10 Days That Shaped Modern Canada

by Aaron W. Hughes

What events, issues, and personalities have shaped modern Canada? Which days stand out in the timeline of our country? Revisiting ten notable days from recent history, Aaron W. Hughes invites readers to think about the tensions, achievements, and people that make Canada distinctive. These indelible dates interweave to offer an account of the political, social, cultural, and demographic forces that have shaped the modern nation. Diverse episodes include the enactment of the War Measures Act, hockey's Summit Series, the patriation of the Constitution, the Multiculturalism Act, the �cole Polytechnique Massacre, victories for gay rights, Quebec's second referendum on secession, The Tragically Hip's farewell concert, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and ongoing Black equality struggles. Each day represents a window on contemporary Canada, jumpstarting reflection and conversation about who we are as a nation and how we got here. Ten Days That Shaped Modern Canada is the perfect guide for all those curious about the forces that shape our country and about how we understand our place in the world.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Politics, Canada

280 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2022

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the history of Canada is surely long and convoluted, Aaron W. Hughes has chosen ten modern days that tell not only the story of Canada’s historical significance, but also how those days shaped the country and people we are today. Using great narrative style and poignant historical explanations, Hughes cobbles together a book that is sure to pique the interest of many and keep others skipping to the footnotes to see where they can learn more. The ten days are not only impactful, but also highly relevant to better understanding a 21st century Canada, still tripping on its feet and making a path to differentiate itself from the Neighbour to the South. Well-paced and wonderfully written, Aaron W. Hughes had me riveted from the very start.

From the outset, the subjective choice by Aaron W. Hughes as to which days were most important in modern Canadian history is sure to upset some. However by stepping back, the reader can see the thread of Hughes’ argument and follow how these days played into the larger narrative. Hughes chose ten days that explained how Canada defined itself and what progress could be made to better exemplify the compassionate and understanding country that some see us to be. While many would say Canada is completely docile, they would be missing out on some of the more poignant moments, such as when Canadian Prime Minsiter Pierre Trudeau enacted the War Measures Act in 1970 to ensure stability during the FLQ hostage crisis. Trudeau’s determination not to bow down to the ‘bleeding hearts’, but to quell what was becoming a disastrous situation helped define some ofhte iron-fisted views of early modern Canada. Hughes explores this effectively and lays the groundwork for many other situations in which Canad could shine without needing to shed blood.

Events such as the attempts Quebec made to secede through referendum votes in 1980 and 1995 also definite the Canadian psyche, both of which are thoroughly explained with backstory for the reader. The duality of Quebec shines through in the narrative, as the province seeks to definite itself, yet forget the uniqueness of some of its other inhabitants is a biting and sobering experience throughout the book. Hughes explores not only the event (October 30, 1995), but some of the sparks that led up to it and how the separatist movement in Quebec ran on dividing even the populace of the province into one group that mattered and a number who did not. This helps to show the pinhole view of the efforts and how things needed to be neutralized. Hughes effectively shows that the Canadian (read: federal) movement was not fully prepared for the fallout and ho closer things came on that October night, which would have surely torn the trouble apart without a second thought.

Touching on the feminist movement, gun rights, indigenous settlements, and even pop culture, Hughes examines ten strong dates on the calendar that helped put the country under the microscope and leave Canada looking less than fully pristine, as some would wish it to be. The fabric of the country is filled with these moments, when Canadian culture and history come together, woven into a tapestry that helps solidify the foundation of the country and its political, social or ethnic core. All this in an easy to comprehend book that educates readers without talking down to them.

This book caught my eye when flipping through a collection one day, While I wanted to read it, I was not sure when i would have the time. When a gap opened up in my reading schedule, I grabbed it and hoped that I could finish it quickly. I devoured the book’s contents, which left me wanting to know so much more. The bibliographical mentions and detailed footnotes herein helped me see that I have a lot more reading to do on a number of subjects, when time permits. I will surely take a deeper plunge to better understand many of these topics. With chapters broken down into analysis and backstory, the reader can get a feel for what is going on and then decide if they want to learn more. The book flows well and keeps the reader attune to the issues at hand, without subsuming them with information or baseless issues. There is truly something for everyone in this piece and I am so pleased that I took the time to read it.

