How Award-Winning Teacher Neil Orford Preserves Canadian History
Many people take years to find their life’s passion. Neil Orford was fortunate to find his rather young: history.
“I was lucky to be raised in a home where History abounded. Both my parents were older and were veterans of World War II, and they were inveterate storytellers,” says Neil. “Both maternal and paternal families kept extensive family records of their lineage and an abundance of artifacts to animate my young life.”
Neil recalls a childhood filled with Canadian history thanks to family trips to famous landmarks, participation in citizen-activist groups to preserve local history, and passionate history teachers. By the time he reached Glendon, pursuing a BA in History and Political Science was a no-brainer.
“I was fortunate to learn from the likes of Michiel Horn, Irving Abella, Albert Tucker, Norman Penner, Sylvie d’Augerot-Arend, Murray Ross, and Martin Fichman. They were luminaries for me. We were blessed during my Glendon years to have the leadership of Philippe Garigue. I had tea with him in his office on several occasions. A conversation with Dr. Garigue, whose breadth of historical knowledge and experience was enormous, could imbue anyone with a sense of historical ‘gravity.’”
It wasn’t just the presence of academic powerhouses that energized Neil’s undergraduate experience, but the history of the campus as well. For Neil, the Glendon Manor “evoked a powerful historical connection” and he spent hours imagining the everyday life of the Wood family while preparing shows for Radio Glendon.
“During my Glendon years, my days on campus were full. Arriving and parking early in the Lower Lot, taking my classes, studying at Frost, supping at the Café de la Terasse, doing my Radio Shows, and often staying late for socializing. I lived in downtown Toronto, but Glendon became my ‘home’ in so many ways, and many friendships have stayed with me ever since.”
In 1985, Neil received the George Tatham Award for Academic Excellence. It was presented by Dr. Garigue during the year-end ball at nearby Todmorden Mills, creating an especially memorable moment for the young Glendonite.
“I was deeply touched to receive the award, but even more so to get it from the Principal.”
Before graduating, he made a last-minute decision to pivot from a Master’s in Environmental Studies and pursue a Bachelor of Education instead. He was so convinced his desire to pursue teaching was a whim that he deferred his MES acceptance instead of declining altogether. As it turns out, it wound up complementing his passion for history perfectly.
“From the moment I was placed in a classroom for ‘student-teaching’ it felt right,” Neil recalls. “Designing lesson plans, learning Socratic questioning, studying pedagogy and integrating my love of history into daily practice was just the challenge I had been looking for.”
To call teaching a perfect fit would be an understatement. Over his career, Neil has earned several awards including a Canada 125 medal in 1992, a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal in 2012, and the Canadian Governor General’s Award for History Teaching in 2013.
All in all, Neil’s love of history comes with a healthy respect for progress. As his teaching career progressed, he noticed the diminishing role of history within schools as attention shifted to STEM subjects. When he became a department head in 1998, he focused on championing new delivery models for making history more accessible and relevant to students growing up in the digital age. This work in digital history would lay the foundation for his later work.
After retiring in 2017, he turned his part-time passion into a full-time business. In 2013, he founded what would eventually be known as Defining Moments Canada. The organization helps school boards, museums, non-profits, and government agencies design digital, historical education programs. To date, he’s worked with entities like the Federal Ministry of Canadian Heritage, Veterans Affairs Canada, and the Juno Beach Centre.
With an award-winning teaching career that spans three decades and a vibrant post-retirement career, Neil considers raising a family with his wife Laurie, also a Glendon graduate, his proudest accomplishment.
“Nothing has mattered more than this. I was blessed with two daughters, who each shine in their own right, and have taught me more than I have ever likely taught them.”
