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Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx
@CraigBaird
Host of the podcast\radio show Canadian History Ehx. Author of "Canada's Main Street: The Epic Story of The Trans-Canada Highway" Sharing Canada's history daily
4 subscribers
Sep 11 • 20 tweets • 8 min read
It was one of the most psychedelic, bizarre and beloved Canadian children's shows ever made.
Structured like a sketch comedy show around the comedic genius of Billy Van, it is well remembered even to this day.
This is the story of The Hilarious House of Frightenstein!

🧵 1/19 A colorful poster for "The Frightenstein Frightmare," featuring a collage of various monster and character faces, including a prominent green-faced figure with fangs, a werewolf, a Frankenstein-like figure, a superhero, and other eerie and whimsical characters, with the title in bold yellow and red text at the bottom. The story begins with Riff Markowitz, who was working for CHCH-TV in Hamilton in the late-1960s. He wanted to produce new shows for the station.
To come up with ideas, he held a brainstorming and spaghetti party at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto.

🧵2/19 A person with white hair, wearing a light-colored tuxedo with a black bow tie and a white pocket square, holds a microphone and a book or paper while standing on a stage with a dark, cloudy background and floral decorations.
Sep 11 • 17 tweets • 7 min read
Lorne Greene was many things through his life. He was an inventor, an acting teacher, a celebrated broadcaster, a singer and, of course, a great actor.
He may have been most famous as Ben Cartwright on Bonanza, but he was so much more than that.
This is his story.

🧵 1/16 Lorne Greene, wearing a cowboy hat, tan vest, and gray shirt, sits relaxed in a wooden folding chair on a grassy outdoor setting, with a smile and hands resting on the chair arms. Lorne Greene was born Lyon Himan Green to Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire. His mother called him Chaim. It is unknown when he added the 'e' to his last name.
It was as a drama instructor at Camp Arowhon in Algonquin Park that he developed his love of acting.

🧵2/16 Lorne Greene, a tall and lanky teenager at age 16, leans casually against a vintage car with one foot on the running board, wearing a white shirt, light-colored pants, and a jacket, with a building in the background, from his private collection.
Sep 8 • 12 tweets • 6 min read
Barbara Frum was one of the most respected journalists in Canadian history.
So well-known, she was parodied on many shows including CODCO, The Raccoons and Canadian Sesame Street.
Three decades after her death, she is still revered by many.
This is her story.

🧵 1/10 The photo shows Barbara Frum, a woman with short, wavy brown hair, wearing a light-colored blouse and a distinctive beaded necklace. She is seated in what appears to be a studio or office setting, with a microphone on a stand and a window in the background. The room has a pegboard wall and some equipment visible on the side. Barbara Frum was born in Niagara Falls on Sept. 8, 1937. In high school, she served on student council. She then went on to study history at the University of Toronto.
After she graduated, Frum started to do volunteer work and write for the Toronto Star as a freelancer.

🧵 2/10 The photo is a black-and-white image of a woman with short, voluminous, curly hair. She is wearing a striped turtleneck sweater under a textured, double-breasted coat with prominent buttons. Her right hand is raised near her face, with her fingers resting thoughtfully against her chin. The background is plain and slightly faded, giving the image a vintage appearance.
Sep 8 • 13 tweets • 5 min read
Happy Star Trek Day!
On Sept. 6, 1966, Star Trek debuted in Canada. Two days later on Sept. 8, the show aired in the rest of the world.
Here is a look at the times Canada appeared in various capacities in the fictional history of the Star Trek universe.

🧵 1/12 Two men in Starfleet uniforms, one in a gold shirt (Captain Kirk) and the other in a red shirt (Scotty), stand side by side holding futuristic devices, with a hexagonal-patterned background. Jean-Luc Picard and Canada:

Jacques Cartier landed in what became Canada in 1534. The second ship to land after Cartier's was captained by an ancestor of Jean-Luc Picard.
He mentioned this in a speech to Starfleet Academy in 2401.

