What makes us unique as Canadians? Is it the language we speak or the many wonderful things that Canadians have invented? Here’s a chance to find out!
These presentations are ideal for Canada Day and the whole month of July, or any other time of year for that matter.
Canadian English, Eh?
This is a special light-hearted and fully illustrated talk.
The language that we speak is often taken for granted. We know that Canadian English is different from the English that’s spoken in the United States and in Britain, but exactly how does it differ? And how does our language vary in the different parts of English-speaking Canada?
In a fun-filled interactive session, I’ll ask the residents to identify some common items and then reveal the other names they are known by in the United States. Finally, we’ll look at the future and see how our kids are changing the language we speak.
The illustrations show that Canadian English is now considered distinct enough to warrant its own dictionaries.
For a printable version of the Advance Publicity for this presentation, click here.
Great Canadian Inventions
Canadians have always been an inventive folk. If there’s a way to make something new and better, Canadians will find it. In this special presentation we will honour the Canadians who gave the world the Robertson (square socket) screw, Pablum infant cereal, the McIntosh Apple and Insulin, which controls diabetes. Each story is an interesting journey through time as well as a biography of interesting Canadians.
The illustrations show the Robertson (square socket) screw, Pablum infant cereal, the McIntosh Apple and an early Insulin injection kit. They were all either invented or developed by Canadians. But it wasn’t always easy! Hear about the struggles of the Canadian innovators who have made these products into everyday items and saved lives along the way. You may be surprised by what you learn!
For a printable version of the Advance Publicity for this presentation, click here.
Richard Jordan is a former President of the Etobicoke Historical Society and a former Toronto Star local history columnist. His feature articles on historical subjects have also appeared in the Saturday Star and Sunday Star.
A proud Canadian, Richard Jordan is interested in how we speak and what we do as Canadians. He is a distant cousin to Sir Frederick Grant Banting, the man who discovered insulin in 1921 in a Toronto laboratory.