Political Assassinations: Behind the Killing of British PM Spencer Perceval
Artist’s impression of the assassination of British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval by bankrupt businessman John Bellingham on May 11, 1812. (Public Domain)
One of the greatest difficulties in maintaining a stable democracy is keeping one’s political leaders from being murdered.
In the more excitable Latin American and Caribbean nations, presidents and would-be reformers are killed with depressing regularity, the most recent being the Haitian president Jovenel Moïse cut down in his own home in 2021. Four Lebanese prime ministers died from 1982 to 2005, three of those the victim of car bombs.
In Asia, attacks on politicians are a fine old tradition. In India, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948, Indira Gandhi was murdered by her bodyguards in 1984, and her son Rajiv was killed by a suicide bomber in 1989. The president of Bangladesh was killed by army officers in 1981, while Pakistan lost two prime ministers: Liaquat Ali Khan who was shot to death in 1951 and Benazir Bhutto who was killed in a massive explosion in 2007.
The English-speaking world has a mixed record when it comes to political assassinations.
Generally speaking, the Anglosphere is slower on the assassination trigger but even so, there are distinctions to be made. American politicians have a high mortality rate: presidents Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy; governors Huey Long, Charles Bent, William Goebel, and Frank Steunenburg; and a host of judges, congressmen, and state officials.
Only two politicians have bit the dust in Canada. Thomas D’Arcy McGee, one of the Fathers of Confederation, was gunned down in 1868, and Quebec cabinet minister Pierre Laporte was murdered during the October Crisis in 1970. Australia also records only two victims (both low-ranking members of legislatures), and New Zealand has no assassinated rulers on its watch. Clearly the difference is the presidential system—if you have a constitutional monarchy with an elected prime minister, you are pretty safe.
With one exception.
In 1812, the British Prime Minister was Spencer Perceval, a fierce proponent of the battle against Napoleonic France and an opponent of the slave trade. His harsh measures to finance the war had made him very unpopular in the country. On the evening of May 11, as he was entering the lobby of the House of Commons, a man stepped forward and fired a pistol at him, wounding him mortally. He was carried into the Speaker’s office where he soon died.
Perceval’s assassin was John Bellingham, an unsuccessful English businessman who had been imprisoned in Russia over a disputed debt and who for years had sought recompense from the authorities there. Back in England, when numerous British officials, members of the royal family, and politicians failed to answer his calls for support, he conceived a grudge against the prime minister. He bought two .50 caliber pistols and lay in wait for his victim. After the killing, he expressed no remorse, saying that he felt justified for his actions. Crowds in the street hailed the murderer as a friend of the people, but the government feared a conspiracy, called out troops to patrol the city, an ordered an immediate trial.
Bellingham’s only hope for acquittal lay in a plea of insanity—and indeed, his father had been declared mad—but his calm demeanour worked against him and he was allowed no time to summon witnesses who might have testified about a history of mental derangement. He made this statement to the jury:
“Recollect, Gentlemen, what was my situation. Recollect that my family was ruined and myself destroyed, merely because it was Mr. Perceval’s pleasure that justice should not be granted; …. I demand only my right, and not a favour; I demand what is the birthright and privilege of every Englishman.
“Gentlemen, when a minister sets himself above the laws, as Mr Perceval did, he does it as his own personal risk. If this were not so, the mere will of the minister would become the law, and what would then become of your liberties?
“I trust that this serious lesson will operate as a warning to all future ministers, and that they will henceforth do the thing that is right, for if the upper ranks of society are permitted to act wrong with impunity, the inferior ramifications will soon become wholly corrupted.
“Gentlemen, my life is in your hands, I rely confidently in your justice.”
Bellingham’s confidence was sadly misplaced. After a trial that had lasted a mere eight hours and after a scant 15-minute deliberation, the jury found him guilty. The death sentence was pronounced and he was hanged a few days later on May 18, leaving behind a wife and a baby. As was customary with the bodies of executed murderers, Bellingham’s corpse was sent to a hospital to be dissected by medical students.
Thankfully, Perceval is the only British prime minister ever to have been assassinated.
For the Silo, Gerry Bowler. Canadian historian and a senior fellow of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
A number of years ago the Soviet Union toured several countries with an exhibition of its industrial and economic achievements. There were the usual standard displays of industrial machinery and models of power stations and nuclear equipment.
Of greater interest to the CIA were apparent models of the Sputnik and Lunik space vehicles. U.S. intelligence twice gained extended access to the Lunik- the second time even borrowing it overnight and returning it before the Soviets missed it.
This is a true story of close cooperation between covert and overt intelligence components.
On View Abroad
The Soviets. had carefully prepared for this exhibition tour; most of the display material was shipped to each stop well in advance. But as their technicians were busily assessing the various items in one exhibition hall they received a call informing them that another crate had arrived. They apparently had not expected this item and had no idea what it was, because the first truck they dispatched was too small to handle the crate and they had to send a second.
The late shipment turned out to be the last-stage Lunik space vehicle, lying on its side in a cabin-like crate approximately 20 feet long and 11 feet wide with a roof about 14 feet high at the peak. It was unpacked and placed on a pedestal. It had been freshly painted. and three inspection windows cut in the nose section permitted a view of the payload instrument package with its antenna.
It was presumably a mock-up made especially for the exhibition; the Soviets would not be so foolish as to expose a real production item of such advanced equipment to the prying eyes of imperialist intelligence. Or would they? A number of analysts in the U.S. community suspected that they might, and an operation was laid on to find out. After the exhibition closed at this location, a group of intelligence officers had unrestricted access to the Lunik for some 24 hours.
DECLASSIFIED Authority NND 947003
The Lunik
They found that it was indeed a production item from which the engine and· most electrical and electronic components had been removed. They examined ·it thoroughly from the ·viewpoint of probable. performance, taking measurements, determining its structural characteristics estimating engine size, and so forth but not with sufficient detail or precision to permit a definitive identification of the producer or determination of the system used. It was therefore decided to try to get another access for a factory team.
Plans and Problems
As the exhibition moved from one city to another, an intercepted shipping manifest showed an item called .. models of astronomic apparatus whose dimensions were approximately those of the Lunik crate. This information was sent to the CIA Station nearest the destination with a request to try to arrange secure access if the Lunik should appear. On the basis of our experience at trade fairs and other exhibitions, we preferred access before opening of an exhibition to the alternatives of examining it while in the exhibition hall or after it had left the grounds for another destination.
Soon the Lunik crate did arrive and was taken to the exhibition grounds. The physical situation at the grounds, however, ruled out access to it prior to the show’s opening. Then during the show the Soviets provided their own 24 -hour guard for the displays, so there was no possibility of making a surreptitious night visit. This left only one chance: to get to it at some point after it left the exhibition grounds. In the meantime our four-man team of specialists from the Joint Factory Markings Center had arrived. We brought along our specialized photographic gear and basic tools. We each went out and bought a set of local clothes, everything from the skin out.
We held a series of meetings with Station personnel over the course of a week, mutually defining capabilities and requirements, laying plans for access and escape, and determining what additional equipment we would need. The Station photographed the Lunik crate repeatedly so we would get a better idea of its construction. ~
Photographs showed that the sides and ends were bolted together from within; the only way to get inside was through the roof. We therefore bought more tools and equipment-ladders, ropes, a nail puller, drop lights, flashlights, extension cords, a pinch bar, a set of metric wrenches, screwdrivers, hammers.
After the exhibition the displays would be carried by truck from the exhibition grounds toa railroad station and loaded onto freight cars for their next destination. For the interception we had to choose between the truck run and the rail haul. The initial preference was for the latter; it seemed the freight car carrying the Lunik might most easily be shunted onto a siding (preferably into a warehouse) for a night and resume its journey the next morning. A detailed check of our assets on the rail line however, showed no good capability for doing this. Careful examination of the truckage to the station, on the other hand, revealed a possibility.
DECLASSIFIED Authority NND 947003
Lunik
Lunik on Loan
As the exhibition materials were crated and trucked to the rail yard, a Soviet checker stationed at the yard took note of each item when it arrived. He had no communications bade to his colleagues at the fair grounds, however. It .was arranged to make the Lunik the last truckload of the day to leave the grounds. When it left it was preceded by a Station car and followed by another; their job was to determine whether the Soviets were escorting it to the rail yard.
When it was clear that there were no Soviets around, the truck was stopped at the last possible tum-off, a canvas was thrown over the crate, and a new driver took over.
The original driver was escorted to a hotel room and kept there for the night. The truck was quickly driven to a salvage yard which had been rented for the purpose. This yard was open to the sky but had a10-foot solid wood fence around it. With some difficulty the truck was backed in from a narrow alley and the gates closed; they just cleared the front bumper. The entire vicinity was patrolled by Station cars with two-way radios maintaining contact with the yard and the Station .
Action was suspended for half an hour: Everything remained quiet in the area, and there· was no indication that the Soviets suspected anything amiss. The Soviet stationed at the rail yard waited for a short time to see whether any more truckloads were coming then packed up his papers and went to supper. After eating he proceeded to his hotel room, where he was kept under surveillance all night.
The markings team, in local clothes and without any identification, were cruising in a car some distance from the salvage yard. We were now given the all-clear to proceed to the yard and start work.We arrived about 7:30 p.m. and were let in by a two-man watch and communications team from the Station. They had put all our equipment and tools in the yard and food and drink for the night.
Our first task was to remove enough of the crate’s roof to get in. It was made of 2-inch tongue-and-groove planks nailed down with 5-inch spikes. Two members of the team went to work on these, perspiring and panting in the humid air. The effort not to leave traces of our forced entry was made easier by the fact that the planks had been removed and put back several times before and so were already battered.
DECLASSIFIED Authority NND 947003
The Lunik
While this was going on there was a rather unnerving incident. When we had arrived at the salvage yard it was dark; the only lights were in the salvage company’s office. Now, with two men on top of the crate prying up planks, street lamps suddenly came on, flooding the place with light. We had a few anxious moments until we learned this was not an ambush but the normal lamp-lighting scheduled for this hour.
Photographers at work
The other two of us meanwhile were assembling the photographic gear and rigging up the drop lights with extension cords. We had ladders up at each end of the crate, and when the planks were off we dropped another ladder inside each end. The Lunik in its cradle was almost touching the sides of the crate, so we couldn’t walk from one end to the other inside.
Half the team now climbed into the front–nose–end with one set of photographic equipment and a drop light. . They pulled the canvas back over the opening to keep the flash of the strobe units from attracting attention.· They removed one of the inspection windows in the nose section, took off their shoes so as to leave no telltale scars on the metal surface, and squeezed inside. The payload orb was held in a central basket, with its main antenna probe extended more than half way to the tip of the cone. They filled one roll of camera film with close-ups of markings on it and sent this out via one of the patrolling cars for processing, to be sure that the camera was working properly and the results were satisfactory. The word soon came back that the negatives were fine, and they continued their work.
We on the other half of the team had tackled the tail section. Our first job was to gain access to the engine compartment by removing the Lunik’s large base cap; this was attached to its flange by some 130 square-headed bolts. We removed these with a metric wrench and by using a rope sling moved the heavy cap off to one side.
Inside the compartment the engine had been removed, but its mounting brackets, as well as the fuel and oxidizer tanks, were still in place. At the front end of the compartment, protruding through the center of .a baffle plate that separated the nose section from the engine, was the end of a rod which held the payload orb in place.
A four-way electrical outlet acting as a nut screwed onto the end of this rod was keyed by a wire whose ends were encased in a plastic seal bearing a Soviet stamp. The only way to free the orb so as to let the nose team into the basket in which it rested was to cut this wire and unscrew the outlet.
DECLASSIFIED Authority NND 947003
The Lunik
We checked with Station personnel and were assured they could duplicate the plastic, stamp, and wire. So we decided to go ahead and look for markings in the basket area. We cut the wire and passed it to one of the patrolling cars. The pair in the nose section photographed or hand copied all items in the basket area while we did those in the engine compartment. The Soviets, in removing all electrical connections and gear, had overlooked two couplings in the basket; these we took back to headquarters for detailed analysis.
Before we had finished, the new seal-wire, plastic, and stamp was delivered to the yard.
Returned in Good Condition
The exploitation of the Lunik was now complete; all that remained was to put things back together and close up the crate. The first job, re-screwing the orb in its basket, proved to be the most tricky and time-consuming part of the whole night’s work. The baffle plate between the nose and engine compartments prevented visual guidance of the rod into position, and the rod was just long enough to screw the outlet on beyond the baffle plate. We spent almost an hour on this, one man in the cramped nose section trying to get the orb into precisely the right position and one in the engine compartment trying to engage the threads on the end of a rod he couldn’t see. After a number of futile attempts and many anxious moments, the connection was finally made, and we all sighed with relief.
