Robert George Malcomson Papers, 1790s-2009 (non-inclusive)

Materials related to military and naval operations of the 1812 era, research of the late Robert Malcomson, Canadian author and historian. Materials include photocopies of materials relating to the War of 1812, photographs and detailed research notes Malcomson made regarding his approach to research (mainly found in Series VIII). Materials were originally arranged in binders relating to an area of research or a certain publication. Articles were removed from the binders and placed in folders using original titles from the binders as series or sub-series titles. Articles within the binders were separated by tabs indicating what the article related to in the publication or topic of interest. In order to avoid repetition, the writing on the tab was used for folder titles, as each folder would be a part of the Series under which it was grouped. The tab names could be authors, events, accounts etc. of the War. Series and sub-series titles were derived from the original titles on the binders. Original intellectual order was retained, grouping similar subjects into Series and Sub-series. Dates recorded were the publication dates of the articles; however, if no publication date was present the date of retrieval was used if from an academic database (ex. JSTOR). The black and white photos from various repositories are reproductions of paintings, microfilm etc. on photographic paper. The colour photographs from various repositories are actual photographs. All books donated by Malcomson were integrated into the University’s Special Collections book collection. These volumes are noted at the end of the finding aid under separated materials.

The Welland Canals Foundation, Honourable William Hamilton Merritt and the St. Catharines Historical Society and Museum, 1971-1990, n.d.

‘The Father of Canadian Transportation’ is a term commonly associated with William Hamilton Merritt. Although he is most known for being one of the driving forces behind the building of the first Welland Canal, he was many things throughout his life; a soldier, merchant, promoter, entrepreneur and politician to name a few. Born on July 3, 1793 at Bedford, Westchester County, N.Y. to Thomas Merritt and Mary Hamilton, Merritt’s family relocated to Canada shortly after in 1796. The move came after Merritt’s father petitioned John Graves Simcoe for land in Upper Canada after serving under him in the Queen’s Rangers during the American Revolution. The family quickly settled into their life at Twelve Mile Creek in St. Catharines. Merritt’s father became sheriff of Lincoln County in 1803 while Merritt began his education in mathematics and surveying. After some brief travel and further education Merritt returned to Lincoln County, in 1809 to help farm his father’s land and open a general store. While a farmer and merchant, Merritt turned his attention to military endeavours. A short time after being commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Lincoln militia, the War of 1812 broke out. Fulfilling his duty, Merritt fought in the Battle of Queenston Heights in October of 1812, and numerous small battles until the Battle of Lundy’s Lane in July 1814. It was here that Merritt was captured and held in Cheshire, Massachusetts until the war ended. Arriving back in the St. Catharines area upon his release, Merritt returned to being a merchant, as well as becoming a surveyor and mill owner. Some historians hypothesize that the need to draw water to his mill was how the idea of the Welland Canals was born. Beginning with a plan to connect the Welland River with the Twelve mile creek quickly developed into a connection between the Lakes Erie and Ontario. Its main purpose was to improve the St. Lawrence transportation system and provide a convenient way to transport goods without having to go through the Niagara Falls portage. The plan was set in motion in 1818, but most living in Queenston and Niagara were not happy with it as it would drive business away from them. Along with the opposition came financial and political restraints. Despite these factors Merritt pushed on and the Welland Canal Company was chartered by the Upper Canadian Assembly on January 19, 1824. The first sod was turned on November 30, 1824 almost a year after the initial chartering. Many difficulties arose during the building of the canal including financial, physical, and geographic restrictions. Despite the difficulties two schooners passed through the canal on November 30, 1829. Throughout the next four years continual work was done on the canal as it expended and was modified to better accommodate large ships. After his canal was underway Merritt took a more active role in the political arena, where he served in various positions throughout Upper Canada. In 1851, Merritt withdrew from the Executive Council for numerous reasons, one of which being that pubic interest had diverted from the canals to railways. Merritt tried his hand at other public works outside transportation and trade. He looked into building a lunatic asylum, worked on behalf of War of 1812 veterans, aided in building Brock’s monument, established schools, aided refugee slaves from the U.S. and tried to establish a National Archives among many other feats. He was described by some as having “policy too liberal – conceptions too vast – views too comprehensive to be comprehensible by all”, but he still made a great difference in the society in which he lived. After his great contributions, Merritt died aboard a ship in the Cornwall canal on July 5, 1862. Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=38719 retrieved October 2006 Today numerous groups carry on the legacy of Merritt and the canals both in the past and present. One such group is the Welland Canals Foundation. They describe themselves as: “. . . a volunteer organization which strives to promote the importance of the present and past Welland Canals, and to preserve their history and heritage. The Foundation began in 1980 and carries on events like William Hamilton Merritt Day. The group has strongly supported the Welland Canals Parkway initiative and numerous other activities”. The Welland Canals Foundation does not work alone. They have help from other local groups such as the St. Catharines Historical Society. The Society’s main objective is to increase knowledge and appreciation of the historical aspects of St. Catharines and vicinity, such as the Welland Canals. http://www.niagara.com/~dmdorey/hssc/dec2000.html - retrieved Oct. 2006 http://www.niagara.com/~dmdorey/hssc/feb2000.html - retrieved Oct. 2006

