Ottawa Civic Hospital the maternity ward was declared not part of Canada. That way she wouldn't have Canadian citizenship. She would inherit Dutch citizenship , and maintain royal status. Canada loves the Netherlands. Thanks for all the tulips. They're beautiful. 11:21 The doctors sold the patent for insulin for a dollar. That way everyone could get it.

@marieross6231

Жыл бұрын

And look what the u.s. did... until Biden capped it at 30 dollars.

hi there :) I'm a mi'kmaq (pronounced meeg-mah) woman from New-Brunswick on the east coast. I definitely only speak for myself but I personally have had to go on a journey to learn my heritage and what it means to be indigenous. Communities have been made to deal with trauma with no support, returning home to a culture you no longer know, and no way to deal with the abuse that accured. At this time you need to prove to the government your indigenous ancestry to recieve reparation from them, let alone recognition of identity from them. One of those "i now have to prove who i am to the very agency that tried so hard to remove what they now ask of me?". Cultural genocide is acknowledged but reparation is a mucky subject, especially because of the generational trauma from that period.

I didn't realize just how many of these have been made. I remember when they first started airing in the early 1990s. The Vikings, Laura Secord, Superman, and the Basketball ones were some of my favourites. But one of the most impactful for me will always be the Halifax Explosion.

Viola is on Canadian bank notes (side note Canada has the best bank notes in my opinion). The acadian story is a complicated but amazing story that involves Britain France the USA the natives and the Canadians. Something else off beat. Montreal has the world largest underground city. It’s called reso. Fun random stuff.

@francelaferriere6106

Жыл бұрын

Reso as in "réseau"?

@SnowmanN49

Жыл бұрын

@@francelaferriere6106 Oui. Meaning network. It has only been called that since 2004. Before that it was the Underground City, La Ville Souteraine. I believe it got it's start when they built the Metro, beginning in 1965.

@francelaferriere6106

Жыл бұрын

@@SnowmanN49 I used to live in Montreal, I had never heard that term before.

@SnowmanN49

Жыл бұрын

@@francelaferriere6106 I hadn't heard it either until quite recently. I moved away in 1974. I remember there were underground stores below Place Ville Marie. I worked downtown for a couple of years and rented a parking stall under Place Des Arts. I could walk from there underground and come up right across the street from where I worked at Domtar House on De Maisonneuve.

@SnowmanN49

Жыл бұрын

@@francelaferriere6106 If you are referring to the term, frogs, it goes way back to when England and France were at war in the 1700's. Perhaps in Montreal it was only used in the mostly English suburbs where I grew up in the 1960's/70's.

I love your outlook and enthusiasm on learning about Canada, and yes, we need the good as well as the sad and shameful stories. That is how you learn. To hopefully never make those same mistakes. Would love to make it to Europe one day and see where my family came from.

@TheDylls

Жыл бұрын

I personally feel like a large part of what "we" can do, not having actively participated in the atrocities from our personal history (goes for essentially ANY country, to be clear) is to TRULY learn about, remember, and learn FROM "the bad stuff"

@adamw3731

Жыл бұрын

My mom got mad at me when I told her about while visiting Europe I talked about the residential schools and how Canada isn't the big friendly goof everyone sees us as.

The Canadian band The Tragically Hip's front man, Gord Downie, who died of brain cancer a few years ago, did an amazing audio-visual project about Chanie Wenjack's story, "Secret Path", right before he passed. Highly recommend you listen to it. He was a huge advocate of First Nations rights, and was even given an honorary Lakota name "Wicapi Omani" by the Assembly of First Nations, which means "Man who walks among the stars". He's the greatest true Canadian poet of his generation. In fact, IMO there should be a Heritage Minute about Gord Downie...

