Overview

In The True North: How Canadian Creativity Changed the World, D. Paul Schafer explores the extraordinary legacy of generations of Canadian artists, inventors, scientists, politicians, and activists--a legacy of creativity that has not only shaped today's Canada but has made a huge impact on the world as a whole. Among the many fascinating facts you'll learn while reading The True North: - Alexander Graham Bell is best-known as the inventor of the telephone, but he was active in many other fields of invention, including aviation and the development of the hydrofoil. - Anne Innis Dagg, known for her pioneering work on the behaviour of giraffes, comes from a family renowned for its contributions to Canadian scholarship: her father, Harold Innis, was a celebrated economic historian and her mother, Mary Quayle Innis, a noted author and academic administrator. - When the Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA championship, the whole country rejoiced, particularly because the roots of this internationally popular sport can be traced back to the game's inventor, James Naismith, a Canadian, who was born in Almonte, Ontario. - Canada is a world leader in adult education, early childhood education, and the creation of greater opportunities for people with disabilities, with major contributions from such figures as J. Roby Kidd, Fraser Mustard, Henry Enns, Jean Vanier, Terry Fox, and Rick Hansen earning worldwide recognition. In addition to describing the many ways in which Canadian creativity has shaped the world, the author in his concluding chapter also considers how these and other contributions might be enhanced and expanded in the years ahead, particularly in such areas as the environment, multiculturalism, the arts, and artificial intelligence.

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9781772441765

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Canada has proven itself fertile ground for creative endeavours that have enhanced the lives of people around the world. Schafer makes apparent the breadth and depth of Canada's creative accomplishments. This book serves as a historical reminder, a source of pride and encouragement for Canadians, as well as a call for Canadians to be creative, compassionate, thoughtful and engaged citizens. --Bill Thachuk, Educator and Educational Advisor Paul Schafer's new book on creative Canadians is a must read, not only for Canadians but anyone outside our country's borders who has an interest in our remarkable country. Above all it should be brought to the attention of all of the several million new Canadians who have come to live here over the past few decades. This book will give them a much greater appreciation of the past and present contributions made by many immigrants not only to their adopted country but the world at large. This comprehensive list lays to rest the sometimes chronic self-effacement that many Canadians have adopted since Confederation in 1867, and is a powerful reminder that Canada is one of the most influential and creative countries in the world. The True North provides ample evidence that Canadians have demonstrated an extraordinary level of creativity and leadership in a wide range of fields. While some, such as Banting and Best as well as Alexander Graham Bell, Sandford Fleming and Armand Bombardier, are well known, particularly fascinating are the hundreds of other creative geniuses discussed by Schafer. Schafer was struck not only by their sharing a creative spark and the tenacity to persevere with their ideas but also by the diversity of those who came from all parts of this vast country -- and from other countries. The True North is divided into sections. For a start, it demonstrates how the challenging Canadian climate and geography have inspired so many innovations in the fields of transportation and communications. Canada's rich natural resources, agriculture and fisheries attracted and inspired minds to find new solutions. This has also been true in industry, healthcare, adult education and even politics; and Schafer provides many fascinating stories of pioneering work in these areas. The section on the arts and entertainment draws attention a variety of artists who have gained world-wide recognition. In popular music, he highlights the names of Leonard Cohen, Oscar Peterson, Joni Mitchell, Celine Dion and Drake. As Schafer states: There is hardly a country in the world that hasn't been exposed to these and other Canadian popular singers showcasing Canada's vast talent pool in popular music. In classical music, Canada has nurtured numerous opera stars, such as Jon Vickers and Ben Heppner, and conductors like the prodigiously talented Yannick Nezet-Seguin. The reader will learn more about Canadian literary giants: Margaret Atwood, Mordecai Richler, Alice Munro and L.M. Montgomery. Collectively, these and so many others demonstrate the breadth and depth of Canada's cultural vitality. Of course, the list of extraordinary artistic contributors includes the ground-breaking work of the ground-breaking work of the Group of Seven and the magic of Cirque du Soleil. Sports leaders are also included, among them James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, and the legions of shining lights in hockey, often referred to as Canada's game. The True North makes a compelling argument why the 'world needs more Canada'! --John Hobday, Former Director, Canada Council for the Arts

Canada has proven itself fertile ground for creative endeavours that have enhanced the lives of people around the world. Schafer makes apparent the breadth and depth of Canada's creative accomplishments. This book serves as a historical reminder, a source of pride and encouragement for Canadians, as well as a call for Canadians to be creative, compassionate, thoughtful and engaged citizens. --Bill Thachuk, Educator and Educational Advisor

Author Information

D. Paul Schafer has worked in the cultural field for more than fifty years as an author, advisor, educator, and administrator. He has taught at York University and the University of Toronto and conducted numerous projects and missions for UNESCO as well as for cultural organizations and governments across Canada. He is the author of many books on culture, including Culture: Beacon of the Future, The Age of Culture, The Secrets of Culture, Celebrating Canadian Creativity, The Cultural Personality, and Will This Be Canada's Century? He lives and works in Markham, Canada.

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