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News Archives 2006
Upcoming in 2006
- Black Theatre Workshop Celebrations
On January 21st, 2006, the Black Theatre Workshop will celebrate Black art and Black culture, marking two great milestones in the company's history: its 35th anniversary as a professional Black Canadian theatre company and the 20th Anniversary of Vision Celebration. This black tie gala traditionally marks the launch of Black History Month events in Montreal. Thanks to Laura Gangoo for sending along this information.
- Women's Studies 30th Anniversary Conference
Simon Fraser University will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of its Women's Studies Department on February 10, 2006. The university will host a one-day conference called 'Transformations': The Politics of Women's Studies. The conference is free and open to the general public.
- New Film About Italian Immigrant
TORONTO – March 13, 2006. Platinum Image Film is proud to announce that Looking for Angelina, directed by Sergio Navarretta will open in Toronto March 24 at the Cineplex Sheppard Grande.
A scene from the movie | In the past year Looking for Angelina has won 3 awards, and has been in official selection at several film festivals around the globe. The Montreal World Film Festival, Cinefest Sudbury, Quintus Italian Film Festival, Shadows of the Mind Festival in Sault Ste Marie, International Film Festival of India, Cimameriche Film Festival in Genova, Italy, and recently the International Film Festival in Mumbai, India, just to name a few.
Looking for Angelina is based on the true story of Angelina Napolitano (Lina Giornofelice), a 28-year-old Italian immigrant and mother of four, who killed her abusive husband Pietro (Alvaro D’Antonio) in Sault Ste. Marie’s “Little Italy”. After a three-hour trial, Napolitano was sentenced to hang. The global media frenzy surrounding the events of Napolitano’s trial and the discrimination that it highlighted in Canada’s legal system are the subjects of the film. Shot in 14 days entirely on location in Sault Ste Marie, and with the help of hundreds of local talent, this period piece film is in half English and half Italian (authentic Neapolitan dialect) with English subtitles and marks the first time the story is being told on screen. Looking for Angelina was written by Alessandra Piccione and Frank Canino, and inspired by Canino’s play The Angelina Project.
Platinum Image Film produces entertaining and socially conscious projects for wide audiences. With Looking for Angelina Platinum Image Film has partnered with the Woman Abuse Council of Toronto, and its 250 member organizations, to widen the awareness of domestic violence; a problem that still exists today. Looking for Angelina was made possible with a number of in-kind sponsorships and funding from the OMNI/Roger Media Independent Producers Initiative. This is the industry’s first, and only, major source of funding for the independent production of non-official language programming.
To download high resolution pictures or for more information on the social action campaign, visit the website www.lookingforangelina.com
A scene from the movie |
For screening updates, please consult the Cineplex website at: www.cineplex.com
(Press release and images from Platinum Films, used with permission)
- September Conference in B.C.
The Women's History Network of B.C. will be holding its annual conference in Victoria September 29-30, 2006. The theme this year will be B.C. Women & the Visual Arts. Organizers are now accepting proposals for presentations.
More info on the conference and the Women's History Network of BC
- Angélique Exposition to Open in October 2006
The Centre d’histoire de Montréal will open a new exposition about Angélique on October 11. The display will explore the fire that broke out in Montreal in April of 1734, destroying forty houses. Who was responsible for the blaze? Was it the Black slave Angélique?
The exhibit will be available for public viewing from October 12, 2006 to March 25, 2007 in Montreal. For more information call (514) 872-3207.
More info on Angélique, available in both English and French, at www.canadianmysteries.ca.
- The Women's Leadership Revival Tour
The Women's Leadership Revival Tour is coming to Ottawa on October 30th, 2006. Sponsored by the Berkana Institute in Spokane, Washington, the event will feature Margaret Wheatley and a number of women from Ottawa in a discussion about women in leadership roles.
Margaret Wheatley | Wheatley has a doctorate from Harvard, where she focused on Administration, Planning, and Social Policy. She co-founded the Berkana Institute, a global charitable foundation which strives to develop leaders in communities.
More info on the Berkana Institute.
- Broadcasting of Arbour Film
In 2006 the CTV will be broadcasting a new movie which profiles Louise Arbour, the famous Canadian war criminal hunter. The film Hunt for Justice: The Louise Arbour Story features Wendy Crewson, William Hurt and John Corbett. On December 5, 2005 a special screening of the movie was held at the United Nations in New York. Shot in Montreal as well as Germany and Holland, the production cost about $7 million.
More info on Louise Arbour
- Buffy on Bravo!
Canadian singer and anti-war activist buffy Sainte-Marie will be featured in a new documentary this fall. The production called Buffy Sainte-Marie: A Multimedia Life will air on the Bravo! Channel on November 14, 2006.
