Manitoba History: Editor’s Introduction

by Jean Friesen
University of Manitoba

Manitoba History, Number 1, 1981

This article was published originally in Manitoba History by the Manitoba Historical Society on the above date. We make this online version available as a free, public service. As an historical document, the article may contain language and views that are no longer in common use and may be culturally sensitive in nature. Please direct all inquiries to webmaster@mhs.mb.ca. Help us keep history alive!

Welcome to the new journal of the Manitoba Historical Society, Manitoba History.

In 1979, as many of you know, the Manitoba Historical Society celebrated its 100 years of activity. As one of our centennial projects we decided to reorganize our publications and to combine our former popular magazine Pageant and the more formal Transactions of the Society into one new journal.

Manitoba History aims, as the society has always done, to further the academic study of the history of this region and to offer a more general forum to all those interested in Manitoba’s past. We hope to publish three regular issues a year (Spring, Summer and Fall) and eventually to add one “special topic” issue during the winter.

We shall select (refereed) articles of a high academic quality which will have a broad appeal to Manitobans. Our book reviews will be concerned with new studies in regional history, but we shall also undertake to review books of interest by Manitobans and others in broader areas of the social sciences and humanities, As is evident from this issue too, we shall try to review some of the plays, museum and gallery exhibits and films which are of interest to the society’s members. Although our region is defined broadly to include the Old North west, the old H.B.C. territory, North western Ontario and the Red River Valley, we are in origin and purpose similar to other provincial historical journals in the prairies.

In the Gazette section however we do hope to offer something different in Canadian historical publishing by presenting in a magazine format and in a more ‘journalist’ vein, news, interviews, notices, and reviews of interest to the society’s members.

The ‘volunteer’ Editorial Board consisting of myself, John Kendle (Reviews), and Bill Fraser (Documents), is assisted by a graduate student in history Louella Friesen, and by external referees and reviewers. As an editorial board we are responsible to the Executive and Council of the MHS.

The MHS gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the Manitoba Government in this venture of our second century.