Author Topic: What "CanCon" Have You Read or Listened To?  (Read 148 times)

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Offline JBG

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What "CanCon" Have You Read or Listened To?
« on: August 15, 2020, 06:31:44 pm »
 I'll start. Even though I'm a "Yank" I read my share of "Canadian content."
 
I just finished reading the book, The Great Lone Land, by William Francis Butler, was a thrill to read. I was led to this book by The Impossible Railway: The Building of the Canadian Pacific, by Pierre Berton. The Burton book relied extensively on The Great Loan Land's description of pre-railroad conditions. Or, to quote Gordon Lightfoot, "There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run, when the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun, Long before the white man and long before the wheel, when the green dark forest was too silent to be real." This book describes a world that is almost unreal; deeply isolated, with bone-warping cold and only recently teaming with bison.

The Great Lone Land strikes me as a Canadian Journal of Lewis and Clark. Some of the material echoes that found in 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann. In particular, the author details the depredations of the smallpox virus on First Nations/Native Americans.

The author, William Francis Butler, was commissioned by William McDougall, Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories (then covering most of Canada west of Ontario except for a much smaller province of Manitoba) to: "1) report upon the whole question of the existing state of affairs in that territory, and to state your views on what may be necessary to be done in the interest of peace and order; 2)ascertain, as far as you can, in what places and among what tribes of Indians, and what settlements of whites, the small-pox is now prevailing, including the extent of its ravages; 3) ascertain, as far as in your power, the number of Indians on the line between Red River and the Rocky Mountains; the different nations and tribes into which they are divided and the particular locality inhabited, and the language spoken, and also the names of the principal chiefs of each tribe." (paraphrased).

This book was a tale of his fascinating journey, from October 1870 to February or March 1871, through what Butler called "The Great Lone Land." The journey started at Fort Garry, near modern Winnipeg, thence west to modern Edmonton, southwest to Rocky Mountain House, then returning to the Red River area of Winnipeg. During his journey he intercoursed with the Metis (he called them "half-breeds"), First Nations (called "Indians" at the time) and white settlers and members of the military. The Appendix is essential reading. It contains McDougall's original orders, and the report Butler filed about two months after his journey.

Books such as these are rare, and hard to get. I will email PDF's of the book to anyone who requests and supplies an email address, since the book is no longer under copyright. My edition of the book goes to 351 pages, 384 with the appendix.
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Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: What "CanCon" Have You Read or Listened To?
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2020, 05:45:52 pm »
CanCon ?

Music... tons... Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young... lots and lots

Books... Why Shoot the Teacher ? Max Braithwaite 
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. Wayne Johnston
Mordechai Richler
Margaret Attwood
Carol Shields
Crad Kilodney

Why not ?

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: What "CanCon" Have You Read or Listened To?
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2020, 10:25:39 pm »
CanCon has nothing to do with books.  Zero.
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Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: What "CanCon" Have You Read or Listened To?
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2020, 04:55:51 am »
CanCon has nothing to do with books.  Zero.

From the OP, he is using it as short form for Canadian Content, which I assume is separate from the government program to promote quotas on radio and television content.

guest18

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Re: What "CanCon" Have You Read or Listened To?
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2020, 07:33:42 am »
DOA
No Means No
SNFU
Stretch Marks
Asexuals
Giselle McKenzie

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: What "CanCon" Have You Read or Listened To?
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2020, 10:44:47 am »
DOA
No Means No
SNFU
Stretch Marks
Asexuals
Giselle McKenzie

What the hell ?  Is that PUNK ROCK ? 

guest18

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Re: What "CanCon" Have You Read or Listened To?
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2020, 11:39:36 am »
What the hell ?  Is that PUNK ROCK ?
One day I'll tell you all about being an assistant punk rock promoter in Winnipeg in the 1980s, including antics with Henry Rollins, Dave Pirner (involving public nudity pre-Winona), DOA, and the time when the Crucifucks did solvents with some rubbies and started a large bar fight.
Duran Duran even show up at one point just before they broke big. But I recall little of that.

But Gisele Mackenzie and Jack Benny did a classic violin duet of Getting to Know You. Hilarious.

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: What "CanCon" Have You Read or Listened To?
« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2020, 12:34:42 pm »
One day I'll tell you all about being an assistant punk rock promoter in Winnipeg in the 1980s, including antics with Henry Rollins, Dave Pirner (involving public nudity pre-Winona), DOA, and the time when the Crucifucks did solvents with some rubbies and started a large bar fight.
Duran Duran even show up at one point just before they broke big. But I recall little of that.

But Gisele Mackenzie and Jack Benny did a classic violin duet of Getting to Know You. Hilarious.

Wot.....

This is like a random word generator.  I did hear that Chi Pig, a Canadian punk, passed away so RIP.

I have family and friends in Winnipeg.  I will PM you their family names in case you know 'em.

Offline waldo

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Re: What "CanCon" Have You Read or Listened To?
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2020, 09:06:09 am »
speaking of CanCon.....  ;D one has to be impressed with how the National Post kowtows to its American ownership with a full-page devoted to... to... Trump's brother's death! Who you say? Oh my!

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Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: What "CanCon" Have You Read or Listened To?
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2020, 10:35:09 am »
speaking of CanCon.....  ;D one has to be impressed with how the National Post kowtows to its American ownership with a full-page devoted to... to... Trump's brother's death! Who you say? Oh my!

OMFG.... In case I need a reminder of how misplaced this organ is...

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: What "CanCon" Have You Read or Listened To?
« Reply #10 on: August 18, 2020, 12:33:44 pm »
Did the NP mention that The Donald played golf the day his brother lay dying in the hospital? 

I guess we all grieve in different ways when our “brother and best friend” is dying...   some spend it with their loved ones...  some go golfing with celebrities...
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