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Is There More We Should Remember (on Remembrance Day)?
Guest Speaker: Desmond Morton
When: Thursday, March 16, 2017, from 19:30 to 21:00
Where: Centennial Hall
288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4
Lecture in English.
150 years after Confederation, the myth of Two Solitudes engages and haunts us. What does the historical record teach us about this myth, e.g. regarding Quebec and Canada in the Great War?
Desmond Dillon Paul Morton OC CD FRSC (Calgary 1937- ) is a 
Canadian historian who specializes in the history of the Canadian military, as well as the history of Canadian political and industrial relations. He is the author of over thirty-five books on Canada, including the popular A Short History of Canada.
In 1996, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada since 1985.
Son and grandson of militaries, he is a graduate of the Collège militaire royal de St-Jean, the Royal Military College of Canada, a Rhodes Scholar, the University of Oxford (where he received his PhD), and the London School of Economics. He spent ten years in the Canadian Army (1954–1964 retiring as a Captain).
Later on, he began his teaching career and was Principal of Erindale College, University of Toronto, from 1986 to 1994.
Morton is the Hiram Mills professor emeritus of History at McGill University, as well as the past director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, in Montreal, Quebec.
Morton once wrote: "For Canadians, Vimy Ridge was a nation building experience. For some, then and later, it symbolized the fact that the Great War was also Canada's war of independence".
Source: Article Desmond Morton (historian) from English Wikipedia Consulted on 2017-02-06
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REMEMBERING SCOTLAND’S CONTRIBUTION TO MONTREAL
ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 375th ANNIVERSARY
Guest Speaker: Rev. J.S.S. Armour, D.D.
When: Thursday, February 16, 2017, from 19.30 to 21:00
Where: Centennial Hall
288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4
Lecture in English followed by question time also in English
Dr. Armour is minister emeritus of The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul on Sherbrooke Street - offspring congregations of the original Scotch Kirk on St. Gabriel’s Street, founded in 1792. Just to step outside his former church (incidentally the regimental church of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada) is to learn something of the Scottish contribution to the city of Montreal. To the west, Mackay Street named for Donald Mackay, an early fur trader; and Simpson Street, named for Sir George Simpson, governor of the Hudson Bay Company. The church is on Redpath Street, which once led to the home of sugar magnate John Redpath, whose son Peter gave to McGill the Redpath Museum and the Redpath Library. Amy Redpath lived across the street from the church in a gracious home with trees and green grass, now obliterated by the 
Port Royal. Amy gave the Roddick Gates at McGill, in memory of her husband, a Newfoundlan
d Scot from Harbour Grace. To the east of the church, there is Drummond Street, named for John Redpath’s wife, McTavish Street and Hutchison Street. And that’s only the streets! Think of the institutions – Trafalgar School for Girls, The Museum of Fine Arts, Ogilvy’s, the Montreal General, to say nothing of James McGill’s university, made famous by another Scot, Sir William Dawson - its buildings given by men whose names were McLellan, Macdonald, Strathcona and Mount Stephen. And behind the church is the Golden Square Mile, once home to the wealth of the Dominion, largely peopled by Scots. Historians speak of the Anglo Ascendency – Scoto might be more accurate, as you will hear.
J.S.S. Armour holds degrees from the Universities of Toronto, Edinburgh, Memorial and Union Theological Seminary, New York City, as well as an honorary doctorate from Presbyterian College, Montreal. He is the author of three books and edited histories of the Royal Montreal Curling Club; Presbyterian College, Montreal; and the Dissenting Church of Christ in St. John’s, Newfoundland. On retirement from St. Andrew and St. Paul in 2000, he wisely moved to Beaconsfield.
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Montréal's three beginnings, Hochelaga, Tiohtiagi, and Ville-Marie
Guest Speaker: Roy Wright
When: Thursday 19 january 2017, from 19h30 to 21h
Where: Centennial Hall
288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4
Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.
As we celebrate 375 years since the founding of a permanent European settlement at Montréal, we would do well to recall the two previous occasions when French explorers remarked its significance for eventual future settlement, realized in 1642.
In 1535 Jacques Cartier visited Hochelaga, then as now a centre rivalling the downriver Stadacona settlement at what is now Quebec City. He described it as a community of some 1500 inhabitants surrounded by a palisade, and during his short visit was taken by its chief to the top of nearby Mt. Royal.
In 1609 and 1611, Samuel de Champlain visited the sites of today's Kahnawake and Montréal (marking the latter with an A on his 1612 map). Here he had to portage around “Sault Saint-Louis”, the Lachine Rapids, noting their importance to the natives gathering to parlay and trade, the former diplomatic function commemorated in the Iroquoian name Tiohtiagi, and the latter commerce still a hallmark of Montréal's importance at the start of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Finally in 1642, Paul de Chomedy de Maisonneuve, Jeanne Mance and about 50 French settlers started to build a community at the site marked 30 years earlier. The new fortified settlement was named Ville-Marie, in celebration of the religious vision of Sieur de Maisonneuve and Bishop Laval.