Directed by Joan Prowse, the film will premiere in Toronto prior to the broadcast. This new production will provide a fresh look at the fascinating life of the Saskatchewan-born star, and her achievements in music, art, teaching and political activism.
The production will include interviews by Joni Mitchell and Bill Cosby, as well as Buffy Sainte-Marie, Eric Andersen and Randy Bachman.
More about Buffy from heroines.ca.
Watch Buffy Sainte-Marie singing "Universal Soldier" on YouTube.
- Canadian Graduate To Take Top Job in WHO
The accomplished physician Dr. Margaret Chan will soon be heading the World Health Organization. Dr. Chan is expected to assume her role as director-general on January 4, 2007, becoming the first woman ever to be named to this post. The position is considered to be one of the most important medical jobs anywhere. Originally from Hong Kong, she got her medical degress at the University of Western Ontario after earning a degree in home economics there. Dr. Chan later returned to Hong Kong.
- Spy Talk in North Bay, Ontario
On December 1, 2006 the History Dept. at Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario will present a special talk by historian Franca Iacovetta. The topic will be Policing Democratic Decency: Spies, Femmes Fatales and Scam Artists in Cold War Canada. The presentation will take place in the Weaver Auditorium from 4-6pm. Admission is free, and a wine and cheese reception will follow.
- Living Shadows: A Story of Mary Pickford
Comox Valley (B.C.) playwright Tracey Power will be touring a number of Canadian cities with her fringe theatre production about Canadian movie star Mary Pickford. At the Montreal Fringe the play, in which Tracey plays Pickford, was named the best show by CBC Montreal.
Tracey Power as Pickford
(Jane Weitzel photo) | Tracey Power wrote the play Living Shadows because she was intrigued by the story of Mary Pickford. Her research on Pickford took her all the way to Los Angeles, to the Pickford Institute. Tracey eventually decided to depict this Canadian icon when she was still powerful in the movie business but was no longer making headlines.
More info on the production and upcoming performances.
Latest News in 2006
- Website Contest for Girls
Want to enter the “GogURL://” website competition? Girls in Grades 10 to 12 have the chance to create a cool website while developing thier computer skills. This competion was developed by the University of Victoria's Women in Engineering and Computer Science (WECS) and Science Venture/Go West. Girls must sign up for the contest by January 5, 2007, but the websites don't have to be completed until April 6.
More from the gogurl website.
- Cindy Klassen Named Top Canadian Athlete
Speed skater Cindy Klassen won the Lou Marsh Award for 2006, gaining the distinction of being Canada's most outstanding athlete of the year. The announcement was made on December 11, 2006 The prize is awarded by The Toronto Star in honour of a notable former sports editor for the newspaper.
On December 27, 2006 Cindy Klassen was chosen as the top female athlete in Canada, winning the 2006 Bobbie Rosenfeld Award. Klassen, who won five medals at the Torino Olympic Winter Games, was selected by sports editors and broadcasters in a survey conducted by the Canadian Press and Broadcast News.
CBC story re Klassen winning Lou Marsh Trophy.
CBC story re selection of Klassen as female athlete of the year.
- Carr Exhibit Continues Until January
Women of Birttany, 1911 by Emily Carr | If you are in Vancouver, be sure to check out the new exhibit Emily Carr: New Perspectives on a Canadian Icon. The Vancouver Art Gallery is hosting the exhibit until January 7, 2007. This important display of the works of the talented Canadian artist is being billed as the "first nationally touring exhibition of Emily Carr's work in more than thirty years." Not to be missed!
More from the Vancouver Art Gallery.
- The Canadian War Brides Train
On November 7, 2006 a Via Rail train arrived in Halifax with some special passengers: a group of War Brides who are revisiting Pier 21, where they arrived as young war brides many years ago.
Eight provinces in Canada have designated 2006 as the Year of the War Bride, and the women (some with their husbands) returned to celebrate their common history. On November 8th eighteen couples renewed their marriage vows. The Canadian war brides had married servicemen overseas during World War II, and journeyed to Canada about sixty years ago to begin new lives in an unfamiliar land.
More from CBC News, including a diary and photos from the train trip. You can also share your own stories about being a war bride.
- Two Women Selected as Valiants
On November 5, 2006 The Valiants Memorial was unveiled in a ceremony in Ottawa. The memoiral honours fourteen men and women who made outstanding wartime contributions for Canada during the last four centuries. The project was managed by the National Capital Commission on behalf of the federal Department of Canadian Heritage. A panel of military historians selected the individuals that would be represented, and statues or busts of each are included in the new memorial in Confederation Square.
The Valiants Memorial includes just two women: Laura Secord and Georgina Pope. Secord warned the British of a planned American attack in 1813, while Pope was an army nurse who served in the Boer War and the First World War. Both are featured in the classic work on Canadian heroines --
100 Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten Heroines.
The Valiants Memorial website provides more information about the commemorations.
