Canada: A People's History

Canada: A Peoples' History is a Fascinating Documentary for everyone, but particularly Americans and the other English-speaking countries.

As a History educator, this is one of the resources I use regularly in my classroom. It holds the attention of the students, even through the parts that aren't about conflict and war.

As a former broadcaster and film production professional, I confirm that the production values are excellent.

The only quibble I have is regarding the narrator, Maggie Huculak: her delivery is not typical of (what Linguists refer to as) "The Niagara Variant of Standard North American English", i.e., the Canadian "accent". Ms. Huculak over-enunciates, pronouncing each "t" as an Englishman might, instead of as most Canadians do, which is to pronounce the "t" sound in very much the same way as Americans do. Ms. Huculak's delivery, overall, is very good, but slightly over-dramatic in places where there is no need for such emphasis. Despite these minor criticisms, the series is one of the best studies ever done on the development of Canada from British Colony to American Parallel society, and will especially aid Americans in understanding how Canada's story dove-tails with that of the United States.

I believe this series stands alone. It is comparable to the PBS Ken Burns series "The Civil War" but covers the entire history of Canada. In order to cover such a long period of time, the length of 17 episodes is certainly not too lengthy but there is so much in the series it is difficult to take it all in at a single viewing. I have already watched several episodes a second time. It is frequently visually stunning with historical reenactments and period costumes. The commentary is often emotionally moving and I never tired over all these long hours of hearing Maggie Huculak's mellifluous voice. The music that introduces each episode is wonderful too. While VERY long, I was truly sorry to see it finally end. I just don't see how this could have been done better! A perfect 10 for sure!

this is a very powerful documentary. its fully involved and takes no short cuts. it is very thorough and explains events in great detail. the history is accurate and fair to all involved.

there is a healthy mix of both history (which you learn in school) and interesting little tidbits (that you don't learn in school).

the entire show - from the commentary to the acting out of events to the history lessons - are displayed in a very inviting and warm way. the creators and writers, etc. must really love Canada, because they sure put a lot of work into this piece of art.

i'm always on the lookout for this to have another run on CBC and you should too. 10/10.

I began watching this series when I was in Grade 6 or so, and I didn't truly appreciate the series until I reached high school. Maggie Huculak's voice perfectly fits each scene and story line. The tone and expression helps put emotional impact on the stories. The music is exquisite and matches the artistic scenes. I was deeply sad to see the series end because it was educational and interesting. I learned so much from this series and I felt blessed and proud to call Canada, my country. The rich history is filmed artistically and the actors (voice and on screen) are passionate about their roles. The series also sides with every character and tells his/her story, and is never biased. I absolutely recommend to teachers, to show this amazing series at school because it is truly marvelous and amazing. Canada: A People's History was breathtaking, and flawless. I gained new appreciation for Canada and for our active partaking in influencing the world. Currently I am planning on becoming a history major at University and I immensely thank the wonderful efforts put worth by an amazing cast and crew because I was blown away by each episode. People need to realize what we are apart of history and we should thank the courageous Canadians of our past for this opportunity to be able to be who we are. If any of the historical Canadians featured in this series, were alive today, they would be proud to see that they are appreciated and their tales are told with true emotion. I personally disliked Henri Bourassa from the way my history textbook explained this politician, and I admired Wilfred Laurier. Canada: A People's History made me appreciate Henri Hourassa for always taking a stand and expressing his thoughts. I also learned about Wilfred Laurier's past and his hard work to become Prime Minister. Textbooks cannot explain these things-- they cannot express emotions. But by watching this series, you will "live" through each character because this series is so heartfelt. I will always keep it close to my heart and mind, and I will always remember what I've learned about Canada and it's rich, rich history. The strengths and weaknesses-- I felt victorious and I felt poor and alone. I lived in this series.

I saw this ambitious and monumental documentary on the history of Canada three years ago on CBC. It was rightly advertized as a major event in Canadian television and deservedly won several awards. I can't really remember the specific episodes but I know it began with an episode called "When the World Began..." and ended with "An Uncertain World, 1975 to 1990". It was well-told and I was thoroughly absorbed.

I would love to watch it again.