Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Jun 18, 2023 23 tweets 7 min read Read on X
In honour of #FathersDay, here is a thread about the fathers of our Canadian Prime Ministers!

23. Pierre Trudeau (Justin Trudeau)
Pierre was Canada's 13th prime minister from 1968-1979 & 1980-1984.
Pierre & Justin are the only father and son to serve as PM of Canada. Image
22. Joseph Harris Harper (Stephen Harper)

Joseph Harper was an accountant for Imperial Oil. He had an avid interest in military history & meticulously researched military insignia for his 1992 book Old Colours Never Die. Image
21. Paul Martin Sr (Paul Martin Jr.)

One of Canada's most influential politicians, Paul Martin Sr. was a member of Parliament from 1935 to 1968. He served as a cabinet minister for three prime ministers & was heavily influential in the creation of Universal Healthcare. Image
20. Wellie Chretien (Jean Chretien)

Jean's father was a major influence on him. While the family grew up poor, he wanted his children to escape the working-class life. He made Jean read the dictionary as a young boy. He was also a lifelong Liberal.

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19. George Thomas Campbell (Kim Campbell)

Kim's father was born in Scotland and worked as a barrister. He had served with the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada during the Second World War.
After Kim's mother left when Kim was 12, George raised Kim & her sister.

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18. Benedict Martin Mulroney (Brian Mulroney)

Benedict Mulroney worked as a paper mill electrician in Baie-Comeau, Quebec. He often worked overtime & also ran a repair business to earn extra money for his children to attend university. Image
17. Leonard Hugh Turner (John Turner)

Leonard, an English journalist, unfortunately died of a botched operation when John was still a toddler. Frank Ross, the future Lt. Governor of British Columbia, became John's stepfather in 1945 when John was 16. ImageImage
16. Charles Clark (Joe Clark)

Charles was a newspaper publisher in High River, Alberta, where he established the High River Times. The newspaper still exists. Joe (pictured here as a baby) worked at his dad's newspaper in several capacities. Image
15. Charles-Emile Trudeau (Pierre Trudeau)

Charles-Emile worked as a lawyer and then grew a fortune by building gas stations around the Montreal area & starting the Automobile Owners' Association.
He died suddenly of pneumonia in 1935 when he was 47. Image
14. Edwin Pearson (Lester B. Pearson)

Edwin was a Methodist, and later United Church, minister. He later became the minister at the Aurora Methodist Church. Edwin is standing to the right. Lester's grandfather Marmaduke, also a minister, is seated. Image
13. William Thomas Diefenbaker (John Diefenbaker)

The son of German immigrants, William Diefenbaker worked as a teacher and had a deep interest in history and politics. Out of the 28 students in his 1903 class, four, including his son, served in Parliament. Image
12. Jean-Baptiste-Moise Saint-Laurent (Louis St. Laurent)

Jean was a prominent person in the village of Compton, Quebec and his home was a social centre. He owned a store in the community, ran for the Quebec Legislature in 1894 & was a staunch Liberal. Image
11. Henry John Bennett (R.B. Bennett)

Henry was a shipbuilder in New Brunswick, but his business did not do well and the family was often short on money. He also attempted to work as a blacksmith, merchant and farmer. He also tried to develop a gypsum mine. Image
10. John King (William Lyon Mackenzie King)

John was a lawyer who had a struggling practice in Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario. Despite barely making ends meet, he employed servants and tutors in the home. King described his father as providing a happy home. Image
9. Joseph Meighen (Arthur Meighen)

Joseph owned a dairy farm near St. Mary's, Ontario and Arthur said his father instilled in him the value of an education & the importance of habits of industry and thrift.

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8. Andrew Borden (Sir Robert Borden)

Andrew was a farmer. He was called by his son, a man of good ability and excellent judgement, who was calm and philosophical. He added he lacked energy & had no aptitude for affairs.

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7. Carolus Laurier (Sir Wilfrid Laurier)

Carolus was bilingual and dynamic. He instilled in Wilfrid an interest in politics from an early age. He had several hobbies including astronomy & mathematics. He also served as mayor of the community and a local inventor. Image
6. Charles Tupper Sr. (Sir Charles Tupper)

Charles was the co-pastor of a Baptist Church in Amherst, Nova Scotia. He was also an accomplished Biblical scholar and wrote two books on Biblical Scriptures.

