Forrest Pass
@forrestpass.bsky.social
Historian, curator, heraldist, vexillologist, collector of arcane and eclectic Canadiana. All opinions my own. Likes, reskeets =/= endorsement.
This reminds me of the anecdote about Corporal Schicklgruber charging the German post office royalties to put his face on stamps... #philately
www.upi.com/Archives/198...
www.upi.com/Archives/198...
February 20, 2026 at 12:46 AM
This reminds me of the anecdote about Corporal Schicklgruber charging the German post office royalties to put his face on stamps... #philately
www.upi.com/Archives/198...
www.upi.com/Archives/198...
First advance review of my Mum's latest book (forthcoming in May). I'm proud of her for writing this one especially, as it tackles difficult subject matter. #canlit
Monday morning, grey sky, snow promised -- but my forthcoming book has its first review!
www.theseaboardreview.ca/p/the-art-of...
www.theseaboardreview.ca/p/the-art-of...
The Art of Looking Back by Theresa Kishkan
Reviewed by Michael Greenstein
www.theseaboardreview.ca
February 16, 2026 at 6:31 PM
First advance review of my Mum's latest book (forthcoming in May). I'm proud of her for writing this one especially, as it tackles difficult subject matter. #canlit
Reposted by Forrest Pass
#otd in 1965, the Canadian flag flew officially for the 1st time. #otd last week, Bad Bunny rocked the Superbowl Halftime Show. As if anticipating this coïncidence of anniversaries, in 1960 a citizen proposed this design for Canada's flag, with just a whiff of Puerto Rico. #cdnhist #vexillology
February 15, 2026 at 3:41 PM
#otd in 1965, the Canadian flag flew officially for the 1st time. #otd last week, Bad Bunny rocked the Superbowl Halftime Show. As if anticipating this coïncidence of anniversaries, in 1960 a citizen proposed this design for Canada's flag, with just a whiff of Puerto Rico. #cdnhist #vexillology
#otd in 1965, the Canadian flag flew officially for the 1st time. #otd last week, Bad Bunny rocked the Superbowl Halftime Show. As if anticipating this coïncidence of anniversaries, in 1960 a citizen proposed this design for Canada's flag, with just a whiff of Puerto Rico. #cdnhist #vexillology
February 15, 2026 at 3:41 PM
#otd in 1965, the Canadian flag flew officially for the 1st time. #otd last week, Bad Bunny rocked the Superbowl Halftime Show. As if anticipating this coïncidence of anniversaries, in 1960 a citizen proposed this design for Canada's flag, with just a whiff of Puerto Rico. #cdnhist #vexillology
Do you know someone who would not be having a Happy National Flag of Canada Day this weekend? Conn Smythe! The longtime Toronto Maple Leafs owner disliked the maple leaf flag and in 1964 wrote to every MP to urge them to retain the Red Ensign. Even cited the Olympics. #cdnhist #vexillology #hockey
February 13, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Do you know someone who would not be having a Happy National Flag of Canada Day this weekend? Conn Smythe! The longtime Toronto Maple Leafs owner disliked the maple leaf flag and in 1964 wrote to every MP to urge them to retain the Red Ensign. Even cited the Olympics. #cdnhist #vexillology #hockey
Reposted by Forrest Pass
Something different for National Flag of Canada Day (and Valentines Day) this year: a 1964 flag proposal (l) which anticipated by 30 yrs the logo of @hrc.org (r) in the USA, who marked #NationalFreedomToMarryDay yesterday. Equality in love (and flags) to all this weekend! #cdnhist #vexillology
February 13, 2026 at 1:50 PM
Something different for National Flag of Canada Day (and Valentines Day) this year: a 1964 flag proposal (l) which anticipated by 30 yrs the logo of @hrc.org (r) in the USA, who marked #NationalFreedomToMarryDay yesterday. Equality in love (and flags) to all this weekend! #cdnhist #vexillology
Something different for National Flag of Canada Day (and Valentines Day) this year: a 1964 flag proposal (l) which anticipated by 30 yrs the logo of @hrc.org (r) in the USA, who marked #NationalFreedomToMarryDay yesterday. Equality in love (and flags) to all this weekend! #cdnhist #vexillology
February 13, 2026 at 1:50 PM
Something different for National Flag of Canada Day (and Valentines Day) this year: a 1964 flag proposal (l) which anticipated by 30 yrs the logo of @hrc.org (r) in the USA, who marked #NationalFreedomToMarryDay yesterday. Equality in love (and flags) to all this weekend! #cdnhist #vexillology
Reposted by Forrest Pass
"Auger-bored wells typically yielded more water and were less prone to surface contamination than dug wells; regional hydrogeology also made them preferable to deeper, drilled wells." - @forrestpass.bsky.social
niche-canada.org/2025/11/28/o...
#envhist #cdnhist #waterhistory
niche-canada.org/2025/11/28/o...
