|
About The Canadian Encyclopedia |
|
|
|
Story of TCE
Encyclopedia Staff
Partners
FAQ
The Homework Zone
The Historica-Dominion Institute
|
|
Story of the Canadian Encyclopedia
|
INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST EDITION
The production of an encyclopedia is an undertaking with a long and noble tradition stretching back to ancient Greece. Though the grand "circle of knowledge," from which the word encyclopedia is derived, has expanded beyond the scope of any single enterprise, the attempt to draw together the overwhelming accumulation of human knowledge remains a worthy goal that tempts each generation. The Canadian Encyclopedia differs greatly from the last encyclopedic work of Canada, published a generation ago. It portrays a country more mature in its literature and arts, more aware of its regional and ethnic diversity, more sophisticated in its politics and foreign policy, and yet still a nation in the making, searching for new solutions to its economic, social and linguistic problems and still struggling to realize the potential of a land of unimaginable size, variety and resources. The entries in The Canadian Encyclopedia provide an intricate sketch of Canada, drawn by its finest scholars and writers, that will provide not only an invaluable reference tool and repository for information but also a portrait of its time that will continue to be interpreted by future generations.
The development of a list of articles is the central act in the planning of an encyclopedia. The editors sought to provide coverage of all aspects of life in Canada, of all regions, over a vast time scale from the geological formation of the ancient rocks of the Shield to the most recent political events. Because there exists no cohesive framework that would easily encompass all provinces of knowledge, the process of identifying topics and assigning them weight in relation to the boundless variety of other subjects was one of constant revision. The master article list continued to grow as the editors received reports from the project's consultants and advisers, as new topics were uncovered in the course of editing and as events changed Canada over the 4 years of the editorial process. The lists included all major subjects that a reader would expect to find in a Canadian encyclopedia, such as populated places, the provinces and territories, leading cultural and political figures, political themes such as federalism, Canada's flora and fauna, its ethnic groups and its artistic endeavours. The final list of over 8000 entries also includes numerous topics of particular Canadian character, such as the voyageur, birchbark canoe, ice hockey, Northwest Coast Indian art and Inuit sculpture, as well as many unusual subjects that illuminate lesser-known aspects of Canada, such as ice worms, duels, birchbark biting, cemeteries, La Corriveau and Zouaves. Entries on a representative sample of Canadian literary works, such as The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz and Kamouraska, are provided in the hope that they will introduce readers to good Canadian books. Some 3500 biographies were chosen to provide information on people from all periods, regions and subject areas, while emphasizing those who, including contemporary Canadians, have made lasting contributions to (or impressions on) Canadian society. Based on advice from consultants, criteria for inclusion varied according to what was appropriate to the area under consideration. For instance, in the case of contemporary painters, limited space required that an age criterion be imposed. In all areas the biographies are representative of a far greater number worthy of inclusion. Emphasis has been placed on including innovators, creators, pathbreakers and discoverers. An effort has been made to include the results of current research, for example, in native and women's studies. In all subject areas, contributors were asked to stress the Canadian aspect of their subject. In discussing topics in the sciences and social sciences, some background information was required to provide a context for Canadian research and accomplishment, but limitations of space prevented extensive treatment of material more appropriate to general reference works or textbooks.
The editors decided early in the planning that the encyclopedia would be written by specialists who were best able to explain their subjects and who could impart to the encyclopedia a feeling of commitment to each topic. This approach places great demands on editors to mold the writing of thousands of contributors into a coherent reference work, but it rewards the reader with expert writing, a broad scope and some sparks of individuality. We were very fortunate in attracting some 2500 authorities from all major Canadian universities, federal and provincial public services, scientific institutions, museums, galleries, newspapers, magazines and private industry, as well as numerous free lances. Many of these contributors did original research on subjects as diverse as snowshoeing and Sikhism. Many entries, such as those on theatre, sculpture, printmaking, the printing industry, philosophy and cartography, are the first reliable syntheses of their subject in Canada.
All articles were evaluated by consultants and expert readers to ensure that controversial issues were treated fairly, that interpretations were based on sound research and that different views of important questions had been explained. The signed entries of the encyclopedia reflect the diversity of the people who have created it. The readers, editors and researchers endeavoured to check every statement for accuracy, to ensure reasonable conformity to the compact style of a reference work, and to make every entry as readable and as current as possible.
The humanist and scholar Dr. Samuel Johnson wrote, in reference to his great dictionary, that "the world is little solicitous to know whence proceeded the faults of that which it condemns." An encyclopedia is a difficult undertaking because of its magnitude and because expectations are so great that it will fulfil so many contrasting demands. The Canadian Encyclopedia is delivered in the spirit in which it has been created by its staff, contributors, advisers, consultants, cartographers, photographers, artists, and technical staff, who have sought to bring to Canadians a deeper knowledge about themselves and their diverse country. I express our gratitude to the many Canadians from every part of Canada who have generously given us their time and their support for a project they believed to be of great importance to our nation. My final acknowledgement is to Mel Hurtig, who set us all on the greatest enterprise of our lives. He believed that all Canadians would be drawn together in this national project, and his faith in Canada is reflected in these pages.
James H. Marsh
Editor in Chief
Edmonton, Sept 1985
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| The Dominion government's advertisement asked for volunteers "able to read and write
either the English or French language" with "good antecedents" who were good horsemen... |
|
| Pierre Elliott Trudeau, politician, writer, constitutional lawyer, prime minister of Canada 1968-79 and 1980-84 (b at ... |
|
|
| Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ... |
|
|
| Louis Riel, Métis leader, founder of Manitoba, central figure in the NORTH-WEST REBELLION (b at Red River ... |
|
|
| Evangelical Christian Church, often called the Christian Church (Christian Disciples), is a denomination stemming from ... |
|
|
| France was a colonial power in North America from the early 16th century, the age of great European discoveries and ... |
|
|
| Commencement of a transcontinental railway within 2 years and completion within 10 years were conditions of British ... |
|
|
| John Ware, cowboy, rancher (born near Georgetown, SC 1845; died near Brooks, Alta 13 Sept 1905). John Ware was born a ... |
|
|
| The repertoire of works composed in Canada in the traditions of Western art music goes back about 300 years; but by far ... |
|
|
| Sir John Alexander Macdonald, lawyer, businessman, politician, first prime minister of Canada (b at Glasgow, Scot 10 or ... |
|
Browse the rich visual resources of The Canadian Encyclopedia through thematic galleries of Canadian Art, History, Nature, People, and Science and Technology.
Illustrations, lively text, animations, sounds and games help make learning about Canadian history, art, geography, architecture and other topics entertaining as well as informative.
The ultimate test of your knowledge of Canada, trivial and otherwise. You can choose from more than 60 dynamic quizzes with visual or text clues. Your scores depend on the speed with which you answer and the number of clues you need. Results are sent to you by email and high scores are posted on the site.
This unique resource includes more than 6000 events from Canadian and world history. It can be searched by era, subject, keyword or date. To find out what happened on your birthday, select the month and day of your birth.
This selection of the 100 "greatest" events in Canadian history was made by editor in chief James H. Marsh to draw attention to events that have left an indelible memory in the minds of later generations.
| THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC IN CANADA |
|
| Janis (Janice Kathleen) Taylor (b Schuster). Mezzo-soprano, b Westfield, NY, 10 Mar 1946, naturalized Canadian 1972. Initially trained as a pianist and a clarinetist, she was persuaded to study voice by a fellow music student, ... |
|
|
