News
June 7, 2010
Victoria, British Columbia
Executive Director Merna Forster gave a presentation at the ETUG (Educational Technology Users Group). The session was “Playful Technology – Putting the Mystery Back into Teaching”.
May 30, 2010
Montreal, Quebec
Some members of the Mysteries team presented a session at the annual conference of the Canadian Historical Association. Entitled “Storytelling and History Education on the Internet: Great Unsolved Mysteries in Quebec and Acadian History”, the session was facilitated by Léon Robichaud, Université de Sherbrooke and included the following presentations:
- Peter Gossage, Concordia University
Le Québec et le Canada français dans le cadre des Grands Mystères de l’histoire canadienne - Annmarie Adams, McGill University / Valerie Minnett, Carleton University / Mary Anne
Poutanen, Concordia University / David Theodore, Harvard University
‘She Must Not Stir out of a Darkened Room’: The Redpath Mansion Mystery - Caroline-Isabelle Caron, Queen’s University
Raconter la légende, révéler les faits: Stratégies de jumelages des légendes communautaires avec une base documentaire contradictoire dans Jérôme, l’inconnu de la Baie Sainte-Marie
April 8, 2010
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Project Co-directors Ruth Sandwell and John Lutz introduced the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History project at the Playing with Technology in History conference. Participants in the session tried to solve some of the mysteries in a session entitled “What’s Mystery Got to Do With It? An Unpaper”.
March 27, 2010
Ottawa, Ontario
Professor John Lutz, a co-director of the Mysteries project, was awarded the CFHSS 2010 Harold Adams Innis award for his book Makúk: A New History of Aboriginal-White Relations. The prize was given by the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences to recognize the best English-language work in the social sciences in Canada.
Spring 2010
Victoria, British Columbia
The Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History launched a new look for the project website. Thanks to support from the VP External Relations at the University of Victoria, Beth Doman was able to create a wonderful new look for the site. But if you miss the original “dripping blood version”, you can still link to it from the home page!
November 2009
Victoria, British Columbia
To help promote the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History project, designer Jolene Lowey, from the UVic Marketing Department, created a great brochure. Print copies are available by regular mail on request, or you can download a copy. The publication was developed and printed with the support of the VP External Relations at the University of Victoria.
November 19, 2009
San Diego, California
Executive Director Merna Forster gave a presentation at The Association for Canadian Studies in the United States 20th Biennial Conference. The topic was “Canadian Studies Across the Digital Threshold”, with a focus on the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History.
November 7, 2009
Toronto, Ontario
A workshop was presented at the Ontario History and Social Sciences Teachers Association Annual Conference by Professor Garfield Gini-Newman, OISE/University of Toronto. The session was “Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History: Engaging Students in “Doing” History”.
June 2009
The project was highlighted in a federal government report. See “Success story: The Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History”, in Intersections: Navigating the cultural landscape. Cultural Affairs Sector 2007-2008 Annual Report, Department of Canadian Heritage.
February 9, 2009
Check out the new article about the Mysteries Project in Universityaffairs.ca: Great Unsolved Canadian Mysteries website brings history to life.
December 4, 2008
Victoria, British Columbia
The University of Victoria held a special reception to recognize the team that won the 2008 Pierre Berton Award.
The full Mysteries Team includes the people at the University of Victoria who support the project including UVic Communications, Research Services, Accounting, the Faculty of Humanities, and the Vice Presidents, Academic, Research and External Relations, gathered here to mark the Berton Prize.
November 28, 2008
Calgary, Alberta
A reception was held at Mount Royal College to honour ocal recipients of the Pierre Berton Award. Dr. Jennifer Pettit and Dr. Kori Street developed the Donnelly Mystery.
November 17, 2008
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Léon Robichaud at left, Peter Gossage at right.
A reception was held at the University of Sherbrooke to honour the team that won the 2008 Pierre Berton Award and the 2008 MERLOT History Classic Award. Dean Lynda Ballalite thanked the many people who contributed to the success of the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History project, including Peter Gossage, Léon Robichaud, Françoise McNeil and her translation team, and Patricia Godbout.
November 13, 2008
Toronto, Ontario
Co-directors Ruth Sandwell, Peter Gossage and John Lutz receive Pierre Berton Prize from his son, Peter Berton.
The Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History project received the 2008 Pierre Berton Award for popularizing Canadian history. This prestigious prize was presented by Canada’s National History Society. To read more about the award and the project, check out the University of Victoria press release and a special feature on the society website (http://www.historysociety.ca/pba.asp) that includes a podcast and interview with the project co-directors.
November 15-16, 2008
Houston, Texas
Executive Director Merna Forster, second from right, during panel discussion in Houston.
Two presentations on the project were given by Executive Director Merna Forster at the annual conference of the National Council for Social Studies.