#envhist #cdnhist #waterhistory
On Drought, Dowsing, and Deep Drilling: Thinking About Groundwater History in an Age of Climate Emergency
Canada’s 2025 drought exposed groundwater precarity; in the past, Ottawa Valley settlers adapted to this precarity through dowsing, augers, and evolving well technologies.
niche-canada.org
February 12, 2026 at 3:16 PM
"Auger-bored wells typically yielded more water and were less prone to surface contamination than dug wells; regional hydrogeology also made them preferable to deeper, drilled wells." - @forrestpass.bsky.social
niche-canada.org/2025/11/28/o...
#envhist #cdnhist #waterhistory
niche-canada.org/2025/11/28/o...
#envhist #cdnhist #waterhistory
I love these discussions of historical pronunciation. For some #CanCon, Major J.S. Matthews, first City of Vancouver archivist, insisted that "Burrard" should be pronounced Burr-Erd" (equal emphasis on the two syllables), not "Burr-AHRD", as we do today. #cdnhist #bchist
Poor Elbridge Gerry, now known only 4 gerrymander
Upside: his name was originally pronounced with a hard "g,"so now you can show off ur superior knowledge at cocktail parties & faculty meetings
Boston 1775: Why Do We Pronounce “Gerrymander” with a Soft G?
boston1775.blogspot....
Upside: his name was originally pronounced with a hard "g,"so now you can show off ur superior knowledge at cocktail parties & faculty meetings
Boston 1775: Why Do We Pronounce “Gerrymander” with a Soft G?
boston1775.blogspot....
February 12, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Correct flag placement - something you don't always see on Cdn inland shipping lanes in the early 20c. Flag of home country at stern (in this case Norway, Kristiansand being port of registry), house flags midship, courtesy flag of current port (here the Union Jack) at bow. #cdnhist #vexillology
February 11, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Correct flag placement - something you don't always see on Cdn inland shipping lanes in the early 20c. Flag of home country at stern (in this case Norway, Kristiansand being port of registry), house flags midship, courtesy flag of current port (here the Union Jack) at bow. #cdnhist #vexillology
The analogy is apt: Canada's first international sporting victory was this New Brunswick rowing team's win at the Paris Regatta on July 8, 1867 - a week after Confederation. #cdnhist #sporthistory
(Image: @library-archives.canada.ca, a051560)
(Image: @library-archives.canada.ca, a051560)
February 11, 2026 at 4:16 PM
The analogy is apt: Canada's first international sporting victory was this New Brunswick rowing team's win at the Paris Regatta on July 8, 1867 - a week after Confederation. #cdnhist #sporthistory
(Image: @library-archives.canada.ca, a051560)
(Image: @library-archives.canada.ca, a051560)
Thinking of the people of Tumbler Ridge, BC, this morning.
February 11, 2026 at 2:23 PM
Thinking of the people of Tumbler Ridge, BC, this morning.
Of course, the bridge wouldn't be necessary if we bought less from the United States. I, for one, was delighted to find Australian Calrose rice this weekend. One fewer American product on my shopping list! #cdnpoli
February 10, 2026 at 7:02 PM
Of course, the bridge wouldn't be necessary if we bought less from the United States. I, for one, was delighted to find Australian Calrose rice this weekend. One fewer American product on my shopping list! #cdnpoli
Post a banger not in English.
(Had my ancestors not left the present-day Czech Republic in 1912, I might have become the bearded dancer in the black suit...)
youtube.com/watch?v=X1oe...
(Had my ancestors not left the present-day Czech Republic in 1912, I might have become the bearded dancer in the black suit...)
youtube.com/watch?v=X1oe...
February 10, 2026 at 2:35 AM
Post a banger not in English.
(Had my ancestors not left the present-day Czech Republic in 1912, I might have become the bearded dancer in the black suit...)
youtube.com/watch?v=X1oe...
(Had my ancestors not left the present-day Czech Republic in 1912, I might have become the bearded dancer in the black suit...)
youtube.com/watch?v=X1oe...
I don't care much about Super Bowl Sunday, but Café Le Hibou in Wakefield, QC, is the best place to mark #SuperbOwlSunday...
February 8, 2026 at 10:51 PM
I don't care much about Super Bowl Sunday, but Café Le Hibou in Wakefield, QC, is the best place to mark #SuperbOwlSunday...
Reposted by Forrest Pass
A former OneBC staffer previously participated in a Spaces call with the leaders of white nationalist/"Canadian nationalist" organizations.
They talked about deporting 10 million people and joked about throwing "millions of Punjabis" into the sea. 1/3 thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...
They talked about deporting 10 million people and joked about throwing "millions of Punjabis" into the sea. 1/3 thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...
Inside the Far-Right Push to Influence Canadian Political Parties | The Tyee
A conference call shows a political operative with past Conservative connections advising several white nationalist groups.
thetyee.ca
February 6, 2026 at 4:07 PM
A former OneBC staffer previously participated in a Spaces call with the leaders of white nationalist/"Canadian nationalist" organizations.