Kudos, Mr. Hughes, for such an informative and thoroughly captivating piece. I cannot wait to take more time to explore more on some of these topics.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[fairy godmother]

This book was recommended to me by a white poli sci he/him and is written by a white poli sci he/him — which is extremely obvious while reading it. Every sentence that mentions immigrants or BIPOC communities sounds AI generated. Took me forever because of how boring it was to read just fact after fact after fact with mostly zero narrative. Cool historical anecdotes and researched well, just not written well.

[Jillian Wertzberger]

didn’t occur to me that 20% of a nonfiction audiobook would just be all the notes at the end lmao

[Gwyneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for school, was cute

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Canada is a cultural mosaic, and despite its flaws, Canadians always seem to unite.

How did the book make me feel/think?

Back when I was attending university, if I had a book like Aaron Hughes’s 10 Days–That Shaped Modern Canada, life might have taken a different path.

At the very least, university would have been more interesting.

The world is at a crossroads; we are facing choices affecting who we are (globally and as Canadians). How do we want to live? And who do we want to be?

Hughes addresses these questions with glaring clarity in this fabulous read about the modern-day history of Canada. Every day mentioned is connected and helped cobble Canada into the vibrant mosaic we’ve become.

But it is fragile. Forces are trying to pull us apart; our history is littered with complications. Do we move forward together as proud Canadians, or do we trip into the abyss of divisiveness, allowing the evil voices on our shoulders to dismantle what has taken generations to create?

What Hughes helps us understand is as much as Canada is a cultural mosaic—he exposes our flaws; and how, like few nations on this planet, we’ve come together despite our differences—seemingly insurmountable—at times.

Because if we don’t collectively live as one and reckon with the warts of our journey and past, we could come to a place where we surrender our progress and wave our future goodbye.

Every Canadian must read 10 Days–That Shaped Modern Canada—if they want to gain an understanding of who we are.

Each of us could benefit from the inspiration Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip gifted us—a man who showed us what unconditionally loving who we are—means.​ (Chapter 9).

​WRITTEN: 13 September 2022

[Random Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing read! It is a book every Canadian should read, and anyone beyond the borders interested in modern Canadian history.

I particularly like how Hughes views are national and not province centered. How the 10 days he chose are about many Canadians trying to work towards a united Canada, even when at times the country seemed very divided.

Hughes incorporates a lot of other historical facts into each day so readers unfamiliar with some of the history can understand the significance better. He also includes the diversity of our country and the value that diversity has brought to Canadians.

This really is a remarkable read and I am so thankful that @netgalley and @ecwaudio provided me with the audiobook to listen and provide an authentic review.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Not all days are created equal."
That's the basis of Aaron W. Hughes' book 10 Days The Shaped Modern Canada.
Thank you to ZG Stories and U of A press for my gifted copy for review!
Hughes has chosen events from the second half of the century that are not only significant on one date, but for the results thereafter.
The list includes political actions (ending the FLQ crisis, patriation of the Constitution, Multiculturalism Act) Francophone affairs (the Quebec Referendum) Indigenous issues (Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Executive Summary release), and societal change (Egan v. Canada, the $10 bill featuring Viola Desmond).
As well, sports (the Paul Henderson goal), entertainment (The Hip's final concert) and tragedy (École Polytechnique massacre).
Hughes states his intent was not to speak for all Canadians/readers with his list, but to generate thought and debate on what others also consider significant dates to shaping our country.
It's a most interesting read, a different take on events we might have known about in varying capacities but are now considered in a specific lens. Obviously some chapters were of more interest to me than others, yet I was invested throughout.
Recommended!
Released on Sept. 13.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Most of the book was quite readable but sometimes it read a bit like an essay for a class rather than a book for general consumption. I think he did a pretty good job of picking 10 meaningful dates in Canadian history, although I’d say some of them, like the last chapter, were used more as a device to discuss an issue rather than being focused on the event itself. As a Canadian who was alive for the majority of these, I did feel that most of them referenced events that many Canadians would agree are significant.

