1940-1941

Laura Goodman Salverson was a Canadian author and daughter of Icelandic immigrants. She was a staunch pacifist and outspoken adversary of "melting pot" assimilation tactics. She wrote many popular books celebrating Scandinavian culture, two of which she was the recipient of the governor general literary award (one in fiction and one in non-fiction). We found an article congratulating her for being the first Canadian author to have 2 governor general awards. It discussed her second Governor General award for Confessions of an Immigrants Daughter at length. It was an autobiographical work which covered the trials and tribulations of being a ethnic and linguistic minority. The article praises her for her courage in providing a different perspective on Canada, and her mastery of the literary arts. This is an important even because it is a recognition of an immigrants contribution to Canadian culture. Not only were her works well received by the public, but she won the most prestigious and distinctly Canadian literary award possible. Many immigrants who were not British, Scottish, or German had issues adjusting to the pressures of assimilation and the glass ceiling which prevented them for excelling socially, and financially. Immigrants in Canada often find the one field in which they can be uniquely themselves and still become very successful, is in the arts.

pp. 10 of HSO Scrapbook 5

Gladys Arnold was a Canadian journalist based out of Paris. She returned to Canada at the outset of WW2 on a ship full of british children. She promoted the free french movement by working for the Free French Information Service in Montreal. and her journalism covered many controversial political issues. In an article written on October 28th 1940 she was a guest speaker for the Women's Press Club meeting that took place at the Chelsea club. The Canadian Women's Press Club was founded in 1904 offering women in journalism professional and developmental support. It was founded at the turn of the 20th century when women were recognized as a key demographic with substantial purchasing power. She encouraged the members to raise funds for supplies needed in Europe. She also spoke very passionately about Canada's solidarity to the British Empire in their time of need. Arnold was likely given this opportunity to speak because of her time living in France. This made her perspective on the issue more valuable because she knew the French and British way of life, which means she had a better understanding of everything they were risking. 

HSO No. 130. Scrapbook: [1940-1941], City of Ottawa Archives, p. 53 

Lillian Bilsky Freiman, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, was a prominent figure for Ottawa History as well as the promotion of Jewish heritage and culture. Her passing deeply effected the Ottawa Community so much so that in the 5th Scrapbook 2 whole pages were devoted to her memory. She was born to the first jewish immigrants to Ottawa. With their encouragement the community grew and flourished. Lillian was raised to have a strong social conscious and to give back to the less fortunate. She worked with troubled youth and soldiers. She helped to found the Great War Veterans Association of Canada, she directed the poppy campaign, she was president of the Jewish War Orphans Committee of Canada, the Hebrew Benevolent Society, the Jewish Women's League of Ottawa, and so much more. We found multiple articles praising her many accomplishments in humanitarianism, highlighting her organizational skills and deep care for her community members regardless of religion, age, gender, or occupation. Her death effected the Zionist community so much so that they declared a week of mourning for her. Many of her peers and colleagues spoke to her strength and kindness at her passing. They noted the great debt that many organizations owed to her for her efforts. This is a very important collection of articles because it shows me that the HSO admired her leadership and devotion to the less fortunate despite her religion and immigrant parents. She was one of very few Jewish people mentioned in Scrapbook 5 so it seems her excellence garnered her a spot in the highlights of 1940-1941. 

HSO No. 130. Scrapbook: [1940-1941], pp. 51 & 52.

Marian Anderson was an American contralto, and black civil rights activist. She was not afforded the same quality of music education as other white children of equal natural abilities. She sang tirelessly in her Baptist church choir to develop her skillset until her congregation was able to raise money for her to attend music school for a year. At the age of 19 she impressed Giuseppe Boghetti so much that he offered her free lessons for a year. When she was 28 a winning performance in a music competition kickstarted her illustrious career. In 1939 she famously sang on the steps of the Lincoln memorial after she was denied entry because of her race. The event is remembered as a significant moment in the civil rights movement. It was an action that was highly politicized and covered in the media. She went on an hugely successful international tour only a year after the unfortunate incident. She drew in crowds of people who were intrigued both by her talent and her grace in the face of adversity. Eventually she arrived in Canada and on November 8th the Capitol Cinema's halls echoed with the beauty of Anderson's voice. Her performance was widely anticipated and the crowd overflowed. Arts and music columnist Isabel C. Armstrong praised her performance highly. She spoke highly of her character, demeanour, and emotive performance as well as her distinguished vocals. Armstrong did not shy away from addressing Anderson's race in her article, but she believed it was more of an asset to Anderson's performance than a detriment.

HSO No. 130. Scrapbook: [1940-1941], p. 57

The Minto Follies was an ice dancing extravaganza which thrilled audiences from 1926 to its end in 1967 when the Minto Club could no longer afford the rising prices of operation. Fortunately, the follies were so popular they were revived multiple times in the following 4 decades. The follies were most often held at the Ottawa Auditorium. They brought forth the best and brightest talent of the age to entertain the masses while simultaneously promoting their well established club. This event peaked the interest of many international skaters which allowed the people of Ottawa to marvel at the talents of foreign skaters. On March 30th 1940 the follies were a huge success, each act captivating the crowd with their unique skill set. Swedish partners Gene Theslof and Ann Taylor were standouts of the evening. This makes sense because Theslof's wife was an Olympic Medalist multiple years in a row, so the pair had access to the knowledge of elite skating professionals when creating their choreography. Erna Anderson was another highlight showcasing her incredible athleticism and flexibility. The junior members of the Minto club even performed a charming ice dance rendition of The Wizard of Oz.

HSO No. 130. Scrapbook: [1940-1941], p. 7

The Ottawa Drama League was founded by the Canadian Federation of University Women in 1913 before the CFUW was even fully established. From 1940-1945 all proceeds of the Drama League were donated to the war effort. Additionally they would put on short plays to be performed for the troops in order to uplift morale. Otherwise the theatre would be rented out as a cinema whenever not in use by the ODL. From 1940-1941 they performed 6 plays/shows and had 5 "workshops"; a term which could be applied to meetings of the ODL, short plays/shows which were performed for the troops, or plays/shows subject to adjudication. On June 13th of 1940 the drama league elected a president on their annual meeting. After reviewing the year they found the quality of the performances were of a very high calibre, but they were not getting the membership they had hoped for. The issue was not pressed, likely because they knew this was not a time to pursue great profits or attendance. They decided they would try to increase membership profits by reducing production expenditures and allow all paying members an opportunity to vote or hold office. The ODL wanted to focus on raising morale and supporting the war efforts with their artistry. Then on September 19th of 1940 they pivoted to a more aggressive way of attracting more members. The ODL campaigned to increase membership by reducing the number of performance nights. They said they would increase performance nights only if membership improved. This would be an unsuccessful campaign likely because people were not living in an age of abundant leisure. 

HSO No. 130. Scrapbook: [1940-1941], pp. 28 & 44