The Museum Blog

• September 16, 2021

  A mythic metal: Some stories of gold coins

  By: Krista Broeckx

  
  

  

  In 1896, three enterprising men struck gold in the Klondike region of the Yukon. Their story is just one of many that illustrates the allure of gold through the ages.

  Content type(s): Blog posts
• September 2, 2021

  Virtual Worlds. Real Economies.

  By: Adam Young

  
  

  

  The economies in modern, complex video games can teach gamers a lot about decision making and financial literacy.

  Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
• August 19, 2021

  Fur Trade Economics

  By: David Bergeron, Graham Iddon, Krista Broeckx

  
  

  

  Over its 350-year lifespan, the Hudson’s Bay Company has had an enormous impact on Canada’s economy and how the nation was settled.

  Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, History, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 05, Grade 06, Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
• June 30, 2021

  The house the Bank of Canada built

  By: Graham Iddon

  
  

  

  The Bank of Canada head office is two structures: the stone cube on Wellington Street and the glass structure that it is nestled into. Both are significant architectural landmarks.

  Content type(s): Blog posts
• June 3, 2021

  Value is in the Eye of the Consumer

  By: Graham Iddon

  
  

  

  Supply and demand is part of the very bedrock of an economy. It's what generates the price of any product or service.

  Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, Financial literacy, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
• April 30, 2021

  Mishap on the dollar

  By: Graham Iddon

  
  

  

  An image of a river of logs floating behind Parliament Hill has long lived in Canadian collective memory thanks to a bank note, the Scenes of Canada $1 bill.

  Content type(s): Blog posts
• March 23, 2021

  The Last Smokestack

  By: Graham Iddon

  
  

  

  Putting an industrial facility on a bank note is not a casual decision. At the end of the 1960s, such places were earning a bad reputation for pollution. There was actually a good reason for this choice, but it wasn’t obvious to many Canadians.

  Content type(s): Blog posts
• February 26, 2021

  Playing with Economy

  By: Graham Iddon

  
  

  

  There might be only a handful of basic game formats, but there is an infinity of variations—a surprising number of which require the skills we need to manage our daily economic lives.

  Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, Financial literacy, Math, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 03, Grade 04, Grade 05, Grade 06, Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
• January 4, 2021

  Economic Opportunity Costs

  By: Graham Iddon

  
  

  

  With his superpowers, Peter Parker would no doubt do a fabulous job of tiling his kitchen backsplash. But as Spider-Man, he has more valuable things to do with his time.

  Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, Financial literacy, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
• November 30, 2020

  How Many Groats Are in a Noble?

  By: Graham Iddon

  
  

  

  For daily users of modern money, getting an understanding of the old British system of currency can be an act of confusion and wonder. But it’s also a peep into 13 centuries of European numismatic history.

  Content type(s): Blog posts