THE SCOTS CANADIAN Issue XLVIII Newsletter of the Scottish Studies Society: ISSN No. 1491-2759 Spring 2019

Sharing the Scottish Tradition in Canada

REPORT FROM THE EDITOR

Dear fellow members,

This February I was delighted to be back in Canada in time for the Grand Opening of the Scottish Studies Foundation Digitization Room at the University of Guelph. As mentioned previously, this project will allow archival materials that have traditionally been accessible only through hands-on visits to be available to users worldwide. In the room where the event took place, the University had on display many books and manuscripts from its special collections department. Looking at these, many of which were hundreds of year old, I couldn't help thinking that the people who wrote, sold or Foundation President and newsletter editor David Hunter with Vice-President Maggie read these when they were first published, McEwan at the Grand Opening of the Scottish Studies Foundation Digitization Room could hardly have imagined that in the 21st which took place on February 21 this year. The Scottish Studies Foundation is proud century not only would they have survived, to have supported this facility at the University of Guelph. It will preserve and make but would be able to be read by people all accessible to scholars, students, teachers, genealogists and the general public over the globe. As Daniel Atlin, Vice- worldwide, archival materials including rare books, manuscripts, archives and President, External, University of Guelph put ephemera as these become ever more threatened by age.

it, "From this room, we’ll be able to share interesting presenters who come along to our treasures not just with the University of educate, inform and entertain everyone Guelph community but with the world." present and over the years the donations All of this is thanks to our members, received from the Club total many thousands whose donations made it happen and which of dollars. Details of the club can be found continue to support the program run by the on our website and it is worth noting that Centre for Scottish Studies in the Stuart Macdonald’s article on page 3 is based University's Department of History. on the talk he gave at the club in February THE SCOTTISH STUDIES Back in October we held a very successful this year and that Bruce Simpson, Scot of the "Scot of the Year" event at which we paid Year 2017, will be the speaker on April 5 OUNDATION F tribute to Graham Fraser, the 2018 recipient when he will be advocating closer ties P.O. Box 45069 of the award. Graham was Canada's sixth between Scotland and Canada. 2482 Yonge Street Commissioner of Official Languages and is a For the balance of the year, our focus will Toronto, Ontario former Canadian journalist and writer whose be on funding our ongoing commitments: Canada M4P 3E3 Scots ancestry can be traced to the north of payments to the students who staff the Scotland. His attendance brought both Scottish Studies Office; printing the Charitable registration French and English speaking guests to the International Review of Scottish Studies; No. 119253490 RR0001 event, an appropriate reminder of the "Auld payments to guest lecturers etc. and in this www.scottishstudies.com Alliance" between Scotland and France. regard, support from our members is crucial Thanks to the efforts of our Vice-President and truly appreciated. Membership Secretary: Maggie McEwan and help from Douglas So thanks to each and every one of you for Catherine McKenzie Jansen Gibson and our past Scots of the Year, the all your support and encouragement and I do [email protected] event was a night to remember. hope you have a great year. I would also like to thank Pearl Nixon for Newsletter Editor: her continued work in organizing the Oor Sincerely, David Hunter Club, held monthly in Toronto. Pearl David Hunter [email protected] enthusiastically seeks out a wide variety of

Under the Radar: The Secret Life of Sir Robert Watson-Watt Based on information sent by Bryan