🧵2/12 A historical painting of Jacques Cartier, a bearded man in Renaissance-era clothing with a black cloak and hat, standing on a ship's deck with one hand on his hip and the other touching his face, overlooking a sea under a cloudy sky.
A bald man in a red and black Starfleet uniform, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, with a Starfleet insignia on his chest, poses with his hand near his face against a dark background with faint hexagonal shapes.
Sep 7 • 10 tweets • 5 min read
When an engineer graduates in Canada, they are presented with an iron ring in a ceremony called The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer.
It is a century-old tradition that shares a connection to one of Canada's worst infrastructure disasters.
This is the story.

🧵1/8 A close-up image of two hands, one wearing a black sleeve and a watch, gently holding the hand of another person wearing a light-colored sleeve with a blue cuff. The hands are positioned near a large, metallic ring mounted on a stand, set against a backdrop of a room with red chairs and blurred figures, suggesting a formal or ceremonial event. In 1907, the Quebec Bridge collapsed while under construction, killing 75 people. It collapsed again in 1916, killing another 13.
The bridge was completed in 1917 but the collapses had a lasting impact on many in Canada.

🧵2/8 A black-and-white photograph of a collapsed bridge, with a large section of the structure broken and tilted into a river. The bridge's stone support tower remains partially intact, while twisted metal beams and debris are scattered around the water and shore. The scene appears calm, with the river reflecting parts of the wreckage.
Sep 5 • 12 tweets • 6 min read
On Sept. 5, 1697, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville led an an attack against York Factory on the coast of Hudson Bay.
It remains the largest naval battle ever fought in the Canadian Arctic.
This is the story of the Battle of Hudson Bay.

🎨 Peter Rindlisbacher

🧵 1/11 A dramatic painting depicts a naval battle on a stormy sea, featuring two large sailing ships with multiple masts and sails, flying British flags. The central ship is engaged in combat, with cannon fire and smoke visible, while the other ship approaches amidst turbulent waves and a cloudy sky. After the Hudson's Bay Company began to build forts along Hudson Bay following 1670, the French wanted to claim the territory and end the disruption of their fur trade business.
In 1686, New France sent an overland expedition that captured three of four HBC forts.

🧵 2/11 Image
Sep 1 • 10 tweets • 5 min read
Happy Labour Day!
This is the day when we honour and celebrate the history of the Canadian Labour Movement.
Did you know Americans took the idea for Labor Day from Canada?
Or that the holiday dates back 130+ years?
This is the story!

🧵 1/9 A graphic featuring the Canadian flag with red watercolor brushstrokes on the sides and a red maple leaf in the center, with the text "Happy Labour Day!" in red cursive writing below the leaf. The story of Labour Day in Canada begins on April 15, 1872 with the Toronto Printers Strike.
Over 10,000 supporters showed up for a rally at Queens Park that day as the printers demanded a nine-hour work day.
Employers refused to accept the request.

🧵2/9 A black-and-white historical photo of a crowded street scene with a large group of people gathered for a parade or event, lined along a cobblestone road flanked by multi-story buildings with signs for businesses like "Fur Co" and "Dinners," with utility poles and wires overhead.
Aug 31 • 9 tweets • 4 min read
You may not know the name of Helen Battle, but she had a big impact on the history of marine biology in Canada.
The first Canadian woman to earn a PhD in marine biology, she taught over 4,500 students in her half-century career.
This is her story.

🧵 1/8 A black-and-white photograph of an elderly woman with glasses, smiling and holding a telephone receiver to her ear. She is wearing a necklace and a bracelet, and is dressed in a light-colored outfit. In the background, there is a microscope and other scientific equipment, suggesting a laboratory setting. Helen Battle was born in London, Ontario on Aug. 31, 1903.
As a student, she excelled and began to attend the University of Western Ontario at the age of 16 to pursue her undergraduate degree. After she graduated, she pursued a Master's degree.

🧵 2/8 Image
Aug 29 • 15 tweets • 7 min read
On Aug. 29, 1977, A Farewell to Kings was released by Rush.
The album saw the band expand their sound. It also had one of the band's signature songs Closer To The Heart on it.
Today, it is considered one of the band's best albums.
This is its story.

