Who is your favourite history maker?

The Pierre Berton Award was created in 1994 by Canada’s National History Society to recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to popularizing Canadian history. The first recipient was Pierre Berton, who then agreed to lend his name to the prize.

In his presentation of the first award to Pierre Berton, Canada’s History Society president Rolph Huband described Berton as a “journalist, editor, tv star, but most importantly a historian…who not only chronicled our history but turned it into best sellers — who put Canadian history on top of the charts.”

In 2011, the Pierre Berton award was incorporated into the Governor General’s History Awards under the category of Popular Media, in recognition of the many ways Canadians interact with their history. Since 1994, the award has recognized a diverse group of authors, filmmakers, organizations, and digital initiatives. This prestigious group of recipients show tremendous leadership in researching and sharing Canadian history. 

Recipients receive a cash prize of $5000 and a trip for two to Ottawa to receive their award at the Governor General’s History Awards at Rideau Hall.

We invite Canadians to tell us about their favourite history makers using the nomination form below. Canada’s History Society will contact nominees to tell them about the award and invite them to put forth an award submission.