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This
digital collection was produced under contract to Canada's Digital Collections Program, Industry Canada |
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Multicultural History Society of Ontario |
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This
digital collection was produced under contract to Canada's Digital Collections Program, Industry Canada |
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Multicultural History Society of Ontario |
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Introduction
to Polyphony
Polyphony, based on a bi-annual publication of the same name, is an historical testimony of the many ethnic cultures that constitute Ontario's people. The pages that follow, reflect the people of Polyphony and portray them as sharing similar experiences: their manner of arrival in Ontario, the development of their communities and the problems they faced. These experiences, in the context of themes such as labour, sports or theatre, are the primary foci of Polyphony. Presented here in digital form,is a collection of articles, photographs and audio clips selected from Polyphony and the Multicultural History Society of Ontario (MHSO). Together they provide an introduction to the history rich with Ontario's cultural diversity. ~ This website explores the immigrant experience through eight different themes. Within each theme, there are articles, photographs and oral testimonies that provide a glimpse into the history and development of immigrants in Ontario. Each theme contains three to six articles, an oral history clip(s), as well as a selection of photos. Enjoy! ~
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Featured here is an excerpt from the first issue of Polyphony: The purpose of Polyphony is to introduce the reader to the Multicultural History Society of Ontario. The Society hopes to ensure the survival of as full a record as possible of immigration to Ontario, ethnicity, the old country origins of our people, and the historical experience of all groups in the province. This bulletin is named Polyphony (consisting of many sounds or voices) because we believe that the musical concept of many melodies harmonizing contrapuntally(when added part by part) and progressively offers a more exact metaphor for the role of ethnicity in the life of our province than does the static image of the mosaic. The Society hopes that its work will not only foster scholarly research but will help to drive stereotyping, cliché, and prejudice from the classroom. The material presented here is the work of many people with many views about ethnic studies, archives, history, teaching, and the role of government and politics in multiculturalism.
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Theatre
Articles: _____________________________ |
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Mutual
Aid Societies Articles: Mutual Aid Societies Audio (1) Mutual Aid Societies Photo (7) _____________________________ |
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Religion
Articles: _____________________________ |
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The
Press Articles: _____________________________ |
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Guide
Books Articles: _____________________________ |
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Photo Index: _____________________________ |
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Audio Index: _____________________________ |
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Related Articles History of the Equadorian League of Amateur Soccer (LEFA) The flow of Latin Americans to Canada began in 1968. For those of us who arrived here hoping to build a better future, Canada was a country of promise and aspiration. Upon arrival, however, we faced a number of problems: the unknown language, the inhospitable climate, the fact that we were immigrants and a series of difficulties related directly to a new way of life that differed greatly from the one we had left behind in Latin America. These problems created an atmosphere of discontent, uncertainty and fear among us. Inspired by the fragrance of spring, a group of us from Toronto got together in 1970 at Christie Park and formed a soccer team. We named the team Sporting Christie because the majority of its members lived in the neighbourhood. full article Baseball and Ethnic Violence in Toronto: The Case of the Christie Pits Riot, August 16, 1933 During the
depression, the City of Toronto made a concerted effort to keep many of
its young men out of trouble by providing them with a program of organised
sports at a number of parks and playgrounds.1 The most popular of the
sports activities was baseball, and amateur teams were followed by their
fans with a degree of enthusiasm nearly equal to that shown for the major
leagues. On most evenings during the summer months amateur hardball and
softball games provided free and exciting entertainment for many who could
not afford more expensive forms of leisurely diversion. At one of these
games, played in Willowvale Park (popularly referred to as Christie Pits),
one of the most serious ethnic disturbances in Toronto's history took
place. full article Between June 1940 and the autumn of 1943, no less than 400 Italian-Canadian civilians were interned at Camp Petawawa, Ontario. These internees comprised the largest contingent of "enemy aliens" in the camp.1 Although they were generally well treated - the camp did not lack for basic amenities - these men suffered from a variety of physical and psychological deprivations. The loss of freedom, the confusion attending their arrest, the uncertainty regarding the length of their confinement and the sudden removal from their families and place of business, created a sense of bitterness and frustration among them. full article The Chatham All-Stars - An Interview INTERVIEWER: It's August 6, 1984. We are attempting our first interview with King Terrell, who was one of the original All-Stars. The All-Stars were a coloured baseball team who played in the depression years and who made history, who had a lot of fun together, a lot of trouble together too. And King, I'd like to ask you today how did the All-Stars really get started? KINGSLEY TERRELL: Well from what I can remember, it was in 1933. And a bunch of us got together. Well there was different ones, we was playing Carl, and, let me see, somebody else that I knew real well played on the old Sterling Imperials. full article |
