Latest news with #HistoricaCanada
Winnipeg Free Press
05-07-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bond between brain docs led to crucial breakthroughs
Since the early 1990s, the charitable organization Historica Canada has produced over 100 'Historical Minutes,' video tributes to important Canadians across many fields and specialties. One vignette, about Dr. Wilder Penfield, dramatically shows his discovery of the area in a patient's brain which triggers the smell of burnt toast and signals her seizures. Dr. Penfield is credited with this game-changing advance in neurological surgery and treatment. Quebec Globe and Mail correspondent Eric Andrew-Gee begins his excellent first book with this moment, determining to expand the record, telling the detailed story of the Montreal Neurological Institute — The Neuro — and the close relationship between 'the Chief,' Penfield, and his colleague and friend 'the Boss,' William Cone. Mackenzie Lad photo Eric Andrew-Gee Andrew-Gee's intricately researched and plotted paean to these surgical pioneers reads like a novel. It traces Cone and Penfield's decades of investigation, exploration and treatment of problems with humanity's most complicated and mysterious organ. The two met at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia, finding 'a remarkable amount in common: they were both fatherless Midwesterners from medical families with dreams of transforming neurosurgery.' Collaborating in learning various aspects of the art — not yet a science — from practitioners around the world, Penfield and Cone eventually gain international fame. Penfield is hired by Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital, on the condition they hire Cone as well. The development of their differing styles and areas of study, and the inevitable conflicts which their friendship covers, make for fascinating reading. Information about hospital conditions, and specific advances and inventions, as well as insight into the politics and culture of 20th-century Quebec intersperse the narrative. Andrew-Gee likens the pair to the 'two solitudes' of Hugh MacLennan's novel of the same name about language and relationships in Quebec and to the two halves of the brain. Penfield, known for intricate study of what different parts of the brain do, was the head of the Institute, focusing on memory and the effects and relief of epilepsy. More generally, he searched for the human mind residing in the physical brain. Cone was intent on patient care, from prepping to surgery to follow-up. He was obsessed with sterility (his father had died of typhoid fever caught from tainted water) and kept unhealthy hours on the job, all to the benefit of others. As in the 'Historical Minute,' Penfield was the face of the operation, publishing and receiving accolades for the work which they shared. 'Fortunately for the harmony of the institute,' notes Andrew-Gee, 'Cone didn't care about credit.' Cone was happiest when busy, and thrived when he served with the Canadian military medical corps at Hackwood, an English estate vacated by its baronial owner for the war effort. Cone, 'no longer Penfield's subordinate,' now led 'a hospital twice as big as The Neuro in the thick of history's most decisive conflict — and he was excelling.' Reunited in Montreal later in the war, the two continued to new heights in the treatment of brain injuries and illnesses, to international acclaim for Penfield. The Mind Mappers Andrew-Gee describes Cone's increasing symptoms of alienation, while still maintaining a breakneck schedule and his closeness to Penfield. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Readers today will recognize clear signs of clinical depression, noticed but ignored at the time — ironically, in that centre of near-miraculous neurological discovery and development. After the much-foreshadowed tragic end of the collaboration, Andrew-Gee includes multiple tributes to Cone which demonstrate that 'he had shown… what it means to be a good doctor.' This chronicle of the friendship between Penfield and Cone demonstrates how relationships should work, acknowledging issues and weaknesses, while celebrating the positive and productive results of altruism and decency. Bill Rambo is a mostly retired teacher who lives in Landmark.
Cision Canada
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
New video from Historica Canada for Canada Day pairs iconic Heritage Minutes with a soundtrack from The Tragically Hip
TORONTO, June 26, 2025 /CNW/ - There are perhaps no more iconically Canadian things than the Heritage Minutes and the music of The Tragically Hip. This Canada Day, Historica Canada presents a salute to Canada Day pairing The Hip's "It's a Good Life (If You Don't Weaken')" with scenes from the Heritage Minutes. "Blending the Heritage Minutes this way reminds us that Canadian history is more than just dates and events—it's about courage, creativity, and the very real people who helped shape our national identity," said Anthony Wilson-Smith, President and CEO of Historica Canada. "Special thanks to the Hip and their management team for their permission to use this song, which speaks so profoundly to the current sentiment in Canada." Historica Canada and the Tragically Hip have been telling Canadian stories for decades. Since 1991, Heritage Minutes have become a recognizable part of Canadian culture, with over 100 episodes telling stories from every corner of the country. The Tragically Hip, formed in 1984 in Kingston, Ontario, is one of Canada's most beloved rock bands and has been called "the most Canadian band in the world" by the BBC. Historica Canada is a charitable organization committed to the idea that learning brings us together. The more we know about one another, the more we understand - and the better we understand Canada, the better we understand our fellow Canadians. Our resources are available in both official languages and are accessed by more than 28 million users annually. At Historica Canada when others forget, we remember.
Cision Canada
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Cision Canada
New Heritage Minute Celebrates Bora Laskin Français
The new Minute celebrates the life and achievements of Bora Laskin, the first Jewish Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and a jurist renowned for his groundbreaking decisions. Born in Fort William (now Thunder Bay) ON to Russian immigrant parents, he went on to earn degrees at University of Toronto and then Harvard Law School, earning exceptionally high marks at both. Despite that, he initially had difficulty finding work in Toronto, where antisemitism was common at the time. He did manage a return to the University of Toronto to teach and played a key role in revamping the law faculty. In 1965, Laskin was appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal, and his reputation grew as a champion of civil liberties. In 1970, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau appointed him to the Supreme Court of Canada, where he became known as the "Great Dissenter," due to his frequent disagreements with fellow members of the largely conservative court. In 1973 Laskin was named Chief Justice. The London, ON-born Victor Garber, an Emmy nominated actor, is widely known for his key roles in Titanic (1997), Legally Blonde (2001), and Family Law (2021-). "I am honoured to be playing Bora Laskin in [this] Heritage Minute," said Garber, who describes himself as being of 'Polish Jewish' descent. "Being a part of this has been so eye-opening. I urge everybody to take a vital interest in the history of Canada." "Bora Laskin's impact as one of the foremost legal minds in Canadian history, in the face of pervasive antisemitism cannot be overstated," said Anthony Wilson-Smith, President and CEO of Historica Canada. "His work has shaped the legal landscape of Canada to this day." The Minute, filmed in November 2024 in Toronto, was produced by Historica Canada in conjunction with Accomplice Content Supply Co. It was made possible through funding from the Government of Canada. The law firm of Norton Rose Fulbright is a presenting sponsor, and in-kind equipment support was provided by Sunbelt Rentals. Mike Masters served as producer, with Charles Wahl as director (Little Grey Bubbles), and Sam Rosenthal and Drew Carnwath (The Hogtown Collective) as co-writers. The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, Canada's longest-serving chief justice and first woman appointed to the position, provided end narration on the English version of this Minute. The end narrator for the French version is the Honourable Yves Fortier, one of the world's leading international arbitration practitioners and a former Ambassador to the United Nations. Both narrators serve on the pro bono board of directors for Historica Canada. On this production, Historica Canada consulted with Dr. Philip Girard, associate editor of the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History, and Dara Solomon, Executive Director of the Ontario Jewish Archives. John Laskin, former Justice of the Court of Appeal for Ontario and Bora Laskin's son, participated in the scripting process. Historica Canada is a charitable organization offering programs in both official languages aimed at enhancing Canadians' knowledge of history and the values of citizenship. The Heritage Minutes collection, which now consists of more than 100 productions, is a bilingual Canadian series comprised of 60-second short films, each depicting a significant person, event, or story in Canadian history.