One of my favourite Heritage Moments was the one about the Halifax explosion. It was a horrific loss of life! But the bravery Mr. Colman had. To stay there, choosing to save the lives of the people on that train. Over trying to run and save his own life. It gets me choked up every time. Even now, after years from when I last saw it. 🖤

Princess Margaret was born in Ottawa and the room she was born in was declared Netherlands soil that way she could officially be Princess or Queen one day. We were given huge gifts of tulips from the Dutch. Ottawa also has a Tulip Festival to honour that gift and the close ties to the Netherlands. Princess Margaret came to visit in 2022 to see the beauty and enjoy the festivities.

I remember Heritage moments from the days when we only had 2 TV channels. They were played instead of commercials, so we saw them over and over. ❤️🇨🇦

The Halifax Explosion one always stuck with me because of how well made it is. Easily the best Heritage Minute. Whoever was in charge of that one was in top form that day.

As a life long Canadian, you have made me laugh and cry throughout your presentations. It has also been made clear to me that the negative aspects of our history were not taught in our schools but learned about later. We are only recently bringing these atrocities to the forefront and teaching our children. If we learn from our past it will strengthen our future as the amazing country we have become.

You can sit with Oscar, outside the National Arts Centre, across from our National War Memorial. There is a very shiny spot on the bench beside him, from all the people who sit down with him.

Heritage Minutes.....how Canadian children have been learning their history since 1987 ☺😎👍

The discovery of Insulin was so incredible, but what is even more incredible is that they gave the patent away for free so that everyone could afford it and use it, they could have had a monopoly on it and charged a fortune but they didnt :)

My great grandfather is from the Neatherlands, he fought in the Dutch resistance during ww2. He and his family immigrated to Canada in 1951. A couple years ago I went to Amsterdam, and I tell you, I have never been so greeted ever before when I told everyone I'm from Canada

I grew up in Dartmouth across the harbour from Halifax. There were pieces of the ships that had landed far from the explosion that stood where they landed as a reminder of the explosion.

@ralphvelthuis2359

Жыл бұрын

I've heard that the ships anchor landed about 3 miles away.

@gordieparenteau6555

Жыл бұрын

​@@ralphvelthuis2359 And there's a solid iron bollard from the pier that's imbedded in the side of a hill miles away.

@UnkleBot

Жыл бұрын

@@ralphvelthuis2359 it's still there

A history richer than most people realise, The British have so much to thank Canada for!

Johnny Wenjack is remembered by Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario. A campus theatre is named after him. * * The German army surrendered to the Canadian army May 5, 1945, (Liberation Day). When I visited the Netherlands (2015) I could not have been treated more kindly by the Dutch. They remember the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers through stories passed down the generations and school children are taken to the cemeteries to place flags at each individual headstone. * *

I live 3 hours away from Halifax, deep in old Acadia. Both of these things, they are still in peoples minds today, they will never be forgotten.

Thank you for reviewing Heritage Minutes. My hope is that people from other countries will see these through reaction videos and that other countries will copy the idea. There are plenty of sports-related minutes for you to look forward to.

The is a very nice song by ‘The Band‘ entitled ‘Acadian Driftwood‘ that touches on the subject of ‘Le Grand Dérangement‘ , or, the great upheaval touched on by the second Heritage Moment.

My great grandfather survived the Halifax Harbour Explosion. The windows were blown out of his home and he was suffering from scarlet fever at the time. That left him with a weak heart that caused him to die at age 53. My grandfather never got over losing his father so young.

@supergirl0526

Жыл бұрын

I found a letter from an ancestor who survived it. She talked about men walking down the street, their clothes blown off them, people digging through rubble for days looking for family.

I'm a Canadian in my mid-30s and I'm sad to admit that I was never taught about the Residential School system at all at any point in my primary and secondary education. Regrettably, I only learned about these atrocities when news broke about all of the old graveyards that were discovered near residential schools and it became an international news story. Let us hope that younger Canadians from this day forward are educated about this horrible part of our history so that we can show compassion to those who were and continue to be affected.