There were some repetitive parts (in chapter 9 he mentioned viewing parties over and over) - so some chapters could have used some editing. And while I agree with the inclusion of the Tragically Hip concert as an important event (it really did feel most of Canada tuned in to that concert), I’m not sure that one will hold up with more time.

Overall I enjoyed this tour of Canadian history and he did a good job of highlighting both the significance of the 10 chosen events as well as important omissions during many of them (especially the indigenous perspective). Definitely worth a read for any Canadian or anyone who wants to better understand the country, particularly English-French relations.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Canada. Oh!?

I thought this was a good book that captured big events in Canada's history

Although I'm not a huge fan of things like hockey or The Tragically Hip I thought that this was an interesting book and went into some great detail and journalism behind the big events.
Especially of note was political events.

I think one of the real interesting parts of the book was the Quebec and Trudeau history, and the big legislative changes over the years.

Definitely check it out if you are interested in Canadian history.

3.8/5

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

While some of the chapters seem justified, the chapter on the sports game very much did not. If you look back at the history of Canada, it is quite an extraordinary claim to say that a single hockey game shaped it beyond so many other momentous days. The Tragically Hip concert also may have been significant, but could hardly have been considered to have shaped Canada. There are so many other, much more significant days that actually had a real and measurable effect on modern Canadian history that those two chapters really felt like a stretch.

[Siobhan Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciated how modern Hughes' choices of dates was, because you can see the impacts that these dates are still having on Canada. I knew a fair amount about a lot of these different events going in, but Hughes really reinforced the connection between the events and how they as a whole shaped modern Canada. I hadn't considered the impact of something like the notwithstanding clause, and how much it has impacted decisions across the country. I thought the essays were mostly well-constructed and I appreciated the depth of the connection throughout the book.

[Gi V · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the caveat the author shares at the beginning of the book, that the selections are more relevant (although not exclusively) to anglophone Canada, I thought this book was great. A fun, quick read providing a great 'fly-over' view of modern Canadian history. Disappointingly, I looked for audiobook versions of many of the suggested readings and found exactly none available at either the Vancouver or Ottawa public libraries.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok for what it is. I don't dispute the choices, but there are all sorts of moments in the book, especially in the first half, that don't resonate well with me, from the impact of Pierre Trudeau on Canadian history to the view of Quebec separatists. To be blunt: I believe the author is far too dismissive of the former and far to conciliating to the latter.

[Jennifer Maloney]

I listened to the book. It was not enjoyable as an audiobook. The reader read numbered notes, suggestions for further reading (including spelling items), and suggestions for further viewing at the end of each chapter. That also meant lots of repitition. It was possible to advance those sections but it made it disjointed.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book that doesn't flinch away from some darn important conversations that Canadians ought to be having regarding our country. I learned a lot too. I highly recommend this book as it helps a person understand this country a lot better.

[Robert Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book highlights ten items that have directed Canadian culture or at least helps define who we are. Not written without some bias, but clearly written with much research. I have been educated in many areas and have increased my respect for those who have worked hard for our current position.

[Max Kramer · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was damn smart to trust a guy with such a refined French pronouncing to narrate the Audiobook with a ton of Quebec in it. Although it would have been better if he had pulled out his boyfriend's dick from mouth during the recording.

[Anup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended to anyone interested to know about momentous events in Canadian history in the last 50 years. Most importantly, this book helped me to understand more about the social, cultural and economic forces that have shaped and continue to influence modern Canada.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author chose 10 days that were useful in explaining various aspects of Canada and used them to provide historical background and explain modern attempts to shift the needle.

[Simon Vacca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written exploration of modern Canadian history.

[Isabelle Cote · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really good at recounting events that happened in canadian history, however I did have to read it for school so that made it less enjoyable.

[Scott Kovatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for modern Canadians.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, very manageable, the author connects and explains things well.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher