Latest News — October 1, 2026
DMC Relaunches with New National Digital Heritage Project
CanHist has launched a renewed chapter for Defining Moments Canada™, alongside the announcement of Becoming Canadian™ — 160 Defining Moments, 1867–2027.
About Defining Moments Canada
Connecting Canadians with the moments, stories and perspectives that shape our shared history.
Defining Moments Canada / Moments déterminants Canada is a national bilingual digital heritage initiative of Canadian Historical Education Services Ltd. (CanHist), created to explore the moments that have shaped Canada and the many communities that make up its evolving story.
Through research, education and digital storytelling, DMC brings together multiple perspectives to examine significant moments in Canadian history — not simply as events of the past, but as opportunities to understand how Canada has changed, how Canadians understand themselves, and what our shared histories can teach us today.
DMC projects are designed to make Canadian history engaging and accessible, using innovative digital tools, educational resources and community stories to encourage Canadians of all ages to explore, question and participate in telling Canada’s many interconnected stories.
Curatorial Thinking
Learning Through Story
Multiple Perspectives
DMC projects use Curatorial Thinking to move beyond simply collecting historical information. By asking why a moment matters, whose perspectives are represented and what stories may be missing, learners are encouraged to think critically about how history is selected, interpreted and shared.
Multiple Perspectives
Learning Through Story
Multiple Perspectives
Canada’s history cannot be understood through a single lens. DMC seeks to bring together different voices, experiences and perspectives — including stories that have too often been overlooked or unheard. DMC projects also draw on the 11 Guiding Principles for Learning with a Two-Eyed Seeing approach, encouraging thoughtful engagement with multiple ways of knowing and understanding.
Learning Through Story
Learning Through Story
Learning Through Story
By focusing on microhistorical stories, DMC connects larger national events and ideas to the experiences of individuals and communities, helping Canadians see how local stories contribute to our broader national history.
Digital Discovery
Learning Through Story
Learning Through Story
Interactive digital tools, StoryMaps and freely accessible learning resources allow Canadians to explore history in new ways — connecting stories to place, encouraging inquiry and creating opportunities for learners to contribute their own research and perspectives.
Becoming Canadian
A national bilingual digital heritage commemoration exploring 160 defining moments that have shaped Canada since Confederation — and continue to shape who we are becoming.
That CANDU Spirit
A national bilingual digital heritage project commemorating 75 years of Canada’s nuclear history through the defining moments, innovations and stories that shaped it.