Author: Lotta56sparks.ca

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Little known Lotta facts for a Friday: Stanfield’s underwear, USC volunteers, and Truro NS

Stanfield’s, Truro, Nova Scotia

Lotta Hitschmanova inspired a legion of loyal volunteers supporting her and USC Canada’s work right across the country. Truro NS was no different in this regard, but they did have one key asset that other communities lacked, as related by Clyde Sanger in his 1986 biography of Lotta:

“Some [USC] branches had certain advantages, like the Truro branch which was just down road from Stanfield’s Ltd., the family woollen and textile firm that has never looked back since the Klondike Gold Rush spread the fame of its unshrinkable underwear across North America. Continue reading →

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Sharing a Lotta Story: “Dad and Dr. Lotta”

“In any world menu, Canada must be considered the vichyssoise of nations–it’s cold, half-French, and difficult to stir.” — Stuart Keate

“They made an interesting couple.”

Thus wrote Kathryn-Jane Hazel, recalling the remarkable personal connection her father, noted B.C. newspaper publisher Stuart Keate, had with Lotta Hitschmanova.

NB: Stuart Keate was inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame in 1974 and received the Order of Canada in 1976. Future blog posts will bring out more of the special Stuart Keate – Lotta Hitschmanova connection. Continue reading →

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Immigrants make the best Canadians: Part 2

Here’s a statement Lotta Hitschmanova would have been thrilled to hear: “Immigrants are very enthusiastic about Canada and they are looking forward to take a leadership of the commemorations of our 150th.”

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Special thanks to the Canadian Unitarian Council

Sincere thanks to the Canadian Unitarian Council for raising awareness about the lotta56sparks.ca blog in the CUC’s January e-newsletter.

I invite anyone with stories or reminiscences about Lotta Hitschmanova and what she meant to them to share them here, so others can learn about this great Canadian social justice pioneer.

Thank you, David Rain

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A tale of two surveys: Lotta has made us proud to be Canadians

When I came across a recent article in the Ottawa Citizen, I noticed that research firm Abacus Data had conducted a survey asking Canadians what made them proud of their country.

The top two responses were: freedom to live as we see fit and Terry Fox.

Given the recent publicity around the 12 women (including Lotta Hitschmanova) nominated to appear on a Canadian banknote, I was curious to see how they ranked in this survey.

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2016 in review: thanks for the memories!

We started Lotta56sparks.ca on Lotta’s 107th birthday, November 28, not quite knowing how a blog dedicated to this humanitarian “pioneer” would be received.

Ottawa, 1943.

Since then, over 700 individuals have visited the blog!

Sincere thanks to everyone who has helped spread the word, with a special nod to the Lost Ottawa Facebook group.

Here are the most popular stories of 2016:

  1. Sharing a Lotta story: “She loved to party.”
  2. The most iconic – and confusing uniform in Canadian history?
  3. How did a Jewish refugee to Canada become a Unitarian “saint”? Part I. NB: Part II to be posted in 2017, stay tuned.
  4. 56 Sparks St – Canada’s most famous address?

 

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A Christmas message from Lotta: friendship and love

Lotta Hitschmanova was a letter writer extraordinaire. So many times in my travels across the country, individuals have shared with me their joy at having received a personal, hand written note from Lotta, and some have even safe guarded these notes as keepsakes in treasured locations in their homes.

Here is a remarkable, touching letter that Lotta wrote to a friend in Moose Jaw in 1983: Continue reading →

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“Immigrants make the best Canadians”

Seldom has a newcomer to a country left such a nation-wide legacy as Lotta Hitschmanova has in her adopted land.

Indeed, I have argued that she was a refugee who literally changed Canada, for the better.

Peter Lockyer, who directed Soldier of Peace, Lotta’s film documentary, has reflected on the impact that Lotta and many other newcomers have had and concluded that “immigrants make the best Canadians.”

If you’d like to learn more, or hear Lotta’s voice again, have a viewing of Lockyer’s excellent video, Soldier of Peace.

David Rain

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Little known Lotta facts for a Friday: a big mystery solved!

Czech costumes,1943, Ottawa. Lotta top row 2nd left. Photo courtesy of Heather Haas Barclay.

Did you know that Lotta Hitschmanova performed in the same Ottawa theatre as Vladimir Horowitz, Glenn Gould, Nat King Cole and Jimi Hendrix?

Earlier, we posted an article that included this remarkable 1943 photo of Lotta and other women dressed in traditional Czech costumes.

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Breaking News: Lotta Hitschmanova was inspirational – Bank of Canada survey

It seems that Lotta scored very high indeed, in the recent Bank of Canada survey. She didn’t make it onto the Bank’s five woman short list, but the indicators are very strong indeed for some future recognition (another bill, a stamp perhaps?) for this Canadian social justice pioneer.

“The nominees included most frequently in a respondent’s top list were Elsie MacGill, Dr. Lotta Hitschmanova, Viola Desmond and Nellie McClung…. Continue reading →