Matthew Hayday
@mhayday.bsky.social
University of Guelph Canadian History Professor and Department Chair, Chocolatier, Inexpert Gardener.
On Remembrance Day, I always think of my two grandfathers, Charles Herbener (centre of left pic) and Ronald Hayday (named in the certificate) who served in the RAF and the Royal Navy during the Second World War.
Fighting fascism & the Nazis was necessary then, and it's necessary now.
Fighting fascism & the Nazis was necessary then, and it's necessary now.
November 11, 2025 at 1:27 PM
On Remembrance Day, I always think of my two grandfathers, Charles Herbener (centre of left pic) and Ronald Hayday (named in the certificate) who served in the RAF and the Royal Navy during the Second World War.
Fighting fascism & the Nazis was necessary then, and it's necessary now.
Fighting fascism & the Nazis was necessary then, and it's necessary now.
Baking macarons helps me feel a bit better in a scary world. Now I just need to fill these shells.
November 2, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Baking macarons helps me feel a bit better in a scary world. Now I just need to fill these shells.
Excited to pick up my copy of Ed Conroy’s “ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids’ TV” today. Ed runs the popular Retrontario YouTube channel and gave a great presentation to our Between Postwar and Present Day Canada conference a few years back.
October 31, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Excited to pick up my copy of Ed Conroy’s “ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids’ TV” today. Ed runs the popular Retrontario YouTube channel and gave a great presentation to our Between Postwar and Present Day Canada conference a few years back.
Hey folks - could anyone help me identify the gentleman on the right in this picture? (I have a good estimate but there is a key feature I can't see at this angle and I don't want to influence folks.)
September 23, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Hey folks - could anyone help me identify the gentleman on the right in this picture? (I have a good estimate but there is a key feature I can't see at this angle and I don't want to influence folks.)
I’m a department chair and it is Labour Day. So I am spending it reading some fiction and sipping on my coffee.
I have been consciously trying to shed the competitive exhaustion mentality of academia. Taking my vacation days makes me a happier and more productive person. Email is for tomorrow.
I have been consciously trying to shed the competitive exhaustion mentality of academia. Taking my vacation days makes me a happier and more productive person. Email is for tomorrow.
September 1, 2025 at 3:14 PM
I’m a department chair and it is Labour Day. So I am spending it reading some fiction and sipping on my coffee.
I have been consciously trying to shed the competitive exhaustion mentality of academia. Taking my vacation days makes me a happier and more productive person. Email is for tomorrow.
I have been consciously trying to shed the competitive exhaustion mentality of academia. Taking my vacation days makes me a happier and more productive person. Email is for tomorrow.
Taking a break this week from writing Canadian political history by… reading Canadian political satire. Very much enjoying Terry Fallis’ sequel to The Best Laid Plans.
August 7, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Taking a break this week from writing Canadian political history by… reading Canadian political satire. Very much enjoying Terry Fallis’ sequel to The Best Laid Plans.
Staycation time for me, so my garden is getting some attention and the rest of you get a floral feed cleanse!
August 6, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Staycation time for me, so my garden is getting some attention and the rest of you get a floral feed cleanse!
Starting my morning off right by spotting a fox on campus!
This is my first time seeing one here at UofG.
This is my first time seeing one here at UofG.
July 28, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Starting my morning off right by spotting a fox on campus!
This is my first time seeing one here at UofG.
This is my first time seeing one here at UofG.
Canada Day provisions have been prepared. 🍁
Not pictured: the other 8x8 pan of Nanaimo bars.
Not pictured: the other 8x8 pan of Nanaimo bars.
July 1, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Canada Day provisions have been prepared. 🍁
Not pictured: the other 8x8 pan of Nanaimo bars.
Not pictured: the other 8x8 pan of Nanaimo bars.
Possibly not my very best, but that’s what they are looking like in Ontario at the moment!
June 10, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Possibly not my very best, but that’s what they are looking like in Ontario at the moment!
A few flowers from my garden to cleanse your Sunday morning timeline.
June 8, 2025 at 1:05 PM
A few flowers from my garden to cleanse your Sunday morning timeline.
OTD in 1979, the Rt Hon Joe Clark was sworn in as Canada’s Prime Minister - and he’s still the youngest person to have held that office. He is still going strong (this picture is from last week in Kitchener). I’ve been working on a biography of him for several years and it is nearing completion!
June 4, 2025 at 11:18 AM
OTD in 1979, the Rt Hon Joe Clark was sworn in as Canada’s Prime Minister - and he’s still the youngest person to have held that office. He is still going strong (this picture is from last week in Kitchener). I’ve been working on a biography of him for several years and it is nearing completion!
The early bird conference-goer gets to sit by the waterfront for a few minutes. Day 3 of the Canadian Historical Association conference for me.
June 3, 2025 at 12:14 PM
The early bird conference-goer gets to sit by the waterfront for a few minutes. Day 3 of the Canadian Historical Association conference for me.
Long weekend, and my dwarf irises are starting to bloom, right on schedule.
