Toronto Public Library 's 2011 History Matters series focuses on two themes: labour and environmental history in the Toronto area and beyond. Part of TPL’s Thought Exchange programming, these lively talks give the public an opportunity to connect with working historians and to discover some of the many and surprising ways in which the past shapes the present.

The series has been curated by Dr. Lisa Rumiel, SSHRC Post Doctoral Fellow McMaster University, and we are especially grateful for a generous grant provided by The History Education Network (THEN/Hier), which has made the series possible.