The wire was wrapped around the outlet and its ends secured in the plastic. The nose and engine compartments were double-checked to make sure no telltale materials such as matches, pencils, or scraps of paper had been left inside. The inspection window was replaced in the nose section, and with some difficulty the base cap was bolted into position. ·After checking the inside of the crate for evidence of our tampering we climbed out. The ladders were pulled up, the roof planks nailed into place, and the canvas spread back over. We packed our equipment and were picked up by one of the cars at 4:00a.m.
At 5:00 a.m. a driver came and moved the truck from the salvage yard to a prearranged point. Here the canvas cover was removed and the original driver took over and drove to the rail yard. The Soviet who had been checking items as they arrived the previous day came to the yard at 7:00 a.m. and found the truck with the Lunik awaiting him.
DECLASSIFIED Authority NND 947003
He showed no surprise, checked the crate in, and watched it loaded onto a car. In due course the train left. To this day there has been no indication the Soviets ever discovered that the Lunik was borrowed for a night.
The results of analysis on the data collected were published in a Center Brief. They included probable identification of the producer of this Lunik stage, the fact that it was the 6fth one produced, identification of three electrical producers who supplied components, and revelation of the system that was used here and conceivably for other Soviet space hardware. But perhaps more important in the long term than these positive intelligence results was the experience and example of fine cooperation on a job between covert operators and essentially overt collectors.
Paris, January, 2023 – The World Heritage Committee meeting in an extraordinary session on Thursday inscribed the Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib (Yemen) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib, is a serial property comprising seven archaeological sites that bear witness to the rich Kingdom of Saba and its architectural, aesthetic and technological achievements from the 1st millennium BCE to the arrival of Islam around 630 CE.
Yemen’s recorded history started when it was known as Saba/Sheba three thousand years ago, on the main spice route from the east to Europe, and was rich and powerful. The Queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon appears in both the Bible and the Koran.
They bear witness to the complex centralized administration of the Kingdom when it controlled much of the incense route across the Arabian Peninsula, playing a key role in the wider network of cultural exchange fostered by trade with the Mediterranean and East Africa.
Located in a semi-arid landscape of valleys, mountains and deserts, the property encompasses the remains of large urban settlements with monumental temples, ramparts and other buildings.
The irrigation system of ancient Ma’rib reflects technological prowess in hydrological engineering and agriculture on a scale unparalleled in ancient South Arabia, resulting in the creation of the largest ancient man-made oasis.
Marib Dam photos before and after the destruction. photo: German Archaeological Institute/Burkhard Vogt
The World Heritage Committee used an emergency procedure to inscribe this site on the List of World Heritage in Danger, due to threats of destruction from the ongoing conflict.
The List of World Heritage in Danger provides access to enhanced international assistance, both technical and financial, and helps mobilize the entire international community for the protection of sites.
[This article was first published by The Silo on April 22, 2014] On June 10, 2009, the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, Marie Wilson and Chief Wilton Littlechild were appointed as Commissioners to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), a component of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.
Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission is unique from other commissions around the world in that its scope is primarily focused on the experiences of children and its research spans more than 150 years (one of the longest durations ever examined). It is also the first court-ordered truth commission to be established and most notable, the survivors themselves set aside 60 million dollars of the compensation they were awarded to help establish the TRC.
Over the course of its 5 year mandate, one of the main tasks of the Commission is to create an accurate and public historical record of the past regarding the policies and operations of the former residential schools, what happened to the children who attended them, and what former employees recall from their experiences.
It is difficult for Canadians to accept that the policy behind the government funded, church run schools attempted to “kill the Indian in the child”. The violent underpinnings of the policy challenge the way we think about Canada, and call into question our national character and values. We have been taught to believe that we are a peaceful nation, glorious and free.
The residential school legacy shines a light in our darkest corners, where we feel most vulnerable.
Over 130 Residential Schools were located across Canada, with the last one closing in 1996. More than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children as young as five years old were forcibly removed from their families and placed in institutions that shamed their languages, customs, families, communities, traditions, cultures and history. In essence, they were not allowed be themselves and denied the love and belonging owed to all children.
While some former students had positive experiences at residential schools, many suffered emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and others died while attending these schools. Other lessons in trauma included assimilating children to gender roles, non-skilled labour and religion to prepare them for future integration. For the parents left behind, the worst lessons in shame, grief, loss and disconnection. Whole societies were undone.
In addition to creating the public historical record of the past, the survivors also tasked the Commission to reveal to Canadians the full and complete story.
What were they thinking? Why should it matter to ordinary Canadians?
Here’s why: When we tell our stories we change the world. When we don’t tell our stories we miss the opportunity to experience empathy and to cultivate authenticity, joy and belonging. (Brené Brown, 44) Through story-telling, the survivors are compelling Canadians to listen and respond with deep compassion and to re-set relationships in a big way in this country. This is our greatest opportunity to recognize shared history and our shared humanity. These stories are a gift and will help us to shape our shared future.
Thomas Moore before and after his entrance into the Regina Indian Residential School in Sasketchewan in 1874. image: Library and Archives Canada/NL-022474
Through statement gathering at national or regional events and at TRC Community Hearings, former students, their descendants and anyone who has been affected by the Residential Schools legacy, had an opportunity to share their individual experiences in a safe and culturally supportive environment. The TRC concluded its last community hearing in March 2014 and has collected more than 6, 200 statements.
Almost all of them were video-and-audio-recorded and range from a few minutes to a few hours. The statements will be stored at the National Research Centre on Indian Residential Schools at the University of Manitoba. Students, researchers and members of the public will be able to access the statements to learn about residential schools and the legacy they leave behind.
As the TRC begins to reveal to Canadians the full and complete story of residential schools and inspire a process of reconciliation across this country, ordinary Canadians seem ill-equipped to make the journey from shame to empathy. “We know the voices singing, screaming, wanting to be heard- but we don’t hear them because fear and blame muffle the sounds” (Brené Brown, 42) We need to prepare ourselves to go to the dark corners of our history, so we can stand in the light together as equals.
In my next article, I will share with you more about empathy, how to practice empathy and why its essential to building meaningful and trustworthy relationships.) For the Silo, Leslie Cochran.
(Brené Brown, 42 and Brené Brown, 44) are taken from her first book “I thought it was just me.”
Every Remembrance Day I try to tour the Canadian War Museum – a mammoth exhibition of battle since earliest times. Each year, “lest I forget”, the photos and exhibits tell a story of fear and courage, sacrifice and survival, humanity, brutality, violence, and hatred.
Early combat was limited to the distance you could throw a spear, fire an arrow or swing a club. Armour was made of wood. Much of war consisted of ambush and surprise. Today, though Canada’s military still use snowshoe and canoe, they not only prepare for ambush, but also for nuclear threat.
The War Museum describes 150 years of French-British conflict in North America, ending in the Seven Year’s War and the British conquest of Canada.
The Canadian War Museum
Then in 1775, American anger exploded into revolution – creating two countries in North America. For Americans, their invasions of Canada during the American Revolution and War of 1812 are considered minor campaigns. Yet north of the border, they were struggles for survival.
Canadian forces went abroad in 1899 and again in 1914 to fight wars as part of the British Empire. One thousand volunteers fought in South Africa; 620,000 fought World War I.
In 1914 Europe was a powder keg. Opposing alliances and secret treaties divided the heavily armed great powers. After the assassination of Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand, countries rushed to settle old scores or to support allies. Britain, France and Russia stood against Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey. The rest of the world was dragged into a war that killed nine million and destroyed empires.
The War Museum focuses on the trenches of France and Belgium from 1915 to 1918, and the battles of the Somme, Vimy, Passchendale and the Hundred Days. Systems of fortified trenches stretched the length of the Western Front. Frontal assaults led to tremendous casualties. It was a long, bloody war.
In the 1930’s, Germany, Italy and Japan became aggressive dictatorships. The leading democracies – Britain, France, and the United States – tried to negotiate adopting a policy of appeasement. But the dictators responded with even more aggression.
War Museum exhibits cover Adolf Hitler and the rise of fascism, including an infamous Mercedes limousine used by Hitler at Nazi rallies. As World War II became a reality, Canada was the first Commonwealth country to send troops to Britain in 1939 – by the end of the conflict, 1.1 million Canadians served. Museum exhibits cover boots on the ground, as well as the costly Battle of the Atlantic where Canadians sunk 50 enemy submarines. The story of Canada’s air war is told, as well as our involvement in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan – much of which took place at local airfields.
The Second World War alliance of the Soviet Union and the Western democracies was short lived. Opposing world views, and territorial disputes deteriorated into the Cold War of 40 years.
Communist North Korea’s invasion of South Korea in 1950 sparked a three-year war that killed or wounded 3.5 million.
And Canadians have gone on to serve in NATO, NORAD, the United Nations, the Persian Gulf, Kosovo, and Afghanistan.
The War Museum is well worth the visit.
It reminds us that history is filled with both horror and hope.
History is not only the story you read, it is the one you remember.
We will remember! For the Silo by MPP Toby Barrett
For over 25 years archaeological efforts have been ongoing to delineate where potential prehistoric trails exist across the landscape of southern Ontario. Trails were created and used by the earliest inhabitants of the region after glaciers disappeared some 15,000 years ago. One of the roles for a trail system was to help keep people alive.
The challenge to identify the existence of these trails is that they existed approximately 10,000 years ago. The primary region for this research has been Haldimand-Norfolk County. In the past seven years the search for prehistoric trail systems in these two counties has become increasingly intensive as part of the Haldimand-Norfolk Archaeological Regional Project (HNARP) http://www.hnarp.ca/ .
The premise of the regional project is to better understand how early people lived and managed their lives on a landscape once rich with animal, plant, and raw resources such as rock for making stone tools.
A critical activity that has assisted this regional project is permission to walk over farm lands from supportive agricultural land owners to help find these trails. Access to farm lands assists archaeologists to identify where people lived in the region. The land mass of the two counties combined covers approximately 2,000 square kilometers.
Historically, it was always possible to read information written down and recorded about trails in the region. This would include place names and popularly used trails. Even oral history in Haldimand County by senior land owners some 30 years ago mentioned trails used by people to walk across the landscape to neighbouring farms, villages, and the shores of Lake Erie.
To date, archaeologists have identified artifacts left behind by people still exist after 10,000 years of changes to the landscape. One piece of evidence has been the type of stone used for making tools. Throughout the world people searched out different types of rock for making stone tools.
In Haldimand County, chert formations created over tens of millions of years ago can be found. These chert formations have different identifying markers such as colours and fossils that make chert distinct from others. It is these identifying markers that help chert to be identified from its original source and help to develop new evidence to show where and when people lived and crossed the landscape.
It is hoped that finding and identifying the different colour cherts and fossils in the rock will help archaeologists piece together Haldimand-Norfolk County’s long forgotten past. For the Silo, Lorenz Bruechert.
There is a paucity of Palaeolithic art in the southern Levant prior to 15000 years ago. The Natufian culture (15000–11500 BP; Grosman 2013) marks a threshold in the magnitude and diversity of artistic manifestations (Bar-Yosef 1997). Nevertheless, depictions of the human form remain rare—only a few representations of the human face have been reported to date. This PDF article presents a 12000-year-old example unearthed at the Late Natufian site of Nahal Ein Gev II (NEGII), just east of the Sea of Galilee, Israel (see Figure 1 PDF link below). The object provides a glimpse into Natufian conventions of human representation, and opens a rare opportunity for deeper understanding of the Natufian symbolic system.
The NEGII face is carved from a limestone pebble measuring 90×60mm.
Minimalistic manipulation of the pebble’s surface creates a simple but realistic human expression. The artist used the natural form of the pebble to represent the outline of a human head, and slightly modified the stone’s perimeter with a flat band to shape the contours of the face(see Figure 2a PDF link below). The main modification engraved on the front of the pebble consists of a T-shaped linear relief that emphasizes an eyebrow ridge and nose; two low arcs that meet at the centre of the pebble form the eyebrow ridge and then turn downward to depict a straight, elongated nose.
By skillful play with line depth and curvature,the artist has achieved a soft depiction of the cheeks and deep, shaded eye sockets (see Figure 3 PDF link below). The artistic qualities of the representation are schematic, but they present a realistic and uniquely expressive human face.
Leore Grosman
The back of the pebble is not carved but is lightly modified at the edges. Microscopic analysis shows a few small, smooth and shiny areas that may have been created by gentle polishing of the surface with a soft material such as skin or fabric, or by…… continue reading this article by clicking here.For the Silo by Leore Grosman, with Natalie Munro and Hadas Goldgeier/ academia.eu. Feature image photo by Dana Shaham.
This August we saw the fifth U.S. Civil War re-enactment at Circle G Ranch, east of Cayuga, Ontario. On Sept. 13, re-enactors of the ‘Blue and Grey’ will go to battle in Otterville.
The American Civil War had a tremendous influence on the British North American colonies, and continues to be of mind.