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400 years – History of the Richelieu
From Warpath to Playground
Guest Speaker: Derek Grout
When: Thursday, November 17, 2016, from 19:30 to 21:00
Where: Centennial Hall,
288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4
Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.
Derek Grout will give a sneak preview of his latest book.
Quebec's Richelieu River, although just over a hundred kilometers in length, has played a critical role in the turbulent history of New France and the development of Canada. Join historian and author Derek Grout for his illustrated presentation From Warpath to Playground, as he traces the river's evolution over the past four centuries.
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The Prehistoric Mound Builders of the North American Eastern Woodlands:
Myth and Reality
Guest Speaker: Martin Byers PhD
When: Thursday, October 20, 2016, from 19:30 to 21:00
Where: Centennial Hall
288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4
Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.
The Spanish, French, and English who arrived and penetrated into North America from the 1500s on encountered great, indeed, monumental earthwork locales that for the most part had long been unoccupied. 
We now know that the earthwork tradition is very ancient in this region but that it particularly exploded during two periods. The first explosion occurred about 100 BC and continued to about 400 BC, contemporaneous with the Mediterranean Roman Empire, and the second occurred about 1000 AD and terminated about 1400 AD, paralleling the European Middle Ages. European scholars and archaeologists have proposed many theories about the societies and histories that were responsible for building and using these great earthworks. Many of them are currently rejected by most North American archaeologists and referred to collectively as the Mound Builder mythology.
This lecture examines examples of monumental earthworks of both periods and briefly explores the myths and realities that they embody and express.
Martin Byers was born in Fort William, now Thunderbay, Ontario in 1937 but grew up in Montreal. He graduated from McGill, BA and MA in history/anthropology, gained a PhD in anthropology/archaeology from New York State University at Albany (New York). He taught anthropology and humanities at Vanier College, Montreal, from 1970 to 1998. Martin Byers is a research associate in the Department of Anthropology at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He has authored numerous articles in scholarly journals and has published 3 books.
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Canada and The Battle of Vimy Ridge
Guest Speaker: Roman Jarymowycz PhD
When: Thursday, September 15, 2016, from 19:30 to 21:00
Where: Centennial Hall
288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4
Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge (9-12 April 1917) was a classic: considered the making of a national army as well as a text book example of warfighting. Where previously British and French forces failed to achieve success, the young Canadian Corps demonstrated a perfected attack that brought operational as well as political results. The battle incorporated a model set-piece assault that was grounded on break-through scientific techniques, detailed planning, painstaking rehearsal and aggressive reconnaissance on all levels. Vimy Ridge also marked the zenith of Montreal arms, the city's battalions were splendidly represented and, in the case of the Black Watch, the level of participation never exceeded. The techniques and approach to battle of the Canadian Corps set a standard that made its reputation and presented a demanding legacy.
Roman Johann Jarymowycz OMM, CD, PhD
Jarymowycz's publications include Calvary from Hoof to Track; the history of The Royal Montreal Regiment 1945-1990; and the award-winning Tank Tactics. He has most recently completed the official history of the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, The Black Watch RHR, in two volumes, to be published in the fall of 2016. He is currently preparing a history of The Royal Montreal Cavalry. He has been a frequent contributor to CBC documentaries, including The Killing Ground, The Valour and the Horror, and, The Great War.
A graduate of Loyola College and McGill University, Lt Colonel Jarymowycz has taught at high school and university levels. He has lectured at the Royal Military College and both Canadian Forces staff colleges.
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Starting in September 2016, the Beaurepaire-Beaconsfield Historical Society invites you to discover different aspects of Canadian History
Everyone welcome.
Free for members; $2 for non-members
Become a member for $5 per year
Information: Contact us
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Symposium on Prehistoric America
When: Saturday, June 25, 2016, Special all day lectures.
Where: Herb-Linder Annex (BowlingGreen)
303 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A7
For this special day, we have scheduled two exceptional speakers who will present their very significant discoveries. We hope you will attend these insightful lectures which will be in English, each followed by a question and answer/discussion session. See the description of each lecture more details.
Schedule:
9 a.m. to 10 a.m.: Registration and greetings
10 a.m. to noon: Lecture by Gérard Leduc
The Knights Templar Take to the Sea towards Nova Francia
Noon to 2 p.m.: Lunch break. Your may choose to bring your own lunch or eat in one of the neighbourhood restaurants
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Lecture by Gordon Freeman
ASTRONOMY: Canada's Stonehenge in 3200 BC, and Gregory's Bologna in AD 1575
Registration:
In advance:
Online, by filling in the form, specifying “June 25 Symposium” in the “Comments” section
At any of our lectures
At our AGM on Saturday, June 11, 2016
On site:
Registrations start at 9 a.m.
Cost: $5 for members
$10 for non-members
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The Knights Templar Take to the Sea towards Nova Francia
Guest speaker: Gérard Leduc
When: Saturday, June 25, 2016, from 10:00 to 12:00
Where: Herb-Linder Annex (BowlingGreen)
303 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A7
Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.
Octagonal foundations of a tower at the Coteau-du-Lac National Historic Site. It represents a Knights Templar architectural tradition.