British Methodist Episcopal Church Tithing Ticket, 1874

A quarterly tithing ticket from the British Methodist Episcopal Church, signed by Walter Hawkins, Minister, issued on August 16, 1874. This ticket was in the possession of the Richard Bell Family of St. Catharines.Minister Walter Hawkins was Superintendent of the Conference for the British Methodist Episcopal Church (Brant Co.) This excerpt from the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online describes his role in reestablishing the BMEC in Canada following a period of reunion with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, an initiative spearheaded by Richard Randolph Disney, a free-born black American Methodist preacher. "By the end of the 1870s the BMEC had 56 congregations with about 3,100 members, the bulk of the latter being in the Danish West Indies and British Guiana. Because mission work outside Canada had overtaxed the church's financial resources, in 1880 Disney began negotiations towards reunion with the AMEC. The reunion was effected that year, and it was overwhelmingly ratified at a BMEC convention held at Hamilton in June 1881. A referendum showed that although a majority in Ontario was opposed, 86 per cent of the membership was in favour. Disney was accepted as an AMEC bishop and was assigned to its Tenth Episcopal District, a region embracing his former territory as well as some of the AMEC churches in Canada which had not joined the BMEC. Reunification appeared to have been a triumph for Disney, but trouble soon occurred. A majority of the Ontario churches and preachers, led by the Reverend Walter Hawkins of Chatham, sought to re-establish the BMEC, fearing the loss of their distinctive identity and perhaps feeling that the Caribbean groups had exercised too much influence on the reunification question. In 1886 this group held an ecclesiastical council at Chatham, at which it was claimed that Disney had defected to the AMEC. At a subsequent general conference that year the BMEC was reconstituted. The conference deposed Disney, agreeing to "erase his name and ignore his authority, and cancel his official relationship as bishop." The conference minutes also refer to a court case instigated by Disney which reached the High Court of Chancery in Britain, but records of this case have not been located. The reconstituted BMEC elected Hawkins as its general superintendent, avoiding the title of bishop for several years." Source: Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. Government of Canada.

Mandy Klein fonds

Mandy Klein was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome as an adult. Her husband also has Asperger’s syndrome, and together they have a daughter with autism. She lives in Ontario and writes about her family’s experiences with autism on her blog, Tales from an Autism Family, http://talesfromanaustismfamily.blogspot.ca.