- New Stamps for Maureen Forrester and Pierette Alarie
On October 17, 2006 Canada Post will issue a series of five new stamps to commemorate Canadian opera singers. Two women will in featured: Maureen Forrester, and singer Pierette Alarie (who is featured along with her husband Léopold Simoneau ). Born in 1930 in Montreal, Forrester has been described as the world's leading contralto. Pierette Alarie, also born in Montreal, became a celebrated soprano during here 32-year career.
Press release from Canada Post.
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- Hockey Heroine Moves On
The talented hockey player Cassie Campbell announced her departure from the hockey scene on August 30, 2006. Campbell will retire from the Canadian women's hockey team, for which she served as captain when the team won two Olympic gold medals.
Captain Cassie is now 32, and eager to have a family, work in television and do some writing. A highly-respected player, Cassie became team captain in November 2001. She was an impressive role model for women in hockey.
Watch Cassie in action, from the CBC Archives.
- Last Dance for Hart
The famed Canadian prima ballerina Evelyn Hart danced her last official dance on August 23, 2006 at a performance in London, Ontario. Hart, aged 50, retired from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in March 2005. A stellar peformer there for nearly thirty years, the ballerina will now turn to teaching.
Biography from Collections Canada.
- Looking for Artifacts in BC
The B.C. Women's Institute (BCWI) needs your help. The group is making plans to celebrate its centennial in 2009, and is looking for artifacts and other memorabilia related to the history of the organization. The BCWI hopes to create a book which chronicles its contributions to British Columbia, and would appreciate photographs, stories, newspaper clippings, etc. about the development of the B.C. Women's Institute. If you are interested in helping with the book or can provide any material, please contact the BCWI:
Jean Johnson
History Book Committee, BCWI
Box 401
Grand Forks, BC
VOH 1HO
Phone 250-442-3060
BCWI Website
- Clarkson Cup Goes to Women's Olympic Team
On July 10, 2006 former governor-general Adrienne Clarkson presented the Clarkson Cup to the Canadian women's Olympic hockey team in Toronto. Team Canada captain Cassie Campbell was on hand for the special event. This marked the first time that the new award was given.
Men playing in the National Hockey League can of course compete for the Stanely Cup, so Clarkson decided that Canadian women should have the opportunity to win a similar prize. In the tradition of Lord Stanley, the onetime governor-general who donated the Stanley Cup in 1892, Clarkson decided to make herstory with the creation of this new trophy. The silver cup is decorated with Inuit designs.
The current plan is for the Clarkson Cup to be awarded each year to the hockey team that wins the national women's championship.
- Ontario Women's History Network Needs Support
Calling anyone interested in the Ontario Women's History Network! If you interested in this important organization please contact treasurer Pat Stanton as soon as possible.
Just six members attended the Annual General Meeting and the group no longer has an Executive. Pat Stanton is appealing to current and potential members to let her know if they are interested in the group, and whether or not it should continue to try and retain charitable status. You can help shape the future of the Ontario Women's History Network, but Pat needs to hear from you before July 31, 2006 since the various reports for official charitable status must be submitted in August.
Email:pstaton@oise.utoronto
- Emily Carr Back in the News
It's June 2006 and Emily Carr died more than sixty years ago. But the West Coast artist is still making news.
The Portrait Gallery of Canada has acquired a surprising charcoal drawing that the artist apparently created in London back in 1899. The work has not previously been displayed in public, and is unusual for Carr because it depicts the bare neck and shoulders of an apparently nude woman. Carr was shy about drawing nudes, and some experts in the art world believe this charcoal depicts Emily herself. Speculation continues!
In the meantime, the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa has opened a new exhibition called Emily Carr: New Perspectives. The summer show will be followed by a national tour that will continue until January 2008.
In Emily Carr's hometown on Vancouver Island, Victoria residents are trying to raise funds to erect a statue to commemorate this talented artist. You can contribute to this worthwhile project by making a donation. Why not check out the maquette for the statue now?
Mary Pickford
(Alfred Cheney Johnston. Library and Archives Canada/PA185967) | Women in New Stamp Series
On May 26, 2006 Canada Post issued a new series of postage stamps called Canadians in Hollywood. The series features famous Canadian actresses Mary Pickford and Fay Wray, along with Lorne Greene and John Candy. The attractive stamps were designed by John Belisle and Kosta Tsetsekas, and painted by Neal Armstrong. It's great to see Canada Post honouring the achievements of these two notable Canadian women.
- Governor General Launches Website About Canadian Heroine
On April 7, 2006 Governor General Michaëlle Jean participated in a tribute to Marie-Josèphe Angélique in Montreal. Angélique was a Black slave who allegedly set what became a major fire in the city back in 1734. After being charged with the crime she was tortured and eventually hanged.