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Related Articles Bengali Theatre in Toronto Kalyan Banerjee arrived in Toronto in 1969. He came from Calcutta and among the various talents and interests he brought to this country was a passion for theatre. Kalyan Banerjee's plays have added another dimension to Bengali community life - another opportunity to gather together to celebrate their tradtional culture and the new life they are creating in Canada for themselves and for generations to come... full article Black Theatre Canada: a Decade of Struggle The history of Black Theatre Canada has been fraught with obstacles that would contribute to the quick death of most community organizations. Canada's first and oldest professional Black theatre company was born in Toronto in 1973. Its survival has hinged upon the dedication and commitment of its founder and administrative/artistic director, Vera Cudjoe... full article Toronto Chinese Drama Associations From 1935-49 the Chinese community was actively involved in the dramatic arts. During the depression and later throughout the Sino-Japanese and Second World Wars, local talent performed regularly for fund-raising benefits. It was also at this time that the drama associations enjoyed an influx of visiting stars as the war drove many performers to North America... full article Filipino Traditions in Music, Dance and Drama Filipino traditional music, dance and drama are as varied as their regions of origin; but singing and dancing have always been a part of Filipino festivities - whether in urban or rural areas. Music and drama symbolize the way of life and temperament of Filipinos... full article
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Related Articles The German Community of St. Patrick's Parish, 1929 to the Present St. Patrick's Church was built in 1861 for the Irish Catholics of the city, but it was not until 1929 that a German-speaking Redemptorist priest was appointed to minister to the German Catholics in the City of Toronto. A small congregation gathered at the church on October 6, 1929, and from that small beginning, the congregation was to grow into a thriving community over the next few decades... full article Sikhs are one of the most visible minorities. With his beard and turban, a Sikh can be identified in any crowd. Still they are perhaps the least understood as a people. Not many people know about the beliefs, practices and ethics of the Sikhs, and still fewer will understand their significance... full article Muslim Rituals, Practices and Social Problems in Ontario The growth in the South Asian Muslim population in Toronto has led to an inevitable growth in attendance at mosques. The mosques promote the identity and security of South Asian Muslims in an alien environment. The author, who is leader of a mosque in Toronto with a large South Asian constituency, describes his dual function as a religious guide and a social counselor... full article The First Armenian Church in Cananda: St. Gregory the Illumintator The horror of Genocide brought solidarity to the Armenian people of St. Catharines. For them the 1920s had been a period of co-operation, culminating in the completion of the first Armenian church in Canada in 1930. Using church records, autobiographies and personal recollections, I will attempt to describe this period of our history in Ontario... full article
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Related Articles History of the Canadian Arab Friendship Society Arab immigration to Canada has gone on for at least a hundred years. During this period the new arrivals have come, tried to preserve some of the virtues and values of their homelands, but most, in a few years, melted into mainstream Canadian society. Generally, Arab immigrants, whether Christian or Muslim, in one or two generations severed much of their cultural connection with the past... full article In 1970 an unemployed East Indian immigrant, isolated from family back home and unable to make friends in his new environment, took his own life. This tragic incident shocked Toronto's Indian community. A meeting was held by concerned community members to discuss ways in which such a tragedy could be averted. It was decided to form an organisation which would cater specifically to the needs of the East Indian immigrant... full article St. Stanislaus - St. Casimir's Parish Credit Union With one hundred dollars and a desire to assist financially needy Polish immigrants in Toronto, a determined priest and a small group of followers founded what today is an affluent financial institution with assets of nearly seventy million dollars. With seventeen thousand members, St. Stanislaus - St. Casimir's Credit Union Ltd. also prides itself on being the largest parish credit union in the world... full article Portuguese Immigrants in Toronto The chief problems of the new immigrants arose from the difficulty of finding jobs, and from their lack of English. There were no Social Agencies in those days either, so some of the Portuguese who knew a little English began to act as interpreters for the others... full article
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Related Articles Greek Immigrant Women from Asia Minor: Philoptoho and Language Schools Philoptoho means "friends to the poor." The Greek Ladies' Philoptoho Society was also known as the Charitable Greek Church Fraternity or Sorority of Ladies. Their participation in the Greek language schools helped fill a need within the community to formalize the desire for cultural continuity, and was also perceived as an amplification of their role as educators of the immigrant and Canadian-born children... full article The Federal Government's Cultural Enrichment Programme When second generation Canadians are asked if they speak their family's language, they will often answer, "Well, no, we never really spoke it at home. My mother didn't want us to have an accent." Far from having formal instruction in their heritage language, children could actually be punished for speaking it at school and were made to feel ashamed because of it... full article Wandering Spirit Survival School - Toronto Native Way School In operation since 1976, Wandering Spirit began as a volunteer school at the Native Canadian Centre, later became an alternative school, and then in 1983, was recognized as a Native People's Survival School, a distinct school category subject to distinct policies. What makes Wandering Spirit a special school? full article Filipino Canadians: Where is Our Heritage Language Going? In a place like Ontario, one is apt to wonder why the Filipino-Canadians do not seem to exert any effort to promote the use of their heritage language. Before we try to find the answers to this problem, one question has to be answered: Is there a Filipino Heritage Language? full article Bengali Language Learning: Opportunities in and Around Toronto With a very few exceptions, most Bengali parents not only expect or encourage their children to learn Bengali, they demand it. When asked rhetorically "Why should the children learn Bengali?" many parents become upset, and their response ranges from incredulous to indignant. The outbursts range from the assertion of "keeping their own culture and heritage" to "being a Bengali." full article