Andrew Bloomfield collection, 2006-2012

Andrew Bloomfield, and his twin sister Victoria, were born on May 6, 1968 in Auckland, New Zealand. The following year, the family moved to Guelph, Ontario. It became apparent from the time Andrew was 14 months old that he differed considerably from his twin sister, and he was subsequently diagnosed with autism when he was four years old. As a result, he lived away from his family for much of his early life in order to participate in programs for autistic people. Andrew found this very difficult, but also made some significant progress. He became able to relate to and care for his dog, and was able to express his thoughts with Augmentative and Alternative Communication, especially using Supported Typing. His twin sister Victoria was an important person in his life, and her untimely death in a car accident in 1996 devastated him. However, his network of friends and family have provided immense support and helped him build a fulfilling and meaningful life. In 2004 Andrew founded a group of other adult communicators who "type to talk" which he named "Bridges-Over-Barriers". They meet monthly in Guelph and contributed to the 2010 volume with accompanying documentary film on DVD. He lives in his own home in Guelph, guaranteed by a housing trust, and has written several books, including an autobiography, Bridges over Barriers in My Life with Autism.

Estee Klar fonds, 2005-2014

Estee Klar is the founder and executive director of The Autism Acceptance Project, an organization that strives to support people with autism by promoting acceptance and inclusion of these individuals. She is the mother of a son, Adam, who has autism, and writes about her experiences with him on her blog, found at http://www.esteeklar.com. She also writes about issues concerning autism in the area of human rights, law, and social justice, and has contributed to several books, including The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism, Between Interruptions: Thirty Women Tell the Truth about Motherhood, and Concepts of Normality: The Autistic and Typical Spectrum. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate at York University, Critical Disability Studies, as well as a writer and freelance curator of art.

Dorothy Rungeling fonds, 1887-2013, n.d.

Dorothy Rungeling was born in 1911 and raised in Fenwick, Ontario, by her adopted mother, Ethelwyn Wetherald. After graduating high school, she attended Fort Erie business College. She worked briefly in Toronto and then Hamilton, but eventually took a job with Brown Brothers’ Nursery in Pelham to be closer to home. Dorothy pursued many interests, learning to play the violin, saxophone and clarinet. She met her husband Charles at a local dance where she was playing. In 1939, they opened an automobile and farm machinery business in Welland. In their spare time, they were active in skeet and trap shooting, for which Dorothy won many trophies. In the early 1940s, Dorothy developed a passion for horses, training and showing them in addition to teaching riding at the Welland Riding Club, as well as judging at horse shows. By the late 1940s her interest in horses was waning, but she soon after discovered and pursued a new interest: flying. She joined the Welland Flying Club, obtained a flying licence, and in 1949 purchased her first plane. She proceeded to obtain a Commercial Pilot Licence in 1951, an Instructor’s Licence in 1953, and a Senior Commercial Licence in 1954. She participated in many air races in the 1950s, including the All Women’s International Air Races, the Women’s Transcontinental Air Races, and the Canadian Governor-General’s Cup Air Race. Some of the most notable races were the 1954 International Air Race, where Dorothy met with President Batista of Cuba, and the Governor-General’s Cup Air Race, where she won 1st place in 1953 and 1956 (and was the only woman competing). In 1958, she was also the first Canadian woman to solo pilot a helicopter. That same year she obtained her Airline Transport Licence. She also wrote several articles on aviation, contributing to publications such as Canadian Aviation and Air Facts, a U.S. aviation magazine. In addition to these articles, Dorothy authored several books about her life, as well as a selection of poems and articles by Ethelwyn Wetherald. As planes became more expensive, Dorothy spent less time flying, instead pursuing an interest in sailing. She and her husband bought a sailboat and became members of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Sailing Club. In 2003, Dorothy was awarded the Order of Canada for her accomplishments. She also wrote a regular column for the Voice of Pelham in 2012-2013, called A Century in Pelham. Dorothy celebrated her 100th birthday in 2011, and remains an active member of the community.

