It is #PrideMonth and this is the story of Michelle Douglas, who legally challenged the LGBTQ discriminatory policies in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Michelle Douglas was born in Ottawa in 1963 & after studying law, she joined the Canadian Forces in 1986.
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She soon became the first woman promoted to the Special Investigations Unit.
In 1989, despite her excellent service record, she was released from the Forces for being a lesbian. Her release stated:
"Not Advantageously Employable Due to Homosexuality"
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She then launched a $550,000 lawsuit against the Department of National Defence in January 1990.
Douglas stated that two male officers took her to a hotel room and questioned her about her sexual activities and told her that she should like men.
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Before her lawsuit could go to trial, the Canadian military abandoned its policy of banning gays and lesbians in the military and settled the case with Douglas.
This made Canada one of the first countries to openly allow LGBTQ individuals to serve in the military.
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Since then, Douglas has engaged in social justice and human rights activism. She helped found the Rainbow Railroad LGBT refugee organization. She also offered advice for LGBTQ Supreme Court cases including Vriend v Alberta & M v H.
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On this day in 1972, Neil Young released his fourth studio album, Harvest.
Poorly received when it was initially released, it has since been proclaimed a high-water mark of his career and one of the best albums by a Canadian artist in history.
Let's learn more!
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After releasing solo albums in 1968, 1969 and 1970, along with one album as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in 1970, Young bought the Broken Arrow Ranch.
While renovating his home, he injured his back which limited his ability to play electric guitar.
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He was unable to stand up while performing, creating the need to play acoustic music.
At the same time, he began a relationship with actress Carrie Snodgress. His new home, and his relationship, inspired several songs for his new album.
During the fur trade era, the Red River Jig emerged as a dance that blended European step-dancing with the traditional dances of the First Nations.
Over time, the dance became an important part of Metis culture.
Let's learn more!
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The origin of the Red River Jig is believed to be a combination of the dancing of the First Nations, French-Canadians and Scottish-Canadians.
The dance tended to be complex, with the foot never rising higher than the ankle.
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Many fur trade clerks made sure to learn the Red River Jig so they could perform it alongside their trading counterparts to show friendship and an acceptance of other cultures.
Competition among dancers could be fierce during these performances.
On this day in 1980, six American diplomats, travelling with valid Canadian passports, escaped Iran.
They were hidden for months by Canadians, who played a massive role in their escape.
Let's learn the real (not the Argo version) story of The Canadian Caper.
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Amid the Islamic Iranian Revolution in 1979, people stormed the US Embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, 1979. Dozens of diplomats were captured and held hostage.
They demanded that the Shah of Iran come back to the country and face trial.
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Six American diplomats were able to escape from the embassy. For six days they went from house-to-house. One of the diplomats, Robert Anders, contacted Canadian immigration officer John Sheardown (pictured). Sheardown invited them to stay in his home.
On this day in 1700 CE at approximately 9 p.m. PT, an 8.7-9.2 magnitude earthquake hit the coast of present-day British Columbia.
The Juan de Fuca plate slipped by 20 metres along 1,000 km fault rupture.
Let's learn more about this event
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While there are no written records of the earthquake, much of what happened has been related in the oral histories of the First Nations.
The exact time and day comes from the record of a tsunami that hit Japan hours after the earthquake.
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One oral history tells of an earthquake and ocean wave that destroyed settlements in Pachena Bay. On the north end of Vancouver Island, the oral history states there was a nighttime earthquake that destroyed nearly every home in the settlement.
In the summer of 1970, a CNR train journeyed across Canada. On that train was a non-stop party and jam session consisting of Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, The Band, Ian & Sylvia, and others who took part in the Festival Express.
Let's learn more!
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When the Transcontinental Pop Festival, better known as the Festival Express, was being planned there were planned concert stops in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver.
The festival was developed by Ken Walker and promoted by Eaton-Walker Associates.
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The train consisted of 14 cars that included two engines, one diner, five sleepers, two lounge cars, a baggage car, two flat cars and a staff car.
The first stop was planned for Montreal at the Autostade on June 24, 1970.
Over the course of centuries, Canadian English developed as its own distinct form of the language.
It takes elements from French, First Nation languages and United States English to form something completely unique.
Let's learn more about Canadian English!
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There are several varieties of Canadian English.
There is Standard Canadian English, spoken from British Columbia to Ontario.
There is also Quebec English, Atlantic Canada English, Newfoundland English and Indigenous English.
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Standard Canadian English is defined by the cot-caught merger, a chain shift of vowel sounds called the Canadian Shift and the Canadian Raising feature. That feature makes words like height and hide have different vowel qualities.