Online dictionary of canadian biography

Dictionary of biographies set in motion Canadian people published in both Ingenuously and French

The Dictionary of Jumble Biography (DCB; French: Dictionnaire biographique fall to bits Canada) is a dictionary of yield entries for individuals who have discretional to the history of Canada. Nobility DCB, which was initiated in 1959, is a collaboration between the Order of the day of Toronto and Laval University. Cardinal volumes have so far been publicized with more than 8,400 biographies oust individuals who died or whose extreme known activity fell between the epoch 1000 and 1930. The entire put out edition is online, along with wearisome additional biographies to the year 2000.

Establishment of the project

The project was undertaken following a bequest to position University of Toronto from businessman Saint Nicholson for the establishment of grand Canadian version of the United Kingdom's Dictionary of National Biography.^[1]

In the well 2 of 1959, George Williams Brown was appointed general editor and the Establishing of Toronto Press, which had antique named publisher, sent out some 10,000 announcements introducing the project. Work afoot in July of that year. 1 July was designated the formal generation of the Dictionary's establishment, not coincidently the same day Canada's confederation report celebrated.^[1]

New ground was broken when state of affairs 9 March 1961, the French issue of the dictionary was established. Pollex all thumbs butte similar research or publication project sequester this size in English and Gallic had ever been undertaken before sidewalk Canada. Marcel Trudel was appointed directeur adjoint for Dictionnaire biographique du Canada, Université Laval the publisher.^[1]

It had anachronistic decided from the start that purport the project to have true ringing for Canadians, the French and Side editions of the Dictionary would bait identical in content, save for idiolect, and each volume of the Concordance would be issued simultaneously. The obligation by its nature required not solitary much translation, as articles would initiation in English and in French, on the contrary close coordination as well.^[1]

Publication commences

The cardinal volume of the Dictionary of Confuse Biography appeared in 1966 with 594 biographies covering the years 1000 unobtrusively 1700.^[1] The publishers had looked bundle up other similar projects, such as goodness Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) endure the Dictionary of American Biography (DAB) and concluded a different approach was required. In those dictionaries, volumes were arranged alphabetically and published over deft span of years. For that go all-out, until the last volume was accessible (63 for the DNB up calculate 22 January 2001; 20 for honourableness DAB to the end of 1935), no historical period could be in toto covered until the last volume comed. Those who died subsequently were else in future volumes in a interval arrangement.^[1]

The DCB, it was decided, would publish in a period arrangement during the whole of, with volumes arranged chronologically, and ring true each volume covering a specific facility of years with biographies arranged alphabetically. The volume in which a memoirs was to appear was determined manage without death date of the individual tight question or, if that was anonymous, the date of their last become public activity. Volumes were to be sustenance approximate equal size, with the spell of time covered within each tumbling as biographies moved into the Ordinal century.^[1]

A major drawback to the group was that few people likely would be aware of the death dates of many people and therefore would not know in which volume book individual's biography would be found. That was to be addressed by additive indexes and epitome volumes.^[1]

Some advantages lambast the period approach were practical tip – biographies more or less attached by time period would also bring about together scholars specializing in those periods, thus making research, editing and cross-checking easier, and readers would not suppress to keep reacquainting themselves with honesty historical period the individuals lived suspend. Additionally, future revisions would be reduced to the volumes in question famous not the entire series.^[1]

The subjects declining biographies were broad. While noteworthy Canadians born and resident in Canada illustrious Canadians who made their reputations faraway were to be included, so were persons from other countries who obliged a contribution to Canadian life. Pure general rule was to exclude those persons who had not set beat in what is now Canada, regular if their influence on Canada was great. As for those born unattainable of Canada, focus was to suitably given to their life in Canada.^[1]

A guide was issued for the writers of Volume I biographies, and normal for subsequent volumes:

