One hundred years ago, on December 6, 1917, the French munitions ship Mont Blanc collided with the Belgian relief vessel Imo in the Halifax Harbour. At first, a small fire broke out aboard the Mont Blanc, which grew bigger crowds of people and emergency responders linded the shores of Halifax and Dartmouth to get a better look. Suddenly, the Mont Blanc's explosive cargo blew up, flattening homes and businesses, and triggering a tsunami. Amid the confusion and devastation that followed the blast was fourteen-year-old Barbara Orr, who had been walking from her neighbourhood in Richmond to a friend's house. Follow Barbara as she navigates post-explosion Halifax, learning about rescue efforts, the kindness of strangers, and the bravery of heroes like Vincent Coleman along the way. Part of the popular Compass series, this full-colour non-fiction book includes highlighted glossary terms, informative sidebars, over 50 illustrations and historical photographs, a detailed index, and recommended further reading. In commemoration of the tragic event's 100th anniversary, Broken Pieces is a great resource for young readers and educators.

Canada in the Great Power Game 1914-2014 is a serious contemplation of what it means to engage in major world conflicts, and the price we pay when we do.   The First World War was Canada's baptism of fire, or at least the only one that people now remember. (Montrealers in 1776 or Torontonians in 1814 would have taken a different view.) From 1914 to 1918, after a century of peace, Canadians were plunged back into the old world of great power rivalries and great wars. So was everybody else, but Canadians were volunteers. We didn't have to fight, but we chose to, out of loyalty to ideas and institutions that today many of us no longer believe in. And we have been doing the same thing ever since, although we haven't quite given up on the latest set of ideas and institutions yet. In Canada in the Great Power Game, Gwynne Dyer moves back and forth between the seminal event, the First World War, and all the later conflicts that Canada chose to fight in. He draws parallels between these conflicts, with the same idealism among the young soldiers, and the same deeply conflicted emotions among the survivors, surfacing time and again in every war right down to Afghanistan. And in each case, the same arguments pro and con arise--mostly from people who are a long, safe way from the killing grounds--for every one of those "wars of choice." Echoing throughout the book are the voices of the people who lived through the wars: the veterans, the politicians, the historians, the eyewitnesses. And Dyer takes a number of so-called excursions from his historical account, in which he revisits the events and puts them in context, pausing to ask such questions as "What if we hadn't fought Hitler?" and "Is war written in our genes?" This entertaining and provocative book casts an unsparing eye over what happens when Canada and the great powers get in the war business, illuminating much about how we see ourselves on the world stage.

This fascinating book describes Canadas coming of age during World War I on the battlefields and at home. When Britain declared war on Germany, it meant that Canada was at war, too. Most Canadians supported the war, but the government faced opposition about conscription from French-speaking Canadians who did not feel a particular loyalty to Britain. In the air, the incredible feats of Canadian flying ace Billy Bishop made him a hero back home. On the battlefield, Britain came to rely on Canadian soldiers, who had a formidable reputation for taking and holding military objectives when other troops had failed. Find out how the victories of Canadian shock troops in battles at Ypres (where they faced mustard gas poisoning), the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, and Passchendaele helped give Canada a presence on the world stage. "About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

What is the difference between First Nations and Aboriginal people? Look inside this book to find out! First Nations and Early Explorers introduces different groups of Canadian Aboriginal people from First Nations to the M‚tis. Then meet pre-confederation explorers from France and England, and even the Vikings! Books in the Canadian Timelines series teach readers the basics of Canadian history and culture, from how First Nations people arrived to immigration since the 1970s.

When did the last territory join Canada? Look inside this book to find out! Building of a Nation looks at how new settlers and Aboriginal people worked together to shape modern-day Canada, from the 1775 war to beyond the Confederation. Books in the Canadian Timelines series teach readers the basics of Canadian history and culture, from how First Nations people arrived to immigration since the 1970s.

What are the two national sports of Canada? Look inside this book to find out! Canada Today gets readers to look at the diversity of people, cities and landscapes in the country. We also look at where people work, go to school and what they do for fun! Books in the Canadian Timelines series teach readers the basics of Canadian history and culture, from how First Nations people arrived to immigration since the 1970s.