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5. John Bowell (Sir Mackenzie Bowell)

John emigrated to Canada with his family when Mackenzie was 10. He worked as a cabinet maker and taught that trade to his son.

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4. John Sparrow Thompson (Sir John Sparrow David Thompson)

John made his son recite poetry at school ceremonies and meetings of the Halifax Mechanics' Institute in order to overcome his shyness. He also taught his son shorthand.

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3. Joseph Abbott (Sir John Abbott)

Joseph was a prominent Anglican missionary and he wrote two books, one about emigrating to Canada and another that was his memoirs.
His great-great grandson was Christopher Plummer. Image
2. Alexander Mackenzie Sr. (Alexander Mackenzie)

Alexander was a carpenter and ship's joiner who moved frequently for work during the Napoleonic Wars. He died suddenly when his son was only 13, forcing Alexander to end his education to support the family.

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1. Hugh Macdonald (Sir John A. Macdonald)

Hugh was an unsuccessful merchant in Glasgow, forcing a move to Upper Canada when John was a child. Hugh then operated a series of businesses in Upper Canada & became the magistrate for Midland District.

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More from @CraigBaird

May 4
The story of David Thompson is well known in Canada, but the story of his wife of 58 years, Charlotte Small, is not.
Yet she was integral to his success as a surveyor and explorer.
This is her story.

Listen to my episode about her here 👇


🧵1/10 pdst.fm/e/chtbl.com/tr…The photo is a pencil sketch of Charlotte Small, depicting her with a serious expression. She wears a headscarf and has her hair in two braids. She has triangular earrings and is dressed in a high-neck garment. The sketch is signed "Mel Hynes" in the bottom right corner.
Charlotte Small was born on Sept. 1, 1785 to Patrick Small and a Cree woman who is unnamed in records. Her father left when she was young to go back east.
This was common for country marriages. The fur trader husband often abandoned his Indigenous wife and children.

🧵2/10 The photo shows a bronze bust of a woman on a wooden pedestal in a museum exhibit. Behind the bust are informational panels titled "La Grande Carte," "Aboriginal Mapping," and "Cartographie Autochtone," discussing cartography and Indigenous contributions. Two wooden crates are on either side, and the background features a large map.
On June 10, 1799, she married David Thompson.
Together, the two had 13 children.
Throughout Thompson's journeys across present-day Western Canada, Charlotte was with him. She raised five of their children during this time.
She was far from just tagging along.

🧵3/10 The photo is a black-and-white illustration of a man sitting on the ground in a landscape, using a surveying instrument. He is surrounded by tools, including a small tripod. The background features mountains, a river, teepees, and a person with horses, depicting a historical surveying scene.
Read 11 tweets
May 1
Alberta Separation is once again in the news, but it is far from a new thing.
Separation talk dates back decades, rising and falling with political trends.
Let's learn more about Western Separation Movements!

Listen to my episode from 2019 👇


🧵1/18 pdst.fm/e/chtbl.com/tr…The photo shows a hand holding a black passport with "REPUBLIC OF WESTERN CANADA" written on it. The passport features a map of Canada, highlighting the western region.
I'm not including Quebec separatist movements in this thread. That will be one of its own.
In our first election in 1867, the Anti-Confederation Movement out of Nova Scotia won 18 seats. They called for Nova Scotia seceding from Canada.
By 1870, the movement had failed.

🧵2/18 The photo shows a framed, weathered flag with a blue border and a triangular design. The flag has the text "THREE CHEERS FOR THE ANTIES." written on it in black letters. The wooden frame has screws at the corners.
From 1867 to 1870, a store owner in Thomas Spence tried to create an independent republic in the Portage La Prairie area called New Caledonia, and later the Republic of Manitobah. This failed but Spence later served on the council of Louis Riel.

🧵3/18 The photo is a black-and-white portrait of a bearded man with short hair, wearing a suit jacket and a bow tie, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression.
Read 18 tweets
Apr 29
For 15 years from 1965 until his death in 1980, the man the world knew as Colonel Sanders lived in a modest home at 1337 Melton Drive in the Lakeview area of Mississauga.
He became a fixture of the community and gave his money to charity to help Canadians.

🧵1/10 Colonel Sanders, in a white suit with a black tie and holding a cane, stands in front of a KFC restaurant with a red and white striped awning and signs reading "Colonel Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken" and "Bucket Break."
By the mid-1960s, Colonel Harland Sanders was famous around North America as the image of Kentucky Fried Chicken. With franchises rapidly growing, and Sanders in his early-70s, he sold the company for $2 million in 1964 in a deal that did not include Canadian operations.