At onset of the Civil War, Canada did not yet exist as a federated nation. When the war broke out in 1861, Canada was still a subject of Great Britain and had maintained an uneasy peace with its American neighbors since the War of 1812.
William Seward, the American Secretary of State during the Civil War, was an annexationist who felt that British North America was destined to become part of the United States. As it became obvious that the North would emerge victorious there was a fear the Union army would turn its eyes north of the border.
Many in the US government were supporters of Manifest Destiny, an ideology that stated America should conquer the continent. Canadians were concerned about the possibility of a US invasion.
The tensions between the United States and Britain, which had been ignited by the war and made worse by the Fenian Raids, led to concern for the security and independence of the colonies, helping to consolidate momentum for Canadian confederation.
In the election of 1864, the Republican Party used annexation as a means to gain support from Irish Americans and the land-hungry.
In 1866, an annexation bill passed in the US House of Representatives stating the United States acquire all of what is now Canada.
The Underground Railway- major sites in Ontario,Canada.
The Civil War also had an important effect on discussions concerning the nature of the emerging federation. Many Fathers of Confederation concluded the secessionist war was caused by too much power being given to the states, and thus resolved to create a more centralized federation. It was also believed that too much democracy was a contributing factor and the Canadian system was thus equipped with checks and balances such as the appointed Senate and the power of the British-appointed governor-general.
The guiding principles of the legislation which created Canada, the British North American Act, were peace, order and good government – in stark contrast to the perceived rugged individualism of the neighbours south of the border.
Since 1793, thanks to then Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe, Upper Canada – now present day Ontario – had banned the importation of slaves. Canadians were largely opposed to slavery, and Canada had recently become the destination of the Underground Railroad.
The Underground Railway was a network of safe houses and individuals who helped runaway slaves reach free sates in the American North or in Canada.
It ran from about 1840 to 1860. It was most effective after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, which enabled slave hunters to pursue runaways onto free soil. It is estimated that about 30,000 reached Canada. Several communities were established in Ontario, including one east of Cayuga, at Canfield.
The Civil War claimed 7,000 Canadians and almost 620,000 US lives.
Between 33,000 and 55,000 men from British North America served in the Union army, and a few hundred in the Confederate army. Five served as generals, and 29 received the U.S. Medal of Honour. For the Silo, Toby Barrett MPP Haldimand-Norfolk.
Players Can Pilot Presidential Helicopter Around Washington, D.C.
August, 2019 (Washington, D.C.) – The White House Historical Association has just launched a new game in its WHExperience mobile app called “Fly Like Ike.” This interactive game allows users to pilot the president’s helicopter and make stops to learn about several monuments and historic sites in Washington, D.C. before testing their aviation skills by landing on the South Lawn of the White House.
Helicopters have played an important role in transporting the president since 1957 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president to use a helicopter. The helicopter used in this game is a replica of the Official 2019 White House Christmas Ornament.
“Fly Like Ike” currently features these seven destinations: U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Capitol, National Mall, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial/Tidal Basin, Lincoln Memorial, and the White House.
“Fly Like Ike” is the latest feature on the White House Historical Association’s WHExperience app, which is free to download on iOS, Android devices.
The WHExperience app also provides information and a link to purchase the 2019 Official White House Ornament, which commemorates President Eisenhower’s commitment to innovation as the first president to fly in a helicopter while in office in July 1957.
“Fly Like Ike” requires Wi-Fi or a data plan, and is compatible with iPhone 7 and up and devices running Android version 7.0 and up.
The WHExperience app also includes virtual tours of the White House and a “Presidential Lookalike” selfie feature, which is powered by Amazon Rekognition technology. For the Silo, Jessica Fredericks.
About The White House Historical Association
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. In 1961, the White House Historical Association was established to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion’s legacy for generations to come. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association’s mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions for the White House permanent collection, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the White House Historical Association has contributed more than $50 million USD in fulfillment of its mission.
“Pay attention students, write this down for memorization.” The Trivium and Quadrivium, medieval revival of classical Greek education theories, defined the seven liberal arts necessary as preparation for entering higher education: grammar, logic, rhetoric, astronomy, geometry, arithmetic, and music. Even today, the education disciplines identified since Greek times are still reflected in many education systems. Numerous disciplines and branches have since emerged, ranging from history to computer science…
Now comes the Information Age, bringing with it Big Data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence as well as visualization techniques that facilitate the learning of knowledge.
All this technology dramatically increased the amount of knowledge we could access and the speed at which we could generate answers to our questions.
“New and more innovative knowledge maps are now needed to help us navigate the complexities of our expanding landscape of knowledge,” says Charles Fadel. Fadel is the founder of the Center for Curriculum Redesign, which has been producing new knowledge maps that redesign knowledge standards from the ground up. “Understanding the interrelatedness of knowledge areas will help to uncover a logical and effective progression for learning that achieves deep understanding.”
Joining us inThe Global Search for Educationto talk about what students should learn in the age of AI is Charles Fadel, author ofFour-Dimensional Education: The Competencies Learners Need to Succeed.
“We need to identify the Essential Content and Core Concepts for each discipline – that’s what the curation effort must achieve so as to leave time and space for deepening the disciplines’ understanding and developing competencies.” — Charles Fadel
Charles, today students have the ability to look up anything. Technology that enables them to do this is also improving all the time. If I want to solve a math problem, I use my calculator, and if I want to write a report on the global effects of climate change, I pull out my mobile. How much of the data kids are being forced to memorize in school is now a waste of time?
The Greeks bemoaned the invention of the alphabet because people did not have to memorize the Iliad anymore. Anthropologists tell us that memorization is far more trained in populations that are illiterate or do not have access to books. So needing to memorize even less in an age of Search is a natural evolution.
However, there are also valid reasons for why somecarefully curatedcontent will always be necessary. Firstly, Automaticity. It would be implausible for anyone to constantly look up words or simple multiplications – it just takes too long and breaks the thought process, very inefficiently. Secondly, Learning Progressions. A number of disciplines need a gradual progression towards expertise, and again, one cannot constantly look things up, this would be completely unworkable. Finally, Competencies (Skills, Character, Meta-Learning). Those cannot be developed in thin air as they need a base of (modernized, curated) knowledge to leverage.
Sometimes people will say “Google knows everything” and it is striking, but the reality is that for now, Googlestoreseverything. Of course, with AI, what is emerging now is the ability toanalyzea large number of specific problems and make predictions, so eventually, Google and similar companies will know a lot more than humans can about themselves!
Closeup of mobile phone with language learning application in jeans pocket. focus on screen
“What we need to test for is Transfer – the ability to use something we have learned in a completely different context. This has always been the goal of an Education, but now algorithms will allow us to focus on that goal even more, by ‘flipping the curriculum’.” — Charles Fadel
If Child A has memorized the data in her head while Child B has to look up the answers, some might argue that Child A is smarter than Child B. I would argue that AI has leveled the playing field for Child A and Child B, particularly if Child B is digitally literate, creative and passionate about learning. What are your thoughts?
First, let’s not conflate memory with intelligence, which games like Jeopardy implicitly do. The fact that Child A memorized data does not mean they are “smarter” than Child B, even though memory implies a modicum of intelligence. Second, even Child B will need some level of content knowledge to be creative, etc. Again, this is not developed in thin air, per the conversation above.
So it is a false dichotomy to talk about KnowledgeorCompetencies (Skills/Character/Meta-learning), it has to be Knowledge (modernized, curated) and Competencies. We’d want children to both Know and Do, with creativity and curiosity.
Lastly, we need to identify the Essential Content and Core Concepts for each discipline – that’s what the curation effort must achieve so as to leave time and space for deepening the disciplines’ understandinganddeveloping competencies.
Given the impact of AI today and the advancements we expect by this time next year, when should school districts introduce open laptop examinations to allow students equal access to information and place emphasis on their thinkingskills?
The question has more to do with Search algorithms than with AI, but regardless, real-life is open-book, and so should exams be alike. And yes, this will force students to actually understand their materials, provided the tests do more than multiple-choice trivialities, which by the way we find even at college levels for the sake of ease of grading.
What we need to test for is Transfer – the ability to use something we have learned in a completely different context. This has always been the goal of an Education, but now algorithms (search, AI) will allow us to focus on that goal even more, by “flipping the curriculum”.
Today, if a learner wants to do a deep dive into any specific subject, AI search allows her to do this outside of classroom time. What do you say to a history teacher who argues there’s no need to revise subject content in his classroom?
For all disciplines, not just History, we must strike the careful balance between “just-in-time, in context” vs “just-in-case”. Context matters to anchor the learning: in other words, real-world projects give immediaterelevancefor the learning, which helps it to be absorbed. And yet projects can also be time-inefficient, so a healthy balance of didactic methods like lectures are still necessary.McKinseyhas recently shown that today that ratio is about 25% projects, which should grow a bit more over time as education systems embed them better, with better teacher training.
Second, it should be perfectly fine for any student to do deep dives as they see fit, but again in balance: there are other competencies needed to becoming a more complete individual, and if one is ahead of the curve in a specific topic, it is of course very tempting to follow one’s passion. And at the same time, it is important to make sure that other competencies get developed too. So, balance and a discriminating mind matter.
Employers consider ethics, leadership, resilience, curiosity,mindfulness and courage as being of “very high” importance to preparing students for the workplace. How does your curriculum satisfy employers’ demands today and in the years ahead?
These Character qualities are essential foremployersand life needs alike, and they have converged away from the false dichotomy of “employability or psycho-social needs.” A modern curriculum ensures that these qualities are developeddeliberately, systematically, comprehensively, and demonstrably. This is achieved by matrixing them with the Knowledge dimension, meaning teaching Resilience via Mathematics, Mindfulness via History, etc. Employers have a mixed view and success as to how to assess these qualities, so it is a bit unfair that they would demand specificity they do not have. And it is also unfitting of school systems to lose relevance.
people, education, technology and exam concept – close up of students with smartphones taking picture of books page and making cheat sheet in school library
“Educators have been tone-deaf to the needs of employers and society to educate broad and deep individuals, not merely ones that may go to college. The anchoring of this problem comes from university entrance requirements.” — Charles Fadel
There is a significant gap between employers’ view of the preparation levels of students and the views of students and educators. The problem likely exists partly because of incorrect assumptions on both sides, but there are also valid deficiencies. What specific inadequacies are behind this gap? What system or process can be devised to resolve this issue?
On one side, employers are expecting too much and shirking their responsibility to bring up the level of their employees, expecting them to graduate 100% “ready to work” and having to spend nothing more than job-specific training at best. On the other side, educators have been tone-deaf to the needs of employers and society to educate broad and deep individuals, not merely ones that may go to college.
The anchoring of this problem comes from university entrance requirements (in the US, AP classes, etc.) and their associated assessments (SAT/ACT scores). They have for decades back-biased what is taught in schools, in a very self-serving manner – narrowly as a test of whether a student will succeed at university. It is time to deconstruct the requirements to broaden/deepen them to serve multiple stakeholders. For the Silo, C.M. Rubin.
Join me and globally renowned thought leaders including Sir Michael Barber (UK), Dr. Michael Block (U.S.), Dr. Leon Botstein (U.S.), Professor Clay Christensen (U.S.), Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond (U.S.), Dr. MadhavChavan (India), Charles Fadel (U.S.), Professor Michael Fullan (Canada), Professor Howard Gardner (U.S.), Professor Andy Hargreaves (U.S.), Professor Yvonne Hellman (The Netherlands), Professor Kristin Helstad (Norway), Jean Hendrickson (U.S.), Professor Rose Hipkins (New Zealand), Professor Cornelia Hoogland (Canada), Honourable Jeff Johnson (Canada), Mme. Chantal Kaufmann (Belgium), Dr. EijaKauppinen (Finland), State Secretary TapioKosunen (Finland), Professor Dominique Lafontaine (Belgium), Professor Hugh Lauder (UK), Lord Ken Macdonald (UK), Professor Geoff Masters (Australia), Professor Barry McGaw (Australia), Shiv Nadar (India), Professor R. Natarajan (India), Dr. Pak Tee Ng (Singapore), Dr. Denise Pope (US), Sridhar Rajagopalan (India), Dr. Diane Ravitch (U.S.), Richard Wilson Riley (U.S.), Sir Ken Robinson (UK), Professor Pasi Sahlberg (Finland), Professor Manabu Sato (Japan), Andreas Schleicher (PISA, OECD), Dr. Anthony Seldon (UK), Dr. David Shaffer (U.S.), Dr. Kirsten Sivesind (Norway), Chancellor Stephen Spahn (U.S.), Yves Theze (LyceeFrancais U.S.), Professor Charles Ungerleider (Canada), Professor Tony Wagner (U.S.), Sir David Watson (UK), Professor Dylan Wiliam (UK), Dr. Mark Wormald (UK), Professor Theo Wubbels (The Netherlands), Professor Michael Young (UK), and Professor Minxuan Zhang (China) as they explore the big picture education questions that all nations face today.
