Canadian Art & Literature History

Home to Emily Carr and her pet monkey, Woo, the Carr Residence is a beautifully restored provincial and national historic site in Victoria, BC. Visit the Carr House to see where one of Canada’s most-famous artists and authors grew up – take a walk around the neighbourhood, Beacon Hill Park and the ocean shoreline to see where Emily Carr gained her appreciation for nature and shaped her unique perspective of the west coast. Take the opportunity to explore and learn more about Emily Carr with guided tours and series of programs inspired by the themes of her life.

Located in Vancouver, BC. is the childhood home of author Joy Kogawa – who stands as a historical reminder of the internment experience of Japanese Canadians during World War Two. A literary landmark, today it goes on to be a unique live/work space and a site of healing and reconciliation, hosting author residencies, literary events, and offering year-round educational tours for school groups and general public. Can’t make it to Vancouver? No problem, the website of the Historic Joy Kogawa House has virtual tours of the home – you can see Joy Kogawa’s desk, where she wrote her novel, “Obasan.” 

Leacock Museum National Historic Site, is the summer home of humourist Stephen Butler Leacock. Located on the tranquil shores of Lake Couchiching, you will find the world’s largest archival holding of Leacock manuscripts for you to explore! The collection covers work from 1869 to 1944, focusing on Orillia, Lake Simcoe, and Montreal. Visit to see where Leacock got his inspiration and creativity for his book, “Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town” (1912).

Author of the well known poem “In Flanders Fields,” Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918), was a First World War doctor, soldier, and poet. McCrae House is a National Historic Site, and John McCraw himself was designated a figure of national historic importance in 1946. “In Flanders Fields,” was written by McCrae in 1915 on the battlefields of Ypres, Belgium, and was published anonymously in the British magazine Punch – it became one of the most celebrated poems of World War One, and has made the poppy a lasting symbol of soldiers who lost their lives during the war. Watch this Heritage Minute to learn more about Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae – https://www.historicacanada.ca/content/heritage-minutes/john-mccrae

Arguably Canada’s most notable literary landmark, Green Gables is the setting for the beloved 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables. The original warm and welcoming green-gabled farmhouse, which inspired author Lucy Maud Montgomery over a century ago, has been lovingly restored to reflect the period – even including the furnishings in the rooms. Visit to relive youth escapades and find creativity!

Combining real and imaginary worlds, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site is a cultural landscape that embraces the landscape near Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, a landscape author L. M. Montgomery knew so well and made famous in her “Anne of Green Gables” books. Visit to connect and reflect with the life and work of loved and internationally known author,  L. M. Montgomery. Watch this heritage minute to learn more about  L. M. Montgomery – https://www.historicacanada.ca/content/heritage-minutes/lucy-maud-montgomery