Heritage Minutes


The Heritage Minutes is a series of sixty-second short films, each illustrating an important moment in Canadian history. The Minutes integrate Canadian history, folklore and myths into dramatic storylines. Like the Canada Vignettes of the 1970s, the Minutes themselves have become a part of Canadian culture and been the subject of academic studies as well as parody.
The Minutes were first introduced on March 31, 1991, as part of a one-off history quiz show hosted by Wayne Rostad. Originally distributed to schools, they appeared frequently on Canadian television and in cinemas before feature films, and were later available online and on DVD. "Radio minutes" have also been made. From 1991 to 1995 fifty episodes were released. In 2012, new Minutes were produced in the lead-up to Canada's sesquicentennial in 2017; these included controversial themes in Canadian history, such as the Canadian Indian residential school system.

Background

The thirteen original short films were broken up and run between shows on CBC Television and the CTV Network. The continued broadcast of the Minutes and the production of new ones was pioneered by Charles Bronfman's CRB Foundation, Canada Post, Power Broadcasting, and the National Film Board. They were devised, developed, and largely narrated by noted Canadian broadcaster Patrick Watson, while the producer of the series was Robert Guy Scully.
In 2009, "The Historica Foundation of Canada" merged with "The Dominion Institute" to become "The Historica-Dominion Institute," a national charitable organization. In September 2013, the organization changed its name to "Historica Canada". While the foundations have not paid networks to air Minutes, in the early years they have paid to have them run in cinema theatres across the country. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has ruled that Heritage Minutes are an "on-going dramatic series"; each vignette thus counts as ninety-seconds of a station's Canadian content requirements.
warning the British and First Nations of an impending American attack at Beaver Dams June 1813. By Lorne Kidd Smith, c. 1920.
The first sets of Heritage Minutes were released in five segments between 1991 and 2000. A set of eight new Heritage Minutes, covering military moments in Canadian history, were released in 2005. In 2012, two new Minutes were created on the War of 1812 in anticipation of the war's bicentenary, and in 2014 two more Minutes were released on Sir John A. Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier that had been filmed in and around Toronto in September 2013. To honour the centenary of the start of World War I two Minutes were released: one on the Winnipeg Falcons in 2014 and one on Canadian Nursing Sisters in early 2015. In September 2015, to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Terry Fox's run to conquer cancer, Historica released a "Minute" on Fox's inspirational run.
February 2016 saw the release of a "Minute" on Viola Desmond, a trailblazing black female entrepreneur from Halifax who spoke out against racial discrimination in Nova Scotia. On the 21st of June, 2016, the 20th anniversary of National Aboriginal Day, Historica Canada released two new Minutes. The first tells the story of Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack, whose death sparked the first inquest into the treatment of Indigenous children in Canadian residential schools. The second, Naskumituwin, highlights the making of Treaty 9 from the perspective of historical witness George Spence, an 18-year-old Cree hunter from Albany, James Bay. On October 19, 2016, Historica Canada released another Heritage Minute that shows a story about an Inuit artist named Kenojuak Ashevak. It is also the first Heritage minute that is narrated on not just its official languages but also a third language, where this Heritage Minute is narrated in Inuktitut.
A 2012 Ipsos Reid poll of 3,900 Canadians selected the five most popular Minutes. Tied for first place were the episodes on Jackie Robinson and the Halifax Explosion, followed by Jennie Kidd Trout, Winnie-the-Pooh and Laura Secord.

List of ''Heritage Minutes''

Not all of the Heritage Minutes episodes have actually aired. 85 of them are available for viewing online ; however, an episode on Canadian Peacekeepers in Cyprus, which was pulled from broadcast shortly after its 1991 release, was not made available online through Historica Canada until 2016.
EpisodeReleasedDescription
Peacemaker1992The formation of the Iroquois Confederacy presented by a First Nations grandfather explaining the significance of the Great Peace to his granddaughter.
Vikings1992L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland is settled by Norsemen around the year 1000 CE.
John Cabot1991Italian navigator and explorer John Cabot discovers the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.
Jacques Cartier1991French navigator and explorer Jacques Cartier misunderstands some Natives resulting in the name Canada.
