Editorial

Editorial With this issue the Journal ofCanadian Studies launches itself into its second quarter-century. Since May 1966 we have given over our pages to "the beliefthat the life and history ofCanada, still largely unexamined, deserve common study by persons ofmany approaches and attitudes."1 Thus wrote Denis Smith, our founding editor, in theJournafs first issue. It would no longer be possible to make the case that Canadian life and history are "still largely unexamined," and the Journal itself may have played a useful role in that process ofdiscovery. Under a succession ofdedicated editors - Smith himself (1966-1974), Ralph Heintzman (1975-1979), John Wadland (1980-1983), and Michael Peterman (1984 to the present including a stint with Robert Campbell as co-editor) - theJournafs editorial nets have been cast ever more widely, yet remained committed to the publication of articles of impeccable scholarship in both of Canada's founding languages. Over theyears we have tried out some innovativeapproaches - an early idea, called simply "Document," reprinted items ofpublic importance; then, in the mid-I970s, we began theme issues (which continue now on an averageoftwo issues in every sequence offive); then came our feature called "Foilowing the Arts," given over to art, film, theatre, dance, and jazz. We have, from the beginning, featured "Review Articles" in which experts survey the latest publications in their special fields. Ifwe can now number ourselves amongst that breed ofCanadian heroes who have attained heroic status through sheer survival, it is partly because we have been blessed with patient and understanding benefactors - primarily Trent University, theCanada Council (and later the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council ofCanada), and theOntario Arts Council. More importantly for our morale has been the large body ofsubscribers who have affirmed their support annually. Our rates over the past twenty-five years have made that financial decision a relatively easy one: in 1966, a subscription to the Journal cost $6.00 a year; in 1991, $25.00 a year (plus thecurseofGST!). That modest rateofinflation - less than a dollara yearover the quarter-century - has led to a volume ofsubscriptions which has allowed us to establish an on-going editorial and business team which gets the Journal out four times a year with a semblance ofpunctuality, thanks largely to Arlene Davis who has been theJournafs Managing Editor since the beginning. The process whereby we decide which articles shall be published places us deeply in debt to the numerous academic colleagues throughout Canada who assess submissions for us. They, much morethan theJoumafs editors and associate editors, determine the quality of our issues. We believe, too, that our goal of scholarly excellence continues to attractbeginning scholars to our pages. It has always seemed to us that this process ofencouraging young scholars more thanjustifies the editorial time and effort involved. To that task we stand firm. While I was copy-editing the issue which you hold in your hands, Iexperienced one ofthose unexpected, and often delightful, tricks ofinstitutional memory. I was working on Professor Gaffield's paper on the "Outaouais" when the voice ofthe late Journal ofCanadian Studies Vol. 26, No. I (Pri111e11111s 1991 Spring) 3 Senator Eugene Forsey flooded into my mind. I remembered that he had once inveighed against theJoumafs misuse ofaccented French words: I take the strongest possible exception to your practice of spelling "Quebec" with an accent in articles written in English. This is a very widespread affectation, but wholly without warrant. It is like calling Germany "Deutschland" in an article written in English; or Munich "Munchen" or Vienna "Wien" [Senator Forsey provided eight additional examples]. I suppose the next indignity we English-speaking people will be asked to put up with is "Outaouais" in any mention ofthis city in Englisharticles. It would bejust as sensible as "Quebec." Why on earth have you been so foolish as to give countenance to this kind of nonsense? Yours sincerely, Eugene Forsey, The Senate ofCanada.2 It is a ratherdaunting prospect to begin a new quarter-century ofthelournalby failing to heed the advice ofEugene Forsey. Onecan imagine him shaking his head and muttering something about "foolish and recalcitrant" editors. Judged by his Olympian standards, we must at times seem so! R.D.C. NOTES I. Journal of Canadian...