Hayden Connor, Bode Richey and Benjamin Hrapchak with their display on the Battle of Vimy Ridge

What were the defining moments in Canada’s history?

Students at Warman High School tackled that question last month as part of a self-directed assignment for their History 30 class.

They found not one, but dozens, of watershed events that helped shape what Canada is today. They presented their findings, in the form of visual and oral displays, at an event at the school on Friday, January 19.

For Hayden Connor, the Battle of Vimy Ridge (April 9-12, 1917) was when Canada found its identity as a nation. He and fellow students Bode Richey and Benjamin Hrapchak researched World War I  and Canada’s contribution to the Allied victory.

“It was the first time all four Canadian divisions fought together as a unit,” said Connor. “It was a key battle, and a turning point in the war. The Canadians captured Vimy Ridge with a force of just 15,000 soldiers. Previous attempts by the French, with up to 100,000 soldiers, all failed.

“Up until that battle, Canada was always considered a British colony; but after that, Canada became a country.”

Vimy Ridge was a two-sided sword, however. The Canadians suffered 10,000 killed and wounded, including many young men from farms and small towns in Saskatchewan.

For Connor, there’s also a personal connection. His great-grandfather was one of those soldiers who survived the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

“He was just 16 years old at the time,” said Connor. “He enlisted with the Regina Rifles. It hits pretty close to home when I realize that my great-grandfather and his friends were high-school age when they went to war.”

Another war a generation later was also a turning point. The years 1939-1945 were the most significant period for Canada, according to students Damen Russell and Logan Irwin.

Damon Russell and Logan Irwin with WWII display

“Canada came of age as a result of World War II,” said Russell. “Canadians played a key role in the Battle of the Atlantic and the liberation of Holland. In the post-war years, Canada built on that foundation and became a world leader for democracy and peace.”

But, the history of western Canadian settlement wasn’t completely peaceful, as Emma Hansen pointed out in her project on Residential Schools.

Emma Hansen with project on Residential School

“The impact of these institutions on First Nations communities is still being felt,” said Hansen. “I have a friend who is of First Nations ancestry, and so I felt I needed to research this subject and find out for myself what reallyhappened and why. I think it’s important to hear all the facts.”

For Bronson Parker, Lucas Neudorf and Karsen Henderson, history is complicated; it’s about people who are neither one-dimensional villains nor flawless heroes. They focused their research on Canada’s first Prime Minister.

Sir John A. MacDonald may currently be vilified by many because of his role in setting up residential schools, but he did more than anyone else in his time to create the nation of Canada, said Parker.

Bronson Parker, Lucas Neudorf and Karsen Henderson focused on Sir John A. MacDonald

“Sir John A. MacDonald  was a complicated guy,” said Parker. “He had a problem with alcohol; but he laid the foundation for Confederation in 1867. He also was the driving force behind the Canadian Pacific Railway that brought British Columbia into Confederation; and he helped open the west for agricultural settlement.

“His attitudes were also the attitudes of most of the society at the time. We need to take that into account.”

The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway was a defining event for the country, according to Justin Scarrow. But, he added, the people who actually built the steel road, particularly in western Canada, deserve special recognition.

Justin Scarrow researched Chinese workers who helped build the CPR

“The Chinese labourers who were brought over to work on the railway were discriminated against and paid very low wages,” said Scarrow. “A lot of them died on the job, and the conditions they worked under were terrible. That aspect of the story needs to be told just as much as the story of how the railway brought the country together.”

The 1972 Canada-Russia hockey series was just one of dozens, if not hundreds, of defining moments for Canada, according to Chase Schebelbein, Chase Rosenberg and Xander Poulin. The trio focused their project on the game of hockey itself.

Because, after all, what could be more Canadian than the fastest game on ice?

“Hockey was born in Canada,” said Schebelbein. “The first recorded hockey game was in 1873 in Montreal. The Stanley Cup was donated by Lord Stanley, a Governor-General of Canada, in the 1892-93 season.

“It’s a great game, and I think every Canadian takes pride in cheering for our country when players take to the ice wearing the Maple Leaf.”

LEARNING HISTORY KEY TO FUTURE

Warman High School History 30 teacher Robert Jardine was impressed with the results of his students’ research when they rolled out their Canadian History projects January 19. He was even more impressed with the self-motivation they showed. “I’ve been doing a written version of this project for several years,” said Jardine. “But I found it was more teacher-directed than student-led. I wanted to open up the choice of topics, so they had to decide for themselves what they would focus on.”

Jardine assigned the students to research “the most historically-significant artifact, person, event or technology” in Canadian history.

“In the last two and a half weeks, they’ve been more engaged than in the previous two monhts,” said Jardine. “It’s something different for them because they really had ownership over the learning process. I found it to be quite a powerful learning experience for them.”
Many of the students say the projects sparked a desire to learn more about history in general, and Canadian history in particular. That attitude brings a smile to Jardine’s face.

“As any student who’s ever been in my class will tell you, I‘ve always said that history is the most important subject you can take in school because it helps you understand where we are today, and helps us prepare for what is going on  in the future,” said Jardine. “These students will be graduating this year and they’ll be old enough to vote. I want them to make responsible decisions as good citizens of Canada. This is a big step for them.”