@melissastory1993

Жыл бұрын

It’s changing for sure. At my kid’s elementary school there’s an assembly and walk for Chanie Wenjack every year. They painted the sidewalks around the school with orange chalk paint for Truth and Reconciliation Day. All the kids from kindergarten on are taught about residential schools. There are Every Child Matters signs everywhere all year long too. That being said, it may not be the same in all of Canada. From others I’ve spoken to, especially people from southern Ontario, they were only ever taught what was in the social studies textbooks in the 90’s & early 00’s. I was lucky in Victoria, BC, because we had Indigenous Art & Culture classes in elementary school and Native art and culture were always a part of our day to day school life. So, I’m sure progress is being made elsewhere, but it just may not be as much as it is in BC.

@thomascoffin3292

Жыл бұрын

I think there was a week or 2 in grade 11 Canadian History.

@aesir2634

Жыл бұрын

I'm in my mid-30s as well and I was lucky enough to have a history teacher that took the initiative to teach us about the residential school system and the damage it did. At the time I thought it was just a standard part of the curriculum. I didn't realise that wasn't the case until former students of the other history teacher in our school mentioned they'd never learned anything about it.

@juliec5309

11 ай бұрын

It s taught in schools...my kids learned it and theyr're lste teens early 20s. No sugar coating either.

Viola's portrait has now been on a recent Canadian stamp honouring her contribution.

@temujanradari1105

Жыл бұрын

As well as $10 bill! Which is also a vertical bill! It is purple and really cool looking!

Great thing about heritage minutes is that there are definitely longer videos on KZread that can go deeper on any topic you wanna look into further. I live in Halifax and it's a big part of the history of Nova Scotia.

There’s a monument on the hill overlooking the port of Halifax in memory. It’s absolutely beautiful and I’m glad I’ve seen it

Coleman actually went back, knowing he wouldn't be able to get out, in order to send that message. He saved many lives.

@shinrapresident7010

Жыл бұрын

We should also remember the countless dead from the tribes fighting and enslaving each other for thousands of years.

@rubydragon1034

Жыл бұрын

@@shinrapresident7010 Sadly it's very easy to hide your atrocities when your entire people are illiterate and have no written history.

@MrHarbltron

Жыл бұрын

@@shinrapresident7010 Fuck off with your disgusting "justification" for the genocide of fist nations people. I seem to remember the various "tribes" of Europe fighting and enslaving each-other for thousands of years, you pig.

@nonnayerbusiness7704

Жыл бұрын

@@shinrapresident7010 If one has spent enough time learning about the transatlantic slave trade in order to try and have a complete understanding of the system, certainly one should learn about the role African tribes played in supplying slaves through war, and the Muslim slave trade which created the infrastructure which got the European trade going. However, I think you are not interested in getting that complete picture, but are only trying to deflect and minimize the responsibility of our ancestors. After all, the immediate thing you learn after learning the role that the African tribes played in supplying slaves is this: The creation of a large export market on West Africa's southern coast by European slave traders kicked the activity of taking slaves and warring for the purpose of taking slaves into high gear. As well, the chattel slave trade of the colonial era had features that made it worse than the slave trade as practised in both Europe and Africa. Slavery for Christians in the middle ages was forbidden, in the transatlantic slave trade it was no longer confined to pagan enemies, but only on the basis of race, removing a key avenue of escape from bondage through conversion. As well, slavery in both Europe and Africa generally didn't pass from the enslaved to their children. Chattel slavery was eternal because it was less about servitude and oppression of a human being taken as a prize of war, and more about assigning people to being mere property on the basis of race.

@dc013

Жыл бұрын

I'd argue the stain persists today. Living in Winnipeg you see the ongoing fall out of Residential schools, addictions, transient criminality, over-reaching and heavy handed policing...

I had 4 uncles that served overseas 1940-1945 2 helped liberate Holland I was wounded in Dieppe and 1 came up through Italy all survived the war. Plus both my parents served my mom joined at 18 years old on her birthday And my Father was a prisoner of war guard in Thunder Bay.I also joined a 17 years old 1970 and served for 23 years 12 overseas. I grew up with Veterans. Thanks for the memories.