Cynthia Kim fonds, 2012-2015

Cynthia Kim was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when she was 42 years old. She has contributed articles to Autism Parenting magazine, Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism, and Autism West Midlands’ magazine. She has also written two books on autism, I Think I Might Be Autistic: A Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Self-Discovery for Adults, and Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life.

Letter written by Napoleon Buonaparte (Bonaparte) to Guillaume Thomas Francois Raynal, June 24, 1790

Translation: Sir, It will probably be difficult for you to remember among the many strangers who annoy you with their admiration of a person to whom you kindly made civilities last year1 during a pleasant conversation about Corsica. I would be grateful if you could take a look at this sketch of his history.2 I present here the first of two letters. If you agree to them, I will send you the end. My brother, whom I recommend not to forget his deputies' commission to escort Paoli to his country,3 and to come and receive a lesson in virtue and humanity, will give them to you. I respectfully your most humble and obedient servant.4 Buonaparte, artillery officer Ajaccio, [Corsica] June 24 the first year of freedom [1790]5 1 Relations between Napoleon and Raynal have begun in 1789, which seems to confirm a confidence to Las Cases ( Memorial of St. Helena , La Pléiade , vol. I, p. 83) . 2 Latest version of history project of Corsica : Letters on Corsica to Abbe Raynal . 3 Joseph is part of a delegation sent by the city of Ajaccio to host Paoli 's return from exile in London . In doing so he has to go through Marseille where Raynal resides. 4 Shipping autograph, National Archives , 400 AP Biography 1. In the first years of Napoleon Bonaparte (1840) , Coston gives a rough version of this letter that it dates from 1786 , which is impossible because Raynal did not return to France that ' in 1787. Published for the first time in the Memories of Lord Holland (1851) , shipping is now kept in the national Archives Napoleons funds . 5 The letter is dated "June 24, the first year of freedom" (the word "freedom" is underlined twice). Given the dates of stay in Corsica Napoleon, it seems that is present in Ajaccio the month of June in 1790.

Seagram Museum Opening, 16 May 1984

A collection of documents from the opening of The Seagram Museum in Waterloo, Ontario on Wednesday May 16, 1984. The documents included are: Dedication and Official Opening Itinerary, The Seagram Museum Archives Description, The Seagram Company history, Biography of Samuel Bronfman, The Seagram Museum Library description, Press Release.

Sloppy Joe's Bar, Season 1933

A drink manual for the establishment Sloppy Joe's Bar in Havana, Cuba. The manual is pocket size and contains 40 pages of drink recipes. The first few pages describe the bar in Havana, Cuba along with a brief biography of Jose Abeal (Sloppy Joe).

Faith lost and regained : the evolution of Anne Rice's critique of christianity in The Vampire Chronicles

Ce mémoire réunit trois romans de la série Les Chroniques de vampires de la populaire écrivaine américaine Anne Rice (The Vampire Lestat, Memnoch the Devil et Blood Canticle) afin d'étudier l'évolution de sa critique de la religion à travers l'écriture. Une analyse précise et complète de Lestat de Lioncourt, le personnage principal de la série, est faite afin de mieux comprendre l'impact de la transformation spirituelle du protagoniste sur l'ensemble de l'oeuvre de Rice. Dans The Vampire Lestat, le rejet de toute forme de croyances religieuses de la part de Lestat ainsi que la déconstruction et l'érotisation de rituels religieux traditionnels reflètent l'influence de l'athéisme. Memnoch the Devil représente la transition entre le refus de croire de Lestat et son retour subséquent à la religion catholique. Finalement, Blood Canticle symbolise le retour vers la foi du protagoniste et de l'auteur, en plus de marquer la fin des Chroniques de vampires de Rice. L'analyse s'inspire d'éléments biographiques afin de démontrer l'importance de la religion dans les récits de Rice, sans toutefois considérer ses romans comme des autobiographies.