May 16, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Long weekend, and my dwarf irises are starting to bloom, right on schedule.
Notable sign of solidarity - the Ukrainian flag flying along side the Maple Leaf flags outside the Canadian High Commission at Trafalgar Square.
May 1, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Notable sign of solidarity - the Ukrainian flag flying along side the Maple Leaf flags outside the Canadian High Commission at Trafalgar Square.
Throwback to 2019, the year before the pandemic, when I went a bit wild making moulded and decorated chocolate chickens and bunnies for Easter.
April 19, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Throwback to 2019, the year before the pandemic, when I went a bit wild making moulded and decorated chocolate chickens and bunnies for Easter.
I included /two/ Simpsons-themed slides in my presentation when I was applying to be chair. But the stakes are a bit lower when there aren't other candidates!
April 17, 2025 at 1:36 PM
I included /two/ Simpsons-themed slides in my presentation when I was applying to be chair. But the stakes are a bit lower when there aren't other candidates!
Distracting myself from the 2025 election by writing about the 2000 one. Remember Rick Mercer's petition to force Stockwell Day to change his name to Doris?
April 3, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Distracting myself from the 2025 election by writing about the 2000 one. Remember Rick Mercer's petition to force Stockwell Day to change his name to Doris?
Spending my day writing about the election. Well, not the current one, but the 2000 federal election. It was the final one to feature the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, and this fantastic billboard that the Joe Clark campaign used in Calgary Centre.
April 1, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Spending my day writing about the election. Well, not the current one, but the 2000 federal election. It was the final one to feature the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, and this fantastic billboard that the Joe Clark campaign used in Calgary Centre.
Eventually we get to these!
Passion fruit ganache, dipped in dark chocolate.
Passion fruit ganache, dipped in dark chocolate.
March 30, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Eventually we get to these!
Passion fruit ganache, dipped in dark chocolate.
Passion fruit ganache, dipped in dark chocolate.
I make chocolates as an stress-reliever/meditation exercise on some weekends. Decided to make a couple of videos showing my chocolate “guitar” in action. It’s a tool that allows me to cut my pralines into nice even pieces. Here’s the first part.
March 30, 2025 at 1:58 PM
I make chocolates as an stress-reliever/meditation exercise on some weekends. Decided to make a couple of videos showing my chocolate “guitar” in action. It’s a tool that allows me to cut my pralines into nice even pieces. Here’s the first part.
1. “Canada is, literally, too good to lose, but we have to work at building and keeping it.”- Joe Clark, A Nation too Good to Lose, 1994.
Working on the chapter about Clark's life between 1993 and 1998, and his reflections on the nature of Canada in the book he penned. Some keen observations!
Working on the chapter about Clark's life between 1993 and 1998, and his reflections on the nature of Canada in the book he penned. Some keen observations!
March 10, 2025 at 6:35 PM
1. “Canada is, literally, too good to lose, but we have to work at building and keeping it.”- Joe Clark, A Nation too Good to Lose, 1994.
Working on the chapter about Clark's life between 1993 and 1998, and his reflections on the nature of Canada in the book he penned. Some keen observations!
Working on the chapter about Clark's life between 1993 and 1998, and his reflections on the nature of Canada in the book he penned. Some keen observations!
I see that Peace by Chocolate was also inspired to make an “Elbows Up” patriotic chocolate. Mine are filled with chocolate ganache flavoured with Dillon’s Rye Whisky (from Niagara) and University of Guelph Summer Blossom Honey!
🇨🇦🍫🇨🇦
🇨🇦🍫🇨🇦
March 8, 2025 at 4:12 PM
I see that Peace by Chocolate was also inspired to make an “Elbows Up” patriotic chocolate. Mine are filled with chocolate ganache flavoured with Dillon’s Rye Whisky (from Niagara) and University of Guelph Summer Blossom Honey!
🇨🇦🍫🇨🇦
🇨🇦🍫🇨🇦
When five former PMs are urging us to fly the Maple Leaf flag for National Flag of Canada Day, I am happy to break out the one I got from the Department of Canadian Heritage back in 1996 when they sent a million of them out on request!
February 15, 2025 at 1:05 PM
When five former PMs are urging us to fly the Maple Leaf flag for National Flag of Canada Day, I am happy to break out the one I got from the Department of Canadian Heritage back in 1996 when they sent a million of them out on request!
How I say “I choo, choo, choose you!”
Making chocolates is one of my love languages.
It’s also good stress-release mechanism, both in the creation process and in the consumption.
But for today, I’ll focus on the sweetness.
Making chocolates is one of my love languages.
It’s also good stress-release mechanism, both in the creation process and in the consumption.
But for today, I’ll focus on the sweetness.
February 14, 2025 at 1:06 PM
How I say “I choo, choo, choose you!”
Making chocolates is one of my love languages.
It’s also good stress-release mechanism, both in the creation process and in the consumption.
But for today, I’ll focus on the sweetness.
Making chocolates is one of my love languages.
It’s also good stress-release mechanism, both in the creation process and in the consumption.
But for today, I’ll focus on the sweetness.