On July 1 we celebrate Canada and its diversity — and we look to Indigenous voices as we reconcile our colonial history. From Canada’s accomplishments to political work to la littérature francophone, this book list explores Canada’s many facets.
The Underground Railroad: Next Stop, Toronto! by Adrienne L. Shadd, Karolyn Smardz Frost and Afua Cooper
This book traces pathways taken by people, enslaved and free, who courageously made the trip north in search of liberty and offers new biographies, images, and information. Within its pages are stories of courageous men, women, and children who overcame barriers of prejudice and racism to create homes, institutions, and a rich and vibrant community life in Canada's largest city. Ages 10+.
Alone: The Journeys Of Three Young Refugees by Paul Tom, illustrated by Mélanie Baillairgé, translated by Arielle Aaronson
More than 400 minors arrive alone in Canada each year requesting refugee status. They arrive without their parents, accompanied by no adult at all. Alone relates the journey of three of them. Ages 8-12.
Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals, Birth of a Mining Superpower by Charlie Angus
The demand for cobalt, the mining of which has a troubled past and present, has renewed interest in the small town of Cobalt, Ontario. The author looks at the history of the town and how the mining rush there impacted Indigenous lands, the treatment of workers, and the natural environment —and how the template for resource extraction that was established during that time led to Canada becoming the world's dominant mining superpower.
Flight and Freedom: Stories of Escape to Canada by Ratna Omidvar and Dana Wagner
A collection of 30 astonishing interviews with refugees, their descendants, or their loved ones to document their extraordinary and sometimes harrowing journeys of flight. The stories span two centuries of refugee experiences in Canada: from the War of 1812 —when an escaped slave and her infant daughter fled the United States to start a new life in Halifax— to the war in Afghanistan.
Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining the Future by Patty Krawec
The invented history of the Western world is crumbling fast, Anishinaabe writer Patty Krawec says, but we can still honour the bonds between us. Settlers dominated and divided, but Indigenous peoples won't just send them all "home.” Weaving her own story with the story of her ancestors and with the broader themes of creation, replacement, and disappearance, Krawec helps readers see settler colonialism through the eyes of an Indigenous writer.
The New Canadian Curling Club by Mark Crawford
A Chinese medical student, a Jamaican Tim Horton's manager, an Indian father of three, and a 17-year-old Syrian refugee walk into a curling club. Inspired by the local refugee resettlement program, a community leader organized this project to welcome newcomers and "diversify the club.” What follows is the hilarious and inspiring story of a group of unlikely athletes who face off against local prejudice and become a true team.
Warrior Life Indigenous Resistance & Resurgence by Pamela D. Palmater
Palmater addresses a range of Indigenous issues — empty political promises, ongoing racism, sexualized genocide, government lawlessness and the lie that is reconciliation—making complex political and legal implications accessible to all of us. From one of the most important, inspiring, and fearless voices on Indigenous rights, decolonization, Canadian politics, social justice, earth justice, and beyond, Warrior Life is an unflinching critique of the colonial project that is Canada and a rallying cry for Indigenous Peoples.
Canada's Army: Waging War and Keeping the Peace by J.L. Granatstein
Canada's Army traces the full three-hundred-year history of the Canadian military. It includes new coverage of the war in Afghanistan; NATO deployments to Poland, Latvia, and Iraq; aid to the civil power deployments; and the role of the army reserve.
Petits Marronnages par Kaie Kellough
Cette littérature puise dans l'héritage des diasporas caribéennes et africaines pour secouer les idées reçues de l'histoire canadienne. Un jeu de pistes habile et réjouissant sur le thème du déracinement.
Wapke par Michel Jean
Wapke – « demain » en langue atikamekw – est le premier recueil de nouvelles d'anticipation autochtone publié au Québec. Quatorze auteurs de nations et d'horizons multiples se projettent dans l'avenir par le biais de la fiction, abordant des thèmes sociaux, politiques et environnementaux d'actualité.
Truth Telling: Seven Conversations About Indigenous Life In Canada by Michelle Good
From resistance and reconciliation to the resurgence and reclamation of Indigenous power, Michelle Good explores the issues through a series of personal essays/
How Canada Works by Peter Mansbridge and Mark Bulgutch
Though Canada is still a work in progress, this enlightening book celebrates how we are greater than the sum of our parts by championing the people that make our country great.
Famous For A Time: Forgotten Giants Of Canadian Sport by Jason Wilson
Each chapter offers insight into an important aspect of the nation’s narrative, from team sports such as lacrosse, baseball, and cricket to Canada’s cycling craze, track and field, and boxing. The winners and losers of Canada's games mirror the larger questions faced by Canadian society over three centuries.
More Than A Footnote: Canadian Women You Should Know by Karin Wells
Some were outrageous, some were unassuming, and most were not polite, but they ignored the voices that said women could not paddle a canoe, program a computer, understand the universe, or cure a disease.
The Mother Of All Degrassi by Linda Schuyler
Through anecdotes and introspection — and some great behind-the-scenes stories for Degrassi fans — Linda examines her philosophy to dream big, think small, meet life head-on, and always keep an open heart.