October 2008
Quebec City, Quebec
A presentation on the “Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History” was made at the Association for Canadian Studies Biennial Conference on the Teaching and Learning of History, by Dr. John Lutz, Dr. Peter Gossage and Dr. Ruth Sandwell, co-directors for the project.
Toronto, Ontario
Dr. Ruth Sandwell, one of the three co-directors for the project, was chosen as the 2008 Canadian National Leader in History Education by the Ontario History and Social Science Teachers’ Association (OHASSTA) for her role in history education and the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History project.
Banff, Alberta
Dr. Jennifer Pettit and Dr. Kori Street, Research Directors for the Donnelly Mystery, gave a presentation on the Mysteries Project at the Alberta Teachers Association, Social Studies Council Annual Conference.
Owen Sound, Ontario
Dr. Gregory Klages, Research Director for the Thomson Mystery, attended the 2008 Grey-Bruce Regional Tourism Conference to give a presentation on the website “Death of a Painted Lake: The Tom Thomson Tragedy”.
October 24, 2008
Fall River, Nova Scotia
A presentation on the “Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History”, given by Dr. Birgitta Wallace, Research Director for the Vinland Mystery, was attended by educators attending the Nova Scotia Social Studies Teachers Association Provincial Conference.
August 2008
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dr. Peter Gossage, one of the three co-directors for the project, accepted the 2008 MERLOT History Classic Award on behalf of the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History project. Awarded by MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching), an international initiative enabling faculty to integrate technology into higher education, the prize was presented at the group’s annual conference. For more information, get our press release and watch a video featuring Dr. Gossage.
April 4, 2008
Ian Wilson, Librarian and Archivist of Canada and Greg Donaghy of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada will help launch “Death of a Diplomat: Herbert Norman and the Cold War” at the National Library and Archives of Canada.
What would persuade the Canadian ambassador to jump from a window of one of Cairo’s tallest buildings to certain death? In 1956, Cambridge educated, highly respected diplomat, Herbert Norman, was hand picked by Canadian Primer Minister Pearson to be his point man in Egypt during the Suez Crisis. Pearson later won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. Norman, who had earlier served as a special assistant to the Supreme Commander Allied Powers in occupied Japan, General Douglas MacArthur, was under investigation by the infamous American Senator Joe McCarthy as a communist in the midst of cold war tensions. Was he a communist, a spy, or a loyal and effective diplomat? Why did he kill himself? His ambiguous suicide note only made the situation more mysterious.
April 2, 2008
“Death on a Painted Lake: The Tom Thompson Tragedy” launches in Toronto at Hart House, University of Toronto with the help of special guests Dr. Michael Pollanen, Chief Forensic Pathologist for Ontario, Alex Sinclair, of the band Tamarack, will perform a new song dealing with the Thomson mystery and students from Thornlea Secondary School. Thomson’s painting, “The Pointers” (1916-17) will also be on display.
The death of Tom Thomson in the summer of 1917 has contributed to the mythic status of the painter as a rugged wilderness man, a sensitive genius whose life was cut short by cruel fate. For some, however, Thomson's death has also become the focal point of an unresolved and complex set of mysteries. Was the drowning of the excellent canoeist on a calm July day accidental, or did it have some connection to a love triangle and a German American draft dodger hiding in the remote resort? To many who knew Thomson, or who have come to love his art work so associated with the iconic “Group of Seven”, the circumstances of his death suggest no other conclusion but that he was murdered and that his body does not lie at its apparent final resting place.
March 31, 2008
The Redpath Mansion Mystery launches in Montreal at the Redpath Museum. Mystery writer Louise Penny and descendant Amy Linda Redpath help launch this new mystery. Research co-director Annmarie Adams gives a talk to the James McGill Society on the mystery at 6pm.
When shots rang out at the Redpath mansion in Montreal’s most elite neighbourhood at 6 p.m. on June 13, 1901 and the servants found Ada Maria Mills Redpath dead and her 24-year old son dying, why didn’t they call the police? Why are two servants credited with the discovery of the victims in the newspaper, while the coroner’s report suggests that Peter Redpath, another son, found the bodies? Only two shots were heard and yet three bullets were retrieved from the bodies. In this case which might have served as the inspiration for the board game Clue, we get a voyeuristic look into the lives of the rich and famous as we try and find out what really happened?
January 2008
The Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History Project is the recipient of a 2008 MERLOT Classics award as an “exemplary” online learning resource. It’s the second time the Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT), headquartered in California State University, has honoured the project. The 2008 MERLOT award will be presented at the organization’s international conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota in August.
November 16, 2007
Toronto. Presentation on the project by Professor Ken Coates, University of Waterloo Dean of Arts, at the Association for the Canadian Studies in the United States 2007 Toronto Biennial Conference.
November 9-10, 2007
Toronto. Mysteries Project promoted at the annual conference of the Ontario History and Social Studies Teachers Association, with a display of materials as well as a presentation by Professor Garfield Gini-Newman from The Critical Thinking Consortium/University of Toronto.
