Trent University Professor Joan Sangster was among 21 teachers and outstanding Canadians recognized by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, governor general of Canada on Monday, December 12, 2011 for furthering an interest in and understanding of Canadian history and heritage.

Dr. Joan Sangster, dean of the School of Graduate Studies and a professor of History and Canadian Studies at Trent, received Honourable Mention for her book, Transforming Labour: Women and Work in Post-War Canada. The book offers insight into participation of women in the Canadian Work Force. Shelagh Grant, adjunct faculty with Canadian Studies and a research associate of the Frost Centre, was shortlisted for her book, Polar Imperative: A History of Arctic Sovereignty in North America. The publication examines the historical sovereignty claims of many countries over North America’s Polar Regions.

Trent is renowned for its commitment to Canadian studies and Canadian history. Both of the publications recognized today have garnered attention over the past year. Professor Sangster’s Transforming Labour and Shelagh Grant’s Polar Imperative were nominated for the Canadian Historical Association’s John A. Macdonald Prize which recently gained status as a Vice-Regal award. Polar Imperative won the Lela Common Award from the Canadian Authors Association, the Lionel Gelber Prize, and the J.W. Dafoe Book Prize. Both faculty members are alumni of Trent University.

The Governor General’s History Awards were first established in 1996, by Canada’s National History Society, to recognize excellence in teaching Canadian history. Since the creation of the awards, over 100 teachers have been honoured at Rideau Hall and at the Residence of the Governor General at the Citadelle of Québec. In partnership with Canada’s leading national history organizations, including the Begbie Society, the Canadian Historical Association, the Canadian Museums Association, and the Historica-Dominion Institute, the Society has worked to expand the awards to recognize the many different ways history is taught, communicated and celebrated by Canadians. The Governor Generals History Awards now provide an annual opportunity to bring together museums, community organizations, writers, historians, students, teachers and media producers to celebrate Canadian history and to learn from one another. 

Posted on Monday, December 12, 2011.