2013 Governor General’s History Awards

His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, honoured teachers, along with other outstanding Canadians, for furthering an interest in and understanding of Canadian history and heritage, at the Governor General’s History Awards ceremony, at Rideau Hall, on November 19, 2013.

Maude Boissonneault from Saint-Arthur, New Brunswick, won the Kayak Kids’ Illustrated History Challenge. To help strengthen both literacy skills and Canadian historical knowledge, the Illustrated History Challenge encourages Canadian children between the ages of 7 to 14 to create their own original illustrated story based on any element of Canada’s past that is of interest to them. The young students presented here today created this year’s top entries in English and French, respectively.

Ms. Lucie Jean-Mercier from Sain-Jérôme, Quebec, won the Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Teaching. Ms. Jean-Mercier wished to delve deeper into the theme of immigration with her students. The group was posed a question: Has Canada long been a haven for thousands—or even millions—of immigrants who have given this country both its face, as well as its unique history? For this teacher, it was essential for the students to “feel” the story of Canada by getting inside the skin of the people who lived in the past. The students’ assignment was to design a mock interview based on real events faced by an immigrant arriving in Canada at the turn of the 20th century.

Mr. Neil Orford from Shelburn, Ontario, won won the Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Teaching. Mr. Orford has a deep passion for engaging students in the joy of learning history. He combines his students’ natural wonder of hands-on history with his commitment to the rigours of teaching. Much of his students’ learning often takes place outside the classroom, where they meet with experts in the field and people who have lived through the history being taught. From grades 10 to 12, students follow a course that culminates in the Centre Dufferin District High School/Dufferin County Museum and Archives Battlefields Project.

The Boomtown Trail Community Initiatives Society received the Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Community Programming. Bringing History and Culture to Life is based on the belief that each Boomtown Trail community has colourful characters from the past with entertaining and important stories to tell. In this collaborative project, local residents, museums,university and historical societies team up to research and provide the stories needed to develop these characters. The characters are then portrayed by dedicated volunteers who take great pride in sharing their characters’ experiences and legacy.

Mr. Roy Mills from Vegreville, Alberta, received the SEVEC Ambassador of History Award. The Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada (SEVEC) facilitates reciprocal youth exchanges for 5 000 youth each year, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage. Mr. Mills, a high school teacher, participated in SEVEC exchanges for nine years. Visiting historical sites and studying past events enriched the lives of his students and motivated them to learn more about Canadian history.

Mr. William C. Wicken received the Governor General's History Award for Scholarly Research (The Sir John A. Macdonald Prize) for The Colonization of Mi'kmaw Memory and History 1794-1928: The King v. Gabriel Sylliboy. This finely crafted and tightly argued study of memory and meaning, written in a style that is spare and clean, makes imaginative use of a wide range of existing sources to answer innovative epistemological questions fundamental to the historical project. Working backwards in time from the Gabriel Sylliboy court case of 1928, the book uncovers how successive generations of Mi’kmaq remembered a treaty signed in the 18th century.

Mr. Tim Cook received the Governor General's History Award for Popular Media (The Pierre Berton Award). The award celebrates Mr. Tim Cook’s superb and detailed examination of the First World War. His publisher, the Penguin Group, describes him as “one of the foremost historians of his generation. He displays a terrific flair for writing, has an impressive work ethic and always maintains scholarly excellence.”

Official photo of His Excellency with the 2013 Governor General's History Awards recipients.