Meet Ron Labrie, a history teacher in Ponoka, Alberta. With years of experience leading commemorative tours with Explorica, Ron has gained some fascinating insight and stories to share about Canadian history, Vimy Ridge, and the impact of bringing students around the world to witness history firsthand. What are your school’s connections to WWI? Ponoka Composite High School was the Alberta representative at the 90th Anniversary Read More …
Meet Phil Cassidy, a history and band teacher for grades 9–12. He has 22 years of teaching experience and has led seven tours with Explorica, with two more in the works. Phil served in the Canadian infantry for eight years—one of the many reasons he believes in the importance of connecting students with Canada’s military history. Has your military experience shaped how you teach Canadian history to your students? Absolutely. I Read More …
With Explorica, you can create your own perfect tour at the click of a button. Just add one of these exclusive new activities to your tour to experience Canadian history first-hand. Stay in a château Trade in your hotel for a more authentic experience, and stay in an authentic French-style château during your tour. Spend your Read More …
2019 will mark the 75th anniversary of one of the most infamous conflicts in our history. The bravery that so many young Canadians exhibited during that fateful summer still touches our lives, and Explorica will be commemorating their sacrifice throughout the 2019 school year with a collection of tours specifically focused on D-Day and Canadian history. Read More …
Canadian history teachers from the Ottawa Catholic School Board, Vanessa Kirtz and Erin Stokes took a particularly creative approach to this challenge. Since 2013 and 2007 respectively, they’ve worked on an ambitious project in which students research the lives of Canadian soldiers who died while serving in the First and Second World War. Calling it a “Soldier Project,” the Read More …
The first time Canada entered WWII was on September 10, 1939. By the end of 1940, more than 200,000 Canadians volunteered to join Great Britain and France in the fight against Germany. It wasn’t Prime Minister Mackenzie King’s intention to have this many Canadians enlist. However, within a year, the country geared up for full Read More …
This year will be the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands! Officially a national Dutch holiday since 1990, Liberation Day commemorates the First Canadian Army’s liberation of the Netherlands from German occupation in World War II. On May 5, 1945, Canadian General Charles Foulkes and the German Commander-in-Chief Johannes Blaskowitz reached an agreement Read More …