🧵2/10 A black-and-white photo shows Colonel Sanders, with white hair and glasses, wearing a bow tie, smiling and interacting with four women in striped uniforms, likely at a KFC event, against a dark background.
Now a salaried brand ambassador for KFC, Sanders decided to move to Mississauga in 1965 to oversee his Canadian franchises. As a company ambassador, he travelled 320,000 km a year on the company's behalf, while also filming commercials.

🧵3/10 Colonel Sanders, in a white suit with a black bow tie, holds a KFC box and a cane, standing in front of a wall of stacked KFC buckets featuring his image, showcasing the brand's iconic packaging.
Read 11 tweets
Apr 27
Throughout the federal election campaign, I am looking at elections from Canada's past.
Today, it is the 1993 election!
One of the most significant elections in Canadian history, it completely changed the political landscape of the country forever.

🧵1/16 Image
After the 1988 election, the Progressive Conservatives and their leader Brian Mulroney turned their attention to the Meech Lake Accord. The purpose was to persuade Quebec to symbolically endorse the 1982 constitutional amendments. This failed to pass in 1990.

🧵2/16 Image
The Charlottetown Accord, a package of amendments to the Constitution of Canada, failed through a public referendum in October 1992.
The Progressive Conservatives had also introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 1991, which was deeply unpopular.

🧵3/16 Image
Read 17 tweets
Apr 26
Throughout the federal election campaign, I am looking at elections from Canada's past.
Today, it is the 1988 election!
This election was fought on the issue of free trade with the USA. It was also the first election for the Reform Party.

🧵1/12 A color photo of Brian Mulroney, smiling broadly. He wears a dark suit, white shirt, and green tie, standing in front of a Canadian flag and a wooden-paneled background, suggesting an official or governmental setting.
Both John Turner and Brian Mulroney continued to lead their respective parties, the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives.
Turner had stayed on as leader and spent the previous four years rebuilding the body after the historic collapse in the 1984 election.

🧵2/12 A black-and-white photo of John Turner (center) smiling and interacting with a group of people outdoors. Turner wears a suit and tie, while one person sports a shirt reading "Canada: Nobody’s Colony, Keep It That Way!" with a maple leaf pin. The background shows tall buildings, suggesting an urban setting.
Turner had survived a leadership vote in 1986.
Going into the election, the Progressive Conservatives wanted to establish free trade with the United States. This was a reverse of the 1911 election when the Liberals wanted free trade and the Conservatives opposed it.

🧵3/12 A black-and-white photo of Brian Mulroney, captured mid-speech. He wears glasses, a suit, and a tie, standing in front of a blurred background with a striped pattern, possibly a flag or banner, suggesting a formal or public event.
Read 13 tweets
Apr 25
Throughout the federal election campaign, I am looking at elections from Canada's past.
Today, it is the 1984 election!
There were new leaders for the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives, and this election saw a record-setting number of seats won by a party.

🧵1/16 A black-and-white photo shows Brian Mulroney engaging with a crowd, smiling as he shakes hands. Supporters hold signs with his image, and a bus with his name is in the background, capturing a lively campaign event from the late 20th century.
After Pierre Trudeau led the Liberals to a majority government in 1980, the Liberals governed for the next four years.
During that time, Canada took control of its own constitution and implemented the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982.

🧵2/16 A color photo captures Queen Elizabeth II, dressed in a teal outfit and hat, signing a document at a table while Pierre Trudeau stands nearby, watching. Several formally dressed individuals surround them on a red carpet, with velvet ropes marking the area, during a ceremonial event.
The Liberal's National Energy Program, meant to increase Canadian ownership and control of the petroleum industry and create energy security, met significant opposition in Western Canada.
The party saw much of its support lost in the west due to the NEP.

🧵3/16 A black-and-white newspaper front page from "The Calgary Herald," dated October 29, 1980, features headlines about Alberta's opposition to federal energy policies. The main headline reads "Alberta, oilmen rocked," with subheadings like "Ottawa stakes energy claim" and "Province angry; ‘It’s a takeover’." A small photo shows officials at a press conference. Additional articles discuss the budget's impact and federal incentives.
Read 17 tweets

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