Jean Nicolet1992French coureur des bois and explorer Jean Nicolet becomes the first European to reach Lake Michigan, but thinks it's the Pacific.
Governor Frontenac1992New France, under the leadership of French governor Louis de Buade de Frontenac, repels the British invasion at the Battle of Quebec .
Syrup1997A First Nations family teaches early settlers how to make maple syrup.
Laura SecordCanadian heroine Laura Secord aids the British in the War of 1812 with an overland trek to warn of an American military advance.
Responsible Government1991Queen Victoria decides to grant Canada responsible government after the crushing of the Rebellions of 1837.
Baldwin & LaFontaine1992Lawyer and politician Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine build interlingual cooperation.
Orphans1991French Canadian families adopt Irish orphans in the 1850s while allowing them to keep their original names.
Underground Railroad1991An African American escapes to Canada along the Underground Railroad.
Etienne ParentJournalist and government official Étienne Parent demands equality for French and English.
Hart & Papineau1995The efforts of politician and lawyer Louis-Joseph Papineau give full equality of religion to Jews in Canada.
The Paris Crew1995The surprise victory of the Paris Crew, a group of unheralded Canadian rowers, at the 1867 World Championships.
Joseph Tyrrell1992Geologist and cartographer Joseph Tyrrell discovers a plethora of dinosaur bones in Alberta.
Basketball1992Sports coach James Naismith's invention of basketball is featured.
Joseph Casavant1992Joseph Casavant, world-renowned organ maker is featured.
Emily Carr1992The art of Emily Carr is featured.
Soddie1991Prairie settlers build a house of sod.
Midwife1992A look at the importance of midwives in early Canada.
Saguenay Fire1992The 1870 fire in Saguenay is featured.
Sandford FlemingEngineer and inventor Sir Sandford Fleming develops the system of international standard time.
NitroA young Chinese Canadian risks his life to set a dangerous nitroglycerine charge while helping to build the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s.
Jennie Trout1991Jennie Trout becomes Canada's first woman doctor.
Rural Teacher1992Teacher Kate Henderson sways school trustees to embrace new methods, and the event is represented in the famous painting by Robert Harris, A Meeting of the School Trustees.
Louis Riel1991The achievements and execution of political and spiritual leader Louis Riel are featured.
Sitting BullNative American Chief Sitting Bull seeks refuge in Canada.
Les Voltigeurs de QuébecThe rehearsal for the first performance of O Canada.
Grey Owl1999Englishman Archie Belaney rises to prominence as a notable author and lecturer after he took on the First Nations identity called Grey Owl.
Frontier College1997Frontier College educates those away from the urban centres.
Sam Steele1993Major General and police official Sam Steele of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police bars an unruly American from entering the Yukon with pistols, despite being threatened at gunpoint.
Emily Murphy1992Women's rights activist, jurist, and author Emily Murphy's quest for equal rights for women.
Myrnam Hospital1995The town of Myrnam, Alberta forms a non-denominational hospital.
Agnes Macphail1992The first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons Agnes Macphail fights for penal reform.
MarconiInventor Guglielmo Marconi receives the first trans-Atlantic radio signals in Newfoundland and is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
John McCraeAuthor, artist and physician during World War I John McCrae pens In Flanders Fields.
Halifax Explosion1991Train dispatcher Vince Coleman sacrifices his own life to save a train from the Halifax Explosion.
Vimy Ridge2005General Arthur Currie prepares his forces for the successful taking of Vimy Ridge in World War I.
Valour Road1991Three men from Pine Street in Winnipeg win the Victoria Cross in World War I, and the street's name is changed to Valour Road in their honour.
WinnieThe bear of Canadian soldier Harry Colebourn becomes the inspiration for Winnie the Pooh.
Nellie McClung1991Feminist, politician, and social activist Nellie McClung demands the right to vote in Manitoba.
Joseph-Armand Bombardier1993Inventor Joseph-Armand Bombardier and the beginnings of his passion for engineering.
J.S. Woodsworth2003Author, lecturer and social activist J. S. Woodsworth convinces Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King to introduce old age pensions.
Superman1991Comic book artist Joe Shuster, en route to visit his cousin, Frank Shuster, creates Superman.