🧵 1/14 A cover image for the album "A Farewell to Kings" by Rush, featuring a surreal scene with a ruined landscape, scattered debris, and a dilapidated wall. In the foreground, a figure dressed in regal clothing sits slumped in an ornate chair, with a crown placed on the ground nearby. The sky is a gradient of blue, and industrial structures are faintly visible in the background. After releasing their iconic album 2112, and then the double live album All the World's a Stage, Rush played their first shows in Europe. Wanting to build off their success, the band chose to produce a follow-up album rather than take a post-tour break.

🧵 2/14 A photo of a rural landscape featuring a large, old brick barn with a sloped roof and a smaller adjacent house with a chimney, both set against a cloudy sky. The buildings are surrounded by a green field with scattered molehills, enclosed by a simple wooden fence and overgrown bushes in the foreground. Trees and rolling hills are visible in the background.
Aug 28 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Throughout this week, I am taking a nostalgic look at school supplies in Canada.
When you ask for a duotang elsewhere in the world, you may get some confused looks.
But in Canada, most Canadians are going to know exactly what you want.
This is Canada's story of duotangs!

🧵 1/5 A photograph of four colorful duotang folders stacked on a white background. The folders are red, green, yellow, and blue, with the blue one on top. Unlike other bits of nostalgic school supplies history, this one does not originate in Canada.
Instead, Duo-Tang folders were manufactured by the Duo-Tang Company out of Chicago.
The company was founded in 1931 and after the Second World War moved to Paw Paw, Michigan.

🧵 2/5 A photograph of a cardboard box containing "Duo-Tang Covers," with the label indicating a quantity of 50 and a color of "Lt. Asst." The box is placed on a dark surface, and the label features a simple illustration of a person.
Aug 27 • 9 tweets • 4 min read
Throughout this week, I am taking a nostalgic look at school supplies in Canada.
Today, it is LePage mucilage glue, something nearly every Canadian child used at some point.
And it all began with discarded cod skins and an inventor from Prince Edward Island.

🧵 1/8 A vintage bottle of LePage's Grip Spreader Mucilage No. 7, featuring a dark glass body with a yellow and black label, and a red plastic cap with a damaged tip, set against a blue background. The history of LePage begins with William Nelson LePage. Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island in 1849, he became a chemist who specialized in adhesives.
Seeing the potential of fish byproducts, he used discarded cod skins to develop a new adhesive.

🧵 2/8 An old black-and-white illustration of a man with a full beard and wavy hair, wearing a high-collared shirt, depicted in a detailed, textured style.
Aug 24 • 8 tweets • 4 min read
Throughout this week, I am taking a nostalgic look at school supplies in Canada.
Today, it is the story of the maps that were in every classroom in Canada, all provided by a Canadian dairy and chocolate company.
This is the story of the Neilson's Maps!

🧵 1/7 A vintage map of the Dominion of Canada, featuring a colorful illustration with a focus on the country's provinces and territories. The map is overlaid with advertisements for Neilson's chocolate bars, including Jersey Milk Chocolate, Jersey Nut, Malted Milk, and Crispy Crunch, with images of the chocolate bar wrappers placed at various points. The top and bottom borders of the map contain bold red text promoting Neilson's as "The Best Chocolate Bars in Canada" and "Jersey Milk Chocolate - The Best Milk Chocolate Made." The map includes detailed geographical features and... Neilson's Dairy was founded in 1893 by William Neilson in Toronto. The company began as a milk retailer and quickly grew in size. Before long, it was providing ice cream as a product, but later expanded into other treats as Canada's population grew.

🧵 2/7 A black-and-white sketch of an older man with white hair and a mustache, wearing a suit and tie, depicted in a formal portrait style. The drawing includes detailed shading and is signed with the artist's initials "T.C." in the lower right corner.
Aug 23 • 13 tweets • 6 min read
It is the longest recreational, multi-use trail network in the world.
The trail extends over 28,000 km and took 25 years to complete.
Today, it is maintained by thousands of people.
This is the story of the Trans Canada Trail!