Marie-Josèphe Angélique
(Portrait by Annie Beaugrand-Champagne, 2006/ www.canadianmysteries.ca) | During the commemorative events the Governor General gave a speech about Angélique, and left flowers at a historic plaque. Her Excellency then participated in a guided walk with historian Denyse Beaugrand-Champagne, and helped launch a new website that focuses on Angélique's story. The educational website "Torture and the Truth: Angélique and the Burning of Montreal” is one of the new mysteries featured on the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History.
This impressive bilingual website about Marie-Josèphe Angélique was developed as part of a national project which is based at the University of Victoria, but which involves partners from various areas of Canada. Students are invited to check out historical documents, photographs, drawings, maps, etc. as they investigate Angélique's story, and try to determine what really happened in 1734. Angélique was one of the notable Canadian women included in the book 100 Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten Faces.
- Klassen Makes Canadian Herstory
When the Torino Games closed on February 26, 2006, Canadian athlete Cindy Klassen had made Olympic history for her homeland. The talented speed skater won five medals in Italy, setting a Canadian record for the number of medals won in one game. With a total of six medals to her credit, Cindy also holds the Canadian record for most career medals. The 26-year-old is from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Canadian women gave some incredible performances in Torino, winning 16 of Canada's 24 medals. The Canadian wins included:
Women's Ice Hockey - gold medal for the team
Women's Curling (Shannon Kleibrink team) - bronze
Cross Country: Women's Sprint - Chandra Crawford, gold
Cross Country: Women's Team Sprint - Sara Renner, silver
Cross Country: Women's Team Sprint - Beckie Scott, silver
Freestyle Skiing: Women's Mogul - Jennifer Heil, gold
Short Track Speed Skating: Women's 55 m - Anouk Leblanc-Boucher, bronze
Short Track Speed Skating: Women's 3,000 m Relay - silver for team
Skeleton: Women's - Mellisa Hollingsworth, bronze
Speed Skating: Women's 1,000 m - Cindy Klassen, silver
Speed Skating: Women's 1,500 m - Cindy Klassen, gold
Speed Skating: Womens 1,500 m - Kristina Groves, silver
Speed Skating: Women's 3,000 m - Cindy Klassen, bronze
Speed Skating: Women's 5,000 m - Clara Hughes, gold
Speed Skating: Women's 5,000 m - Cindy Klassen, bronze
Speed Skating: Women's Team Pursuit - silver for team
- Six Women Named to Cabinet
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has selected six Canadian women to serve in the new Conservative cabinet. The women were sworn in on February 6, 2006 at the residence of the Governor General in Ottawa. They include:
- Rona Ambrose, Minister of Environment
- Marjory LeBreton, Leader of the Government in the Senate
- Carol Skeleton, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
- Bev Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
- Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development
- Josée Vernier, Minister of International Co-operation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages
As a result of the federal election on January 23rd, 64 Canadian women will be serving as MPs. This represents 20.8% of the seats in the House of Commons.
- Andrea Bronfman Killed in Car Accident
Canadian philanthropist Andrea Bronfman died on January 23, 2006 following a car accident in New York. She was sixty years old.
Andrea Brett Morrison was born in London, England in 1945 and grew up in a family devoted to philanthropy and a homeland for Jews in Israel. She settled in Montreal after marrying clothing manufacturer David Cohen, and the couple had three children. Married to Charles Bronfman in 1982, she was active in many philanthropic causes in Canada, the United States and Israel. She was supportive of folk art, created a program called the Gift of New York following the terrorist attacks there, and was very involved in Birthright Israel and the Association of Israel's Decorative Arts. Andrea Bronfman was buried in Jerusalem.
- New Exhibit at McCord
The McCord Museum in Montreal has launched a new exhibition called "Picturing Her, Images of Girlhood". The display will be open to the public until April 2, 2006. It features a variety of historical images of girls in Canada from the 1860s to the present. The exhibit includes photos, drawings, prints and portrait paintings from the Notman Photographic Archives as well as works by contemporary artists. Find out how Canadian girls have been depicted in the past, and how the images have evolved.
More from the McCord Museum
- Seeking Nominations for Prize in Women's History
The following is an announcement from the Canadian Committee on Women's History:
"The purpose of the Hilda Neatby Prize in Women's History, awarded since 1983 by the Canadian Committee on Women's History at the annual meeting of the Canadian Historical Association, is to encourage the publication of scholarly articles in women's history and gender history as it relates to women, in Canadian journals and books. Two prizes are awarded, one for best article in English and the other one for best article in French. Any academic article published in Canada during 2005 and deemed to make an original and scholarly contribution to the field of women's history is eligible for nomination for the 2006 Neatby Prize.
Send nominations, and 3 copies of the nominated article, before February 1, 2006 to the Canadian Historical Association, c/o the Hilda Neatby Prize Committee, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N4."
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