C. M. Rubin is the author of two widely read online series for which she received a 2011 Upton Sinclair award, “The Global Search for Education” and “How Will We Read?” She is also the author of three bestselling books, includingThe Real Alice in Wonderland, is the publisher ofCMRubinWorldand is a Disruptor Foundation Fellow.
According to experts, the weaponization of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program began in the early-1960s or early-1970s. 1 And yet, it was not until October 2002, during high-level meetings in Pyongyang with Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James A. Kelly, that North Korean officials admitted they were pursuing a nuclear weapon. 2 Four years later, on October 9, 2006, North Korea became the eighth nation — or perhaps ninth 3 — to conducted a nuclear test.
To date, North Korea has conducted three underground nuclear tests. The nuclear fuel used — plutonium and perhaps highly enriched uranium (HEU) — was produced at the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center about 55 miles north of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital. In 2000, a female nuclear researcher who had worked at the Bungang branch of the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center defected. And in June 2002, she was interviewed by RENK (“Rescue! The North Korean People”), a Tokyo-based Japanese civic organization supporting North Korean defectors. Using the alias Lee Mi (“beautiful plum”), Ms. Dong Chun-ok’s answers to thirteen questions were then published on RENK’s website in Japanese. 4
Although excerpts from Dong Chun-ok’s interview appeared in the South Korean press 5 and large portions were later translated into English and published in Korean Web Weekly, 6 the website of North Korean-born nuclear physicist Young Sik Kim, an English translation of Ms. Dong’s entire interview has never before appeared in print or on any website. Although some of the “facts” in the interview “are not accurate,” Dr. Kim said, “the general picture described is correct as far as I know.” 7 Born in Hamhung, North Korea in 1935, Dr. Young Sik Kim emigrated to the United States in 1955 after serving with U.N. Forces during the Korean War. He earned his B.S. in Physics at Brigham Young University and his Ph.D. in High Energy Nuclear Physics from Purdue University in 1962. Dr. Kim was an Associate Professor of Physics at Ohio State University until 1980, after which he spent considerable time as a Visiting Scientist at the Argonne National Laboratory outside of Chicago. He also conducted additional research at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (Long Island, NY), CERN (Switzerland) and at Rutherford Laboratory (England).
Dong Chun-ok’s Interview Question #1: State your personal identities, education, career and experiences, the names of North Koreans who are in the field of nuclear project. Under whom have you studied and who were the ones you have spent your working life together? Answer #1: Name: Dong Chun-ok Sex: Female DOB: August 2, 1955 Birth place: Pungseo County, Yangkang Province Family status: Father; Dong Mun-wha died November 27, 1957. Mother: Lee Ok-tan, worked at #66 Project Office of Atomic Science Committee, Bungang District. Retired in 1995. Elder sister: Dong Sang-ok worked at Atomic Science Committee Dong Sang-ok’s husband (brother-in-law): Kim Sang-beom Chief of #1 Special Team, #66 Project Office of Atomic Science Committee. Younger sister: Dong Bun-ok Myeong-cheon County, North Hamkyung Province Dong Bun-ok’s husband: Tae Cheol-su, Party clerk at Chilbosan Foreigners Tourist Hotel, Myung-chun County, North Hamkyung Province. Education: Attended Bungang People’s School (+elementary); March 1, 1962 – 1965 Bungang High School; March 1, 1965 – 1969 Pyongbuk Physics University: 1969 – 1974 Graduated Experiences: After my father died on January 27, 1957 in Oro-county, South Hamkyung Province (now, Yeonggwang county), my mother was secretly summoned by the Central Party in the summer of 1960 and moved into a special base of Bungang Atomic Energy and Science Committee, Yongbyon County, North Pyeongan Province. Since my graduation from the university in the summer of 1974, at #25 – Branch Office, and #304-Research Center of Atomic and Science Committee.
June 15, 1977: Married to an officer at Air Command Center and moved to Pyongyang.
April 25, 1978: My first boy was born.
Until 1980, lived as a military family at Air Command Center
Starting from the summer of 1980, worked as a planning leader of Management Department, Metropolitan Pyongyang.
Starting from 1982, worked as a booking clerk of Pyongyang City Railroad Department.
Starting from 1983, became a leader for the safety of residence registration for the Railroad Region, as recommended by the Management Department of the Railroad.
October 1990, moved to Yangkang Province as husband was discharged from the service.
June 1991, divorced husband. Lived in my mother’s house in Bungang Region, Yongbyon County, North Pyongan Province, but moved to Hyesan City, Yangkang Province due to children’s problem.
Starting from October 1995, assumed the position as Leader of Trade, Yangkang Province of People’s Military/Political Division
February 21, 1999, received order to suspend work.
September 2000; escaped to China.
Before the inspection, the chairman of the Atomic and Science Committee was Pak Gwan-oh (currently President of Kim il-sung Integrated University). After the investigation it received direct control of Kim Jong-il but after Kim Il-sung’s death in 1994, the supply and control have weakened. Currently it is being reinforced and strengthened.
Secrecy is guaranteed in the field of nuclear and the researchers were paid extra 20 to 30% for the living expense as the price for the secrecy guarantee cost.
All the research institutes are being called by secret numbers; 101-laboratory, 304, 206-laboratories, 175-business office, 66-business center, August-enterprise, February-enterprise, or using a disguised name such as, for the meaning of often utilized, “Utilization Research Laboratory” generally used in a variety of applications. Each research laboratory cannot contact others and they are under strict control and regulations. The 304-research center where I used to work; Chief: Do Won-son PhD, (Kidnapped from South Korea in 1950) Head of laboratory: Kim Dol-su, PhD, (Studied at Dubna in Russia) Party Secretary: Pak Min-jon, PhD, (Studied abroad for 15 years) Hwang Jun-man, PhD, (Studied in Russia) Kim Jun-bok, PhD, (Studied at Dubna) Kim Dong-su, PhD, (Studied at Dubna) Kim Kyong-sun, Third class researcher (Studied at Dubna) Hyon Chul, (Studied repeatedly at Dubna) Kim Dong-hwi (Studied in Czechoslovakia) Kim Ok-nyo (Studied in Russia) Responsible person of the Regional Party of Bungang Region: Kim Yong-sik who used to work as a 304-researcher. Pyongbuk Physics University President: Kim Myong-hwan Teacher in charge: Kang Sin-jo (The materials I’ve confirmed up to the year 1998)
Question #2: Please state the functions, organizations and important personnel names of 101, 206, 304 Research Center and other facilities in Yongbyon. Answer #2: All the important facilities, buildings for the research laboratories, related features, and nuclear reactor were built under the supervision of Russia and by Russian materials and equipment while they were there. After Kim Il-sung had grabbed the regime, for the purpose of developing nuclear arms, he had ordered the double-agent and republic’s spy hero Lee Hak-mun to abduct Dr. Lee Seung-ki, Dr. Do Won-sun, Do Sang-rok researcher, etc. from South Korea, and he did. After that, the Atomic and Science Committee, which was located in Hamhung, was expanded to Bungang Region in Yongbyon County, North Pyongan Province starting in late 1950. The one at Hamhung was established mainly by Dr. Lee Seung-ki as a branch institute while making Bungang Region as the home research center, for which Do Won-sun [may be read as Do Won-sop] and Kim Do-sul played as the main organizer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiJNO3jQuZ8
Question #3: Please state the functions, organization and facilities and the products of 175-factory, August-business and other enterprises in Yongbyon. Answer #3: 304-research: The center is important laboratory among the laboratories in Bungang region, and it is the main research center for nuclear weapons development as well as for chemical arms development. Over 70 percent of the researchers of the group have studied overseas and restudied for the research. The emphasis is placed on the nuclear weapons development but they also participated in the chemical weapons development. Total number is about 150 persons. Every room of the researchers is guaranteed with laboratory, shower and modern facilities. Assistant is assigned to every doctorial researcher and research worker. About 70 to 80 percent of the researchers at 206-research center are professionals in the physics field. And it is the important research center for the nuclear weapons development in the Bungang region. Yiyong research center: Although the name implies “economical utilization” it produces a variety of facilities including general weapons by locating a branch laboratory in Pakch’on. The number of personnel is about 150. 175-factory: The factory produces appliances for laboratory experiments needed at Bungang Research Center. August-enterprise: It was newly built research center after the surveillance by United States (of 1990s’ nuclear inspection). It has installed railroad from Bungang Region which is hidden in a forest outside the perimeter. It supplies the laboratory testing requisites after directly processing uranium supplied from Pakch’on branch laboratory. 101-research center: For the purpose as research center, it’s the same as 304 or 206. The number of personnel is about 100. 66-business office: Responsible for the construction of living quarters, and maintenance of the facilities and supply of materials in the premises. It employs about 20,000 personnel. February-enterprise: The enterprise was newly made after the 1990’s surveillance, which holds nuclear reactor, so I heard from a research colleague with whom I’ve worked. Export/Import Material Company: This organization supplements materials for the research center by importing them from foreign countries.
Question #4: Please state the functions, organization, facilities and the storing capacity of underground nuclear facilities in Yaksan Dongdae and Mt. Sotaek. And, describe in details when the underground facilities were dug, constructed, and the conditions of the entrance, etc. as much accurately as you remember. It would be much helpful if you could draw sketches showing exterior of the entrance, shape and location. When and why did you visit the underground facilities? Answer #4: I was mobilized to a simulation exercise conducted in the summer of 1976 and I went inside of the place. The underground facilities at Yaksan Dongdae were built by 66-business center. There were many human casualties by accidents during the construction stage so that the Chairman’s fund was poured into all the material needs including cement. It was constructed after 1965 and the work was completed before 1970. I still remember that the facilities were unusually large and inside of all the caves were branched out in various shapes. The entrance to the cave was very large. The surface of the cave entrance was paved by finely finished cement and the inside was lighted. [The use of the underground facilities] The cave was built to accommodate all the materials and laboratory testing equipment and important systems when an emergency or surveillance is being proposed. Anticipating inspection by International Atomic Organization, all the equipment in the research centers had been relocated when the inspection was actually conducted. The news of possible inspection had been informed to all the researchers in advance and when the inspection was made, it was ready to be inspected. [Sotaek-san] Mt. Sotaek is located in a residential area. It is located behind a hospital and has two entrances. It’s an emergency shelter for the nuclear researchers and it was lighted. The inside is branched out to several offshoots caves. I entered there during a simulated exercise in 1976. The cave is under control after that, and couldn’t enter.
Question #5: Please describe in details the names, location, organization and its facilities of the science university you’ve once stated. Answer #5: Its name is Pyongbuk Physics University. The president is Dr. Kim Myong-hwan. It is located, passing through a manned gate, at next to a hospital in residential area, and there are two high rise apartments. The university is for the education of researchers in the field of nuclear engineering who are mainly of children of nuclear professionals at Bungang. Especially brilliant persons from all over the country, if they fully understand the basics of politics, the university is accepting some in recent years. Now it’s directly controlled by the Central Party. The number of students is 300 and it’s gradually increasing. The number of teaching staff is about 50 and they are chosen from the researchers at the basic research center.
Question #6: Are you aware of the progress of relocation of the researchers and the nuclear facilities from Yongbyon to other location? If there was relocation, please explain how researchers were reassigned and to which facilities, when, and why it’s relocated, and the name of the new location. Tell us, if the nuclear reactor was relocated from the center of Yongbyon before the International Atomic Organization conducted its inspection, why it was relocated. Where is the nuclear reactor now? Do you know if it was ready to show a part of North Korean nuclear program for inspection by the International Atomic Organization? If it was ready for the inspection, for what purpose and what kind of preparations were ready? Answer #6: When it foresaw the inspection while the world kicked up a fuss about North Korea’s having nuclear arm in 1990, some of the peoples in Bungang area were asked to wear military uniform, putting shoulder straps on the labor class, officer’s uniform on the executives and researchers, and together with their families they were secretly moved. New base was relocated to Pyongsan County, South Hwanghae Province (error for North Hwanghae Province), and at that time, even internally in the business region, it was kept as top secret. My elder sister’s husband was responsible person and directed the relocation and went there several times. All the materials to be sheltered were evacuated into cave when it received the inspection. Currently the nuclear reactor is located at February Enterprise of 304 Research Center.
Question #7: How much does the personnel and scientists know about the leakage of nuclear radiation? Answer #7: Until presently, physical damages have shown on some of the researchers and persons who are related and unnatural babies were born. It is generally recognized as it was not a big accident.