@janetneatby6586

Жыл бұрын

My father was taken prisoner on the Blue beach at Puys in Dieppe France on August 19, 1942. He spent 3 years at Stalag 8B. There is a book out called "Heroes of Lamsdorf" I wrote the chapter about my father .

@carolmurphy7572

Жыл бұрын

Much gratitude and respect to you, and to the other members of your family, for your service to Canada. Thank you.

My father lost his uncle and baby cousin in the explosion. There are piecs of the ships flung over the two cities. I remember seeing two in Dartmouth growing up. one on Albro Lake Rd and one on the lawn at the old Library which is quite near the harbour.

These were great but I’m surprised that the Heritage moments about Laura Secord, Agnes McPhail, the Underground Railroad, Nellie McClung and the Famous Five and Dr Penfield weren’t in the top 12. Those ones are imprinted in my mind from my childhood. You should check them out. It would be interesting to do the top ten from the 80s, the 90s and the 2000s. I’d be interested to see the shift in what was covered.

@SnowmanN49

Жыл бұрын

I don't think the first 12 he watched were necessarily the Top 12. I think they were just picked at random.

Not just that town but Canadian soldiers helped to liberate all of the Netherlands and are remembered throughout the Netherlands.

@JohnDoe-dh4fi

Жыл бұрын

there is one Canadian Leo Major who liberated a whole town by himself on the evening of April 14 1945 he liberated the Dutch town of Zwolle

My grandfather was part of the Netherlands liberation. He met my grandmother there, she was a Dutch war bride. They married and he brought her to Alberta. They had 4 children who all married and had children. Their legacy lives! 🇨🇦🇲🇫

These videos are core memories for those of us who grew up in Canada in the 80s and 90s. You've got yourself a new subscriber. Love how interested you are in the land I call home and I look forward to revisiting the topics as you go along.

I thank God for the discovery of Insulin. My sister is 84 years old and has been an insulin dependent diabetic since she was 24 years old. 60 years!! I think that has to be a record!

You have a good range of various situational videos. Some of Canada's greatest moments and some of her worst. Like all countries we have a history, but unlike many countries, we like to bring light both the good and the bad. Unfortunately, sometimes the bad takes a little longer.

Another touching story relating to the Halifax explosion concerns the fact that the city of Boston sent vital help to Halifax. Nova Scotia never forgot that, and to this day the province sends Boston a Nova Scotia pine tree for their city's Christmas tree each year, in thanks.

One history moment you may not know of was the street name valor in Winnipeg Manitoba Being British you know of the Victoria cross medal and how hard it is to win it well that street had three members to win the Victoria Cross so street name was changed These history moments have done more to show Canadians about their unique history then what is taught in school

Halifax has a wonderful Maritime museum with a great retrospective on the explosion - miraculous survivals, the devastation and death, heavy ship parts blown miles from the blast site. It was so moving to see the artifacts and read the stories.

You have got to watch one of the documentaries on the Halifax explosion. At the time, it was the biggest man-made explosion, not exceeded until Hiroshima.

@AL-fl4jk

Жыл бұрын

Still stands as the biggest non-nuclear explosion

@gordieparenteau6555

Жыл бұрын

Shattered City. Scenes from this Heritage Minute were actually taken from that series.

Imagine being a parent sitting at your child's hospital bedside whilst they're in a diabetic coma, knowing that your child is never going to wake up again... Suddenly, a doctor and a couple of nurses start coming in and injecting something into the kids' IVs, one by one. And, one by one, the children started waking up...

As a child I loved watching these especially the Winnie one as my Father is the person who was feeding honey to the bear cub. I think it is amazing that they have been releasing them since 1991 because they are such a nice bite sized way to learn a bit of Canadian history.

I was first in The Netherlands when I was 10 in 1980, and when people found out we were Canadian--that was how I learned about the Canadian involvement in the liberation. Then I returned with a friend in my 20s, and we walked past a school with "Thank you Canada" posters made by the kids and posted on the shool windows. My friend was brought to tears as I told her the story for the first time she had ever heard it.

the Viola Desmond 10 dollar bill is to my opinion the best looking bill ever made

Just found your channel last night and was hoping to see Canadian Heritage Minutes reactions so this is awesome!

