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Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
@CraigBaird
Jun 8, 2023 • 6 tweets • 3 min read • Read on X
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It is #PrideMonth and this is the story of LGBTQ rights activist Jim Egan, who brought forward a landmark Supreme Court case!

Jim Egan was born in Toronto on Sept. 14, 1921. Egan realized he was gay at a young age & in 1948, he met his partner John Nesbit.

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Since he was self-employed, Egan knew he could speak out without losing his job. Starting in 1949, he began writing hundreds of letters, articles & op-ed pieces to newspapers and magazines advocating for equal rights for the LGBTQ community.

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His letters and articles appeared across Canada, first under a pseudonym and then under his real name by the 1960s.
In 1964, he appeared in a Maclean's article that was a positive portrayal of homosexuality that was rare in mainstream media at the time.

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His partner Nesbit asked him to give up his activism, but Egan refused and the couple broke up.
Soon after, Egan moved to B.C. The couple reunited on Vancouver Island in the mid-1960s.
In 1986, Egan retired and began collecting Canada Pension Plan benefits.

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He applied for spousal benefits for Nesbit in 1987 but this was denied. Egan took the matter to court. He lost at the Federal Court in 1991 & the Federal Court of Appeal in 1993
He reached the Supreme Court in 1994, which ruled against Egan & the issue of spousal benefits

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The court did rule that sexual orientation should be included as a prohibited grounds for discrimination under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
This was a massive victory for the LGBTQ community.
Egan died in 2000, Nesbit died three months later

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More from @CraigBaird

Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Mar 12
From 1973 to 2022, Canada and Denmark were at war.
Over the course of the war, several soldiers on both sides were wounded....by hangovers. And it was all fought over a tiny island the size of a city block.
Let's learn about The Whisky War!

🧵1/16 The photo shows two side-by-side images. The left image depicts a group of people in military-style camouflage uniforms raising a Canadian flag on a pole surrounded by rocks, with a helicopter in the background. The right image shows a group of individuals, some in red uniforms and one in a dark coat, standing in front of a Danish flag on a pole, with a frozen landscape and mountains in the background.
Hans Island is a tiny island, 1.3 square kilometres in size, located between Ellesmere Island and Greenland.
It has no trees, no grass and is not inhabited.
The island is in the territory of the Inuit, who have visited it periodically over the centuries.

🧵2/16 The image is a map showing a portion of the Arctic region, specifically focusing on the area between Canada and Greenland. The map highlights two islands: Ellesmere Island, which is part of Canada, and Hans Island, located between Ellesmere Island and Greenland. Ellesmere Island is labeled and marked with a black dot, while Hans Island is marked with a small circle and labeled in blue. The map also includes a small inset in the top right corner showing the broader Arctic region, with a dot indicating the location of this area within the Arctic Circle. The map is sourced from the BBC, as ind...
The first-known Europeans reached the island in 1853 when a Danish expedition arrived. The island was named for an Inuk man on the expedition Hans Hendrik. He saved several men on the expedition when they journeyed too far from the ship on the ice.

🧵3/16 The image is a black-and-white illustration of a person wearing a fur hat and a heavy coat with a high collar, suitable for cold weather. The style suggests an older, possibly historical depiction, with detailed cross-hatching for shading.
Read 17 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Mar 11
The Great Lakes hold 23 quadrillion litres of water and 20% of the world's fresh surface water supply.
But how did Canada and the USA determine the border between the Great Lakes and also agree on the use of the lakes?
Let's learn about the treaties!

🧵1/10 The photo is a satellite image of the Great Lakes region in North America. It prominently features the five Great Lakes—Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario—surrounded by lush green landmasses, including parts of the United States and Canada. The image shows varying shades of blue in the lakes, with some cloud cover scattered across the land.
When the Treaty of Paris of 1783 ended the American Revolutionary War, the treaty set out the boundary between the USA and British North America.
That border went through the Great Lakes but it was not officially surveyed.

🧵2/10 The photo shows a historical document, specifically a page from the Treaty of Paris. The text is written in an elegant, cursive script typical of the 18th century. The document states that it was "Done at Paris the third day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three" and is signed by notable figures, including "John Adams," "B Franklin" (Benjamin Franklin), and "John Jay." The page is adorned with several red wax seals attached with ribbons, signifying its official nature and authenticity. The parchment appears a...
The Rush-Bagot Treaty of 1818 limited naval armaments on the Great Lakes. This treaty was significant as it laid the groundwork for a demilitarized border between the USA and Canada and the longest demilitarized border in the world (8,891 km).

🧵3/10 The photo depicts an old map titled "A Map of the Frontier Lakes with part of Pennsylvania, New York, Canada, and the Hudson Bay Territories." The map appears to be historical, likely from the 18th century, given its style and the date "1783" printed in the bottom right corner. It focuses on the Great Lakes region, showing Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and parts of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, labeled as they were known at the time (e.g., "Lake Hurons"). Surrounding areas are labeled as "Canada," "Ohio," "Pennsylvania," ...
Read 11 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Mar 8
On this day in 1919, Bob Homme was born.
While he was born in the United States, he adopted Canada as his home. To generations of Canadians, he was The Friendly Giant.
Let's look up...waaaaay up...and learn about his life!

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Bob Homme was born in Stoughton, Wisconsin where his parents were teachers at the high school.
After he graduated from school, he attended the University of Wisconsin and graduated with a degree in economics.
He joined the Air National Guard in 1939.

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When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, his unit was activated. He was promoted to Staff Sergeant and was assigned to study psychology at Cornell. He ended his time in the Second World War classifying and discharging servicemen who were returning home.

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Read 13 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Mar 4
In 1890, the Tariff Act came into place in the United States. It placed tariffs on imports of up to 50%.
While touted as a way to build American industry, there was also the hope it would force an annexation of Canada. It backfired.
Let's learn more.

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Put forward by William McKinley, who was a Congressman at that point, the Tariff Act put duties across imports ranging from 38% to 49.5%.
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One reason for the tariffs was to force the annexation of Canada. The McKinley Tariff declined to make an exception for Canadian products.
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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!

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Doohan was the youngest of four children born to Irish immigrants.
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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.

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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

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