Question #8: If you know about compositions of the nuclear arms program of North Korea, please explain their details and from where you’ve heard. How much do you know in addition to the past efforts on the production of plutonium at Yongbyon, about the efforts put on for other fissional material? If you know please describe in detail about its essential activities, the time, and the locations. Are there any retreatment facilities for nuclear fuel besides the radiation chemical experimental laboratory? Have the North Korean scientists ever showed interest in uranium enrichment? If so, please state it in detail. Answer #8: The research center at Bungang region is the research organization specialized in modernized military arms and the (illegible) produced by each laboratory at Bungang is not produced within the Bungang region. The researchers bring their own research products to the experimental factory or arsenal for its tests, and generally all of the research products are sent to section chiefs or managers who are doctoral researchers, and finally it was handled by the deliberative committee, after passing through strict seminars. It will be actually tested only after having recognized at this committee. There is chemical factory within the arsenal for the production of important arms. Pakch’on laboratory handles all the materials of nuclear division, besides Yongbyon. It is thought that the base for the production of nuclear division and arms is hidden at Pyongsan in North Hwanghae Province which was classified before the inspection.
Question #9: Do you know anything about travels to foreign countries or training by nuclear scientists or engineers? If you are aware of it, please describe purposes of study and travels. Do you know anything about travels or reallocation of foreign scientists or professionals in North Korea? If you know, what were the purposes of travels and relocation and the timing and what were the specialties of the foreign scientists or specialists? Answer #9: Bungang Nuclear Science Committee was established in late 1950s by the scientists and advisors of Russians who came to Bungang in concentration. They, with their families, built villas along the bank of Kuryong River and shuttled to and from the research center. Training studies by researchers were made mainly in Russia and China, and they were physics and chemical specialty fields of students at a various nations’ universities. And many of them went back to restudy at Dubna Science Center in Russia, when research center is built again. The scientists are prohibited to make private exist and entry within the country or from and to overseas countries and they are forbidden to meet outsiders. Depending on the themes of the studies, and when it is decided that it’s impossible to solve the posed questions within the country, then a requisition may be filed for overseas study and gets its approval. When many anti-national activities are exposed and when they were sent to political prisoners’ camp, after that, at some time, the overseas study had been regulated. After the war of 1950, for the purpose of development of nuclear weapon by Kim Il-sung, Lee Hak-mun (hero of the republic’s double reconnaissance) had kidnapped from South Korea Dr. Lee Seung-gi, Do Sang-rok, Dr. Do Won-sun and so on. After the war ended in 1953, they first started to build research center in Hamhung City, and later it was developed to “Atomic Science Committee” officially, and then established “Nuclear Science Committee” in the geographically fitting basin of Bungang. A total number of Russian advisors and foreigners are about 200. I do not know the exact figure. Before 1970, all secrete and Russian advisors’ materials were pulled out of strongbox and photo copied, and then all the foreigners were withdrawn from the country. After having established Security Squadron and military guard posts of People’s Military Division, the country sustained itself since. In my childhood years, my mother took me to foreigner’s resort villa, and I received some gifts and played with the children’s of foreign advisors in the perimeters. A person named Alexander of the research center especially loved me. After that, I stayed at mother’s home for 40 days in August 1998, and I saw Russians coming in and out of the restricted area.
Question #10: Please state, if you know anything about the origin, administration, and fuel supply of the nuclear reactor for research use that was provided by Russia. Answer #10: The nuclear reactor located in Bungang was installed at the same time with the construction of Bungang Research Center. After that, Pakch’on branch laboratory and February Enterprise’s were built after the inspection. Fuel supply is also coming from Pakch’on branch laboratory. As I understand, all the supplies are conducted by Russia, and some are coming from China in recent several years. Each Section and by each Research center, they are classified as confidential. Question #11: Please state names, organizations, locations and the functions of nuclear related facilities other than Yongbyon area.
Answer #11: Establishing Bungang nuclear base as the basis, the largest branch laboratories are Hamhung branch and Pakch’on branch. Dr. Lee Seung-ki was the principal at Hamhung branch. It trains newly growing modern researchers and basically specialize the development of chemical weapon and organisms. It has testing laboratories and so on which are needed for the incubation of bacteria, etc. At the first stage, they use rabbits or mouse and squirrels for animal tests, but for the first hand experiments, they employ prisoners or felons by using injections. Pakch’on branch: Directly handles basic uranium Hyewon branch: Studies basically about China and its purpose is for the researches of China’s radiation and air contamination.
Question #12: Please describe about falsehood efforts and plots related with the North Korea’s nuclear program. Answer #12: After the inspection, they covered the chain of Yaksan Mountains with trees, and newly built February Enterprise and August Enterprise. In order to prevent taking high altitude photos from sky, they created many wooden houses in steps, and opened in the woods outside the perimeters. At Pakch’on branch too, they installed many woods, locating them by the foot of crag sides so that they cannot be distinguished. By a glance it looks nothing is there, but it’s there behind the hill.
Question #13: You said the children of Prof. Kim at work place of 304 Research Center did work for their father and they have received education at outside the country, please tell us where and the names they used to get the study. You’ve also mentioned that their children are participating with the Daepodong program, please state about the Daepodong program, the purpose of Daepodong, and the kind of relationships with the Room 304. Answer #13: The name of Prof. Kim’s son is Dr. Kim So-in and is about 30 years old. Prof. Kim and his wife are both nuclear specialist and his brother works as direct assistant to Dr. Kim So-in. Dr. Kim So-in was born while studying in Russia, in Dubna, and returned to Bungang when he was 3 years old (currently his birth place is listed at Chunggu region, Pyongyang City), and entered Bungang Senior Middle School when he was 7 years old but he was so genius that the teachers couldn’t teach him. As reported to Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, he was recruited to Special and Science Colleges of Kim Il-sung Synthesis University and received private tutoring. He met his parents when he was 13 years old and secretly sent to study at a foreign country (it was kept secret which country). He received a semi-doctorial degree at the age of 19, and received doctor’s degree when he was 21 years old. Dr. Kim So-in was a doctor who deliberately raised by Kim Il-sung and is the successor of Dr. Lee Seung-gi of Hamhung branch. Kim Jong-il is secretly nourishing some 20 young doctors in his hands to raise them as military specialists in the modern warfare providing with them the highest quality treatments. In the group, it includes the son-in-law of Dr. Lee Seung-ki and his grandson and the core among the researchers for the modernization of military is Dr. Kim So-in. His private and working life is kept as a top secrete and completely shut out from the outside world, and he receives orders directly from Kim Jong-il. The word of Kim Jong-il goes: “I’ll unify the fatherland by these 20 young scientists of new generation.” His father is at 304 research center. There is no relation with his father except he is son of nuclear specialist. The alias of Nuclear Science Committee (Atomic Committee) is “Chosun Pyongyang #204,” and 304 Research Center is #19, 66 Enterprise is #17, and it starts with #26 for the numbers of telephone and vehicles. The Commander of Security Squadron for Social Safety Division of Bungang Nuclear Science Base is Ra Chang-sik The Nuclear Science Committee is recently being reinforced. END OF INTERVIEW
Sang S. Nam, a resident of Seoul, is a Korean-Japanese-English translator. He translated Ms. Dong Chun-ok’s interview from Japanese into English. He also drew the sketch of the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center from public sources and from information derived from Ms. Dong’s interview and sketch such as the location of Yongbyon’s secret cave.
1 Dr. Kang Ho-je, a South Korean authority on North Korean science and technology. 2 An admission they later denied. 3 See Weiss, Leonard. “The 1979 South Atlantic Flash: The Case for an Israeli Nuclear Test,” Stanford University, July 30, 2011. 4http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/ro/renk (now defunct) 5 Yonhap news agency, Seoul (in English), Oct 17, 2002. 6http://www.kimsoft.com/2002/nk-nuke4.htm (now defunct) 7 In a message from Kim Young-sik to Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., an internationally recognized analyst, author and lecturer on North Korean defense and intelligence affairs. (Oct. 20, 2002)
If you enjoy French fashion, art and film and coloring books, sharpen your pencil crayons and prepare to be inspired by two French icons of unparalleled creativity: fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and playwright and filmmaker Jean Cocteau in these two funky adult coloring books.
“The chicest stress reliever ever.” —Buzzfeed
This elegant, imaginative colouring book explores the dynamic, fanciful creations of iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, who headed the House of Dior at age twenty-one before launching his own design house at age twenty-five.
The book’s line drawings for colouring are based on many of fashion designer’s original sketches for dresses over the years. In these pages, one can see the breadth and versatility of his creations with designs inspired by harlequins and the Carnival of Venice, Pop Art and Mondrian, and the cultures of Asia, Africa, and beyond. Colourists have much breadth and versatility to design creations of their own, with the accompaniment of full-colour photos of the dresses for reference.
This book is produced in conjunction with the Fondation Pierre Berge-Yves Saint Laurent, dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of the House of Yves Saint Laurent.
JEAN COCTEAU COLOURING BOOK
The Jean Cocteau Coloring Book brings the fanciful, elegant world of artist, playwright, and filmmaker Jean Cocteau to life, serving as a primer on the work of this inspiring artist.
As a playwright, Cocteau is best known for The Human Voice (1930); as a filmmaker, he directed Beauty and the Beast (1946) and Orpheus (1948). A prominent member of the Paris avant-garde (1910s), he formed friendships and professional relationships with Picasso, Stravinsky, Gide, and more. His paintings and graphic art were playful, fantastical expressions exploring mythological themes and subjects, personal portraits, and domestic scenes.
Cocteau’s graphic drawings are ready to be coloured in, alongside original illustrations for reference. Also included are images from the original film poster for Beauty and the Beast, playful doodles that Cocteau included in letters to his lover Jean Marais, and drawings of Parisien women, cats, sleeping figures, circus performers, and other figures emanating from Cocteau’s imagination. For the Silo, Cynara Geissler.
Yves Saint Laurent Coloring Book
ISBN: 978-1-551526-39-3
$12.95 list USD | CDN
US distribution by Consortium
Canadian distribution by UTP
Canadian sales by Ampersand Inc.
Jean Cocteau Coloring Book
ISBN:978-1-55156-40-9
$12.95 list USD | CDN
US distribution by Consortium
Canadian distribution by UTP
Canadian sales by Ampersand Inc.
The Brant Community Charity Airshow is a little gem for aviation buffs and each year, on the Wednesday before the Labor Day Weekend, fans have a chance to see and hear something unexpected either in the sky or up close on the ground. This time around I decided to walk to the eastern limit of the ground space- I hadn’t expected to find one of my personal favorites – the de Havilland Vampire Jet Fighter.
Waterloo Warbirds Team Coordinator Ramona Ostrander and the de Havilland Vampire.
Ramona Ostrander explained what makes this World War 2 era jet (the Vampire first flew in 1944) so special.
One of the early (but not earliest) analog modular Moog synthesizers.
Original vinyl recordings of popular music provide a rich source of data to supplement other historical research. Vintage recordings and associated liner notes provide details about the chronologic, geographic, biographic, and artistic elements that contribute to an understanding of music, music technology, and popular culture of the time.
Information derived from a study of vinyl music recordings can fortify and supplement their forms of research in popular culture, artists, and music.
[Did you know that many early recordings of the Moog synthesizer went uncredited? The Beatles used a modular Moog synthesizer for featured tracks on their Abbey Road LP]
Dr. Robert “Bob” Moog- designer and architect of mainstream synthesizers.
H. Richard Milner, a professor, noted researcher and expert on race in education at the University of Pittsburgh believes that “education is the key to addressing inequity and racism in society” and if we are not “working in education to combat racism, we are complicit in maintaining inequity and the status quo.” Are teachers prepared and willing to take this on? Milner notes that teachers “can struggle with tools to advance justice-centered curriculum and instructional opportunities that work against racism” and therefore education programs for teachers must support them “in developing knowledge and skills in ways that centralize race so that students can examine both localized and global perspectives and worldviews.” Additionally, school administrators and policies must be in place that “advance agendas that encourage and expect race-central learning opportunities and especially discourse.” Beyond these stakeholders, Milner recommends that students, community members, families and parents be part of the learning discourse “providing perspectives about their own worlds and experiences.”
This month we opened up the conversation on racism in education to our global Millennial Bloggers. The Millennial Bloggers are based all over the world. They are innovators in entrepreneurship, journalism, education, entertainment, health and well-being and academic scholarship. We asked them: Do we need to talk more about racism in Education?
“When I was 14, in our first class of Literature in English, I remember our teacher saying, rather solemnly, that our subject is called Literature in English, rather than English Literature,” writes Bonnie Chiu. “It was a moment of enlightenment for me. It instilled in me this critical mindset, this yearning to challenge the status quo; and it gave me a sense of agency.”
“We can’t afford to defer the conversation about white supremacy for even a single moment longer. It has proven itself to be the most obstinate social institution in the entire history of America,” writes Francisco Hernandez. “How could we even possibly think we could fight something so tough if we can’t even talk about what it means to fight it?”