Thank you for learning of our Canadian history. We Canadians are proud of it. Halifax STILL sends Boston USA a Christmas tree to thank them for their help in Halifax's time of need. I'm PROUD of that fact. Two great neighbours, helping without question.....

I'm a Canadian - have always loved these wee history spots - as a lover of history, they are so effective at both teaching the next generations about our history, but also encouraging an interest in learning more.

The horrific history of the residential schools is such a terrible blot on our country. We do have to learn from such horrible acts. 😥

@KMDragonS

Жыл бұрын

Yeah even a good like Canada has a dark side

@timothyjuvet4073

Жыл бұрын

And we're still learning how awful it truly was. So incredibly sad

@anufoalan

Жыл бұрын

@@timothyjuvet4073 the thing is that victims have been saying for decades that this is what happened, decades, my mom remembers a girl she went to school with (1970’s) telling her about it (she wasn’t Indigenous but she attended the Day school in Tuktoyaktuk for a year which was also responsible for the same atrocities) that they drained the pond and it was full of bodies from the school disposing of the kids, and then claiming they ran away. And the kicker is since they started finding the. Mass graves is how I’ve heard over, and over, and over, and over “how did we not know?” “How did no one know?”, we did know we’ve been saying it for decades and there are so many people who said that they believed and supported survivors, but then when they started finding those babies (I call them all babies that were taken to those places because they are to me they should have been held and loved and instead we know what happened at those places) they were shocked that it was true. I have cousins who are buried at those hellholes, my direct line managed to escape being in the system but that comes with it’s own trauma’s, survivors guilt, we were still subject to many of the other traumas inflicted upon Indigenous people, 60’s scoop, etc. But never not for one minute did I doubt that there were babies that were murdered at those schools and that they were hidden, and now every time they find more I weep, I weep for all those babies, I weep for my cousins, aunts, uncles because they should be here.

@mbentien

Жыл бұрын

I dare say fact check your self. The narrative on the residential schools is almost all misleading.

@xmasinpacific

Жыл бұрын

generally speaking - how indigenous people were treated historically is a blot on humanity. Canada is not unique in that regard.

I remember watching these as a kid. They led me to take a greater interest in not only these specific stories but our (dark) history in general.

They've put Ms. Desmond on the new ten dollar bill, and it's also the first bill printed vertically. It's bright purple. 😊

I love that these videos show the good, the bad, and the ugly . Being honest so we could learn from our mistakes. I'm a proud Canadian.❤🇨🇦

The Netherlands sends tulips to Canada (Ottawa) every year in thanks for allowing their Princess to give birth on "Netherland soil" during WWII. She was in a Canadian Hospital, but the Canadian Gov't gifted the location to the Netherlands so her baby was born in her home country.

We definitely learn about residential schools yearly in grade school, and the example of Chanie is a very wellknown case, so much so that a famous Canadian artist named Gord Downie did a visual album all about Chanie's escape and eventual death

One of the heritage minutes that I remember from my childhood was about Laura Secord. ❤

My eldest brother and sister were taken in by my parents in the 50’s. They both would have been sent to one of the Residential Schools in Manitoba, if my mom and dad wouldn’t have taken them in. I’m so happy that they did, because I love both my brother and sister dearly! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

The Chanie Wenjack story is hitting pretty hard right now. In the last couple of years, the remains of thousands of neglected and murdered children have been found in graves on the residential schools' grounds. There are more that are being searched or will be searched in the near future. When the news broke, many governments at all levels toned down their Canada Day celebrations or cancelled them outright. We were mourning instead. The last school closed in 1996.

@dialee5016

Жыл бұрын

A very shameful part of Canadian history. That it was condoned by the catholic church and the Canadian government at the time is horrible. The cover up of the deaths of so many innocent children is hard to fathom especially as this all happened in recent history. There is no excuse for the atrocity that was the residential school.

