National Network for Equitable Library Service

Historian Gavin K. Watt offers a fresh interpretation of the 1775 Invasion of Canada. In 1775, Governor Guy Carleton returned to Canada after a four-year absence in England to discover that political unrest in the American colonies was at a fever pitch. Soon after, open warfare erupted in Massachusetts, quickly followed by a rebel invasion.Historian Gavin K. Watt explores the first two campaigns of the American Revolution through their impact on Canada and describes how a motley group of militia, American loyalists, and British regulars managed to defend Quebec and repel the invaders.

In the Shadow of the Pole explains how the Arctic came to be part of Canada. In the Shadow of the Pole tells the history of how the Arctic became part of Canada and how the Dominion government established jurisdiction there. It describes the early expeditions to Canada’s North, including the little-known Dominion government expeditions to the Subarctic and Arctic carried out between 1884 and 1912. The men on these expeditions conducted scientific research, meteorological studies, geological explorations, and hydrographic surveys.

Stories of the evolution of Willowdale from its earliest acquisition of land to today’s urban environment. In 1855, Willowdale’s post office opened in Jacob Cummer’s store on Yonge Street. Today, streets in Toronto’s community of Willowdale are peppered with the names of the early farm families of North York, such as the Shepards, Finches, and Kennedys. Author Scott Kennedy’s intriguing stories embrace the evolution of Willowdale from the earliest acquisition of land to today’s urban environment.

A vibrant, richly illustrated commemorative book celebrating the first 30 years of Roy Thomson Hall, one of Canada’s most famous performance venues. Roy Thomson Hall: A Portrait traces the first 30 years of what was initially known as "New Massey Hall." Arthur Erickson’s iconic design quickly became a symbol of a vibrant city emerging on the world stage. Home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the hall has welcomed a range of acclaimed artists and lecturers, film presentations, and corporate events.

A harrowing tale of human intelligence pitted against the forces of nature. With prospectors, trappers, and whalers pouring into northwestern Canada, the North West Mounted Police were dispatched to the newest frontier to maintain patrols, protect indigenous peoples, and enforce laws in the North. In carrying out their duties, these intrepid men endured rigorous and dangerous conditions.On December 21, 1910, a four-man patrol left Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, heading for Dawson City, Yukon, a distance of 670 kilometres. They never arrived.

The story of African Canadians who fled slavery in the United States but returned to enlist in the Union forces during the American Civil War. On New Year’s Eve in 1862, blacks from across British North America joined in spirit with their American fellows in silent vigils to await the enactment of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The terms declared that slaves who were held in the districts that were in rebellion would be free and that blacks would now be allowed to enlist in the Union Army and participate in the civil war that had then raged for more than a year and a half.

In 1987, skeletal remains were encountered during excavation just west of Old Fort Erie, in Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula. While possession of the land had been bitterly contested in 1814, it remained virtually undeveloped and only in the 1980s, with the construction of permanent homes, did excavations yield evidence of the distant past.An international team of scholars and scientists investigated the remains and identified the individuals’ nationalities for repatriation, where appropriate.

The invasion attempt on Upper Canada by a new and vastly improved American army in the first six months of 1814. Throughout 1812 and 1813, Upper Canada had been the principle target for a succession of American invasions and attacks. Fortunately they all had been repulsed, but at a high cost in lives and the devastation of property on both sides of the border.

This book tells the story of the unique bond between Captain Walters and his schooner the Bluenose. The ship is a Canadian icon and an icon of nautical competition, unbeaten between 1921 and 1939 in the races for the International Fishermans Cup. Its success galvanized a young nations national pride, and the ship remains an important symbol in Nova Scotia today. Walters skill and devotion to his ship helped the Bluenose hold off all challengers, even at the end of its illustrious career.

When Emily Stowe was born in Ontario in 1831, every girl’s life followed a set pattern. Regardless of her personality, intelligence, capabilities or creativity, her future was limited to housework and childcare. Emily Stowe was determined to change that pattern. Sydell Waxman, a writer, researcher and lecturer on women of the 1800s, tells of the events in the life of the young Emily Stowe which caused her to become, not only the first woman school principal and the first woman to practise medicine in Canada, but a pioneer in the fight for women’s rights.