At the 136st Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Historical Society, Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon delivered a keynote address on “The Paradox of Slavery and Freedom in 19th Century Ontario.” Dr. Henry-Dixon is introduced by OHS President Kristin Ives. Natasha Henry-Dixon is an assistant professor of African Canadian History at York University. The 2018 Vanier Scholar is currently researching the enslavement of Black people in colonial Ontario in her project, “One Too Many: the Enslavement of Black People in Upper Canada, 1760-1834.” She has been an educator for 25 years, teaching kindergarten through to university. Dr. Henry-Dixon is an award-winning author and curriculum developer, focusing on African Canadian experiences. Her publications include Emancipation Day: Celebrating Freedom in Canada (June 2010), Talking about Freedom: Celebrating Freedom in Canada (2012), a number of youth-focused titles, and several entries for the Canadian Encyclopedia on African Canadian history. Through her various professional, academic, and community roles, Dr. Henry-Dixon’s work is grounded in her commitment to research, collect, preserve, and disseminate the histories of Black Canadians. Dr. Henry-Dixon’s talk will highlight her research on the development and maintenance of racial chattel slavery in colonial Ontario and unpack the complexities of freedom for Black people during this time period.

OHS President Kristin Ives introduces the 2023 Keynote Speaker, Dr. Donald B. Smith. A long-time OHS member, Dr. Smith is a Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Calgary who has focused his career on the history of Indigenous Canada, Quebec, and the history of Calgary and Southern Alberta. The OHS is very pleased to share this recording of Dr. Smith reflecting on his career and the creation of his 2023 21-episode podcast series (with accompanying illustrated articles) for the OHS, In Hindsight: Half a Century of Research Discoveries in Canadian History. Following the model of old-fashioned radio programming, In Hindsight ran weekly from January to June in 2023, with the final episode launching in October, and focused on different personalities in 19th and 20th century Canadian history. Learn more about and listen to the podcast at: https://ontariohistoricalsociety.ca/podcasts/in-hindsight/

OHS Past President Dr. Michel S. Beaulieu introduces the 2022 Keynote Speaker, Steve Paikin, Canadian journalist, author, documentary producer, and anchor of The Agenda with Steve Paikin on TVO. The OHS is very pleased to share this recording of Steve Paikin’s discussion of his latest book, John Turner: An Intimate Biography of Canada’s 17th Prime Minister, now available for purchase from Sutherland House Books.

The Society’s 133rd Annual General Meeting was a great success, with members joining from across the province. After the business portion of the meeting, OHS President Dr. Michel S. Beaulieu introduced the 2021 Keynote Speaker, Dr. Robin Nelson, Assistant Professor of Arts and Cultural Management at MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta. The OHS is very pleased to share this recording of Dr. Nelson’s keynote address, “The Democratization of Culture: Reflecting on Similarities and Differences in Community Museums’ Development in Ontario and Yukon.”

The Ontario Historical Society held its 132nd Annual General Meeting on Zoom, giving all OHS members an opportunity to participate from across the province. Dr. Tim Cook, author and historian at the Canadian War Museum, delivered the keynote address in the first-ever virtual OHS AGM.

At the 131st Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Historical Society, Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (2000-2017) delivered a keynote address on the history of the Supreme Court and the importance of heritage preservation in Canada.