Inspire and engage your society, friends, coworkers, and/or volunteers with an engaging presentation on some of Canada’s fascinating stories. The webinars are based on Tom’s twenty years experience researching and relating Western Canadian stories. They are delivered via Zoom or google meets, over which he uses google slides and some live activities. They can be delivered at any time. 1 hour generally costs $100, but there is movement on either side of that for charities and non-profits. Please contact (bottom of this form) for more discussion on pricing.
Deep Dive Stories
CLIO’S ARMADA: Heritage Boat-Building Projects Around the World.
Length: 1 hour. Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets, or in-person (Lower Mainland BC.
The Wind in the Willows suggested that there wasn’t anything much more fun than “messing about with boats.” But time and geography, people and communities are engaged in building and launching heritage watercraft. From canoes built to pass on skills to tallships constructed to commemorate history, this presentation will take you through five amazing boats built by different communities with different aism – but all in the same spirit.
A TALE OF TWO VANCOUVERS: 1846, B.C., Washington, Oregon and the West That Wasn’t.
Length: 1 hour. Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets, or in-person (Lower Mainland BC.
Where does British Columbia’s name come from? How was Washington state nearly part of Confederation? What is the connection between one of Canada’s greatest blues-rock bands, an HBC Governor, and a US President? From 1821 to 1846 the HBC attempted to carve a claim west of the mountains. The result is a gripping story involving Métis settlers, Hawaiian labourers, and a wandering artist. Join us for a dive into the little-told stories of the Pacific North-West.
EDMONTON AND THE NO-GOOD, HORRIBLE, VERY BAD DECADE: The 1910s and Our City’s Sense of Place
Length: 1 hour. Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets, or in-person (Lower Mainland BC.
From boom to bust, from peace to war, and from flood to flu, Edmonton’s awful decade has it all. But like a trying time etches itself into one’s mind, the 1910s are etched onto our cityscape. Take a journey around some of Edmonton’s surviving built heritage and we’ll discover how they link to our city’s darkest days – and brightest hopes.
CITY OF CHAMPIONS: Stories of Petitions, Protests, and Activism in Edmonton’s Past
Length: 1 hour or 1.5 hours. Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets.
From fur traders’ demands to suffragists’ demonstrations, Edmonton has been home to champions, advocates, and activists for hundreds of years. Hear stories of those who questioned, pushed, demanded, and strove – sometimes even for causes we might shrink from today. Leave inspired to take action yourself – it’s the most Edmonton thing you can do.
FAKE NEWS AT FORT EDMONTON: The 1885 Resistance comes to the River City…Kind Of.
Length: 1 hour to 1.5hours. Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets.
Fake news, rumours, and ignorance on the edges of the North-West Resistance contributed to panic spreading far from the sites of any actual battles. Edmonton had its own distinct experience, with a rumour of massive Indigenous uprising, supposed secret ambushes, daring horse messengers, and a mischievous cat out for a midnight stroll. The stories of Edmonton’s experience in the Resistance are more relevant than ever.
Length: 1 hour. Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets.
SAY WHAT? Eight Unbelievable Stories of Edmonton’s Past
SAY WHAT?: Eight Unbelievable Stories of Edmonton’s Past
Some bits of history are just so bizarre, you can’t believe they actually happened. Take a journey through nine ridiculous stories and, in the end, guess which one of them is a fake. Truth is stranger than fiction!
EDMONTON’S IDENTITIES: The Stories of a City in Search of Itself
Length: 1 hour. Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets.
The River City. The City of Champions. The Gateway to the North. Edmonton has collected names the way an actor takes on roles. But is there a title that truly sums up our city, and should there be? This presentation takes a trip through Edmonton’s identities past and present in order to inform a discussion on our future.
Length: 1 hour. Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets.
REMEMBERING EDMONTON’S FORGOTTEN FIRST LADY: Louise Umphreville
For over forty years, Louise Umphreville was probably the most powerful Metis woman on the prairies. She owned a vast herd of horses, lived in the largest building west of Hudson’s Bay, and held a position of some authority over the women and children of Edmonton. Today there is nothing named after her and most Edmontonians could not bring her name to mind if asked. This presentation explores what we know of Louise and her life, labours, tragedies, and legacy.
TRIPMEN, BRAROES, AND BOURGEOIS: Stories of Life, Labour, and Class in Fur Trade Edmonton
Length: 1 hour. Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets.
For over a hundred years before the first settler arrived, the fur-trading companies built outposts, bought beaver, and lived their lives in Edmonton and throughout the North-west. Peel back the curtain and take a trip back in time and meet Paulet Paul, John Rowand, and Margaret McKay – some of Edmonton’s forgotten figures.
Half-Hour Histories
EDMONTON’S MOUSTACHE GALLERY: The History of Lip-Tackle in Edmonton’s 19th and early 20th Centuries
Length: 30 Minutes. Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets.
This short, amusing presentation looks at the evolution of facial hair in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and only occasionally takes a moment to see what we can learn from the changing world of men’s upper lips.
MR ROWAND’S RIVER RACE: The Year Edmonton was (Re) Discovered as Crossroads of the Continent
This exciting story follows three parties set out from Hudson Bay to the Athabasca River. The results of this “race” would have immense consequences for Fort Edmonton and the settlement that later bore its name. Dip your oar in this thrilling tale of John Rowand, George Simpson, and the North Saskatchewan!
Length: 30 Minutes. Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets.
TOSS ‘EM INTO THE RIVER: Vigilantes in 19th Century Edmonton and St. Albert
Length: 30 minutes Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets.
How far would you go to protect your homestead? And if the law wasn’t on your side, how long until you decided to act? Protest is a part of our democracy and a part of our history, and you’ll be amazed at our City Fathers’ role in clandestine vigilante actions. Join us for a few quick stories that prove history is never boring, vigilantes don’t always wear black hats, and the river can be a useful tool when you need it to be!
YULE TIME YEG TALES: Paul Kane’s Christmas Feast and other Fort Edmonton Stories
In the coldest, darkest time of the year we shovel away the snow to reveal the funniest, loveliest, and silliest stories from Edmonton’s early days. Catch of a whiff of what Paul Kane was served for Christmas dinner, what John Welch discovered about New Year’s, and how Peter Erasmus made Fort Edmonton sit up and take notice!
Length: 30 minutes Recommended audience: 3-30 persons
Delivered via: Zoom; Google Meets.
Testimonials
The Men’s Sheds organization in Edmonton recently offered a testimonial:
- “Tom has a playful grasp of history that he weaves into stories that helped me to see our common humanity with the people of our past. “
- “Tom tells riveting and relatable stories about local history that help to see how we work and struggle to overcome adversity.”
The Edmonton & District Historical Society testified:
- “Tom Long speaks very well, knows his historic facts and puts on an engaging presentation. He captivates the audience, transporting them into the past and back to the present while sharing his passion and enthusiasm for the history of western Canada.”
The Canadian Club of Edmonton offers:
- “Tom processes a rare talent for bringing historical events to life, and placing them in a contemporary context. His recent online Presentation of “Fake News at Fort Edmonton (the 1885 Resistance comes to the River City)” won huge accolades from our Canadian Club members, and numerous requests for the recording. Mixing facts with visual images and an engaging commentary showcased Tom’s passion for our local history, and why it remains relevant to our lives today.”
North Wind Heritage Consulting 