2025/26 Programme
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| The Avro Arrow: The Right Decision? | Palmiro Campagna The cancellation of the Arrow marked one of the most significant industrial collapses in Canadian history and is still remembered as a pivotal moment in the nation’s aerospace and political landscape. |
September 23, 2025 |
| The Strange De-commemorating Moment | Dr. Christopher Dummitt Dr. Dummitt, Professor of Canadian Studies at Trent University, will speak about the current controversial practice of de-commemorating significant figures in Canadian history by removing statues and signage, changing street names, and rewriting texts. He will also introduce his new YouTube channel designed to make Canadian History come alive. |
October 28, 2025 |
| A Canadian Spy and the Secret Police behind the Fenian Raids | Dr. David Wilson Professor David Wilson (U of T) will share the little known story of the Canadian spies and secret police who engaged the Irish revolutionaries during the Fenian raids of 1866, when the Americans turned their eyes north and invaded Canada. |
November 18, 2025* |
| John Rae’s Search for the Franklin Expedition | George Parker In 1845, the Franklin expedition vanished in the Canadian High Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage. After years of failed rescue attempts, the Hudson’s Bay Company turned to their most skilled explorer, John Rae. This presentation follows Rae’s journey—what he uncovered in the Arctic, and how his shocking account of the expedition’s fate was received in Victorian England. |
January 27, 2026 |
| Homes with a Story to Tell | CDHS members The stories of area homes — Dumble House, The Breakers, St. Anne’s Spa, Barnum House and Lakehurst — that have impacted Cobourg’s and even Canada’s history. |
February 24, 2025 |
| Scary Harry, The Northumberland County Cheesemaker Who Blew Up the Old West | Gordon Pitts Albert Edward Horsley, a Northumberland County cheesemaker, became infamous for his role in one of the most explosive political crimes of the early 20th century. |
March 24, 2026 |
| Nine Ships: The Peter Robinson Immigration | Dennis Carter-Edwards In 1825, nine ships carried over 2,000 Irish emigrants to what is now Ontario, as part of the Peter Robinson Emigration Scheme—a government scheme to aid families facing hardship in Ireland. Traveling via Kingston and Cobourg, the settlers established new communities in present-day Peterborough County and the City of Kawartha Lakes. Their arrival helped shape the region’s cultural and historical landscape for generations. |
April 28, 2026 |
| Trip | Complete details will be provided closer to the actual event. | May Social |
*Several of our meetings have been rescheduled from the usual fourth Tuesday to accommodate usage of Victoria Hall by the Northumberland Players.
