Canada passed the Wartime Elections Act in September 1917. The act was part of the Conservative government’s efforts to win the federal election later that year. The act, however, was not without controversy. (This post is a companion piece to Melina Druga’s WWI Trilogy, Angel of Mercy, Those Left Behind and Adjustment Year, available wherever […]
Henri Bourassa: Early 20th Century Political Influencer
Any discussion of Canada during the early 20th century would not be complete without including Henri Bourassa. Bourassa was outspoken and not afraid to fight for his beliefs. (This post is a companion piece to Melina Druga’s WWI Trilogy, Angel of Mercy, Those Left Behind and Adjustment Year, available wherever eBooks are sold.) Bourassa was born […]
Sir Robert Borden: Canada’s Wartime Prime Minister
Robert Borden was the prime minister who led Canada through the contentious years of World War I. An attorney by trade, he entered politics in 1896 and quickly rose to leader of the Conservative Party. (This post is a companion piece to Melina Druga’s WWI Trilogy, Angel of Mercy, Those Left Behind and Adjustment Year, available […]
Sir Wilfred Laurier: Canada’s First Modern Prime Minister
Hettie Bartlette, the main character in my novel Angel of Mercy, was born in Ontario in 1892. Despite being 27 at the end of the third novel in the series, Adjustment Year (publishing April 2021), she has memories of only two prime ministers. The longer serving of which was Sir Wilfrid Laurier. (This post is a […]
Domestic Servants at the Turn of the 20th Century
Having a family member “in service” or being in service yourself was common before the end of World War I. Domestic servants were needed to run the expansive homes of the upper middle class and wealthy prior to the invention of many electric conveniences. (This post is a companion piece to Melina Druga’s WWI Trilogy, […]
Happy Birthday to You: The History of Birthday Traditions
How did you celebrate your last birthday? Chances are you had a party that featured a cake decorated with candles. Did you ever take time to think where these traditions got their start? If you guessed in the Victorian era, you’d be wrong. Most are much older. (This post is a companion piece to Melina […]
Christmas Shopping in a Bygone Era
The commercialization of Christmas began during the Victorian era. Retailers encouraged consumers to shop for the holidays instead of giving homemade gifts, and shop employees also decorated their shop windows with lavish displays to attract passersby. The tradition of Christmas shopping was born.(This post is a companion piece to Melina Druga’s WWI Trilogy, Angel of […]
School Kids in 1903 Explain Why Thanksgiving Turkeys are Important
Kids Say the Darndest Things may be a television show, but kids have been saying what’s on their minds – and amusing adults – for centuries. In 1903, the Sioux City Journal in Iowa asked the city’s school children to pen an essay on Thanksgiving turkeys. (This post is a companion piece to Melina Druga’s WWI […]
Edwardian Wedding Fashion and Traditions
As the new century dawned in 1901, fashion was quickly changing. Soon hemlines would rise while necklines would fall, and dress styles began to hug a woman’s body. Wedding fashions, however, did not change as drastically and were somewhat behind the times compared to streetwear. Wedding traditions, on the other hand, are surprisingly recognizable. Let’s […]
Forgotten Murders From the 1910s
My latest nonfiction book, Heinous: Forgotten Murders From the 1910s, was inspired by news stories I discovered while researching A Tale of Two Nations: Canada, U.S. and WW1. As I conducted my research, I discovered case after case of murder, suicide, murder-suicide, lynchings, cop killings, doctors and nurses poisoning patients, and fatal traffic accidents. It […]
The History of the Corset: A Slave to Fashion
The corset is probably considered the most uncomfortable garment ever invented, not only because it constricts the body, but also because it is symbolic of women being constricted in society. Was this true, or is it a stereotype? (This post is a companion piece to Melina Druga’s WWI Trilogy, Angel of Mercy, Those Left Behind and […]
Lizzy Murphy: The First Woman to Play Major League Baseball
Her name is lost in history to all but the most ardent baseball fans. Mary Elizabeth “Lizzy” Murphy, the Queen of Baseball, was the first woman to play for a major league baseball team. (This post is a companion piece to Melina Druga’s WWI Trilogy, Angel of Mercy, Those Left Behind and Adjustment Year, available […]