If you’re a Canadian you should read about this book, and why it was created, and what it is in response to: Discover Canada, the Harper Government’s guide to citizenship. 

It’s old news, but still:

Geist magazine has a thoughtful article this month that mentions these books, it’s about the re-branding of Canadian history as more militant, more conservative, less about our social values like peace and civil liberties.  You can read it here:

page 64. 

While you’re at it, you should take a look at this effort to save the Canadian National Archives.  From the page:

Readers will remember that Canada’s national archives are in trouble: they’ve undergone a $9.6M cut, with more to come. The collections are being sold off to private collectors, many outside of the country.

All this, the cuts here, the changes in the guide, more cuts in arts and heritage institutions, is why all this year’s spending on the War of 1812 here is so infuriating.  I know that it’s obvious I’m bothered by it.  Listening to Heritage Minister James Moore say things like “it’s an essential role for government to remind Canadians what unites us” and justifying the millions of dollars spent from one hand while the other gouges from everything else.   Which history is “essential?"  If you care about how our history is presented, you should be shaking your head too.