The Canadian World Almanac and Book of Facts

P.J. Hammel is a professor of Education at the University of
Saskatchewan.

The first edition of The Canadian World Almanac and Book of Facts proclaimed that it replaced “the World Almanac in Canada” and that it contained “world information for which the World Almanac has been renowned while also featuring Canadian content.” This second edition claims “completely updated information, a revised layout and over 700 pages of essential facts for everyday reference. By popular demand we have reinstated material previously available in the World Almanac.”

Apart from updated information, the major difference between this work and the first edition is one of arrangement and order. The first edition provided a detailed front-of-book index; the second places the detailed index at the end. The new edition also adds a table of contents before a New Features list and a broad subjects list (with some subdivisions). Similarly, the first edition had its Chronology of the Year’s Events at the back, the second makes it the first section of the text. Again, while Geography of Canada is first in the 1987 edition, it is the twelfth section in the new edition. Although both contain 16 pages of coloured illustrations, the first had 5 pages of flags and 11 pages of maps; the second has 4 pages of flags (smaller illustrations) and 12 pages of maps. Generally, the content in both is presented under identical broad subjects; the only exceptions are the two new sections: Calgary Winter Olympics and Obituaries — all other new features are incorporated under the established broad subjects.

Because of its admitted similarity to the World Almanac, a comparison of the 1988 editions would be appropriate. The first significant difference is in format: the World Almanac presents its General (detailed) Index first and a Quick Reference Index (by broad subject) last while, as noted, the Canadian Almanac uses the reverse arrangement. The Quick Reference Index is in much broader terms than the Canadian Almanac’s table of contents. Fourteen of the nineteen new features in the Canadian Almanac have no relation to the World Almanac. Both have new articles on AIDS, but they are quite dissimilar. The information about the World’s Largest Banks, although similar in title, is different in content — the Canadian Almanac. quotes a British source while the other quotes an American source. The new features on Baseball, Individual Hitting and Pitching Records, 1987, and Celestial Events Highlights are verbatim copies from the World Almanac. The new feature, Animal Superlatives, on the other hand, is borrowed (and acknowledged) from the Kids World Almanac and Book of Facts (Pharos Books, New York, no date). The new Obituaries section is obviously taken from the World Almanac, but some changes are made — some U.S. examples are omitted, while Canadian ones have been added.

In addition to the new features, the illustrations of flags and maps are direct reproductions from the World Almanac which probably explains the difference between the first and second Canadian editions as mentioned earlier. A sampling of the Sports section helps to illustrate dependence upon the World Almanac: information on the Olympic Games is identical, although rearranged; in the Hockey section, although a minimal amount is similar, the Canadian Almanac focuses in greater detail on Canadian teams, personalities, and records; the Basketball information is taken directly, although reduced in quantity; the Baseball sections, except for the emphasis on the two Canadian professional teams, are identical. Generally, information about the world beyond Canada is taken from the World Almanac, although the significant number of references to other sources would indicate some difference.

The Canadian World Almanac and Book of Facts does a commendable job in providing Canadian information not readily available elsewhere. At the elementary level, it can probably meet curricular needs at both the Canadian and world levels. At the high school level it should be supplemented by the World Almanac and Book of Facts (for its detailed information on the United States) and Whitaker’s Almanac (for its European orientation).