The history of Canada is defined by many different eras or phases of time that represent a defined stage of the development of the country. Each of these eras was a step towards where we are today. We debate, discuss, disagree, and sometimes violently confront one another over the meaning, issues and results of these eras. We rewrite, redefine, rediscover and some times come to accept the portrait created by historians of these eras and through that process gain a greater understanding of how Canada came to the point in history where we now stand at which helps Canadians use this knowledge in making decisions about where they will go next.