The Manitoba Historical Society Newsletter Vol. 43 No. 6 September / October 2011 McLuhan Centenary 21 July 2011 marked the centenary of the birth of communications giant Marshall McLuhan. As part of worldwide celebrations of this centenary, the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections has gathered articles written by McLuhan between 1930 and 1934 in The Manitoban, during his time there as a student. These articles are now the basis for a dedicated website. The articles have also been published as a special issue of The Manitoban. Richard Osicki, part of The Marshall McLuhan Initiative, has stated “virtually everything for which Marshall McLuhan became internationally renowned was already evident in his public writings as a young man living in Winnipeg and studying at the University of Manitoba.” They have been posted on the Archives’ website at www.umanitoba.ca/ libraries/units/archives/digital/mcluhan.html. Film Night: Seton’s Manitoba Copies of the special issue of The Manitoban are 14 November 7:30 pm available at the newspaper office, the Elizabeth Dafoe Library, and Archives & Special Collections. Pauline Boutal Theatre For those outside of Winnipeg, call 204-474-8293 and Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre they will mail you a copy. 340 Provencher Blvd., Winnipeg The MHS and Nature Manitoba will feature a 1974 CBC Winnipeg film Seton’s Manitoba. It looks at the time naturalist and writer Ernest Thompson Seton Newsletter Mailings spent in the Carberry hills—a time he referred to as Members are reminded that Time Lines is his “golden days”. available on our website www.mhs.mb.ca/ As a young man, Seton would leave his brother’s info/pubs/timelines. Members have the homestead and wander for days through the option of opting out of receiving the mailed sandhills, woodlands and sloughs with his sketch copy of our newsletter or reading it online. pad. A keen observer, he learned to identify and If members wish to place their name on our record all he saw—the first crocus, a soaring hawk, “Do Not Mail Newsletter” list, please contact the ritual “dance” of the prairie chicken. His research us by calling 204-947-0559 or emailing us at resulted in the publication of his first scientific article [email protected] in 1883 and provided material for his later books. The film is being shown with the permission of CBC Our journal Manitoba History is also available Winnipeg. Admission at the door is $2 for MHS and online to MHS members in good standing, by Nature Manitoba members and $3 for non-members. going to www.mhs.mb.ca/members. Call Carl James at 204-631-5971 for more information. 1 Vol. 43, No. 6, 2011 Time Lines President’s Message activity. Outside people strolled around the garden enjoying both the sights and the scents produced by It is hard to believe that the many plants of the Victorian garden. Experienced another summer has players and neophytes were obviously enjoying lively come and gone, marked games of croquet on the lawn while other visitors this year by hot and watched from their restful spots on the veranda. The humid weather and a activities were not confined solely to the garden. significant reduction Tours of the museum were ongoing, throughout in the mosquito the afternoon. Many of those who took in the tour population. Although also opted to participate in a novel craft activity. the weather and the Building on the interest generated by the wedding of mosquito population William and Kate, participants in the craft workshop typically dominate the were provided with the materials and instructions news, so too do our many necessary for them to create their own “fascinators” cultural events, such for their hair. This craft generated a great deal of MHS President as the Fringe Festival, interest and some very creative “fascinators” were Dr. Annabelle Mays the Folk Festival, and seen around Dalnavert throughout the afternoon. Folklorama, which Although I don’t have the numbers yet to support characterize our Winnipeg summers. Further, it, my impression is that the attendance was very festivals and musical events abound all across’ the good for the Dalnavert celebration due, I suspect, to province. One of the most important days in our optimal weather, good programming, and the fact summer calendar is July 1, Canada Day, which is that Dalnavert lies on the walking route between celebrated widely throughout the province with a Osborne Village and the Forks, two other spots variety of activities. Both Dalnavert and Ross House favoured by Canada Day celebrants. Dalnavert was were participants in these celebrations and I took the a good place for thirsty walkers to stop off since, in opportunity to visit both museums. July 1 began as a cloudy and rainy