🧵 1/12 A map of Canada and parts of the United States, with a highlighted trail route marked in green, blue, and orange lines stretching across Canada from the east coast to the west coast, passing through cities like Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal. The map includes labels for geographical features such as Hudson Bay, Great Bear Lake, and Lake Huron, and cities like Seattle, Chicago, and New York. The idea for the trail came about in 1992 as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations.
The original goal was to have the entire trail made up of off-road gateways that followed existing trails, new trails and old railway lines.

🧵 2/12 A newspaper article titled "Canada 125 suggests cross-Canada trail" by Charles Russell. The text mentions a citizen staff writer project, detailing a proposal for a trans-Canada trail, its organization, funding of $36 per meter from private donors or corporations, and a negative response from corporate Canada.
Aug 14 • 7 tweets • 4 min read
🎶 You don't know what you got 'til it's gone 🎶
There was a time when walking into certain department stores included the beautiful aromas of wonderful food.
Such was the case with the Zellers Restaurant.
This is its story!

🧵 1/6 Image Zellers was established on Aug. 4, 1928 (some sources say 1931) in London, Ontario when Walter P. Zeller founded the first store. This first store was 7,000 square-feet and 60 women were hired on the opening day to work in 21 departments.

🧵 2/6 A black-and-white photograph of two men in formal suits sitting at a table, eating a meal with utensils. The table is set with plates, a glass of water, and a coffee cup. The background features a decorative curtain and ornate wall details.
Aug 6 • 10 tweets • 5 min read
Anna Swan was much more than someone who grew to be 7'11".
She acted in Shakespeare, excelled in music and loved to play the piano.
She lived the life she wanted, and found her soulmate in the process.
This is the story of a fascinating woman.

🧵 1/9 A sepia-toned vintage studio portrait photograph from the 19th century shows a very tall woman, Anna Swan, standing to the left and wearing a plaid full-length dress with puffed sleeves, a high collar, a beaded necklace, and a decorative tiara on her head. She poses with one hand resting on her hip. To her right stands a much shorter man dressed in a formal suit with a bow tie, his arms crossed as he looks up toward her. The background is plain, and the floor has a patterned carpet. The third of 13 children, Anna was 16 pounds at birth. By the age of four, she was 4 feet 6 inches. At six, she was 5 feet 2 inches.
She continued to grow and at 12 she was 6 feet 1 inches. At 18, she reached her full height of 7 feet 11 inches.

🧵2/9 A black-and-white vintage studio portrait from the 19th century shows four people of varying heights standing side by side. From left to right: a shorter man with a mustache and beard, dressed in a formal suit with a bow tie, holding a cane; a very tall man with a mustache, wearing a dark suit and tie, with his arm around the tall woman beside him; a very tall woman in an elaborate full-length dress with ruffled sleeves, a high collar, and floral hair adornment, holding a small fan or handkerchief; and a shorter woman in a long dress with puffed sleeves. The background is plain, and the flo...
Aug 3 • 8 tweets • 4 min read
When you wear denim jeans with a denim jacket, you create a very unique look. Sometimes you can even include a denim shirt.
This look is known as The Canadian Tuxedo....but why?
It all began in the 1950s in Vancouver. This is the story.

🧵 1/7 A young man with a large afro hairstyle and sunglasses, dressed in a denim jacket, jeans, and brown boots, posing with one hand on his hip and the other on a yellow and black motorcycle in a grassy rural field with trees and buildings in the background. It all began when Bing Crosby was checking into an upscale Vancouver hotel in 1951 after a hunting trip. Walking in, he was wearing a denim jacket and jeans.
The hotel clerk, Art Cameron, stated he thought the person coming in was an unhoused person.

🧵 2/7 Three people sitting on the ground against a wooden log fence in an outdoor setting: a young boy on the left in a blue shirt looking thoughtful, a middle-aged man in the center wearing a straw hat, red bandana, checkered shirt under a denim jacket, and holding a rope, and another boy on the right in a plaid shirt and cowboy hat smiling, with boots hanging on the fence above and a coiled rope nearby.
Aug 2 • 13 tweets • 6 min read
Alexander Graham Bell changed history with his creation of the first practical telephone.
He spent a lot of his life in Canada in Brantford and Nova Scotia, and had a large impact on our history.
This is the story of Bell and Canada.