October 26, 2007
Brookfield, Nova Scotia. Two workshops on the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History presented at the Nova Scotia Social Studies Teachers Association Provincial Conference by Executive Director Merna Forster and Birgitta Wallace, Research Director for the “Where is Vinland?” mystery.
October 10, 2007
Display about the Mysteries Project in Victoria at the President’s Circle Reception, University of Victoria
October 6, 2007
Lincoln, Nebraska. A presentation on the project given by Professor John Lutz at the Nebraska Digital Workshop.
September 20, 2007
University of California at Berkeley. Presentation about the Mysteries Project at a colloquium, sponsored by the Canadian Studies Program at Berkley. The presentation is given by Professor Peter Gossage, a Co-director of the Mysteries Project who is currently working at Berkley as the Canadian Studies Visiting Scholar and Sproul Fellow.
September 4, 2007
Canada AM: Live interview with Professor John Lutz on the CTV television program, talking about the Canadian Mysteries Project.
August 30, 2007
Gregory Klages, Research Director for the Tom Thomson Mystery, interviewed by Jian Ghomeshi on Q, the nationally-broadcast CBC arts affairs show.
August 28, 2007
CBC.ca: Trio of cold cases to be added to popular history website
August 27, 2007
Victoria. Mysteries Project press release re new mysteries being developed: Final Mysteries Selected for Popular History Website
August 20, 2007
Presentation at York University by Susan Dineen, Arius 3-D and Bob Jones, Sheridan Visualization Institute, partners of the Mysteries Project Phase 4, at the ABEL Summer Institute. The topic of the conference was Intersections: Where Learner, Literacy and Technology Meet.
July 2007
"Bed Jumping and Compelling Convergences in Historical Computing" article featuring the Mysteries Project, by Professor John Lutz is published on the University of Nebraska’s Digital History Website.
June 30, 2007
The National Post publishes an article by Mark Medley that features three of the Mystery Projects (the Vinland, Jerome and Klondike mysteries): "Obscure insights into Canada’s past"
June 27, 2007
The Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History project is named as one of the finalists for the Pierre Berton Award 2007 for achievement in popularizing Canadian history. Canada’s National History Society sponsors the Berton Award.
June 18, 2007
Victoria. The Department of Canadian Heritage approves Phase 5 of the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History Project for 2007-2008. The three new mysteries will be: “The Redpath Mansion Mystery”, “Death of a Diplomat: Herbert Norman & The Cold War” and “Drowned on a painted lake: The Tom Thomson Tragedy”.
May 28-30, 2007
Saskatoon. A session on the Mysteries Project presented at the Canadian Historical Association Annual Conference.
May 25, 2007
Dawson City, Yukon. Official launch of the “Who Discovered Klondike Gold?” mystery at the historic Palace Grand Theatre in partnership with Parks Canada. The program included “A Miner’s Meeting”, a Parks Canada dramatic performance about key players in the discovery of gold. The website was officially launched by John Steins, Mayor of Dawson City.
May 18, 2007
St. John’s, NL. Official launch of the “Where is Vinland?” at the provincial museum (The Rooms), coinciding with the annual meeting of the Canadian Archaeological Association.
May 3-5, 2007
Halifax. Presentations at the Atlantic Canada Studies Conference in a session on “Solving Historical Mysteries: the University-Public Classroom Connection".
May 2, 2007
Toronto. Official launch of MysteryQuest website at the University of Toronto. Ben Levin, former Deputy Minister of Education for Ontario, officially launched the site. Peter Gossage and Ruth Sandwell (Co-directors for the Mysteries Project) provided overviews of the project and the educational materials. Garfield Gini-Newman from The Critical Thinking Consortium explained the contribution of his organization to the project. The amazing 3D technology used on the site was demonstrated by Susan Dineen of Arius 3D, one of the partners for this phase of the project. Special guests included a class of 30 students from The Dragon Academy.
April 15, 2007
Clare, Nova Scotia. Launch of the new mystery website “Jerome: The Mystery Man of Baie Sainte-Marie.” Events took place on the 95th anniversary of Jerome’s death, beginning with a memorial mass for Jerome at St. Alphonse parish church. In the afternoon a new plaque commemorating the legless man was unveiled at the Meteghan Cemetery. The website launch took place in a local school in Clare, with an event that included dignitaries such as the Honourable Robert Thibault and the Honourable Senator Gerald Comeau. The launch also include a dramatic performance, and a guest appearance by the renowned Acadian musical group Blou, who sang the new song "Fallen Angels"; this was written for the Jerome website.
February, 2007
Calgary, Alberta. "Synergize and Energize: Exploring the Dynamics of Teaching and Learning", Calgary. Conference at Mount Royal College, sponsored by McGraw-Hill Ryerson, included presentation about the Mysteries Project and the Donnelly Mystery by Professors Kori Street and Jennifer Pettit, Research Directors for this website.
