History Department
Welcome to the History and Social Science (Contemporary Studies) web site.
The grade 10 history course is a compulsory credit and Civics is a compulsory 0.5 credit in grade 10.
We pride ourselves on preparing students at Campbell for university and college success. We believe in setting and demanding high standards, because those are the future expectations you must meet. We believe in giving you all the remediation and encouragement you need to meet those standards, because we believe in the potential that all students possess and the importance of success to self confidence. The traditional History skills of clear logical analysis, argument and communication are reinforced by a broad knowledge of current events, and an emphasis upon developing your personal values through open-ended discussions.
A well-trained mind, a willingness to work hard and an ability to express yourself clearly are important qualities to bring to any job interview. Careers in law and law enforcement, journalism, psychology, social work, business administration, advertising and marketing, government service, banking and commerce, and teaching are usual career choices for the social science graduate.
Juno Beach Centre One of ACCI’s history teachers, Mr. G. Bye, was selected to attend a Canadian History teachers’ tour of Normandy, France, this past August. The trip was organized by the recently constructed 'Juno Beach Centre' located in the seaside town of Courselles. Teachers from all across Canada participated in the trip, and Mr Bye was one of three teachers selected to represent Toronto. Accompanying the teachers was a military historian from the Laurier University. The group visited several towns and villages that were liberated by the Canadian army during the battle of Normandy during the summer of 1944.
The Juno Beach Center is adjacent to the 8 km long beach that was code named “Juno” that was one of five beaches where the allied forces invaded Nazi occupied western Europe during the ‘D-Day’ landings of the 6th of June 1944. . Two beaches each were assigned to the British and American armies while “Juno” was assigned to the Canadian army.
Opposing the Canadians in their sector of Normandy were among the most elite divisions of the Hitler’s war machine - those of the much feared Waffen SS. The numbers of civilians and soldiers killed and wounded on both sides was enormous.
The tour also included visits to some of the Canadian and other nation’s war cemeteries in the Normandy region. The group was invited to attend an annual liberation ceremony held by the town of Cintheaux in the Canadian cemetery there on August 8th, the anniversary of the day the Canadian army captured the town from the SS in 1944. This was quite an emotional visit for many people in attendance at this ceremony, as several of the teachers on the tour had located the graves of their grandfathers or other relatives killed in action with the Canadian forces in Normandy.
Apart from his career as a highschool teacher, Mr Bye has also served for many years in the Canadian Armed Forces and is an officer in a Canadian armoured reserve regiment. During the ceremony at Cintheaux, Mr Bye also had the honour of acting in an official capacity representing the Canadian armed forces with other members of the armed forces of Canada, France and Poland in addition to government officials from all three countries.
Although the trip was only seven days, as two days were lost due to the delays caused by the Air France jet crash in Toronto, all the teachers gained a greater understanding of the gratitude felt by the people of Normandy, even sixty one years later, for the thousands of Canadian soldiers who arrived from a far away country to liberate them from the Nazi occupation. All Canadians should make the trip to France and visit the Juno Beach Center to gain a greater sense of how their nation looks from the outside world, and to better understand the sacrifices made by so many Canadians during the first and second World Wars.
Click on thumbnail to enlarge image.
Canadian Cemetery No. 2 at Beny sur Mer
Juno Beach Centre
Mr. Bye & Mayor of Cinteaux
Teacher Group