day, which did not bode well for outdoor activities such as those planned for the museums. Fortunately, by noon hour the sky had cleared and the afternoon was gloriously sunny and warm. I began my personal Canada Day celebrations at Ross House where a community gathering was underway. When I arrived families and neighbours were sitting on the lawn, chatting and enjoying the barbequed hot dogs and hamburgers. Local politicians were also in attendance, mixing and mingling with everyone. Shortly after I arrived I was asked to cut the Canada Day cake, appropriately iced as a Canadian flag. A portion of my visit was spent enjoying a guided tour of Ross House. I had not been to the museum before and I learned a great deal from the knowledgeable guide who was clearly very enthusiastic about her responsibility. She gave me a wealth of information in the short period of time I had available. If any of you have not been to Ross House, then I strongly recommend a visit there. Also, it would be a good place to take any visitors who come to town during the summer months. W. Fraser I left Ross House and went on to Dalnavert to join in MHS President Annabelle Mays celebrates Canada Day at Ross the celebrations well underway there. It was a hive of House Museum. 2 Manitoba Historical Society Time Lines Vol. 43, No. 6, 2011 addition to fun activities, we also provided lemonade and lovely chocolate and vanilla cake balls. All in all Welcome New Members the Canada Day celebrations were a great success at Roland Bohr both Ross House and Dalnavert. Congratulations to Maureen Borvwer all involved in the organization of these events. Jane Fudge Colette Kettler July was also noteworthy for several others events, Bernice Lagassé including the much anticipated announcement Bethany Nobel of the Winnipeg Jets’ new logo and team colours. Manitoba Museum Library Both of these decisions had been the discussion of Lawrence Prout & Lisa Gardewine much talk, debate and conjecture on the part of fans June and Joseph Sanderson and the local media. Arguments presented both for Gwen Sproule and against the old logos and colours versus a new Dale Stewart branding filled the papers, and were the subject Linda White of many radio and television sports talk shows. It Donations & Contributions was clear that these decisions engendered strong Thank You! emotions in the fans whose opinions were strongly linked to values which they held dear. For reasons General Operations known to us all, the issue of branding the new team Carol Budnick was of great importance to the owners as well. The Maureen Cousins decisions were not going to be taken lightly by them. Muriel Aboul Atta It was also clear that not only was it incumbent Bill Fraser upon them to produce logos and colours which met Corey David Schreyer with the approval of fans but that the rationale that Harry A. Skene underpinned the decisions was understood as well. Lily Stearns When the announcement was made, I had no Centennial Farms particular vested interest in the logos or team John & Margaret Carter colours. Nor is it my intent to comment upon Dalnavert Garden them at this time. Rather, my point in even raising this event is the related rationale surrounding the Friends of Gardens Manitoba Historical Society decisions, which I understood to be a very public Ross House Canada Day way of acknowledging not only the importance of Joseph Zuken Memorial Trust Fund the Jets’ history, but for history in general. One of the headlines of the 23, July 2011 edition of the Winnipeg Free Press proclaimed the logo to be “A salute to our past”. Mark Chipman, a Jets governor was quoted acknowledged the importance of history and the act as saying, “Our desire was to authenticate the name of remembering the past. and make is as meaningful as we possibly could… For someone such as myself, who has experienced The best way to do that was to draw a connection the difficulty of convincing students and others to the rich history that our city has enjoyed with of the value of history, it was a welcome surprise the air force.” In this same issue of the Free Press, to see the rationale for the logo selection linked in Dale Hawerchuk, a former Jet and powerful voice this way to the importance of keeping alive our in the hockey world, when commenting upon the history. Furthermore, it was encouraging to see an issue of whether the official documentation of the appreciation of history articulated by influential Jets history should reside in Phoenix or Winnipeg, people whose words were listened to and read widely. Important Reminder I would like to close with a reminder to all members Your donations are needed to support ongoing of our continuing need for a strong and growing work of the Manitoba Historical Society.