“Any nation that can stomach the principle of caste, which is the most brutal ‘classification’ of human beings based on birth anywhere in the world, cannot help but differentiate, and differentiate repeatedly, on the basis of every parameter society can construct in a desperate and insular bid to separate ‘us’ from ‘them’,” writes Harmony Siganporia. “Nothing short of critical pedagogical interventions which would overhaul what we consider to be the very purpose of our educational system, and the resources to channel these interventions into more meaningful curricular design, can help us change these terms of engagement.”
“Textbooks were created by people who lived in a racist society,” writes Jacob Navarrete. “I’m telling you there are better tools. I’d be happy to help you learn how to use them. There is a big world to build outside the cave and we could use your help. It might hurt at first, just like the light does when you exit a dark cave.”
“Racism cannot be explained or understood properly without incorporating a discussion about privilege,” writes Dominique Dryding. “Until educational institutions take the lived experiences of their student bodies seriously and recognize that racism does not only include name calling and physical exclusion, racism in schools and universities will not end.”
Guest Blogger Salathia Carr writes, “Racism is not something that can be swept under the rug. After so much sweeping, your rug becomes distorted. People have become so desensitized regarding racism and injustices because they truly do not know what it is like. Judgment is very easy to make when you’re not living that way. But, if we force discussions about inequality from the very first history class we take, you cannot avoid it.” For the Silo, C.M. Rubin.
The Millennial Bloggers are Alusine Barrie, Sajia Darwish, James Kernochan, Kamna Kathuria, Jacob Deleon Navarrete, Reetta Heiskanen, Shay Wright, Isadora Baum, Wilson Carter III, Francisco Hernandez, Erin Farley, Dominique Alyssa Dryding, Harry Glass, Harmony Siganporia and Bonnie Chiu.
Top Row: C.M. Rubin, Alusine Barrie, Sajia Darwish, James Kernochan
We live in one of the most politically heated times in history. Expressing your point of view is a personal decision and can be tricky. Although conversations may start out benign, they can quickly become a toxic dialogue.
Sharon Schweitzer, an international etiquette expert, author, and the founder of Access to Culture, says there are several “do’s and dont’s” to make sure polite political discourse doesn’t turn into hostile debates.
DO
Show respect for differing opinions
It can be challenging to listen to those with different opinions. It’s important to show respect and take time to listen, giving the other person the opportunity to share their viewpoints. The Platinum rule encourages treating others as they wish to be treated. Stay calm, collected and respectful.
Agree to disagree
If their opinions are different from your views, you can agree to disagree. Try saying something along the lines of, “I respect your perspective, but I think we may need to agree to disagree” or “That’s a different way of thinking about the issue, but I’m comfortable if you and I can agree to disagree.”
Ask questions
If someone asks you a question about your political beliefs, you can reciprocate by asking them about their own beliefs. Let the other person do the talking while you listen. Try to ask open-ended questions such as, “What are your thoughts on the current political atmosphere?” or “How do you feel about the media’s portrayal of …?”
Change the subject
If someone continues to ask your opinion, change the topic by saying: “It’s impossible to keep track of the different versions of the news. How is your family doing by the way?” “With the divisive political atmosphere, I’m not comfortable sharing my personal opinions, but thank you for your interest.” “I can’t answer that question, but what I can discuss is… ”
DON’T
Get angry, cross or upset
It can be difficult to keep your temper, but don’t get angry or upset if you don’t agree with someone’s viewpoints. Expressing sarcasm, bitterness or passive aggressiveness won’t change any minds. It will only damage your reputation.
Talk over them
The worst thing you could do is interrupt conversation and start talking about your own opinion. Be respectful of other opinions and views. Listen attentively, especially when you don’t agree with that viewpoint. It gets easier the more you practice.
Overshare
Politics is a difficult conversation, particularly with family members and close friends. If you are speaking to someone you’ve just met, refrain from oversharing. In this case, less is more. Avoid saying something you will later regret.
Make assumptions
We make mental notes when we first meet someone new. We make a first impression based on hair, shoes, watch, clothing, mannerisms, etc. However, political views are hidden unless they are shared verbally or by wearing a revealing detail. It’s important to approach people with an open mind to avoid awkward and potentially toxic conversations.
For the Silo, Scott Jones.
Featured image- http://ashleylewis-oldmeetsnew.blogspot.ca/
Opened as the Temple Theatre on December 22, 1919, the centre was originally designed as a vaudeville and silent movie house. Opening night premiered with five acts of vaudeville and the silent movie “Heart of the Hills” starring Mary Pickford. As one of the premiere theatres in Canada at the time, the Temple was a “first-run” film house attracting films from all the major distributors.
The local orchestra members started collecting promotional photos of the acts who performed at the theatre and glued them to the walls, the doors, and the sides of their sheet music cabinets. Many of these photos were salvaged during renovations of the orchestra pit and are on display throughout the lobbies today, along with photos of our more recent performers.
The Temple Theatre was renamed the Capitol in the early 1930s. For fifty-seven years, the theatre entertained moviegoers, and occasionally drew up her movie screen to be used again as a stage. As the years passed, attendance waned and in August 1986, the final movie “One Crazy Summer” was shown at the Capitol Theatre.
The vision of reopening the theatre as a performing arts facility was born and was met with fantastic support from local citizens. The Brantford Heritage Theatre Foundation spearheaded a highly successful fundraising campaign for the restoration and renovation of the Capitol Theatre. The first performance was Evita on October 2, 1986, tickets sold out quickly and two more performances were added. On December 11, 1989, the theatre was renamed the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts, a tribute to the memory of the Sanderson family known for their generous support of local causes.
The original ceiling mural (shown above this article’s title) was reproduced aided by ghost images which remained and historical photographs. It is believed the mural is titled “The Three Muses” depicting Greek goddesses who preside over literature, sciences, and the arts. Canada’s premiere performer Anne Murray officially opened the newly restored theatre on September 8, 1990, with a gala presentation.
In June, 1991 the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts was proud to be awarded the prestigious “Theatre Preservation Award” presented by the League of Historic American Theatres. The Sanderson Centre joins a select few authentically restored historic facilities including Carnegie Hall in New York and the Elgin Winter Garden Theatres in Toronto.
Amid the grandeur of 1919, the theatre inspires all to treasure the past and cherish the present. The Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts, together with the Sanderson Centre Foundation, continues to honour our heritage. We invite you to enjoy the archival collection of photographs and memorabilia showcased in the lower lobby.
As we approach our 100th anniversary there will be many celebrations and events during the year.
2015’s historic JFK 50th assassination Special was a riveting and powerful demonstration of media technology. We co-hosted the CBS feature which “rebroadcast” their original assassination television coverage in real-time, fully and completely. Every detail was reproduced exactly as it was shown on that fateful day- even the interruption of a certain soap opera with the first “bulletin” announcement. Live internet coverage began at 1:38 EDT exactly 50 years to the minute of the initial CBS news broadcasts.
If you have any #JFK thoughts (perhaps you even remember that fateful day)- or if you watch the archived live stream please share your feelings by commenting below at the end of this post. We will respect all requests for anonymity.
In the meantime, you may want to view Newsmax TV documentary: “I killed JFK” claiming to showcase a newly revealed “confessed killer”. In 1978 a US Congressional Investigation into Kennedy’s death determined that there were likely more than one shooter/killer.
JFK visits Ottawa 1961:
@CBSNews live tweeting during this historical rebroadcast event- image:CBS Twitter
The Holocaust was a time of devastation, hate and corruption and is considered one of the most terrible events in human history.
While the horror and mass extermination of more than six million Jews is known as fact around the world, it is more than just history to Arthur Weisze— it is his most vivid and harrowing memory.
“The most appropriate tribute that we can pay to the victims of the Holocaust is to never let the world forget that it happened,” says Danna Horwood, Executive Director at Margaret’s Legacy. “Education is a vital tool to ensure it is not forgotten and to remind generations why we cannot allow history to repeat itself.”
Margaret’s Legacy is an umbrella agency that seeks to provide Holocaust education through tools such as the documentary ‘Margaret and Arthur’s Story’. This thirty-five minute film chronicles Margaret and Arthur Weiszes’ experiences during WWII, their escape from Hungary to Canada and their new life in Hamilton, Ontario—told through the eyes of Arthur and Weisz’s descendants.
In an effort to give younger audiences a better understanding of what happened during the Holocaust and its lingering effects, the documentary addresses the themes of courage, survival and love, and educates youth about the need for tolerance and kindness in the world.
Image: Europe-Israel.com
“As we approach Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, [Full name is Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah CP] it is important to listen to the stories of those who lived and experienced this tragic time,” adds Danna. “It will become harder as time goes by, to learn from first-hand experiences and to truly feel the impact that the Holocaust had on six-million Jews and their families.”
Danna Horwood and her youngest daughter Jamie Rose (both descendants of Margaret and Arthur Weisz) will present to community members at the Hamilton Hebrew Academy on May 5th. Margaret and Arthur’s Story’ will also be screened. For the Silo, Lauren Dam
Margaret’s Legacy is an umbrella agency that seeks to provide holocaust education through tools such as the documentary ‘Margaret and Arthur’s Story’. Using their harrowing, yet inspirational story as a backdrop, Margaret and Arthur’s Story is a documentary produced specifically for young viewers to educate them about the Holocaust, its impact and why we cannot allow history to repeat itself.
Canadian Pacific: Creating A Brand, Building A Nation, the forthcoming luxury coffee table book from School of Design of the Université du Québec à Montréal professor emeritus Marc H. Choko and Callisto Publishers. The private railway corporation that united Canada and built the world’s greatest transportation system, Canadian Pacific broke boundaries with its powerful commercial design.
A gorgeous new full-colour, 384-page hardcover from leading design book publisher Callisto, Canadian Pacific: Creating A Brand, Building A Nation [November 15 2015] reveals the intriguing story of the private railway company that united Canada politically – and became, for a time, the world’s greatest and most diverse transportation system. Written by Marc H. Choko – professor emeritus at the School of Design of the Université du Québec à Montréal and an honorary member of the Société des designers graphiques du Québec – Canadian Pacific weaves a concise and compelling narrative recapitulating the first 100 years of the company’s history, beginning in the 1880s. Brought to life by hundreds of advertisements, illustrations, designs, photos, and historical documents – many of which have never been published before – Canadian Pacific is more than a beautiful book: it is an indispensible testamentto one of the greatest achievements of entrepreneurship the world has ever seen.
“The history of Canada is inseparable from the history of Canadian Pacific,” writes publisher Matthias C. Hühne in the book’s preface. “A distinct Canadian national identity was still in its infancy in the 19th century, and various stereotypes linked with Canada today are the direct result of decisions made by these artists and Canadian Pacific’s publicity executives.” From adventurous world travelers to potential immigrants considering a move to Canada, Canadian Pacific tells the important and unforgettable story of the impact this private corporation has had on a nation’s economic development and image – and will be a welcome addition to the bookcases, coffee tables, and cottages of history buffs, art lovers, and aesthetes alike.
Marc Choko
Among the topics author Marc H. Choko is currently interested in and researching are: Beavers, Banff and propaganda: how commercial design helped a disparate, newly formed nation understand its place in the world and forge an identity. This is Canada: the romanticism and beauty of the images Canadian Pacific’s publicity department produced, and their immeasurable impact on the way Canada is perceived domestically and throughout the world Immigration and colonization: Canadian Pacific’s little-known history of facilitating the process of coming to Canada for hundreds of thousands of citizens. The eminent artists behind Canadian Pacific’s publicity materials: why we cannot separate the interplay of commercial interest and high culture.
About the Author: Marc H. Choko, author of Canadian Pacific: Creating a Brand, Building a Nation is professor emeritus at the School of Design of the Université du Québec à Montréal and former director of the university’s Design Centre. He is also a former research director at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique Urbanisation, Culture et Société. Choko earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in planning from the Université de Montréal and a doctorate in urban planning from the Université de Paris VIII. He is the author of numerous publications on graphic design, urbandevelopment and housing, and has curated many exhibitions that toured internationally. Choko is an honorary member of the Société des designers graphiques du Québec.
About the Publisher:Berlin-based Callisto Publishers selects topics from the fields of design, art, and architecture that are especially well suited to be represented by a printed book, rather than an electronic medium, aspiring to create printed works of perfect quality in terms of content, design, and production. Strong contemporary design requires solid knowledge of the designs and methods of the past. Which designs endured, which did not, and why? Callisto’s books analyze trends of the past that are relevant for understanding design today and in the future. Website: https://www.callisto-publishers.com/
About Canadian Pacific: The Standard Edition of Canadian Pacific: Creating A Brand, Building A Nation will be released this month, and retail for $80CAD / $70USD. The Premium Edition – a larger and technically more sophisticated version, packaged in a hand-crafted collector’s case with a wood veneer cover symbolizing the natural beauty of Canada, and containing additional images and Pantone colours and finishes not included in the Standard Edition – will be released in April 2016 and retail for $720CAD / $600 USD.