@Ottawajames

Жыл бұрын

* *Presumed* * sites..... nothing has been excavated nor exhumed.

@TheDylls

Жыл бұрын

Have you READ the Gord Downie graphic novel based on his story?!

@louisejohnson6057

Жыл бұрын

​​@@Ottawajames , why did you feel the need to say this? Are you attempting to minimize the atrocities that the Catholic church perpetrated against these Children?

@scottcarter6623

Жыл бұрын

@@Ottawajames Pretending we didn't do it is not a solution.

There were 4,200 slaves in Canada between the 1600's and 1834 the year Britain abolished slaves in the Dominion and set the war/crusade against the slave trade. 2 thirds of these slaves were native 1 third were African. What the video is depicting is the end of slavery here and the slavers taking the slaves to the US where slavery was still legal.

@pacscanadadatabaseservices3711

Жыл бұрын

The first legislation curtailing slavery in the British colonies was in Upper Canada in 1793.

These Heritage Minutes were OUTSTANDING 👍👌😇✨🚀Cheers 🍻

Thanks, Mert. Best one yet. You’ve reintroduced a lot of us to our amazing culture.

You've got the whole point of these one-minute history clips, which were shown during commercial breaks on tv stations right across Canada since 1987. They were very well produced vignettes that introduced topics and stirred interest among the public to research further into the history. They really were marvelous introductions to topics not necessarily learned about in schools over different eras and across all provinces, as education programs are a provincial government responsibility, not a federal one.

It should be mentioned that there is a man with the same disease and situation as Terry. His name is Steve Fonyo. He finished the Marathon of Hope starting where Terry stopped. He finished the run and very few people mentioned him. He lived longer and had a chance to do some things that Terry didn’t get the chance to do. I don’t understand why he isn’t getting the credit for what he did.

@aconventgirl

Жыл бұрын

According to Wikipedia: At some point Fonyo began abusing alcohol and drugs.[3] He repeatedly ran afoul of the law, and was charged and convicted of various crimes.[5] In 1996, Fonyo pleaded guilty to 16 charges for offences in Edmonton, including assault with a weapon, aggravated assault, fraud for writing bad cheques totalling $10,000 to supermarkets, and possession of a stolen vehicle.[2][5] He was also convicted at least five times of impaired driving, and seven times of driving without a licence, most recently in the fall of 2008.[2] On August 13, 2009, Fonyo, last known to have been working as a heavy-machinery mechanic, appeared in BC Provincial Court in Surrey charged with one count of assault. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one day in jail. He was credited for ten days already served. He was also subject to a one-year probation order. But just five days later, the 44-year-old was back in court, having breached his conditions. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 days in jail.[6]

@barbarae-b507

Жыл бұрын

@@aconventgirl I am well aware that he lived long enough to get into trouble. That doesn’t take away from the fact that he finished Terry’s run. We have all made mistakes in our lives, it has absolutely no bearing on the fact that he did what he did. Terry started the run but Steve finished it. The he should be recognized for what he accomplished, he had the advantage of being able to live longer and do more. Terry spent his adulthood that he had fighting to survive. Steve went from Thunder Bay to the ocean and deserves the same credit as the person he ran in the place of. What happened afterwards is not my issue.

@barbarae-b507

Жыл бұрын

@@aconventgirl Wikipedia is not a trustworthy site, since anyone can write anything about anyone there. Better to use citable sources.

@kovic1967

11 ай бұрын

You are right as not only did Steve Fonyo have cancer he had almost identical amputation and prosthetics. I think some of it was due to charisma. Terry had a way about him that captured Canadians that apparently Steve didn't. The Times Colonist wrote that he was "measured by an impossible yardstick" which is also probably true. Out here in BC there is a beach named after him and a statue but as the legend of Terry Fox grew his accomplishment faded into the background.

@carolinechow1702

10 ай бұрын

My father had Steve Fonyo on one of his flights (dad was an airline pilot); he said he was actually quite arrogant and rude.