Water Pump1995Canadian Mennonites devise sustainable agriculture practices that aid the Third World.
La Bolduc1993The story of how Mary Travers becomes a famed popular singer in Quebec.
Bluenose1995The ship Bluenose an important Canadian symbol in the 1930s wins its last race.
Wilder Penfield1991How Dr. Wilder Penfield makes important discoveries in neuroscience when a patient smells burnt toast as the initial signal for an epileptic seizure, during the Montreal procedure.
Osborn of Hong Kong2005Sgt. Major John Robert Osborn sacrifices his life to protect his men from Japanese forces during the Battle of Hong Kong in World War II, and is posthumously granted the Victoria Cross.
Marion Orr1997Female World War II pilot Marion Orr is featured.
Mona Parsons2005Mona Parsons, a partisan World War II Allied agent in the Netherlands escapes execution and later imprisonment by the Nazis and meets her future husband who confirms her nationality to Canadian forces liberating the nation.
Juno Beach2005Broadcaster Johnny Lombardi entertains his comrades in the field during a respite of the World War II D-Day taking of Juno Beach by Canadian forces.
Andrew Mynarski2005Pilot officer Andrew Mynarski's attempt to free his friend from a bomber turret.
Tommy Prince2005A eulogy is given for Tommy Prince, Canada's most-decorated Aboriginal war veteran.
Home from the Wars2005Returning World War II veterans successfully agitate for increasing housing assistance.
John Humphrey1997Legal scholar, jurist, and human rights advocate John Humphrey drafts the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Jackie Robinson1997Baseball player Jackie Robinson joins the Montreal Royals on October 23, 1945.
Lucille Teasdale2000Surgeon Lucille Teasdale devotes her life to helping the poor in Africa.
Marshall McLuhanPhilosopher of communication theory Marshall McLuhan coins the phrases "the medium is the message" and "global village".
Maurice Ruddick1993Miner Maurice Ruddick recounts the 1958 Springhill mine disaster.
Nat Taylor1997How Nat Taylor invents the multiplex theater.
Pauline Vanier1995The achievements of professional diplomats Georges and Pauline Vanier are featured.
Maurice "Rocket" Richard1997Hockey player Maurice Richard, portrayed by actor Roy Dupuis, scores five goals and three assists for eight points in a single game. Dupuis reprises the role for the 2005 Maurice Richard biographical film The Rocket.
Stratford1997A look back at the beginning of the Stratford Festival of Canada.
Jacques Plante1991Jacques Plante becomes the first NHL player to wear a goaltender mask in regular play.
Avro ArrowThe development of the Avro Arrow.
Paul Emile Borduas1995The art of Paul-Émile Borduas and the Quiet Revolution are featured.
Le Reseau1993Engineer Thomas Wardrope Eadie develops the Trans Canada Microwave telecommunications network.
FlagsLawyer, judge, and politician John Matheson looks at candidates for Canada's new flag.
Expo 671997The planning of the Montreal International and Universal Exposition called Expo 67 is featured.
Inukshuk1993An Inuksuk a stone landmark or cairn is built on Baffin Island.
Dextraze in the Congo2005Brigadier-General Jacques Dextraze resolves a hostage situation in the Congo with his UN Peacekeeping forces contingent.
Richard Pierpoint2012Richard Pierpoint was a formerly enslaved Black Loyalist who, at age 68, enlisted black men to fight in the War of 1812. Captain Runchey's Company of Coloured Men fought in a number of battles in the Niagara region and were instrumental to the war effort.
Queenston Heights2013At the Battle of Queenston Heights Mohawk Chief John Norton and 80 Grand River warriors surprised hundreds of advancing American soldiers and skirmished with them for hours until reinforcements arrived and the battle was won.
Maple Leaf Gardens1993Considered one of the "cathedrals" of ice hockey, the construction and history of the Maple Leaf Gardens is featured.
Sir John A. Macdonald2014The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, Sir John A. Macdonald was the first Prime Minister of Canada.
Sir George-Étienne Cartier2014George-Étienne Cartier was a dominant figure in the politics of Canada East overseeing its entry into Confederation.
