First World War

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Features November 11, 2013

Vets bring permanent wartime look to East York

A former mayor of East York says the Second World War and Canadian vets have left a lasting impression on his community.

Part way through the 1939-1945 war, the Canadian Government faced the task of moving soldiers back into civilian life when hostilities ended. To ease the transition, Parliament passed the Veterans’ Land Act in 1942 to encourage veterans to purchase land and houses throughout Canada.

Alan Redway, the former mayor of East York, believes the Act helped shape East York into a community that relied on veterans for growth.

“After the First World War, there were veterans who built houses in the southeast corner of East York,” he said.

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Arts & Life, Features November 9, 2012

Students acknowledge remembrance by creating letters home

The Grade 10 students entered “the smelly little drama class,” as most at Francis Libermann Catholic High School call it. They took off their shoes, formed a circle, and waited for the national anthem. Following the singing of “O Canada” and morning announcements, Catherine Smith asked her students to think of the years encompassed by the First World War, between 1914 and 1918. Using their imaginations, they wrote letters as soldiers that had left home.

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News November 8, 2011

Studying War of 1812 unleashes sense of pride, expert says

When Ken Weber lectures about the War of 1812, he often witnesses an unexpected sense of pride in his audiences. “The physical reality is that by resisting the Americans in the War of 1812, the Canadian side of the border made a statement,” he said.