I respect the fact here in Canada, we dont shy away from the dark parts of our country's history. It's inportant to remember them as to not repeat them and to grow as a society.

Thank you so much for doing the series on Canada. Throughout I’ve had very proud moments and somewhat shameful moments but in the end it reminds me that I’m very proud to be Canadian

I wish you had watched the video about Andrew Mynarski as well. His story deserves to be heard as well. I'm not sure if it's still there but there was once a statue of him outside an English airfield for what he did.

The Halifax explosion remains to this day the largest non-nuclear accidental explosion in history. To give you an idea of reference, it was more than 3x more powerful than the Beirut explosion in Lebanon a few years ago.

I always loved these shorts on tv. A great way for kids to learn history. Wish they would bring them back.

Even in the prairies we learned about the Halifax explosion in school, but we also learned other things from the Heritage Minutes. I would love to see them start up again. I did see the more detailed short film on the tragedy and it explain there was a minor collision between the munitions ship and another but, it caused a fire.

@87Fraser

Жыл бұрын

They still make them. Check out Historica Canada they produce the Heritage Minutes. They make a couple of new ones a year

@ruthkirkparick3535

Жыл бұрын

@@87Fraser Thank you so much. I am going there now.

I agree with other viewers who recommend doing a reaction to a video about the Halifax explosion. Unbelievable event. A couple of other ideas for videos are: The history of the Fur Trade and the Hudson's Bay Company that still exists today and is 352 years old. Also there is a Viking settlement called L'Anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland that would be interesting to look into.

Fun fact: during her lifetime there was a comic book about Elsie MacGill. There's a plaque for her at UofT just by Convocation Hall.

Just came across your channel. I Love Heritage Minutes. They used to run them during commercials when I was younger.

Every year on November 14th my family celebrates World Diabetes Day (which is also Sir Frederick Banting’s birthday) and the discovery of insulin. I am the mother of three children, two of whom were diagnosed with diabetes as toddlers (at age 2 and 4, respectively). Without the work of Dr. Banting and Charles Best (and their American co-researchers), my children would not have survived their childhood. I don’t think there is any other Canadian who has directly saved the lives of so many people, around the world.

@williamwilson5127

Жыл бұрын

Several years ago, an endocrinologist I was seeing told me about medical conferences he attended in the U.S.. The majority of American doctors believed that the Eli Lilly company single handedly discovered and developed insulin in the U.S. by Americans, for Americans.

You should check out the story of Leo Major. "the one eyed scout".

The Residential School system is absolutely shameful and horrific. My youngest daughter's boyfriend is indigenous and both his parents and other relatives went to Residential schools. His Dad in particular had a very bad experience. Personally, I feel sick thinking about it and its consequences. Our indigenous people are only asking for truth and reconciliation, and transparency, but they deserve SO much more. What is also something to consider is that a lot of Canada's non-indigenous citizens had NO IDEA what was going on in some of those residential schools or what was happening to indigenous people in general, and when it finally came to light, people were in shock. We had been fed a lot of misinformation regarding the "Indian Act". A lot of people thought "Indians" got preferential treatment!! It reminded me of my older German-born friend who said that when he and others found out in the 1960s, when he was in his early 20s, what had been going on in Germany against Jewish people and others during WW2, they were shocked, and outraged. He said he first found out during a "German history moment-type segment" as a trailer to a movie he and his friends went to see. They kept saying to each other, "How could this be? How could this happen? Why?" How and why, indeed. Our other horrible shame as a country is our internment of Japanese Canadians during WW2. I fervently hope we have learned our lesson and will never repeat such atrocities ever again or create any new ones, nor tolerate any atrocity in another country.

I love Heritage Minutes and grew up watching them. ❤🇨🇦 The Banting and Best story is worth reading about.

Although we are proud of some of our history these 1 minute glimpses into our whole past and made to make us reflect on the whole of our past

I'm Canadian, I love celebrating the good, but owning the bad is absolutely necessary.