Category: Bill Hamilton’s Tantramar Flashback — Series 1

It is recognized that hockey evolved early in the 19th century from a game first played on Long Pond, in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Students at King’s College adapted the Irish field game of hurley to the ice of Long Pond, located near their campus. Proof may be found in the writings of an 1815 Kings… Continue reading…

In 1959, then-Sackville artist Alex Colville completed a painting entitled Milk Truck. In the foreground, a half-ton Mercury is making a u-turn on West Main near the intersection with York Street. In back, cases of milk are guarded by a black dog. The dog stares intently at the viewer. Perched precariously on the running board,… Continue reading…

Jacques Cartier (1491–1557) and Samuel de Champlain (c. 1570–1635) are well known and rightly so, for exploring sections of the Eastern Canadian coastline. Although by no means the first Europeans to visit these shores, they were among the earliest to leave documentary evidence of their visits. Less recognized is Nicolas Denys (1598–1688) trader, entrepreneur, explorer… Continue reading…

While preparing the annual Flashback quiz published on Jan.3rd., I browsed through a file of letters, e-mails, notes of telephone calls, conversations and interviews that accumulated during 2000. Reading these again proved a rewarding experience, so much so, that I decided to share some impressions with you. Every effort is made to answer reader contacts… Continue reading…

It has become a tradition to provide readers with a Flashback Quiz at the beginning of each New Year. The purpose is to challenge your knowledge of local history. All questions are drawn from columns published during 2000. To be helpful a few clues have been planted here and there. The quiz is easy to… Continue reading…

By any measure, the year 1939 was one of the most momentous of the past century. For all time, it will be associated with the outbreak of the Second World War; however, there were other happier events during that memorable year. Heres a question for readers old enough to remember: Where were you on June… Continue reading…

A century ago last month, Canada was in the midst of a federal election. First elected in 1896, the Liberal government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier was seeking a second term. Election day was Nov. 4, 1900. The Conservatives were led by Sir Charles Tupper, the last living Father of Confederation. Now that the 2000 campaign… Continue reading…

As the old year draws to a close, it is clear that Yorkshire 2000 marked a significant milestone on the Tantramar. Not only did the celebrations focus attention on the arrival of Yorkshire settlers in 1771–75; an opportunity was provided to review an important episode in local history. High on any list of Yorkshire legacies… Continue reading…

What does the word Vimy mean to you? I once put this question to a university class in Canadian Studies. At first, I was gratified that the majority could relate the word to one of the crucial battles of World War I. Disheartening, nevertheless, was the sizable minority who did not have a clue as… Continue reading…

With the last day of October comes Halloween. In common with many other special days, the celebration is centuries old. Originally, the first of November marked the beginning of the New Year for the Celts, the ancient inhabitants of Britain. It was their belief that this was a time when witches and warlocks were on… Continue reading…