Samuel Sharpe was born in Zephyr, Ontario, the son of Irish immigrants, George and Mary Ann Sharpe, on March 13, 1873. As a child, he was known for his enthusiasm, which his friend said was contagious to everyone else. He was always involved in...
The story of the Battle of Hill 70, fought in August 1917, is a notable one because it represented the first time that the Canadian Corps fought under a Canadian commander. That commander was the subject of last week’s episode, Sir Arthur Currie...
The majority of Canadians likely can’t name too many generals in Canadian history, at least post-Confederation. There are several famous ones, but few reach the level of fame that Sir Arthur Currie enjoys. In fact, it could be said that his fame and...
When war was declared against Germany, Canadians of all backgrounds signed up to fight. Over the previous century, the Indigenous people of Canada had seen their land taken, rights stripped away, and many were forced to attend residential schools...
This episode is shorter than usual. The battle I am covering is often ignored as it is in the shadow of Vimy Ridge, and really, it was a relatively short battle but it still had many casualties and deserves to be covered. After the Battle of Vimy...
In making this episode, I thought a lot about how I could put it together. So much has been said about Vimy Ridge and its importance to Canada, and the growth of the legend around it, was there anything I could add to it? We all know the story, the...
For four years the community of Olds, Alberta, like so many other communities across Canada, had seen its young men put on uniforms and journey overseas to fight. Some soldiers returned home unharmed, some returned changed forever, and some never...
For the season finale of season 2 of Canada’s Great War, I decided to do a bit of a different episode. I am going to cover letters home, that were printed in newspapers, from 1915 to 1916, so we can get an idea of what the soldiers were feeling...
First, we are going to talk about the importance of agriculture in Canada at the start of the First World War.With so many men and women leaving their properties and traveling to other parts of the country, and into Europe, this presented a very...
You can support Canadian History Ehx with a donation at It was along a ridge that Canadian troops would come to Mount Sorrel, a small hill that rose 98 feet into the air, but provided a clear vantage point over the surrounding area. The force that...