National Network for Equitable Library Service

Immigrants and immigration have always been central to Canadians’ perception of themselves as a country and as a society. In this crisply written history, Valerie Knowles describes the different kinds of immigrants who have settled in Canada, and the immigration policies that have helped to define the character of Canadian immigrants over the centuries. Key policymakers and moulders of public opinion figure prominently in this colourful story, as does the role played by racism.

The Strange Odyssey of Poland's National Treasures, 1939-1961 tells the story of the Polish national treasures -their evacuation from their homeland under perilous conditions after the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 and their subsequent removal to western Europe and then to Canada. At the end of the war two Polish governments, a Communist one in Warsaw and a non-Communist one in London, vied for control of the national treasures.

The image of the scrum – a beleaguered politican surrounded by jockeying reporters – is central to our perception of Ottawa. The modern scrum began with the arrival of television, but even in Sir John A. Macdonald’s day, a century earlier, reporters in the parliamentary press gallery had waited outside the prime minister’s office, pen in hand, hoping for a quote for the next edition. The scrum represents the test of wills, the contest of wits, and the battle for control that have characterized the relationship between Canadian prime ministers and journalists for more than 125 years.

The conveyance of royalty, whether to Balmoral or Buffalo, by Rolls Royce or Canadian Pacific train, has its own mysterious traditions and protocols. With dry humour and a keen sense of history, Peter Pigott describes how the British royal family has adapted to technological innovations. Organized thematically, the book is packed with well-researched details. We know all about the royal family’s lives, especially their romances and scandals, but do we know who was the first monarch to drive a motorcar? The first to fly in an aircraft?

A beautiful and nostalgic look at the royal tour that captured a generation — the first visit of a reigning monarch to Canada. This six week visit from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back again (with a short excursion to the United States) enthralled a young nation. Fifty years ago, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arrived at Quebec City to tour "the senior daughter of the dominions". This is a fond recollection of those few magic weeks and the outpouring of affection for the new king and his beautiful wife.

These observations and quotations comprise a witty anthology of anecdotes by and about the royal family in Canada over the last 400 years. Enhanced by drawings from the well-known cartoonist Vince Wicks, this book looks at the memorable encounters, sometimes touching, sometimes disconcerting, sometimes hilarious, that Canadians have had with their own and other royal families. Arranged thematically Royal Observations covers such topics as Queen Victoria, English/French relations, World War Two, native peoples and royal tours.

If you think you’ve already heard everything there is to know about the royal family - think again! Even Queen Victoria herself would be amused (not to mention astonished) by the hundreds of revelations to be found within The Royal Book of Lists. Covering over a thousand years of royal history, this fascinating book tells the often turbulent story of a nation and an empire through those privileged few who came to embody it. In the process, author Matt Richardson has succeeded in highlight all the triumphs, tragedies, and of course the scandals that are central to this rich heritage.

These published rolls are intended to provide a fairly comprehensive list of the loyal colonials who joined the Provincial Corps of the British Army, 1775-1784, that were part of the Northern, or Canadian, command during the American Revolution. The name "Provincial corps of the British Army" applied to regiments established for loyal residents of Britain’s colonies. To conduct the war against the rebels in the Thirteen colonies, the British government organized military departments at key points which the army could control.

It wasn’t so much a big blue machine that chugged its way across Ontario’s political landscape in the spring of 1995 — it was more a big purple bulldozer driven by leader Mike Harris and a new breed of Tories. Gone were the pinstripes and the cigar-chomping backroom boys of the forty-two years of Tory rule. These Tories were young, hip, and they were riding the wave of their Common Sense Revolution, a platform launched a year earlier. Still, there were only a few who thought the PCs stood a chance of winning the Ontario provincial election.

Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother 1900 - 2002 presents the life of a remarkable woman. A Canadian perspective on a sovereign who created and cultivated a special relationship with Canada, it is the portrait of a queen who always evoked passionate reactions.