Our Stories, a 13 part television series, makes Canada's past come alive. The series features diverse and engaging personalities who recount their own unique stories, presenting a vibrant mosaic of history and culture. With Canadian roots extending back 100 years or more, their chronicles reveal the richness of our country's heritage and create living snapshots of history as told by those who lived it. The natural styles of the storytellers are complemented by rare archival film footage, together with family photographs and portraits.

The intimate nature of the series is due in large part to Executive Producer, Jane Glassco. Jane realized that a television, or at least a video series, about the people who pioneered this country - ordinary, not so ordinary, but largely unsung heroes - should be made before it was too late. "These are a generation of people we haven't heard or seen much from since the War - the First World War in some cases," says Jane. "I believe their perspective on the last seventy years or so and their memories of Canada, family, community, is the foundation of our history in this century."

Jane hired a variety of directors from across the country, and made sure that each documentary got the once-over from its subject for accuracy.

"We are only just discovering how valuable our oral and visual histories are - not just the famous people and events should be preserved." says co-producer, Anne Pick. " These people lived our history and, depending on where and who they were in this country, those experiences at times were poles apart, and at other times, almost identical. I think their stories will help us understand each other better."

Some of the storytellers have since passed away, but their personalities and historical anecdotes live.

Our Stories was produced in association with CBC Television, and broadcast on their national network from June 21 to September 27, 1994.

• Pier 21 Society - Between 1928-1971, at Pier 21 on the Halifax waterfront, 1.5 million immigrants first set foot on Canadian soil. The Pier 21 Society has been created to revitalize Pier 21 as a permanent testament, designed to celebrate the profound contributions of immigrant Canadians.
• Canada and the World: A History - They also have Map of Canada.
• Grade 12 (Canadian) History Internet Resources for High School Teachers in Saskatchewan - a great list of links for everything historical about Canada.

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