1890s: Presbyterian clergyman Ralph Connor, one of the earliest of Canadian writers of the West, writes best-selling novels that draw on his Scottish heritage.

1940s: Distinctive Canadian fiction, celebrating Canadian identity, begins to emerge in the work of Sinclair Ross and Hugh MacLennan.

1960s: Margaret Laurence writes most of the Manawaka series.

Today: Canadian writers such as Alice Munro and Margaret Atwood are in the forefront of world literature.

1890s: The economy in Manitoba is based on agriculture, with manufacturing and transportation later becoming important.

1930s: One out of every four workers is unemployed, and Manitoba is devastated by drought.

Today: Agriculture remains the backbone of rural Manitoba, where wheat is the most important crop, followed by barley and canola.

1890s: Educational opportunities for women are very limited. Like Hagar Shipley, women typically work unpaid in the home, looking after the children and performing...