For her exceptional commitment to sharing Canadian history from a new perspective, Jessica McIntyre of Ottawa, Ontario, who teaches at Glebe Collegiate Institute, has been named a recipient of a Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching, the country’s most prestigious honour in the field of history.
Administered by Canada’s History Society, this award recognizes the work of teachers and schools in furthering our understanding of the past and each other, and encourages them to strive for excellence in the teaching of Canadian history. This year, seven teachers representing six schools from across the country are being honoured.
The 2024 laureates will receive their awards from Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, at an upcoming ceremony. “By helping their students explore our history more deeply, these outstanding teachers are also helping them to connect the past to the present,” said Melony Ward, President and CEO of Canada’s History Society. “That in turn creates citizens with a better understanding of contemporary Canada and their place in it.”
During Project True North, McIntyre’s Grade 10 students became detectives as they pored over military service files, war diaries, newspaper clippings, and other primary sources to uncover the wartime contributions of women who served as nursing sisters, Black Canadians serving in the No. 2 Construction Battalion, and others whose stories are often overlooked. Historians, museum professionals, and even living relatives of their subjects helped paint a fuller picture. The students showcased the individuals they researched in documentaries, podcasts, and exhibits, inspiring them to see themselves as active participants in shaping the narratives we use to talk about our country’s history.
“History is stories. As we tell the stories of Canadian nursing sisters, members of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, and Canadian military medal recipients, my students hope is to not only bring recognition to them for their significant contributions but also to highlight the narratives of many Canadians whose stories have not yet been told in our history textbooks,” McIntyre said. “It has been a profound honour to lend our voices to share the stories of those who can no longer tell them themselves.”
Each award is accompanied by a $2,500 prize, as well as $1,000 for the teacher’s school. To learn more about all of this year’s award recipients, visit CanadasHistory.ca/GGHA2024.
The other recipients of the Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching are:
• Jo Anne Broders, Smallwood Academy, Gambo, Newfoundland and Labrador;
• Julie Gaudreault, École primaire Panet, Sainte-Béatrix, Quebec;
• Ben Gross and Daniel Kunanec, Don Mills Collegiate Institute, Toronto, Ontario;
• Michele Schwab, Balcarres Community School, Balcarres, Saskatchewan;
• Connie Shea, St. Malachy’s Memorial High School, Saint John, New Brunswick.
More information:
Claude-Sylvie Lemery
Communications Manager
514 433-3405
cs.lemery@gmail.com
About the Governor General’s History Awards:
The Governor General’s History Awards recognize excellence in five categories: Teaching, Museums, Scholarly Research, Community Programming, and Popular Media. Each award category has its own jury, selection process, and prize structure. The Governor General’s History Awards are administered by Canada’s National History Society, in partnership with the Canadian Museums Association and the Canadian Historical Association, and with the support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage, and Power Corporation of Canada. Canada’s History Society gratefully acknowledges the support of our community in celebrating the laureates of the Governor General’s History Awards – Rideau Hall Foundation, Power Corporation of Canada, Ecclesiastical Insurance, Aspen Films, The Winnipeg Foundation, The North West Company, Southern Chiefs’ Organization, and The Wilson Foundation.
About Canada’s History
Canada’s History Society is a national charitable organization based in Winnipeg that works to connect Canadians through history. Canada’s History Society aims to strengthen understanding of the complex and diverse histories of our country and their part in shaping contemporary Canada. It publishes the magazines Canada’s History and Kayak: Canada’s History Magazine for Kids (available digitally at CanadasHistory.ca), and oversees education and award programs, including the Governor General’s History Awards.