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Related Articles "Going to Work in America": Finnish Maids, 1911-30 After the turn of the century, Finnish domestics were enticed to come to Canada. The federal government bent immigration regulations, created special categories and made easier travel arrangements for women who promised to work as domestic servants. In fact, it was the only category, in addition to farm worker... full article Hungarian immigrant women were expected to be bread-winners, homemakers, wives, mothers and often pillars of the community. Many fulfilled all of these roles and more. This article describes the lives and accomplishments of a few of these women... full article A Commitment to Serve - Three Jamaican Women in Toronto "...it struck me that many Black women are both professionals and volunteer community workers, pursuing two full-time careers. The three women interviewed for this article support this viewpoint. While they are professionals, their off duty hours are spent as active participants in the community, energizing and sustaining Black cultural identity..." full article Dance No More: Chinese Hand Laundries in Toronto Clothes washing was a common occupation for the earlier Chinese Canadians who chose Toronto as their new hometown. Indeed, the first Chinese recorded in the City Directory of Toronto were the owners of two laundries founded in 1877... full article Thunder Bay's Two Little Italies: 1880s-1940s The decade 1902-12 was a formidable one for the Italian community. Faced with harsh industrial conditions in the work place, Italian workers found themselves in the vanguard of militant labour action. On a number of occasions they found themselves facing the combined resources and muscle of railway company private constables, police, militia and even regular troops... full article All in the Family: Three Generations of the Wrzesnewskyj Family and the Future Bakery Future Bakery is a family-run business. We have been baking for three generations. It all started with my Polish grandfather, Felix Wrzesnewskyj, in tzarist Russia. In 1905 after numerous years of apprenticeship, he was granted a master baker's diploma from the court of Tsar Nicholas Il, where he baked until 1915... full article
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Related Articles The Canadian Jewish Review "The Canadian Jewish Review gave the Jews of Toronto a corporate entity. Before then, we were an inchoate mass held together by implied persecution or discrimination against Jews.... The Review was indispensable.... It was important that the Review told what was happening to all the Jews of Toronto. In a real sense everyone read the Review; that, and that they were Jews held them together as never before..." full article The two Black newspapers, the Voice of the Fugitive and the Provincial Freeman, differed on many issues, but both constantly reminded refugees that they were in a fair and hospitable land where they should be good citizens and take part in the life of their communities. At the same time, they vigorously attacked injustice and racism... full article Korean Language Press in Ontario The first Korean language newspaper appeared in Toronto in 1971. Seven other titles followed during the next ten years. We are probably now witnessing the zenith of Korean ethnic press activity, reflecting a community that is literate, prospering, but deeply committed to its separate ethnoculture... full article The Serbian Press in Canada, 1916-82 The story of the Serbian press reflects the ideological streams within the Serbian community itself. Ideological conflict among Serbians started as soon as a large group from Hercegovina arrived in Canada. The main division in the Serbian community was between socialists and nationalists. The unfriendly relations between factions of the right and left in the Serbian community may be seen throughout the pages of their respective newspapers... full article Building The Asian Television Network The Asian Television Network is an important communications link among the South Asian communities of Ontario, and between them and Ontarians generally. Its founder has also established an important new link that connects Toronto with an international South Asian communications network. It is a business, a kinship connection, and a contribution to the development of multicultural understanding in Ontario... full article
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Related Articles The principles upon which Frontier College was based... The first was that the gap between the universities and the workplaces of Canadians should be bridged. A second principle was that it was unhealthy for cities to grow at the expense of rural areas... full article An Everyday Book: the First Bulgarian-English Pocket Dictionary Macedonian men came to Toronto in hopes of making the best of it, to live frugally and to earn good money as industrial labourers. These men saw their future squarely in terms of the old country, amid their families and farms. Cash obtained in the New World would be used to consolidate or expand meagre homesteads... full article KANADAN-KIRJA: Guidebook for the Finnish Canadian Immigrants Many fond recollections of Consul Rauanheimo were recorded. His small office was always crowded with the destitute, the unemployed and the ill who turned to the consul for help. In 1930 this modest and kind-hearted consul published Kanadan-Kirja, a guide for immigrants. The thick, red, hardcover volume with 195 illustrations is still used as reference forty years after its publication... full article
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This
digital collection was produced under contract to Canada's Digital Collections Program, Industry Canada |
|
Multicultural History Society of Ontario |
This site is best viewed with | ||
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