by Tod Maffin
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What if I told you everything you thought you knew about the Heritage Minutes was wrong?
Every Canadian knows the Heritage Minutes — short TV spots about history.
Let's start with the fact that the Heritage Minutes series was not started by the government at all. It was started by a billionaire booze baron: Charles Bronfman, who inherited the Seagram spirits empire in 1971 with his brother after the death of their father.
And if you're thinking "Oh well, then he went into politics and became the Heritage Minister" — no. He didn't have a life in politics. He was a billionaire doing billionaire things. He owned a home in Palm Beach. He owned the Montreal Expos. He had an art collection.
But he also owned a charitable foundation. They'd done a survey and found that Canadians were bad at history. Fewer than half could name the first prime minister, and nearly a quarter couldn't name a single Canadian event or achievement they were proud of. In a country that had invented insulin, basketball, peanut butter, and the greatest invention of all time (pineapple on pizza), a quarter of the population was sitting there drawing a complete blank on anything worth celebrating.
So Bronfman hired researchers and a film crew, made those spots, and paid to put them on TV. They were, essentially, ads.
(But not at first. They started as little segments inside a history quiz show in the early '90s.)
There are now more than 100 episodes. They cover war heroes and hockey goalies, enslaved people running to freedom, Inuit artists, residential school survivors, and railway builders.
Some videos have mistakes. Some are misquoted. The famous "I smell burnt toast" episode somehow convinced a generation of Canadians that that was the sign of an oncoming stroke, even though the video itself is actually about seizures.
T O D B I T
The CRTC, Canada’s broadcast regulator, lets broadcasters count 1.0 minute of a Heritage Minute as 1.5 minutes toward their Canadian content requirements.
Eventually, Bronfman spun the operation off into its own operation that today is called Historica Canada. The government kicks in some money now to help. And yes, they're still making them. Three last year popped up out of the blue.
That's the thing about Heritage Minutes. They just happen to you. Nobody sits down to watch them.
But every single time, you end up learning something you didn't know, about a person you are suddenly weirdly proud of.
Trivia
Which Heritage Minute was pulled partly over inaccurate costume details?
— 30 —
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The Weekly Poll
Have you ever learned something about Canadian history from Heritage Minutes?
Last Week:
The Funny Bone
Air Canada cuts more flights due to soaring jet fuel prices
by Greg Kearney; used under licence.
What You Missed This Week
The Good News ♥️
A 13-year-old from Moncton, NB, with a rare heart condition, had his Make-A-Wish dream come true when he threw the first pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Three children in Ottawa were honoured after making a life-saving 911 call.
Two PEI athletes made history by earning medals in both freestyle and Greco wrestling at the Canadian Championships.
Kind Quilters- The Sunshine Quilters, a group of quilters based in St.Paul, AB, have been donating handmade quilts to dialysis patients for 25 years.
The Toronto Tempo have begun their inaugural season in the WNBA; they are currently the only Canadian team in the league.
Legendairy- Ontario company Kawartha Dairy has announced they will be releasing a new ice cream flavour to honour iconic rock band The Tragically Hip.
SCIENCE!!!!!! 🔭
Health Canada has approved a second drug that can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
New Tech, Old Graffiti- A Montreal professor was part of a team that used advanced digital imaging to recover and decipher graffiti in the ruins of Pompeii.
A research project run by the University of Calgary and Alberta Children’s Hospital has been helping kids with disabilities communicate via an app.
P.E.I. has become the first province in Canada to lower the colorectal cancer screening age to 45.
A Saskatoon-based infectious disease lab is searching for a treatment for hantavirus.
The First Peoples 🪶
More than 100 youths from 11 First Nations and Inuit communities across Canada are gathering for an intensive dance camp aimed at empowering Indigenous youth.
Rural River Rentals in St.Albert, AB uses canoes, kayaks, snow bikes and cabin stays to create a Métis river tourism experience.
Three indigenous composers have come together to create Wanuskewin: Seeking Peace of Mind, a performance that blends contemporary choral music with Indigenous storytelling, cultural expression and artistic collaboration.
Justin Bourque, founder of Âsokan Generational Developments, has launched Bush to Boardroom, a podcast focused on building a better world for Indigenous peoples through economic reconciliation
Canadian Content 🍁
Indie rockers Broken Social Scene, whose rotating roster includes Feist and Emily Haines, have released Remember the Humans, their first album in almost a decade.
Red River Métis-Icelandic author Jónína Kirton's newest book, Save Your Prayers – Send Money, deals with how to respond to those living with chronic illness.
Award-winning Toronto folk singer-songwriter Abigail Lapell's newest album, Shadow Child, is out now.
Wild Things 🐻❄️
Dam, That’s Big!- A beaver dam in Wood Buffalo National Park, AB, is so large it can be seen from space.
Indigenous-led project aims to restore endangered grizzlies to North Cascades National Park.
The Upper Nicola Band released 11 captive-born owls as part of a decade-long effort to reinstate the tiny birds of prey whose populations have plummeted.
A woman in Vancouver, BC, captured footage of 3 orcas putting on a “magical” show under the Lions Gate Bridge.
A Grizzly Warning- A warning has been issued to residents in the Sayward area of Vancouver Island, BC, after a grizzly bear sighting
Across Canada 📍
Former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour has been appointed as Governor General.
Multiple-time Juno award winner, Order of Canada member, and ECMA winner Natalie McMaster was given an honourary degree from St.Francis Xavier University.
Montreal will be one of the four cities to host the Olympic Qualifiers ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA.
Manitoba has introduced a bill to remove PST from groceries.
A Montreal-based duo has created a series of storybooks that help teach kids to read.
Bathroom Breaks-The city of Laval, QC, is seeing water usage surge during intermissions of Montreal Canadiens playoff games.
Canada’s Market This Week
Royal Bank | |
TD Bank | |
Enbridge | |
ScotiaBank | |
Bank of Montreal | |
CP Rail | |
Shopify | |
Canadian Tire | |
Loblaws | |
Tim Hortons (RBI) | |
Dollarama | |
Rogers |