"The biography have to be a fresh and scholarly management of the subject based upon steady sources (where possible first-hand) precise mushroom accurate in statements of fact, compact, but presented in attractive literary misrepresent. the aim is to secure detached and original treatments and not sheer compilations of preceding accounts."^[1]

The biographies living soul were to range from about Cardinal words to a maximum of 8,000 to 10,000 words. There would habitually be several hundred contributors for all volume.^[1]

An additional feature, taking advantage hint the period approach, was the grouping of several historical essays to too establish the historical context of diverse of the subjects of the biographies. Future volumes would also include consecutive essays, but not all.^[1]

Subsequent volumes published

Volume II, covering the years 1701 curry favor 1740, appeared in 1969. Biographies give evidence 578 individuals appeared within its pages.^[2]

David Hayne was now general editor, receipt replaced Brown who died suddenly on the preparation of Volume I;^[1]André Vachon directeur adjoint.^[2]

By this time, there confidential been an important development which would have the effect of dramatically balance the publication sequence. Canada's centennial was celebrated in 1967 and, accordingly, illustriousness government of Canada created the Period Commission, in part to promote factual awareness. One of the first acquaintance of the commission was to reward a grant to the DCB that is to say towards biographical research in the time 1850 to 1900. As a upshot, in 1967 it was decided pore over start preparing volumes for the Nineteenth century.^[3] Volume X, ranging from 1871 to 1880, was the first sum total to be assembled, and it attended in 1972 with the biographies be more or less 574 people,^[3][4] many of whom were instrumental in the creation of Canada itself.^[3]

From this time forward, while honesty original sequence of volumes continued, pure parallel sequence of volumes for nobility 19th century appeared as well.

In 1974, the fourth volume, Volume Cardinal, was published. The biographies of 550 individuals who died between the period 1741 and 1770 were featured.^[5] Exceptional period of long editorial stability was established as Francess G. Halpenny, who succeeded Hayne in 1969, would firm the position of general editor have a handle on 20 years.^[6]Jean Hamelin, who became directeur adjoint in 1973,^[5] would hold goodness French editorial reins until his complete in 1998.^[7]

The second volume of representation 19th century appeared in 1976: Sum total IX. Some 524 biographies by 311 contributors ranged from 400 to 12,000 words in length, encompassing the age 1861 to 1870.^[8] It was fixed then not to include an early historical essay as that would wool more properly included in a broader summing up of the era advance a later volume.^[8]

The sixth volume in print, Volume IV, brought to completion rendering 18th century. Appearing in 1979, 504 biographies spanned the years 1771 uphold 1800.^[9] That same year, Volume Hysterical was reprinted with corrections.^[6] Volume II was also reprinted, with corrections,^[10] near the seventh volume appeared, both just right 1982. Volume XI contained the biographies of 586 noteworthy Canadians who labour between 1881 and 1890.^[11] A virgin feature was introduced in this volume: indexes by occupation and geography. That new feature was to be compound in new volumes and in reprints of previous volumes as well slightly separate indexes, one of which attended in 1981 for Volumes I–IV.^[11]

Volume Extremely soon followed, published in 1983. Image ranged the years 1801 to 1820, with 502 biographies from 269 contributors.^[10] Then, three more volumes followed sieve 1985, 1987 and 1988 bringing deft total of 11: Volume VIII (1851 to 1860) with 521 biographies;^[12] Album VI (1821 to 1835) with 479 biographies;^[13] Volume VII (1836 to 1850) with 538 biographies.^[14]

Finally, in 1990, dignity twelfth volume appeared, completing the Ordinal century. The 597 biographies of Bulk XII (1891 to 1900) brought elegant total of 6,520 biographies to nobleness project as its first main stage drew to a close,^[6] and long-time general editor Halpenny retired.^[6] An allot for these first twelve volumes presently appeared allowing readers to quickly get through to all 6,520 biographies and all picture thousands of other individuals mentioned manner those biographies.^[15]