An original lecture by Gérard Leduc Ph. D., from Potton
The Order of the Temple was created in Jerusalem in the year 1099 and its armed branch, the Knights Templar, have the mission to protect the pilgrims worshipping the Holy Land. They adopt the red pattée cross as their emblem. In addition to this mission, they conquer Palestine, establish a multinational enterprise in Europe and raise a large fleet. They take to the sea, reach other continents and, in less than two centuries become immensely rich. In 1314, the King of France, Philip le Bel, orders their arrest and many are condemned to the stake. Thousands others escape and reach other countries for a better life.
At the height of their peak, they sail to Nouvelle-France and they leave many vestiges in the archives and in several buildings over the Quebec territory, and elsewhere in the American Northeast. One can recognize their ancient presence through the red pattée cross on ancient layout plans of Ville-Marie (Montreal) and Quebec City and in the sophisticated stone works in Montreal, as well as on the New England Coast and in Newfoundland. A major discovery was that of a Knights Templar religious outpost on the Island of Chekoutimi , on the Saguenay River, across from the present Town of La Baie (Chicoutimi). This mythical island has since physically disappeared but my research has rediscovered it.
Architects and well experienced craftsmen imbued with astronomy and with mysticism, these pioneers Templar left traces of their buildings, tunnels and secret chambers.
What happened to them? The Little Ice Age, beginning around 1300 A. D? The Bubonic plague? Indian hostility?
Renaissance arriving, the European powers launch the Great discoveries era. From France, the Kings send secret agents looking for the Knights Templar sites abandoned some two hundred years earlier in Nova Francia. One can thus follow the paths taken by our discoverers searching for the bygone Knights.
Today, the Fee Masons’ links with the Knights Templar tradition are fascinating to discover.
Gérard Leduc
Following studies in Biology at the University of Montreal, Gérard Leduc entered Oregon State University where he obtained a Ph. D. in Fisheries, in 1966. He joined the faculty of Concordia University in Biology as professor, and retired in 1990. After moving to the Eastern Townships, he founded the Potton Heritage Association which he presided for fifteen years. He pursued research on stone works of Celtic and of Viking origins. He wrote many press releases on the local archaeology and history, authored one video, produced exhibitions and wrote a book on the Potton History in 1997. He also animates field excursions and gives public lectures.
At the same time, he undertook research on the ancient presence of the Knights Templar in Nouvelle-France long before the French Regime of the 17th century. A book is in preparation on this subject, and he writes on the Free Masons’ enigma.
ASTRONOMY: Canada's Stonehenge in 3200 BC,
and Gregory's Bologna in AD 1575
Guest speaker: Gordon Freeman
When: Saturday, June 25, 2016, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Where: Herb-Linder Annex (BowlingGreen)
303 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A7
Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.
Mr Freeman and his wife discovered the Sun Temple near Majorville in southern Alberta on 21 August 1980. Since then they have lived on the site for many days in Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring, in all months except February. A total of about 250 days.
The Temple contains accurate solar and lunar calendars, marked with long lines of stones or cairns that point exactly to rise and set points of the Sun and Full Moon at calendrical hinge dates: the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Fall Equalday/nights. (In Old English, henge means hinge, hence the name Stonehenge.)
The most exciting discovery was that the dates when the day and night are each exactly 12.0 hours long, the Equalday/night, are NOT the dates of the so-called Equinoxes in our calendar, the Gregorian Calendar.
Mr Freeman will show how the solar calendar worked on the Great Plains in 3200 BC, and in Gregory’s Bologna in AD 1575. And tell why Pope Gregory XIII deceptively gave a wrong dates to the Equinoxes (Equalnights) in AD 1582.
New discoveries are still popping up as he analyzes the 13,000 photographs of the site.
The Sun rose at a time and place that changed our history.
Rocks that speak without sound and know without words.
Gordon Freeman was born in 1930 in Hoffer, Saskatchewan, and was introduced to Stone Age artefacts at the age of six. His father collected stone projectile points and stone tools from the Saskatchewan prairie after dry winds had blown away tilled soil.
He obtained an M.A. from the University of Saskatchewan, a Ph.D. from McGill, and a D.Phil. from Oxford. He is a Chemical Physicist, was for ten years Chairman of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Alberta, and for thirty years Director of the Radiation Research Centre there. He is now a Professor Emeritus. For fifty years he has pioneered interdisciplinary studies in chemistry, physics, archaeoastronomy, and human societies. He has more than 450 publications in chemistry, physics, archaeoastronomy, and other subjects.
As a hobby he visited many archaeological sites in Canada, the United States, Britain, Ireland, Europe, and Asia. In 1980 he and his wife Phyllis discovered a 5200-year-old Sun Temple in southern Alberta, and have studied it ever since. In 1989 they took observation techniques they had developed in Alberta to England, to resolve the controversy that surrounded a possible calendar in Stonehenge. The astonishingly beautiful, nearly the same, ancient calendars in southern Alberta and Stonehenge have far ranging implications for international prehistory and history.
Relevant book by this author: HIDDEN STONEHENGE: Ancient Temple in North America Reveals the Key to Ancient Wonders, London, Watkins Publishing, 2012
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