🧵 1/12 Black and white portrait of Alexander Graham Bell, an elderly man with white hair and beard, wearing a suit and tie. Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland. When he was 23, his brother Melville died of tuberculosis. Bell's parents decided to move out of fear their other children would die. In August 1870, they moved to Canada and settled in Brantford.

🧵 2/12 Black and white portrait of a younger Alexander Graham Bell with dark curly hair, mustache, and beard, wearing a bow tie and suit, looking to the side.
Jul 31 • 13 tweets • 6 min read
On July 31, 1987, an F4 (possibly an F5) tornado hit the eastern parts of Edmonton and Strathcona County.
It left 27 dead, injured 300 and caused $332 million in damages.
This is the story of Black Friday.

📸 Steve Simon

🧵 1/12 The provided photo shows the iconic image of the 1987 Edmonton tornado, captured by photographer Steve Simon. It depicts a large, wedge-shaped funnel cloud descending from a dark storm sky, touching down over an industrial area known as Refinery Row in eastern Edmonton, Alberta. The tornado appears as a bright, contrasting formation against the blackened background, with buildings, utility poles, and structures visible in the foreground. For a week prior to July 31, a low pressure system in southwestern BC was feeding warm and humid air into central Alberta. Hot weather in Alberta was triggering thunderstorms all week.
Then, on July 31, a cold front developed in Western Alberta.

📸 Peter Cutler

🧵 2/12 The photo depicts the 1987 Edmonton tornado as a large, wedge-shaped funnel cloud, brightly illuminated against a dark stormy sky, descending and touching down over an industrial area with buildings, warehouses, and cylindrical storage tanks visible below. The image has a grainy texture typical of 1980s film photography.
Jul 29 • 7 tweets • 4 min read
On July 29, 1910 in Saskatoon, a fabled meeting of two prime ministers took place.
The prime minister of the time, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, met a young man selling newspapers named John Diefenbaker.
But...did it actually happen?
Let's investigate!

🧵 1/6 The photo shows a bronze statue in Saskatoon depicting a young John Diefenbaker as a newsboy in cap and knickers handing a newspaper to Sir Wilfrid Laurier in a suit holding a hat. It stands on a brick-paved area with a plaque at the base, amid a urban street with parked cars, buildings, trees, and flower planters. At the time, Sir Wilfrid Laurier was in Saskatoon to lay the cornerstone of the first building at the University of Saskatchewan.
John Diefenbaker, who was 15 at the time, was apparently selling newspapers on the corner when the two crossed paths.

🧵 2/6 The black-and-white photograph shows a close-up of a light-colored stone block embedded in a wall, engraved with the text: "THIS STONE WAS LAID BY SIR WILFRID LAURIER JULY - 29TH - 1910". Foliage is visible at the top left, and the stone sits above a concrete surface.
Jul 22 • 17 tweets • 6 min read
Sir Sandford Fleming was one of the most important Canadians of the 19th century.
Best known for his promotion of Standard Time, he had a massive impact on Canada from surveying our railroads to creating our first stamp.
Let's learn more about this amazing Canadian!

🧵1/16 Image Fleming was born on Jan. 7, 1827. When he was 14, he apprenticed as a surveyor and four years later moved to Canada. In 1849, he qualified as a surveyor in Canada.
That same year, he founded the Royal Canadian Institute with several friends.

🧵2/16 Image
Jul 20 • 13 tweets • 5 min read
James Doohan wasn’t just Scotty on Star Trek, he was also a Canadian who served his country and landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He then went on to become a gifted actor, trained by fellow Canadian Lorne Greene.
This is his story.

🧵 1/12 Image Doohan was born in Vancouver to Irish immigrants on March 3, 1920. When he was young, the family moved to Sarnia, Ontario where his father worked as a pharmacist. After graduating from high school, Doohan enlisted with the Canadian Army.

🧵 2/12 Image