Federal board investigating Alexander Graham Bell's 'controversial beliefs'
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ostmedia News
Publishing date:Aug 11, 2022 • 18 hours ago • 1 minute read • 28 Comments
Alexander Graham Bell is being investigated posthumously for his “controversial beliefs,” according to records, Blacklock’s Reporter reported.
A federal board is reviewing posthumous honours for Bell under a broad category of “controversial beliefs and behaviour.” It defined the reference as “views, actions and activities condemned by today’s society.”
Bell died a hundred years ago. Certain Canadian landmarks like the Halifax Citadel and Crowsnest Pass are also up for review because of potential ties to “colonialism, patriarchy and racism,” according to the report.
Bell’s Brantford, Ont. homestead was designated a national historic site in 1934. A park near his Baddeck, N.S. summer home was designated in 1959 and Bell himself in 1977 was honoured as a “national historic person.” The Commons as late as 2002 unanimously passed a motion sponsored by then-Liberal MP Sheila Copps (Hamilton East, Ont.) that celebrated Bell as inventor of the telephone, Blacklock’s said.
The Monuments Board did not explain what “controversial beliefs” Bell held. The inventor in an 1883 essay Memoir Upon Formation Of A Deaf Variety Of The Human Race opposed marriage between deaf couples. He also opposed sign language and encouraged the deaf to assimilate by reading lips. Both Bell’s mother and wife were hearing impaired.
Blacklock’s said numerous landmarks are under review for “colonial assumptions.” The board explained the reference was to designations “from an overly European perspective” including the Halifax Citadel, Crowsnest Pass, Alberta’s Bar U Ranch, Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park and a 1924 designation marking “discovery of Prince Edward Island.”
blacklocks.ca
torontosun.com
Author of the article
ostmedia NewsPublishing date:Aug 11, 2022 • 18 hours ago • 1 minute read • 28 Comments
Alexander Graham Bell is being investigated posthumously for his “controversial beliefs,” according to records, Blacklock’s Reporter reported.
A federal board is reviewing posthumous honours for Bell under a broad category of “controversial beliefs and behaviour.” It defined the reference as “views, actions and activities condemned by today’s society.”
Bell died a hundred years ago. Certain Canadian landmarks like the Halifax Citadel and Crowsnest Pass are also up for review because of potential ties to “colonialism, patriarchy and racism,” according to the report.
Bell’s Brantford, Ont. homestead was designated a national historic site in 1934. A park near his Baddeck, N.S. summer home was designated in 1959 and Bell himself in 1977 was honoured as a “national historic person.” The Commons as late as 2002 unanimously passed a motion sponsored by then-Liberal MP Sheila Copps (Hamilton East, Ont.) that celebrated Bell as inventor of the telephone, Blacklock’s said.
The Monuments Board did not explain what “controversial beliefs” Bell held. The inventor in an 1883 essay Memoir Upon Formation Of A Deaf Variety Of The Human Race opposed marriage between deaf couples. He also opposed sign language and encouraged the deaf to assimilate by reading lips. Both Bell’s mother and wife were hearing impaired.
Blacklock’s said numerous landmarks are under review for “colonial assumptions.” The board explained the reference was to designations “from an overly European perspective” including the Halifax Citadel, Crowsnest Pass, Alberta’s Bar U Ranch, Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park and a 1924 designation marking “discovery of Prince Edward Island.”
Historical Purge Targets Bell | Blacklock's Reporter
Federal board investigating Alexander Graham Bell's 'controversial beliefs'
Alexander Graham Bell is reportedly being investigated posthumously for his "controversial beliefs," according to records.
