The Canadian CA Logo - 1991 to 2011

In 1991, the Chartered Accountants of Canada introduced a new CA logo to present “A Bold New Image...with a Focus on the Future” aimed at creating a new visual identity for Chartered Accountants (CAs) across Canada. According to the Announcement Brochure: “Symbolizing the unity of our profession across the country, the new image provides a strong foundation for clear, consistent communication.” and “The new identity reflects the pride we feel regarding our history of success, and the enthusiasm with which we face our future as Chartered Accountants in Canada.”



The announcement states: “This new design will be used by all the provincial institutes as well as by The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. This consistency of application will help to communicate the strength, stability and endurability of a cohesive, national profession. The identity derives exceptional strength from the clean simplicity of its design. It incorporates the letters “CA” into the visual symbol of a building block or cornerstone to further reinforce the concepts of strength and unity.” The announcement also states that: “The timelessness of the classic design reflects our long-standing tradition of quality. A tradition which reaches back through more than 100 years of history and will reach forward into our future.” (To view and read the announcement, click on the images.)

This new CA logo received a certificate of merit in the corporate identity category at the First Annual Design Effectiveness Awards in 1992 (see the article “CA Logo Wins Recognition”  on page 8 of the August 1992 issue of CA Magazine). The logo served the CA profession for about 16 years, until 2007, when a dynamic and modern redesigned logo was unveiled (refer to Canada’s CAs symbolized by new logo, posted on May 4, 2011).

Encyclopaedia Britannica ends print edition after 244 years

The 32-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica has been discontinued. The first edition, a three-volume set, was printed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1768. Now, after 244 years in print, the encyclopedia will live on and grow in the myriad digital forms which have been popular with millions for years. In announcing the end of the print set, on March 14, 2012, the company stressed the wide diversity of its product line today, which includes not just reference works but curriculum and learning solutions used in schools around the world.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica began exploring digital publishing in the 1970s, and created its first digital version, likely the first digital encyclopedia ever, for LexisNexis users in 1981. That lengthy history of online information may come as a surprise to many. As the company switches off the presses, it faces new forms of competition, notably Wikipedia, which also contains a history of the company dating from 1768 to the present.

For more information, watch the YouTube videos “Totally Digital: The Encyclopaedia Britannica Now” and “End of an era for Encyclopedia Britannica video - CNET TV.” Also, see the FoxNews article “After 244 years, Encyclopaedia Britannica ends sale of print edition” and read the Vancouver Sun article “Stop the presses: Encyclopaedia Britannica ends its print publication”

SEC Historical Society – 10th anniversary and timeline update

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Historical Society, through its virtual museum and archive, shares, preserves and advances knowledge of the history of financial regulation. It is a non-profit organization, independent of the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The SEC Historical Society celebrates the 10th anniversary of its founding in 2012. Since opening on June 1, 2002, this independent and objective resource provides access to primary materials on the creation and development of the regulation of the capital markets from the 20th century to the present.

The comprehensive collection includes a Virtual Museum Timeline that highlights significant developments in the history of financial regulation against US and world events. To start, choose a decade, click the arrow button to move through the years, and click on any development to read more. In addition, learn more about building the Timeline.

The collection also includes: Galleries (permanent exhibits within the museum, providing access to materials from throughout the collection on a particular topic); Papers (letters, speeches, memos, telegrams and reports, many not accessible through other online sources); Photos (historic and current images of people significant to financial regulation); and Oral Histories (remembrances, available in audio, MP3 and edited transcript formats, from people who helped create and continue to shape the financial regulatory system). As well, the collection comprises a variety of original programs - including Fireside Chats, the Society's Annual Meeting, The Best of NERA, etc. - offering historic perspective on current regulatory issues (broadcast live and preserved in audio, MP3 and edited transcript formats).

Air Canada's 75-year History - 1937-2012

In the early 1930s, Canada was one of the few industrialized countries without a national airline. There were a number of regional bush airlines scattered across the country, and Canadian Pacific had part ownership in Canadian Airways, a group of regional airlines that served mining communities and transported mail. However, there was no air service linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. R.B. Bennett's Conservative government was interested in launching an airline, but couldn't afford to do so during the Great Depression. It wasn't until 1935 when Mackenzie King came to power that the idea became a reality. King created a Department of Transport and appointed Clarence Decatur Howe, the man who would be Air Canada's architect and most passionate defender, as minister.

C.D. Howe intended for the airline to be under government control, but also initially wanted private enterprise to take a role in it. He proposed collaboration between CP Rail, CN Rail and Canadian Airways. Although Canadian Airways badly wanted to operate the airline, political manoeuvring got in the way and it was shut out. Trans-Canada Air was legislated into existence April 11, 1936, a subsidiary of CNR, which was in turn owned by the federal government. Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) started up with $5 million in seed money. It bought three airplanes from Canadian Airways, and hired a number of executives from US airlines, such as United and American.

TCA set forth on its inaugural flight July 30, 1937 (data and photos of the historical fleet are available online). C.D. Howe boarded a Lockheed aircraft in Montreal at dawn, and more than 17 hours later landed in Vancouver at dusk, after touching down in five cities across the country. TCA’s first regular route was between Vancouver and Seattle, a flight that cost $14.20 round trip. Travel was quite a bit less comfortable back then. Pressurized cabins were a thing of the future, the planes were drafty and no oxygen was provided during flights.

The market for air travel increased after the Second World War. The romance of the RCAF and the booming post-war economy made Canadians less afraid and better able to afford to fly. TCA expanded quickly over the next 30 years adding routes to the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. The company changed its name to Air Canada in 1965 to reflect the fact that it no longer flew solely within Canada.

Air Canada marked its 75th anniversary in Toronto, Ontario (Canada) on Friday March 2, 2012. About 800 customers, employees, partners and dignitaries attended, along with Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner which was on display for attendees to tour (see a gallery of photos online). Canada’s largest air carrier has centred its future fleet renewal around the 787. Air Canada has 37 aircraft on order, but delivery of the first seven Dreamliners will not be until 2014. The remaining 30 will be delivered between 2015 and 2019.

For extensive information on Air Canada’s history, see Wikipedia, CBC News – May 14, 2004, Funding Universe and FlightGlobal’s Canadian Aviation Blog (Part 1 and Part 2).