They talked about deporting 10 million people and joked about throwing "millions of Punjabis" into the sea. 1/3 thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...
They talked about deporting 10 million people and joked about throwing "millions of Punjabis" into the sea. 1/3 thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...
Conservative MP Jivani says Tr...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Conservative MP Jivani says Trump gave him a message for Canadians during Washington trip | CBC News
Conservative MP Jamil Jivani says he met with Trump administration officials on Wednesday as he visits the United States capital on an independent trip billed as an effort to improve Canada-U.S. trade...
www.cbc.ca
February 6, 2026 at 1:22 PM
Conservative MP Jivani says Tr...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
A nice trip down memory lane. Cabinet transferred this mock-up to the National Museums of Canada in 1966, but it was not formally accessioned. Cdn Museum of History collections staff found it (with several others) in 2013 and I formally acquired it, and exhibited it in 2015. #cdnhist #vexillology
A early rendering of the new Canadian flag design in 1964. Canada would choose & release our current, beautiful flag, in 1965.
#OCanada #CanadaStrong #Canada
#OCanada #CanadaStrong #Canada
February 2, 2026 at 5:49 PM
A nice trip down memory lane. Cabinet transferred this mock-up to the National Museums of Canada in 1966, but it was not formally accessioned. Cdn Museum of History collections staff found it (with several others) in 2013 and I formally acquired it, and exhibited it in 2015. #cdnhist #vexillology
Reposted by Forrest Pass
Happy Groundhog Day, to all who celebrate!
The bear, not the groundhog, was historically Canada’s foremost forecaster. So imagine my shock (shock!) to find this Ottawa Citizen piece from 1867 – the earliest 2 Feb groundhog reference I’ve seen, by more than a generation.
The bear, not the groundhog, was historically Canada’s foremost forecaster. So imagine my shock (shock!) to find this Ottawa Citizen piece from 1867 – the earliest 2 Feb groundhog reference I’ve seen, by more than a generation.
February 2, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Happy Groundhog Day, to all who celebrate!
The bear, not the groundhog, was historically Canada’s foremost forecaster. So imagine my shock (shock!) to find this Ottawa Citizen piece from 1867 – the earliest 2 Feb groundhog reference I’ve seen, by more than a generation.
The bear, not the groundhog, was historically Canada’s foremost forecaster. So imagine my shock (shock!) to find this Ottawa Citizen piece from 1867 – the earliest 2 Feb groundhog reference I’ve seen, by more than a generation.
Minnesota joining the Canadian Prairies is not a new idea - the state's legislature resolved to annex Rupert's Land and BC in 1868 - but the tables have turned a little this time? #cdnhist #mnhist
'Minnetoba'? Some Minnesotans ...
www.cbc.ca/news/world/m...
'Minnetoba'? Some Minnesotans ...
www.cbc.ca/news/world/m...
January 31, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Minnesota joining the Canadian Prairies is not a new idea - the state's legislature resolved to annex Rupert's Land and BC in 1868 - but the tables have turned a little this time? #cdnhist #mnhist
'Minnetoba'? Some Minnesotans ...
www.cbc.ca/news/world/m...
'Minnetoba'? Some Minnesotans ...
www.cbc.ca/news/world/m...
Tag yourself: I'm Z (I NEED A TUG) #vexillology
January 31, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Tag yourself: I'm Z (I NEED A TUG) #vexillology
🎵 Chu fier que tu m'aies pas ramené / Un beau-frère de l'Alberta (Anyway...) 🎵
Dans son ouvrage encensé par les nationalistes conservateurs, le Schisme identitaire, E-A Beauregard affirmait que le nationalisme écossais était trop « woke », et que les nationalistes québécois devaient s’inspirer du Brexit. Finalement, c’est le Wexit qui semble inspirer certains d’entre eux.
Le chef du PQ se rapproche d’un leader souverainiste de l’Alberta
Il existe des liens plus étroits que ne le laisse entendre Paul St-Pierre Plamondon entre lui et l’un des leaders du mouvement souverainiste albertain, Mitch Sylvestre. Ce dernier le qualifie d’« ami ...
www.lapresse.ca
January 30, 2026 at 6:07 PM
🎵 Chu fier que tu m'aies pas ramené / Un beau-frère de l'Alberta (Anyway...) 🎵
Reposted by Forrest Pass
Between @mark-carney.bsky.social's Heated Rivalry fandom and the impending Winter Olympics, you may be wondering, "When did a maple leaf first appear on Cdn sport uniforms?" I gotcha covered, and thinking about a Heated Rivalry spinoff featuring 19c cricketers... #cdnhist #vexillology #cdnpoli
January 30, 2026 at 2:02 PM
Between @mark-carney.bsky.social's Heated Rivalry fandom and the impending Winter Olympics, you may be wondering, "When did a maple leaf first appear on Cdn sport uniforms?" I gotcha covered, and thinking about a Heated Rivalry spinoff featuring 19c cricketers... #cdnhist #vexillology #cdnpoli