Levallois lithic technology in the USA? The cores tell the story by Richard Doninger EDS. DISCLAIMER- We reproduce here a portion of our disclaimer from Doninger’s PCN Part1 article. Doninger’s collection is controversial and may indeed be a mix of genuine artifacts and geofacts.
One of the primary reasons to look at his material is the story he tells. It is one that the founders, members, and many readers of PCN (click here)are very familiar with. It involves a mainstream science community that is so dogmatic in its beliefs that it is willing to both block evidence or not even look at evidence that might challenge those beliefs. These beliefs include that there were no genuinely ancient people in the Americas and that early people throughout the world were less intelligent than us.
The idea that Lower, Middle, or Early Upper Paleolithic-style tools (in the European archaeology sense) are present in the Americas and mainstream resistance to the possibility is something that founding members geologist Virginia Steen-McIntyre (volcanic ash specialist), archaeologist Chris Hardaker, and geologist, the late Sam L. VanLandingham (diatomist) are/were all too familiar with as are also copy editors Tom Baldwin and David Campbell. This is not to mention the layout editor’s experience of censorship regarding evidence disproving cognitive evolution.
So, in a field where censorship of challenging evidence is routine—anthropology—virtually every proclamation the field makes needs to be questioned. One thing that we can be certain of is that once someone becomes “professional” in this field, in all likelihood, they will already be strongly opinionated regarding what is possible.
Dr. Steen-McIntyre, who started this regular feature section of PCN make it as a means to encourage avocational archaeologists and to help them raise the bar above the mere collecting of artifacts (the easy part) to adopting as many professional practices as possible especially in the recording and presenting of their finds. While Doninger’s artifacts are all surface collected, with few specific details of their discoveries recorded he does, nonetheless, present an interesting case that Levallois technology was established and varied in the southwest Indiana (c. Evansville) region.
Our publishing of Rick’s series is not an endorsement of his collection per se, but a reminder that we in the U.S. need to hold our anthropologists accountable as objective scientists, and, like in the field of astronomy, take the contributions of its amateur enthusiasts with a degree of interest.
In Part 1, I shared the story of my initial experience in trying to get input from the mainstream American archaeology community regarding Levallois artifacts including cores I have found in southwest Indiana (e.g., Fig.1) They repeatedly told me that such lithic technology wasn’t present in this country. After many years of research and communication with many professionals, I came to realize a few things that I wasn’t aware of. The first thing is that just because someone is an archaeologist by profession it does not mean that they have any expertise in lithic technology from prehistoric times.
The second is that just because an archaeologist has expertise in Native American lithic technology, does not mean they have any knowledge about lithic technology of early man such as that found abroad, e.g., “Levallois.” This leads to the third and most disappointing which is that many mainstream archaeologists will pretend to know a great deal more about the subject than they actually do and, often, rather than admit that they don’t will fall into simply towing the party line and coming back with a standard mainstream answer should you offer them any kind of evidence that challenges their long held beliefs such as about our origins or how old were the “first Americans” or who might they have been.
I guess one lesson I have learned well is that PhD B.S. is still discernible as B.S. even to a window cleaner such as myself and even though the attempt to camouflage it in scholarly data is present.
After almost two decades of inquiry and research on early lithic technology it seems to me that there is still very little known by American archaeologists about what is considered late Lower or Middle Paleolithic technology such as that found in sites abroad which are “usually” associated with Neanderthal occupations. The terms “Acheulian,” “Mousterian,” or “Levallois” all seem to produce perplexed looks when mentioned in most archaeologist circles and among those who are considered experts in the area of ancient flint tools and flint knapping.
Having said all of these things, I would like to share a bit from an amateur perspective on the subject. I mentioned in my last PCN article that I was told by lithic experts abroad that the only way to identify Levallois lithic reduction was to have some of the cores from which the proposed Levallois flake tools were struck.
Levallois cores are very distinct in appearance and are rarely mistaken for later type technologies such as those blade cores from what is considered the Upper Paleolithic.
There are at least four known core preps which I have found to be considered Levallois which yield several different flake types used in producing a fairly wide variety of tools found from what is considered the late Lower and Middle Paleolithic. All of these are unmistakably different from the American Clovis and later technologies commonly found in the USA.
Those four include the most commonly described “tortoise” (refer to Fig. 1, above), the “centripetal or discoidal” (refer to Fig.2, above),“triangular or chapeau de gendarme,” and the “blocky” core (see Fig.3 below)- all of which yield a very specific type of tool which are similar in morphology and are mostly made on flakes rather than blades (which are the hallmark of most known Native American technologies).
When archaeologists or collectors discover lithic scatters or “debitage” left from Clovis or later archaic tool production it is very recognizable to the trained eye familiar with Native American tool industries. The same applies with Levallois technology and the debitage produced from it. It is unmistakable to the trained eye but can remain virtually invisible to the eye programmed to see Clovis and later evidence, which seems to have been the case for decades now among American archaeologists. They have been recognizing only the evidence that they have been trained to see. That can now change as there is sufficient evidence in enough quantity to recognize what has been considered late Lower and Middle Paleolithic technology all over the world and is now available for analysis here in the USA.
If “the cores tell the story” it can now be told because we have the cores! For this article I have included an example of each core preparation as well as an example point tool (see Fig.4 below) made on Levallois flakes from such cores. A close look at the cores will reveal the negative triangular scars from where triangular flakes were struck revealing the method of reduction.
Levallois lithic reduction has been shown to be a more productive method of tool making in general than the later blade technologies as a wider range of tools can be produced by making the tools on flakes rather than blades. Contrary to the most commonly held belief that later blade technologies such as Clovis or Solutrean were more advanced, I personally believe the Levallois reduction resulted in a much wider range of tools from the same basic core preps which leave one to conclude that it is actually more advanced and complex than those who are assumed to have come later in history.
Over the last several years I have witnessed many who claim expertise in flint knapping who are able to produce virtually every kind of Native American “arrowhead” or bifacial blade tool commonly seen within the known Clovis or later tool industries. Some talented knappers can produce a very fine Clovis point in a matter of minutes and other arrowheads present little challenge in reproduction; but rare are the ones who can reproduce Levallois tools. How the flakes are struck so systematically and consistently from the same core preparation remains a mystery to most. One simply cannot appreciate the complexity of the industry without having such an industry to observe and most American archaeologists have never seen much less handled tools from an actual Levallois assemblage.
We have in recent years witnessed various claims of alleged “pre-Clovis” tools having been found. There are the tools from Meadowcroft Rock Shelter, Buttermilk Creek, Paisley Cave, Cactus Hill, Topper and others, each producing artifacts believed by the finders to represent cultures living here prior to those which produced the famed Clovis industry.
Unlike Clovis technology which has been found in sufficient quantity to establish an identifiable industry, none of the alleged pre-Clovis artifacts have been proven to be of an identifiable technology which has been seen anywhere else in the world in contexts believed to be older than Clovis, leaving only speculation and theory in regard to an actual identifiable “industry” to accompany the claims of a “pre-Clovis” origin.
This is not the case in regard to the assemblages of Levallois artifacts such as the ones being found in as many as eight different states now. These collections clearly display a specific identifiable technology commonly found in sites around the world which are always believed to be from contexts thousands of years older than any yet recorded in the USA. The scholarly critics of “pre-Clovis” claims often use the reasoning that none of the sites have produced a “coherent set of lithic artifacts” to justify the claims.
Having seen much of the lithic evidence from the sites such as Buttermilk Creek and Meadowcroft, I can understand the reluctance to welcome such scant evidence to support the claims because of the absence of a recognizable technology.
Levallois technology is not ambiguous when it is found, regardless of the location. The name is the first indicator in the process of identification…”prepared core.” When such cores are found, identification of the “industry” can begin and an understanding of the actual “technology” becomes comprehensive.
Although I am only showing a few cores and point tools in this article, there are hundreds more in my possession to support my claims of an actual “industry” based on Levallois reduction.
As I have stated previously, I am making no claims regarding the age of these artifacts but rather the “technology” of the tools which is clearly paralleled in the later Acheulian and Middle Paleolithic Mousterian industries of the Old World.
Although the images shown are some of the basic cores and points of the industry, there are also dozens of other tool types present in our assemblages such as burins, blades, hand axes, bolas, scrapers, planes, awls, ochers and effigies. Tools made on the cores themselves are also common, displaying the life of the core and its utilization as different tools during the reduction process of extracting flakes for points, blades and other utensils.
Although considered and labeled as “primitive man” technology when found abroad to support the proposed “out of Africa” human migration theory, I disagree with such labels and assumptions in regard to this technology. Levallois reduction obviously requires both planning and skillful execution to produce such an industry in such an efficient use of available lithic material resources.
The presence of what has been called “old world” technology here in the USA clearly shows that what is being taught in regard to our origins as a nation is wrong and needs to be acknowledged by those who are promoting such error. The evidence is as solid as the rock from which it is hewn. For the Silo (from PCN Vol7 Issue3)- Richard Doninger, a surface-artifact collector living in Evansville southwest Indiana.
Eds. Comment- Rick makes a very interesting case for a lithic technology that appears to be little-known to archaeologists in the U.S. There is still the problem that the artifacts are not documented as to the exact context of each, which, unfortunately, limits the value of the specimens.
However, if the technology is as abundant as Rick’s collection suggests, we simply recommend that he “re-collect” duplicate examples from specific locations with an exacting record of what he has found and where.
Avocational archaeology is a special section of Pleistocene Coalition News started by PC founding member, Dr. Virginia Steen-McIntyre, to encourage amateur archaeologists.
Truth and Reconciliation Report – One Oneida Woman’s Perspective
Indian Residential Schools are a large part of Canadian History. I use the present tense. Every Canadian lives with the fallout of these schools which were to, “Kill the Indian in the Child.” Cultural Genocide the TRC [Truth and Reconciliation Commission CP] says in its opening paragraph.
In Canada, we think it a right and obligation for our children to come home safe. We kiss them on the first day of school, knowing that we will see them again when school is finished. How would you feel if your child never came home?
Rather than empathy or acknowledgement of the past, we are told to, “Just get over it.”
Before colonization, we had no abuse, no addictions. We had no poor. Our needs were met- meaning we were one of the richest people on earth (thank you, Professor John Milloy for pointing that out to me).
I have been told that, “Since the Jews got over the Holocaust that we should just get over it.” That is insulting to both me and those who are Jewish.
Get over it.
First Nations communities suffer from the effects of the Residential Schools by having Intergenerational Trauma. We alone are not the only people who have this. Those with a family history of addictions, or abuse, or neglect feel the same effects. We had a generation or two of people who did not see parenting. They saw institutionalized abuse. How could they possibly know how to parent when they left school?
Without proper healing sources in place, and without feeling stuck in the anger, hurt, and pain which comes from Trauma, no one recovers from it.
I can only speak for myself. My grandfather went to the Mush Hole in Brantford, Ontario. He was a bright student, plus when home, he spoke a couple of the Native Languages on our Six Nations Reserve. I am very proud of that.
However, while he says he (personally) was not sexually abused, he had friends who were. He was not allowed to speak his languages at school. He was denied medical care while at school, which caused permanent damage to his brain. My bright and intelligent grandfather became stuck in the poverty cycle. And, the addictions cycle. He couldn’t cope without the structure which was forced on him at school. He couldn’t function well on the reserve. What the school taught his was agriculture. He worked the tobacco fields when he could. Then, he was on welfare.
On top of his mental capabilities, the alcohol killed him inside. Because of him, my mother was raised in a non-Native foster home, not knowing she was Oneida until she was 18. Her foster home denied her access to knowledge of her family on the reserve which was 10 minutes away.
My mom’s foster family did the best they could according to the times. In the 1940’s and 1950’s, it was best to be seen bringing up a little Indian girl in a good Christian family, a family which included a foster father who also had an addictions issue.
Her upbringing effected how I was raised. She also did the best she could. She tried her best to be a good mom, a mom who loved and cared for her own biological children. But also kept them at bay emotionally. She did not know how to really bond as a mom.
Because of the Residential School, my mom did not learn how to properly parent. As for me, I looked for parents I could follow. I am doing the best I can. I hope I my kids do better.
I hope my kids see that while I am Oneida, that does not make me less-than a full person. I hope they see that the Oneida blood that we share is a privilege, something to be honoured and respected. I hope they see it as something that bonds us to other First Nations people around Turtle Island. We are a strong people. We didn’t die. We learned how to survive. Now, we are striving to learn how to live in peace again.
For, you see, the Residential Schools did not kill the Indian in the child. Even with the horrific events which happened, we did not die. We are blossoming as a rose. We will overcome and heal.
