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Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
@CraigBaird
May 7, 2023 • 5 tweets • 3 min read • Read on X
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It is #AsianHeritageMonth and this is the story of Larry Kwong!

Kwong was born in Vernon, B.C. on June 17, 1923, two days before Canada enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited Chinese immigrants from entering Canada.
As a child, Kwong often faced racism.

🧵1/5 Image
At one point, he was denied service at a barbershop because of his ethnicity.
Kwong began playing hockey on the frozen ponds around Vernon & became one of the top players in the area.
He began to play for the Trail Smoke Eaters, who had recently won the World Championship

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While other players were given high-paying jobs at the local smelter, Kwong was denied this & worked as a bellhop at a hotel.
In 1946, Lester Patrick saw Kwong play and was impressed and he signed him to the New York Rangers farm team, where he became a star player.

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On March 13, 1948, Kwong became the first person of Chinese heritage to play in the NHL.
He played one minute in the NHL & was sent back down, never to be called up to the NHL again.
Despite his skill, other players were selected for call ups instead of him.

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Kwong continued to play hockey & found a great deal of success. With the Valleyfield Braves of the QSHL from 1948-1955, he averaged a point-per-game & led the team to the Alexander Cup, the top senior hockey trophy in Canada.
Kwong died in Calgary on March 15, 2018.

🧵5/5 Image

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More from @CraigBaird

Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Mar 3
On this day in 1920, James Doohan was born in Vancouver.
He became famous for playing Scotty on Star Trek, but before he was chief engineer on a starship he was fighting for Canada in the Second World War.
Let's learn more about that time of his life!

🧵1/12 The photo shows two images side by side. On the left, a man wearing a red Starfleet uniform with a delta shield insignia, associated with the character Scotty from "Star Trek," is depicted in a futuristic setting. On the right, a young man in a military uniform, including a beret with an insignia, is shown outdoors, smiling, with trees in the background.
Doohan was the youngest of four children born to Irish immigrants.
Early in Doohan's life, the family moved to Sarnia where he attended the Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School. He enlisted with the 102nd Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in 1938.

🧵2/12 The black-and-white photo shows a young man in a military uniform and an older woman in a floral dress sitting side by side on deck chairs in a garden. The man is smiling, and the woman has a calm expression. The background features greenery and a wooden fence.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Doohan was posted with the 14th (Midland) Field Battery of the Second Canadian Infantry Division. He then transferred to the 13th Field Regiment of the Canadian Third Infantry Division in their 22nd Field Battery.

🧵3/12 The black-and-white photograph depicts a young man standing outdoors in a military uniform. He is wearing a peaked cap with an insignia, a belted jacket with epaulets, and trousers. His hands are on his hips, exuding a confident posture. The background features a rural landscape with bare trees and open ground, suggesting it was taken in late autumn or winter. The overall tone of the image is historical, likely from the mid-20th century, given the style of the uniform and the photographic quality.
Read 13 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Feb 24
On this day in 1986, Tommy Douglas died.
Considered one of the most important Canadians of the 20th century, he served as premier of Saskatchewan, led the federal NDP, and was instrumental in the creation of Medicare in Canada.
Let's explore his life :)

🧵1/16 The black-and-white photograph depicts a man in a suit and tie, wearing glasses, with a serious expression. The image has a classic, mid-20th-century style, suggesting it could be a formal portrait from that era.
Tommy Douglas was born on Oct. 20, 1904 in Scotland. When he was seven, the family moved to Winnipeg. Around this time, he injured his knee and Osteomyelitis set in. He went through various operations and doctors stated he would lose the leg.

🧵2/16 This black-and-white photograph shows a man in a pinstripe suit, vest, and patterned tie, with his hands in his pockets. He has a calm expression and neatly combed hair, exuding a confident, dapper appearance typical of mid-20th-century formal portraits.
Thankfully, an orthopedic surgeon agreed to treat Douglas for free if his medical students could observe. This free medical care greatly influenced Douglas later in life.
In 1919, he saw the government's violent response to squash the Winnipeg General Strike.

🧵3/16 This black-and-white photograph depicts a young man in a suit and tie, with a pocket square, and neatly combed hair. He has a serious expression and the image has a classic, early-to-mid-20th-century style, suggesting a formal portrait.
Read 17 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Feb 21
Tonight in Maple Creek, SK, two hockey teams are going to take to the ice to continue a four-decade tradition.
It is a hockey game between the Nekaneet First Nation and local ranchers.
Let's learn more about The Battle of the Little Big Puck!

📸Anthony Janzen

🧵1/7 The photo shows two individuals shaking hands on an ice rink. One person is dressed in traditional Indigenous regalia, including a colorful feathered headdress and red outfit, while the other wears a hockey uniform with a blue jersey and furry chaps, holding a hockey stick. Spectators and signs, including one for "Maple Creek, SK," are visible in the background, indicating a cultural or community hockey event.
According to legend, the hockey game dates back to a hot day in July in the mid-1970s when some local ranchers and members of the Nekaneet First Nation were sitting in Maple Creek's Commercial Hotel having a beer together.

🧵2/7 The black-and-white photo shows a two-story building identified as the "Commercial Hotel." The facade features multiple windows, a balcony on the second floor, and signs for a "Licensed Beverage Room," "Dining Room," and "Hotel Lobby." A pickup truck is parked in front of the building, and the street appears quiet, suggesting a small town setting from a past era, likely mid-20th century.
They began to joke with each other as to who could ride the toughest horses, rope a steer the quickest and more.
Eventually, the conversation turned to hockey and who would defeat who on the ice. Soon, they decided to determine who was indeed the best.

