Scots Influenced Every Aspect of Contemporary Canadian Society
GREAT SCOTS!
How the Scots Created Canada
By Matthew Shaw
Hartland Associates
ISBN: 1-896150-01-2
Great Scots! How the Scots Created Canada by B.C. author Matthew Shaw, details, in an engaging fashion, the intrepid spirit of Scottish immigrants that came to Canada and worked to make the country what it is today. It is written for popular reading and tells the story of how the Scots greatly influenced every aspect of Canadian society, including business, education as well as the arts.
The book has been on national best-sellers' lists and chronicles the story of Scottish immigrants through words, archival photographs and paintings, as well as some of Canada's best known tartans.
Through the fur trade, the Orcadians of the Hudson's Bay Company and their rivals the Scottish Nor'Westers of Montreal, formed the backbone of North America's first continent-wide industry more than 200 years ago. Branching out from the fur trade, Scots created the first banks, universities, railways and shipping lines and played leading roles in politics, the military and Western settlement.
Among an impressive wide list of accomplishments, they were vital to linking Canada via the railroad. Shaw writes, “At Craigellachie, B.C. Donald Smith, as senior member of the syndicate, drove the last spike. The photo of his ceremonial act became one of the most famous images in Canadian history, the precise moment frozen on film when the theory of Canada as a transcontinental nation became a reality.”
The author also explores the average Canadian perception into the Scottish identity. He writes, “When asked about the Scots' contribution to Canada, the average Canadian almost invariably scratches his or her head, reflects for a moment, and then points to obvious Scottish symbols that lie on the very surface of Canadian culture.
“To many, the word ‘Scottish’ conjures up mental images of kilts, tartans, bagpipes, fiddles, Highland dancers, curling, and quaint, stereotypical notions that belie just how momentous and profound the overall Scottish influence on Canada has been.”
There are innumerable famous Scots that are responsible for making Canada what it is today. Great Scots! details many of their contributions, including the likes of: Alexander Graham Bell, Simon Fraser, Simon McTavish, and Alexander MacKenzie, just to name a few.
Published by Heartland Books of Winnipeg, Great Scots! is available in either soft or hard cover. For more details or to order, call (204) 475-7720, visit their website at: www.hartlandbooks.com, or e-mail: hrtland@mts.net.
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