Anger needs to be let go. Treaties need to be upheld. If the Canadian government did not want to fulfill the treaties, why were they included in the Canadian Constitution? They are a matter of law. Deal with it, Harper. We don’t expect handouts. We need the highest levels of Canadian law respected and enforced. The government needs to honour their obligations which they proposed, agreed to, and reinforced in the Constitution in 1982.
There is Truth – they tried to kill us off. Now, please, let there be Reconciliation. We all need to acknowledge the past and present to make a future which honours the laws of Our Lands. We agreed to share our land for the benefit of all, not to be killed off. Let us all honour our agreements. For the Silo, Stephanie MacDonald
The Qur’anic Concept of War (1979) is one of “4 core texts of jihadists” today. US military officials are finding summaries of it in various languages on captured and killed jihadists. Written by Pakistani Brigadier General S. K. Malik with the first English Indian reprint edition published by Himalayan Books in 1986. This is more than just a study of the military campaigns of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad between 610-630 A.D. against the various tribes inhabiting Saudi Arabia, and those who refused to pay protection-taxes to Muhammad. This book religiously reviews and quotes from the Muslim’s Holy Book: the Qur’an/Koran, detailing how Allah outlined the principles of Islamic warfare.
Author/ Brigadier General S. K Malik
The Qur’an — the Book of Allah, according to Islamic teaching, the Qur’an came down as a series of scriptures from Allah through the Archangel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad, who then dictated it to his followers. The early revelations were peaceful, but the Qur’an’s commandments to Muslims to wage war in the name of Allah against non-Muslims are unmistakable. They are, furthermore, absolutely authoritative as they were revealed late in the Prophet’s career and so cancel out and replace earlier instructions to act peaceably when weak. In 630, Muhammad and his forces marched to Mecca and defeated its defenders The Prophet rededicated the Ka’ba temple to Allah, and witnessed the conversion to Islam of nearly the entire Meccan population. Muhammad died in 632, having conquered nearly all of Arabia for Islam. Within 100 years of Muhammad’s death, Islam had reached the Atlantic in one direction and the borders of China in the other.
Westerners who manage to pick up a translation of the Qur’an are often left bewildered as to its meaning thanks to ignorance of a critically important principle of Qur’anic interpretation known as “abrogation.” The principle of abrogation that directs that verses revealed later in Muhammad’s career to “abrogate” — i.e., cancel and replace — earlier ones whose instructions they may contradict. Thus, passages revealed later in Muhammad’s career when his Army was successful in Medina, overrule peaceful passages revealed earlier, in Mecca.
Consider Qur’an 9:5, commonly referred to as the “Verse of the Sword”, revealed toward the end of Muhammad’s life: 9:5. When the Sacred Months (the 1st, 7th, 11th, and 12th months of the Islamic calendar) have passed, then kill the Mushrikun {unbelievers} wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and prepare for them each and every ambush. But if they repent and perform As-Salat {the Islamic ritual prayers}, and give Zakat {alms}, then leave their way free. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Having been revealed later in Muhammad’s life than 50:45, 109, and 2:256, the Verse of the Sword abrogates their peaceful injunctions in accordance with 2:106. Sura 8, revealed shortly before Sura 9, reveals a similar theme:
8:39. And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and. worshipping others besides Allah) and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone. But if they cease (worshipping others besides Allah), then certainly, Allah is All-Seer of what they do.
8:67. It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.
9:29. Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. The Qur’an itself lays out the principle of abrogation: Without knowledge of the principle of abrogation, Westerners will continue to misread the Qur’an and misdiagnose Islam as a “religion of peace.” For the Silo George Filer. Filer’s Files #05-2015
Phil Czerwinski of Perth, Australia and director of “Heritage Western Australia” an archaeological consultant company focusing on the survey of indigenous rock art, archaeological, and ethnographic sites in Western Australia came to learn about archaeology in southern Ontario. Phil arrived in Haldimand-Norfolk County July 4-11, 2014 to participate in an archaeological exchange with the Haldimand Norfolk Archaeological Regional Project (HNARP).
Phil was kind enough to take time from his schedule in Canada to answer a few questions about his experiences with archaeology in southern Ontario.
1. What kind of archaeology do you conduct in Western Australia?
I’m an archaeologist who does a lot of work in Western Australia. We have lots of cool archaeology such as artefact scatters, rock art, and caves with human occupation dating back 40,000 years ago. My main interest is in how hunter-gatherers use the landscape, and how these settlement patterns are shown in archaeological sites. Much of my work is for mining companies.
2. What interested you to come to Ontario and participate in this regional project?
I came to do fieldwork with the Haldimand Norfolk Archaeological Research Project (HNARP) in Ontario because Lorenz and I worked together in Australia a few years ago. He told me about his project and I thought it would be a great idea to see how things are done in Canada.
3. In Haldimand-Norfolk County much of the archaeology is conducted on private lands. When does your company deal with private land owners to access properties to conduct your archaeological work?
We do not do too much work on private lands as most of the work is on Crown Land, which is why I was interested in coming to see how HNARP relates to local landowners. What instantly impressed me during my time in the field with HNARP was the level of community engagement with the landowners and other stakeholders such as collectors. The way Lorenz Bruechert, Project Director spoke respectfully with them, listened to their concerns about accessing fields in crop, handling their precious artefact collections, and making sure the communication was a two way street was refreshing to experience. To have a beer and ‘talk turkey’ (in our case pigs) with landowners was wonderful. The fact that landowners and interested people get newsletter updates on HNARP is a great information sharing initiative.
4. HNARP attempts to develop long term relationships with land owners in an effort to develop community archaeology. When do consultant companies like Heritage Western Australia have an opportunity to develop community archaeology with their clients or within communities where development is planned?
Our archaeology is mostly mining based, so our relationships are with the companies and the Aboriginal groups on whose lands the mining companies want to mine. Often these turn into long term relationships, which have their ups and downs. We aim for sustainability in heritage; where we all get something out of the process.
5. How do corporations support community archaeology in Western Australia?
The main corporate interest in archaeology where I work is based on the approvals process, where heritage is often viewed as another box to check in the mining process. Some of the bigger mining companies do it differently, and sponsor larger regional studies in order to understand the Aboriginal heritage.
An Agate Basin paleo (ice age) projectile point- types studied by HNARP
6. How do you see a regional archaeological study different or similar to how consultant archaeology is conducted in Australia?
There are long term goals in the type of regional study that HNARP is doing, whereas consultancy based archaeology often does not share this goal and is a get in and out quick approach to archaeology.
7. What benefits did you see in a regional study compared to consultant archaeology?
There are many benefits. By developing relationships with landowners HNARP can give something to the community that consultancy often does not – that being a sense of communal ownership and responsibility for regional heritage. It sheds light on large areas and hunter-gatherer settlement patterns across time and space.
8. The HNARP works collaboratively and in co-operation with land owners to engage them in public archaeology to protect archaeological sites and artifacts from destruction and permanent loss. What opportunities are there to conduct similar practices in for archaeological sites and artifacts in Australia?
Much of our work involves working with Aboriginal people and mining companies to manage archaeological sites for a win-win solutions. Mining takes up land, and archaeological sites are so prevalent in the Pilbara region of Western Australia where I work that this involves destroying sites. Here the aim is ensuring everyone is informed on what is going on, and when sites are to be destroyed they are done so in a culturally sensitive manner and in line with legislative requirements.
9. What finals comments would you like to share with Silo readers about your experiences with HNARP?
It is not easy to tell people about the ins and outs of archaeology in a way they can understand what you are trying to achieve, but being a local Lorenz understands the landowner’s issues and communicates in a down to earth manner. He works to develop long term relationships with landowners. This is rare in archaeology, be it in Australia or anywhere in the world. We have lots of stone artefact sites in Western Australia, although we do not have the nice artefacts such as arrowheads you folks have. To see these local treasures being studied in a project that is solely funded by the researcher is again uncommon.
Archaeology is archaeology anywhere in the world, but people are people. They have interests and issues that should never be over-ridden in the pursuit of academic studies. With the goal to put archaeology back into the community, HNARP is unique and deserves local support. After all, who best to understand the Haldimand-Norfolk area than an archaeologist who was raised and grew up a local farmer. Thanks for this opportunity to share my experiences about archaeology in southern Ontario. CP
TORONTO, December 2013 – The Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, recently launched pan-Canadian consultations to seek Canadians’ views on how they would like to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
“Canada’s 150th celebrations will give us the opportunity to reflect on all the things that make Canada the united, prosperous and free country it is today,” said Minister Glover. “I invite all Canadians across our great country to tell us how they would like to celebrate in 2017.”
The Government of Canada will undertake extensive consultations, with meetings being planned throughout Canada. The consultations kicked off today with a roundtable in Toronto, where Minister Glover met with community leaders to discuss their perspective on Canada’s approaching milestone anniversary. Additional roundtables in other communities will be announced at a later date.
At the same time, Canadians are invited to participate in the consultations through an online questionnaire at Canada.ca/150 or Canada150.gc.ca.
Over the next four years, on the Road to 2017, celebrations will mark key historic milestones that have defined our country. In 2014, commemorations will include the centennial of the start of the First World War, the 75th anniversary of the start of the Second World War, the bicentennial of Sir George-Étienne Cartier’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown and Québec Conferences. For the Silo, Eva Salter
BRANTFORD, ON –– The Woodland Cultural Centre is proud to announce the launch of their first exhibit for 2013, “Spirit of Community: People and Neighbourhoods”. This all-new exhibit will officially open Monday January 21st, 2013.
Exploring the heart of Six Nations, this exciting exhibit examines the community, people, places and landscape that make it so unique. Featured in this exhibit are some of the finest examples from Woodland’s historical photography archive, as well as contemporary works by artists Anthony Henhawk Jr, Patricia Hess, Brenda Mitten, and Shelley Niro. The contemporary and historical material work together to create an engaging look at the Six Nations community.
An historical council house photograh from the Woodland historical photography collection.
“Understanding the roots of a community is so important to understanding it as a whole”, said Janis Monture, Executive Director of the Woodland Cultural Centre. “With the help of these amazing artists, I feel that we’ve been able to create a comprehensive portrait of Six Nations and its people.”
Running until March 31st, 2013, “Spirit of Community: People and Neighbourhoods” will officially open Monday January 21st, 2013 upon the opening of the museum. All visitors are invited to learn the history, and experience the culture of Six Nations.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Cultural Centre has been an integral cultural and educational centre within the Brantford and Six Nations communities. Its goal is to protect, promote, interpret, and present the history, language, intellect and cultural heritage of the Anishinaabe and Onkwehon:we people. Providing several permanent and short-term exhibits, the Woodland Cultural Centre also focuses on language and cultural preservation that includes several special events such as arts and crafts workshops, Snowsnake tournaments, and much more.
Canada states that new ePassports do not contain biometric data but the ICAO (see supplemental) set standards for passports internationally and do require biometric data. “..1.3 ICAO’s adoption of a blueprint for Biometric ID in MRTDs in May 2003, after extensive work undertaken since 1997, represents an important step forward in machine- assisted identity confirmation. This involved the selection of facial recognition as the globally interoperable biometric FAL/12-WP/83 – 2 – technology, in combination with contactless IC chips for data storage in a logical data structure (LDS), using a modified public key infrastructure (PKI) scheme to prevent unauthorized alteration…” from http://www.icao.int/Meetings/FAL12/Documents/fal12wp083_en.pdf
Gatineau, Québec, October 26, 2012 – Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today announced that Canada’s new ePassport will be full of iconic images that will make Canadian passports more attractive and more secure.
“The new ePassport will be more reflective and representative of who we are as Canadians,” said Baird during an event at the newly renamed Canadian Museum of History. “These images showcase Canada’s history and the building of our great nation while adding essential new security features for the 21st Century.”
The new images will also serve to keep the Canadian passport one of the world’s most secure travel documents. The complexity of the images is – first and foremost – a security feature that makes the passport more difficult to counterfeit.
“Our government is tremendously proud of Canada’s rich history. We urge all Canadians to learn more about the events and people that shaped Canada and the great sacrifices made to secure our freedom,” added Baird.
A look at the inside of the new Canadian ePassports image courtesy of ppt.gc.ca
Countries around the world review their passport designs and security features periodically to stay steps ahead of counterfeiters. The new-look ePassport will help facilitate legitimate trade and safe, secure travel which, in turn, helps create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for Canadians.
The first 5-year ePassports will be issued in select locations during the first quarter of 2013. Production will ramp up through the spring resulting in the full availability of both a 5- and 10- year ePassport in early summer.
For a look at [ more of ] the images included in the new ePassport, please visit the new section on Passport Canada’s website, which features images and descriptions of the new passport design: www.pptc.gc.ca/eppt/photos.aspx?lang=eng.
The Holocaust was a time of devastation, hate and corruption and is considered one of the most terrible events in human history.