📸Katie Willis

🧵3/7 The photo shows two individuals sitting in a locker room, both wearing hockey gear and traditional Indigenous attire. One person wears a purple shirt, black shorts, red socks, and a feathered headdress, while the other is in a tan fringed jacket, black helmet, and similar hockey gear. They are smiling, surrounded by hockey sticks, clothing, and equipment, with the name "Kate Willis" credited at the bottom.
Read 8 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Feb 19
On this day in 1942, German tanks and soldiers marched through Winnipeg. The mayor, premier and Lt. Governor were arrested. The city was renamed Himmlerstadt, books were burned and the swastika flag flew around the city.
This is the story of Winnipeg's If Day.

🧵1/14 The photo is a black-and-white image of a military parade in an urban setting, likely from the mid-20th century. It shows several small tanks or armored vehicles driving down a city street, with soldiers in helmets riding in them. The street is lined with multi-story buildings, vintage cars, and streetcars, suggesting a historical context, possibly during World War II.
During the Second World War, Victory Bond Campaigns were held to raise money for the war effort. Civilians could buy the bonds, which matured in 2.5, six or 14 years. In total, 10 Victory Bond campaigns were held during the war.

🧵2/14 Image
On Feb. 16, 1942, the second Victory Loan campaign began and Manitoba decided to go all out.
Organizers came up with the idea of showing residents what would happen if Canada lost the war and Germany invaded.
Thus the idea of If Day was created.

🧵3/14 The photo shows a vintage World War II-era Canadian propaganda poster encouraging the purchase of Victory Bonds. It features an illustration of a determined pilot wearing a fur-lined aviator cap and jacket, holding a machine gun. The background is a gradient of blue and white, with a faint image of a plane and a target. The text reads, "Come on Canada! Keep Me in the Air" in yellow and white, and "BUY the New VICTORY BONDS" in bold black and yellow letters at the bottom. The poster is designed to evoke patriotism and support for the war effort.
Read 15 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Feb 19
On this day in 1991, The Tragically Hip released their second studio album Road Apples.
It became their first #1 album in Canada, produced several hit songs and is remembered as one of the best albums of the 1990s to this day.
Let's learn more about it!

🧵1/12 The photo shows the album cover for "Road Apples" by The Tragically Hip. The cover features a red background with the band name "THE TRAGICALLY HIP" and the album title "ROAD APPLES" spelled out in black and white letter tiles, respectively. In the center, there is a rectangular image of a horse standing in a field with trailers or mobile homes and mountains in the background.
The band released their first album Up to Here in 1989. The album did well, selling 100,000 copies in its first year in Canada and reached #13.
The Hip then toured through Canada and the United States from 1989 to 1990 before beginning work on their next album.

🧵2/12 The photo is the album cover for "Up to Here" by The Tragically Hip. It features five band members standing together in a dimly lit setting, wearing casual 1980s rock attire like jeans, jackets, and shirts. The band name "THE TRAGICALLY HIP" is displayed at the top in bold white letters, and the album title "Up to Here" is written in blue at the bottom. A yellow sign with a star is visible in the background on the right side.
When the band arrived in New Orleans, they had the structure of many of the songs that would appear on the album. To recreate the band's live performances, producer Don Smith set the band up at Daniel Lanois' Kingsway Studio in New Orleans.

🧵3/12 The photo shows a cluttered room set up as a music practice or recording space, likely for The Tragically Hip. It features several guitars (acoustic and electric) on stands, amplifiers, a drum set, various musical equipment, and effects pedals scattered on a red patterned rug. There’s a fireplace, potted plants, and vintage furniture in the background, giving it a cozy, lived-in feel.
Read 13 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Feb 17
Depending where you live in Canada, today is going to be called by something different (Family Day, Islander Day, etc...)
And in some places there is no holiday at all.
Let's take a trip around this beautiful country and see what each province celebrates today and why!

🧵1/12 This is a detailed political map of Canada, titled "Canada Classic Political / Politique Classique." Here are some key features: Provinces and Territories: The map delineates the boundaries of all Canadian provinces and territories, including Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Geographical Features: The map highlights various geographical features such as the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Paci...
If you live in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario or Saskatchewan, then today is Family Day!
It was first celebrated in Alberta in 1990. Premier Don Getty wanted to create a holiday for Albertans to spend time with their families.

🧵2/12 The photo depicts three men standing behind a podium, likely at a formal event or press conference. The man in the center is wearing a light gray suit with a white shirt and a red and blue striped tie. He is speaking into a microphone. The man to his left is dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and a red tie with a pattern. The man to his right is also in a suit, wearing a light gray jacket with a white shirt and a red tie with diagonal stripes. Behind them, there are two flags with a blue background and a gold maple leaf emblem
The date was chosen to coincide with Washington's Birthday (now Presidents Day) in the United States to avoid disrupting trade between Alberta and the USA.
Many employers were angry about a new statutory holiday, so Heritage Day was downgraded to a civic holiday.

🧵3/12 The image is a newspaper article with the headline "Family Day sparks ire of protesters." The article discusses the first Family Day in Alberta, where Alberta Premier Don Getty spoke at a Tory-sponsored event to about 250 people. During his speech, protesters from Albertans in Poverty, wearing paper bags over their heads, interrupted him, chanting "Families are hungry. Families are cold." The article mentions that Linda Crux criticized Premier Getty for being out of touch with the average family's struggles. Getty had declared Family Day to promote family togetherness an...
Read 13 tweets

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