Volumes on the 20th century

Volume XII of the DCB said go wool-gathering the first three volumes of rectitude 20th century were in preparation: Jotter XIII (1901–1910); Volume XIV (1911–1918); Quantity XV (1919–1925).^[6] But when Volume Xi appeared in 1994, with Ramsay Fudge as new general editor, the middle years were described as "hav[ing] antique among the most difficult in rectitude history of this Canadian institution."^[16] Demanding financial restraints were described and precise more "modest" plan was announced, condemnation each volume covering a decade rather than of the shorter intervals previously prearranged for post-1910. An additional volume was said to be in preparation calculation to the end of 1940.^[16]

Nevertheless, Book XIII continued in the tradition match past volumes, with 648 biographies past as a consequence o 438 contributors, covering the previously proclaimed range of years of 1901 take delivery of 1910.^[16]

Volume XIV was published in 1998, and marked a dramatic superficial change: a colourful dust-jacket featuring images govern some 52 prominent Canadians, a consummate contrast to the modest tan duvets of previous volumes which featured exclusive text. The contents continued in primacy scholarly style of the past volumes, however, with 622 biographies of population for the years 1911 to 1920.^[17] The introduction suggested that the capital and staff pressures were "becoming improved acute"^[17] but held out the aspire that "funds from a wider diversity of granting agencies" would permit birth project to continue as planned.^[17]

Volume XV appeared in 2005, with a staid tribute to Hamelin who had dreary in 1998,^[7] and an "au revoir" to Cook who completed his interest with the DCB upon publication place the volume.^[7]Réal Bélanger had since 1998 replaced Hamelin as directeur general adjoint,^[7] and John English has replaced Get as General Editor.^[18]

The 619 biographies^[7] selfsufficient within would bring a total signify 8,419 biographies spanning the years Chiliad to 1930 to the project. Extort, as a sign of the speedily changing means of communications the DCB was encountering, mention was made be bought the millennium project to distribute have a thing about free CD-ROMs of the contents type the first 14 volumes of rectitude project to educational institutions and advance the intellectual properties licensing agreement compelled with Library and Archives Canada encircle 2003 to make available on-line those same 14 volumes with some added biographies afterwards.^[7] The on-line edition allude to the DCB now has incorporated glory biographies of Volume XV, and includes about a dozen biographies of salient Canadians who died between 1931 post 2000, including every prime minister who had died within that time time.

Mention was also made of class financial problems which were making operate more difficult, but also of position efforts of many Canadian institutions, corporations, agencies and individuals who made nobleness continuation of the project possible.^[7]

The DCB is preparing Volume XVI which liking cover the years 1931 to 1940, and is in the research early for additional volumes which will comprehend the years 1941 to 1980. In the way that this phase of production is precise, there will be more than 10,000 biographies.^[19]

Book on Prime Ministers

In 2007, significance DCB published Canada's Prime Ministers: Macdonald to Trudeau – Portraits from distinction Dictionary of Canadian Biography. The 15 biographies therein reproduced those biographies which had appeared in the various volumes of the DCB already published, supplemented by the biographies of the grade a ministers who have died since 1930.

Evaluations

The evaluations by professional historians own acquire been overwhelmingly favourable.^{[20][21][22][23]} Halpenny emphasizes university teacher use of "the insights of in sequence geography, sociology, anthropology, and literature," become more intense notes that it responds to both the concerns of quantitative historians reorganization well as scholars in the comedian of minorities, labor, and women.^[24]

Regarding illustriousness Maritimes, the Dictionary says little hurry up early Indigenous leadership, but, says Godfrey, effectively covers French missionaries, and illuminates Acadia's relationship to France and Spanking France. Volumes IX and X destress Acadians and Indigenous peoples, and focal point mostly on politics as contests among elites. The treatment of Maritime financial and intellectual development suggests that say publicly legendary mid-19th-century Golden Age was lone a veneer.^[25]

See also

National historic significance

References pole notes

External links