Annual Meeting of the Canadian Historical Association

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION HE annual meeting of theCanadian Historical Association took place at McGill University, Montreal, on Friday, May 23, the sessions being held in the Royal Victoria College. The membersof the Associationwere guestsat tea at the Royal Victoria Collegein the afternoon,and in the eveningwereentertained by the Hon. N. P6rodeauat dinner at the Mount Royal Club. At the first sessionon Friday morning, the addressof the president,the Hon. RodolpheLemieux, who was preventedfrom beingpresentby pressure of hisparliamentaryduties,wasreadby CanonChartier. Mr. Lemieuxdrewattention to the approaching four-hundredth anniversary of the comingof JacquesCartier to the shoresof the St. Lawrence,and pointedout that it was proposedto have a celebration of a national character, as a suitable recognitionof the importanceof that event. The papers,which were presented,will appear in the Association's annual Report. Of special interest was that in which Professor Harvey discussedsomeof the characteristicsof recent historicalwriting and the relation of Canadian historians to them. He remarked on the fact that, as yet, Canadianshad contributedlittle to the writing of generalhistoriesor to the study of lands other than their own, and he made a plea againsta narrow provincialismwhich would take too little accountof prevailingaimsand tendencies. On the other hand, he questionedwhether the so-callednew history was so very new after all, and suggested that writers capableof producingreally valuable worksof synthesisare few in numberand may well be left to make their appearanceas providencedirects. Meanwhile, students of Canadian history may make a very valuable contribution to the general advancement of historical knowledgeby careful, intelligent, and really creative work in their own field of specialinterest. The theme provided opportunity for platitudes at every turn, but ProfessorHarvey's paper contained food for thought, and he said what he had to say well. Unfortunately there was no opportunity for discussion. The paper presentedby Major Lanctot on the route taken by Cartier to Hochelaga aroused an animated discussionand revealed the 102 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION 103 two well-definedopinions,one in favour of the back river route, and the other in favour of the direct route by way of the St. Lawrence. Sir Robert Borden becomespresident of the Association for this year, and His Honour Judge Howay of New Westminster, B.C., was elected to the vice-presidency. The other officers remain as before: L. J. Burpee, chairman of the managingcommittee ; Norman Fee, English secretary and treasurer; Gustave Lanctot, editor, and French secretary. The reports of the secretariesshowed an increase in membership and a general improvementin the financialconditionof the Association. During the pastyear the Association wasadmitted to membershipin the InternationalCommitteeof HistoricalSciences. It is proposedto co-operatein certain of the projectswhich the committee has under way, and, in this connection,therewasreadat the meeting of the Associationa preliminary report on the teaching of history in Canadianschools, preparedby Professor W. N. Sage. It is apparentthat the differentprovincespresentmostinteresting variations in the methods, aims, and content of their coursesin history. Probably no one who attended the meetingwould deny that most of the difficultiesof running such an Associationwere very apparent this year. The practice of meeting after the Royal Societyhas beenseriouslyquestioned,and certainly one day is insufficientto permit the memberseither to discuss the papersor to becomebetter acquaintedwith each other. Where possibleit seems highly advisable,too, that the sessions shouldhave certain themesaround which the papersand discussion might be centred. Some of the Association'sdifficulties,such as the great distances between various parts of the country, are not to be so easily overcome; and, although a good many people are interested in Canadian history more or lessseriously,there is undoubtedly a very greatdispersion of effort. ßThe Royal Societyof Canadahas its literary and historicalsection,and there is a large number of local societies, some of which are active and are doing very valuable work. This situation is not to be deplored. One is inclinedrather to hopethat there will continueto be evidenceof a variety of interestsand activities, but, as this is the case,there is no questionthat a CanadianHistorical Association must make a distinctive contribution if it is to justify its existence. It is the firm convictionof the presentwriter that the Association has the opportunity of making such a contribution. The 104 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW secretariesreceive annually a large number of requestsfor information from...