L’émir Abdelkader et la franc-maçonnerie française : de l’engagement (1864) au renoncement (1877)

Figure majeure de l’histoire des relations coloniales franco-algériennes, l’émir Abdelkader est généralement présenté par ses compatriotes comme le modèle politique, militaire et religieux du résistant au colonialisme français du 19ième siècle. L’historiographie officielle algérienne en véhicule l’image du chef religieux qui a initié al-jihad de résistance conforme aux règles exotériques de la chari’ia. Il est décrit comme un guerrier loyal et magnanime, fin stratège, dont la défaite militaire a paradoxalement marqué la fondation de l’Algérie moderne en tant que Nation et État. La construction sociopolitique postcoloniale de ce mythe a permis de légitimer les différents régimes politiques, qui se sont succédé dans l’Algérie indépendante et qui ont toujours tenu, dans le cadre d’une lecture littérale de l’Islam. Ceci dans le but de taire la dimension spirituelle d’Abdelkader disciple, héritier et commentateur de l’œuvre du magister Magnus soufi, IbnʻArabî. Fascinés dès le début de l’occupation par cet adversaire hors du commun, les français, de plus en plus sécularisés, en ont érigé une image utilitaire, l’aliénant ainsi de ses compatriotes coreligionnaires et le découplant de sa foi islamique. Les mémoires concurrentes de l’ancienne puissance coloniale et de son ex-colonie, l’Algérie, ont généré plusieurs débats contemporains en ce qui a trait à l’écriture de l’histoire de la colonisation. Le personnage d’Abdelkader a été instrumentalisé par les uns et les autres. Deux évènements controversés de sa biographie sont devenus les objets d’une polémique souvent âpre et amère entre auteurs chercheurs algériens et français : l’adhésion de l’émir à la franc-maçonnerie française et sa séparation d’avec celle-ci. Nous allons présenter que la prémisse d’auteurs algériens, selon laquelle Abdelkader n’aurait pas pu adhérer au Grand Orient de France, pour cause d’incompatibilité doctrinale musulmane, est inconsistante. Nous essayerons de démontrer au contraire, que son initiation à la maçonnerie telle qu’elle s’était présentée à lui était en accord avec sa vision soufie et légaliste du dogme islamique. En nous basant sur le choix de la franc-maçonnerie française pour la laïcité au moment de la réception supposée de l’émir dans la fraternité, nous montrerons qu’il s’en éloigna pour des raisons de doctrine islamique. En effet, l’élimination de toute référence déiste des textes constitutifs du Grand Orient de France fut inacceptable pour le musulman qu’était Abdelkader, vaincu militairement mais raffermi spirituellement par sa proximité grandissante avec son maître spirituel IbnʻArabî. L’humanisme des francs-maçons français avait motivé une refondation basée sur les droits de l’homme issus de la révolution française. Tandis que celui de l’émir Abdelkader prenait sa source dans l’Unicité de l’Être, concept-cadre Akbarien de la compréhension de la relation de Dieu avec ses créatures. Nous allons montrer que les polémiques franco-algériennes sur les relations d’Abdelkader avec la franc-maçonnerie française, masquent un autre débat de fond qui dure depuis des siècles dans le monde musulman. Un débat opposant deux herméneutiques légalistes des textes islamiques, l’une exotérique s’incarnant dans l’œuvre du théologien musulman Ibn Taymiyya et l’autre ésotérique se trouvant au cœur des écrits du mystique IbnʻArabî.

Louise Bourgeois dans le réseau de ses interprétations

Pour respecter les droits d’auteur, la version électronique de ce mémoire a été dépouillée de ses documents visuels et audio-visuels. La version intégrale du mémoire a été déposée au Service de la gestion des documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

La contribution de Florimond Ronger, dit Hervé, au développement de l'opérette (1848-1870) : éléments biographiques et mécanismes du comique

La version intégrale de cette thèse est disponible uniquement pour consultation individuelle à la Bibliothèque de musique de l’Université de Montréal (www.bib.umontreal.ca/MU).