I whipped this map up for a reader researching his father earlier today and thought I would share. The image shows the layout of the internment Camp at Farnham, Quebec overlaid on some modern satellite imagery from Google. Camp A, as it was initially known, opened in October 1940 and initially held civilian internees andContinue reading “Camp 40 (Camp A) – Farnham, Quebec”
Tag Archives: GIS
Mapping PoWs in Canada
Few Canadians realize just how close the Second World War came to home, that from 1939 to 1947, Canada held over 34,000 prisoners of war. While many spent their days in one of twenty-eight internment camps, almost half of them were employed on a labour project by the end of the war. With some freeContinue reading “Mapping PoWs in Canada”
Mapping Canada’s Internment Camps
From 1939 to 1947, German Prisoners of War, Enemy Merchant Seamen, and Civilian Internees were held in twenty-eight different locations in Canada. While thousands were eventually employed in small, low-security labour projects, these twenty-eight camps formed the backbone of Canadian internment operations. As part of my research for my PhD, I am attempting to mapContinue reading “Mapping Canada’s Internment Camps”
Exploring and Sharing the Past with iGIS
This post is long overdue but better late than never! About a year-and-a-half ago, I started using iGIS, an iOS app that allows you to visualize geospatial data on your mobile device. My Professor, Josh MacFadyen, had demonstrated the possibilities of this app in our digital history class and I was eager to find waysContinue reading “Exploring and Sharing the Past with iGIS”
Camp 30 – Bowmanville: Then and Now
Following the popularity of my Fort Henry post, I thought I would share a brief look at another important internment camp in Canada – Camp 30 near Bowmanville, Ontario. Approximately seventy-five kilometers east of Toronto, Camp 30 was built around a former boys training school on the outskirts of the town. Camp 30 opened inContinue reading “Camp 30 – Bowmanville: Then and Now”
Camp 31 – Fort Henry: Then and Now
Of all twenty-eight-or-so internment camps in Canada during the Second World War, I can only think of five that have either changed relatively little or haven’t been completely destroyed (at least from the external appearance) in the last seventy years. Among these few is Camp 31 (originally Camp F) at Fort Henry in Kingston, Ontario.Continue reading “Camp 31 – Fort Henry: Then and Now”
Juno Beach: Then and Now
To mark the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day landings, here is one of the projects I have been working on. Earlier in the year, the Laurier Military History Archive released thousands of aerial photographs taken during the Second World War. Among the collection was a number of photos taking during reconnaissance missions leading up toContinue reading “Juno Beach: Then and Now”
Fourth Symposium of Environmental Historians of Southern Ontario
I am happy to say that I will be presenting at the Fourth Symposium of Environmental Historians of Southern Ontario this Saturday (March 22, 2014). The University of Toronto, with support from NiCHE, is hosting the event which will be focusing on energy and forestry. I will be presenting some of my research about PoWsContinue reading “Fourth Symposium of Environmental Historians of Southern Ontario”
Mapping the Canadian Forestry Corps in Keppernach (Scotland)
One of my more recent interests is the work of the Canadian Forestry Corps (CFC) during the First World War. The CFC was raised specifically to supply the Allied armies with a desperately-needed resource: timber. Whether it was to needed to support dugouts, hold barbed-wire, or aircraft frames, wood became one of the most basicContinue reading “Mapping the Canadian Forestry Corps in Keppernach (Scotland)”
GIS Day at Western!
Tomorrow, Josh MacFadyen and I will be presenting at Western’s Map and Data Centre for its GIS Day event! If you are interested in learning more about Geographic Information Systems and how we can use use GIS in historical research, come out to see our presentation! The morning’s events begin at 9:30 and Josh andContinue reading “GIS Day at Western!”
POWs in Canada 