Winnipeg Falcons2014The Winnipeg Falcons were a senior ice hockey team that fought through discrimination and stayed together even through the First World War, on their way to winning the gold medal for Canada at the 1920 Olympics. Narrated by George Stroumboulopoulos and an appearance by actor Jared Keeso. This was the first Heritage Minute segment to extend longer than one minute.
Nursing Sisters2015Nursing Sisters commemorates the service and sacrifice of women on the front lines of the First World War through the retelling of a real event from May 1918. It is the story of two of the nearly 3000 trained nurses who served overseas. Narrated by Molly Parker and starring Siobhan Williams.
Terry Fox2015Terry Fox inspires the nation with his Marathon of Hope, a cross-country run to raise money for cancer research.
Viola Desmond2016The story of Viola Desmond, an entrepreneur who challenged segregation in Nova Scotia in the 1940s.
Chanie Wenjack2016The story of Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack, whose death sparked the first inquest into the treatment of Indigenous children in Canadian residential schools. Unlike other Heritage Minutes that were narrated by actors, Wenjack's was narrated by his sister, Pearl.
Naskumituwin 2016The making of Treaty 9 from the perspective of historical witness George Spence, an 18-year-old Cree hunter from Albany, James Bay.
Kenojuak Ashevak2016The story of Kenojuak Ashevak, an Inuit artist and a founder member of Cape Dorset’s famed printmaking co-op.
Edmonton Grads2016The story of the Edmonton Grads, a powerhouse women's basketball team. World Champions for 17 years, the Grads dominated regionally, nationally, and internationally for 25 years beginning in 1915. Dr. James Naismith called them "the finest team to ever step out onto a floor."
"Boat People" Refugees2017A family escapes persecution in Vietnam, traveling by boat to a Malaysian refugee camp before finding a new home in Montreal.
Kensington Market2017In the first animated Heritage Minute new arrivals to Canada transform a single store as it passes from generation to generation and culture to culture.
Lucy Maud Montgomery2018The story of Lucy Maud Montgomery, who became known around the world as author of Anne of Green Gables and 19 other novels, is narrated by The Right Hon. Adrienne Clarkson.
Jim Egan2018The story of Jim Egan, who actively writes letters and articles in magazines and newspapers to advocate for equal rights and criticize the misunderstood and inaccurate perception of lesbian and gay people from 1949 to 1964. His case in 1995 became a milestone for LGBT rights in Canada.
Vancouver Asahi2019From 1914 to 1941, the Vancouver Asahi were one of the city's most dominant amateur baseball teams, winning multiple league titles in Vancouver and along the Northwest Coast, until the team was scattered as they were interned during World War II. The short was narrated by Kaye Kaminishi, the sole surviving member of the team. In addition to English and French versions of the minute, a Japanese version was also released.
D-Day2019On June 6, 1944, Canadian Forces landed on Juno Beach. D-Day, as this day would become known, was the largest amphibious invasion of all time, led to the liberation of France, and marked the beginning of the end of the Second World War. This Heritage Minute tells the story of 47-year-old Major Archie MacNaughton, a First World War veteran and leader of the North Shore New Brunswick Regiment's A Company. The story is a tribute to the Canadian soldiers who fought on D-Day – ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.
Acadian Deportation2019The Acadians are descendants of early French settlers who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1604 and built a distinct culture and society over generations. Their peaceful existence was uprooted in 1755 when over 10,000 Acadians were ripped from their homeland to ensure British rule in North America
Liberation of the Netherlands2020Between 1944 and 1995, Canadian armed forces were on their way to liberate the Netherlands from Nazi Germany, who was occupying the country. The story is told through the eyes of Canadian Lieutenant Wilf Gildersleeve of the Seaforth Highlanders and of Marguerite Blaisse, a Dutch citizen, whom would later meet together and later after the war, move to Vancouver to live together. Another version of the minute was also released with Dutch subtitles.https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/latest-heritage-minute-commemorates-liberation-of-the-netherlands-1.4925000?cache=yes%3FclipId%3D89680%3FclipId%3D373266%3FclipId%3D89680%2F5-things-to-know-for-thursday-october-31-2019-1.4663743

Parodies