Growing up I remember watching the Heritage Minutes on television. These were one minute commercials by the Historica-Dominion Institute highlighting an important person or event in Canadian history. From how Winnie-the-Pooh got his name to how Canadians got their own flag, the Heritage Minutes were a part of Canadian popular culture for a long time. Then, these disappeared for almost a decade.
Now, the Heritage Minutes are back! Hooray! You can watch all the old minutes on the website, plus the newly released minutes.
As family historians, gaining a better understanding of the times and events in history helps us to better know our ancestors. I think the Heritage Minutes offer a quick and easy way to do that with Canadian history.
Check out what Rick Mercer of the Mercer Report (popular Canadian) has to say about the Heritage Minutes.
Then, watch the new Heritage Minute. It's about Richard Pierpoint, a former slave and Black Loyalist, who raised an all black unit to fight in the War of 1812.
For some background information about new the Heritage Minutes episode, read this article.
Just for fun, here's a link to The Motorleague video with them singing the old Heritage Minutes.
Have you got a minute? It's a part of our heritage.
Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2012.
