Reviews

a safe home for older lesbians

by Heather Ann Brown | Apr 23, 2004

To this day, there’s almost a complete lack of knowledge about lesbians’ specific health care needs and concerns. There’s still a lot of discrimination shown towards us, too, which makes many less likely to take full advantage of the health care system. As we age, of course, that knowledge and support are even more critical to lesbians maintaining an active, healthful lifestyle in later years. read more

history you can touch: July 1, vacationing with Canada’s history

by Beth Atcheson | Jun 23, 2003

Are you there yet? Planning a summer vacation in Canada, check out the sites, persons and events of historical significance in our collective story. When you get home, think about the stories that interest you and nominate a new site, person or event. Have a safe and fun vacation. read more

February 7: Lunar New Year

Jan 29, 2003

In Asia, the lunar new year falls at the end of winter and the beginning of spring. A Chinese proverb tells us that all creations are reborn on New Year’s Day. It is a time for change, from the old to the new. It is a time to seek good fortune. read more

the secret of Gabi's dresser

by Kathy Kacer | Apr 20, 2001

In recognition and in remembrance of the Holocaust, we present an excerpt from a book for young people (8 to 11) by Kathy Kacer. Kathy’s mother, Gabi, was a young Jewish girl living in what was is now Slovakia (then part of Czechoslovakia). In 1942, government forces started to deport Jews from Slovakia. At one point, the target of the deportations was young, single girls. In Gabi’ voice, her daughter Kathy tells what Gabi experienced, and how she survived to eventually come to live in Canada. read more

December 6: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

Nov 21, 2000

On December 6, we remember 14 young women murdered by a man at L’Ecole Polytechnique. They were shot because they were women. It is important to mourn on this day. It is just as important to work for change. It is critical that both men and women address the root causes of violence against women. read more

sex education in Ontario from 1900-1950

by Christabelle Sethna | Mar 21, 2000

This excerpt from Canadian Women Studies/les cahiers de la femme tackles the development of sex education in Ontario in the 1940s. The paper discusses how the war affected interpretations of sex education and how developments in medicine, coupled with a strict moral code, shaped the sex education curriculum of the 1940s and 1950s. read more

March 8, 2000: International Women’s Day

Mar 3, 2000

The World March of Women 2000 – which happened on March 8, International Women’s Day – is a day etched in the world’s calendar. It was on this day that a planetary solidarity movement happened, marking women’s determination to shake up the powers that be. Here are some of the key events that happened on that day. read more

Women Playing Tennis

Jul 15, 1999

Canadian women have long been playing tennis, going as far back as 1874 when the game was first brought here. Canadian women have featured prominently in the sport. Lois Moyes Bickle in the years 1906-1924 was one of Canada's greatest sports champions. read more

no choice: Canadian women’s stories of illegal abortion

Jul 7, 1999

From 1869–1969, abortion in Canada for any reason was a crime punishable by life imprisonment. From 1892 (when Canada’s first Criminal Code was introduced) to 1969, there was a legal ban on the sale and advertisement of contraceptives and on dissemination of information. The book, No Choice – Canadian Women Tell Their Stories of Illegal Abortion explores what it was like to be a woman of reproductive age during the era when abortion (and contraception) was a crime. read more