#Throwback Thursday @ Canada's History

If you are an active Twitter or Facebook user, you've probably seen Throwback Thursday photos of your friends from years gone by.  You've probably even posted one of yourself sporting that rat's tail or mullet hair due wearing an acid washed jean jacket and holding a Sony Walkman with your favorite mixed tape inside. Well, Canada's History Magazine has put a twist on Throwback Thursdays using historical photos of Canadian events and places.  Each week, an archival photo is posted on Canada's History Magazine Twitter account and people can tweet an answer.  One person is chosen weekly as the winner and given a free magazine subscription.  When the winner is announced, details of the photo are also released as well as links to events and occurrences that relate to the photo.  The latest Throwback Thursday photo showcased the CANOL Project at Fort Fitzgerald in 1942.  During the Second World War,  a pipeline and road were to be constructed that spanned from Norman Wells, Northwest Territories to Whitehorse, Yukon that would secure an oil supply during the war.


Although an American Initiative, the CANOL Project has its own place in our local history.  In 1942, American soldiers arrived in Waterways by train and established a military base where Keyano College is currently located.  The base, known as The Prairie, extended to the Clearwater River.  This base became a staging ground to support the CANOL project and every available local boat and barge was used to transport cargo and equipment to Norman Wells from The Prairie.

The Throwback Thursday, Canada's History Magazine contest is a really neat way to share history and have fun at the same time.   Follow Canada's History Magazine on twitter for your chance to win a free magazine subscription.  And while your having fun guessing the photo, indulge in the historical information that's presented with each photo from the week prior.


Twitter.com/Canadashistory   #throwbackthursday

This is the photo that Canada's History Magazine tweeted during Throwback Thursday contest on June 19th 

Help Transcribe Diaries from the First World War

Admit it: you've always wanted to rummage through someone else's diary, learn their hopes and fears, and see what they REALLY think!

Well, here's your chance!

The UK National Archives is asking for your help in transcribing diaries kept by soldiers of the First World War. The Archives has in its collection over 1.5 million pages of handwritten diary entries which, until now, have only been accessible to those who make the trip to London, England.   But now the archivists are working to put them online and you can help!

With Operation War Diary, volunteers will be assigned a segment of a unit war diary and asked to tag key details from the pages, such as names, places and events. The data inputted by volunteers will be collected and used to enrich The National Archives’ catalogue descriptions for the unit war diaries, enabling family historians around the world to trace their army ancestors and providing academics and researchers with a better understanding of how the war was fought.

If you are interested in being part of this amazing opportunity, visit http://www.operationwardiary.org/#/.

Alberta Culture and Community Services: calling on all museums and archives

Alberta Culture and Community Services is currently in the preliminary stages of developing a website exploring the rich and diverse history of Alberta’s energy resources. The website will seek to engage Albertans on one of the essential aspects of our shared history by focusing on compelling visuals and narratives, attending to the human story of energy resource development, and emphasizing photographic, documentary, artifact, and multi-media collections. 

The areas to be explored include conventional oil, natural gas, oil sands, coal, and premodern / alternate forms of energy. The website will rely heavily on multimedia elements. As such, Alberta Culture and Community Services is calling on all museums and archives that might have relevant artifact / image / oral history / video / audio etc. collections. They are also interested in any “leads” on people that might have relevant collections and/or could be interviewed for the project. The site will profile communities and people throughout Alberta with connections to the energy resource industries and will be integrated into the Alberta curriculum, so this represents an excellent opportunity for museums and archives to promote their collections. 

If you have relevant collections or wish to discuss this further, please contact: 

Matthew Wangler 

Manager, Historic Places Research and Designation Program 

Alberta Culture and Community Services 

Historic Resources Management Branch 

8820-112 Street 

Edmonton, AB T6G 2P8 

Tel: (780) 438-8503 (toll-free by first dialing 310-0000) 

Fax: (780) 427-5598