Settler living on Treaty 6 land. Host of Canadian History Ehx, From John to Justin & Canada A Yearly Journey. All part of the Curiouscast Network
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Jan 27 • 16 tweets • 6 min read
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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Jan 26 • 11 tweets • 4 min read
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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Jan 25 • 17 tweets • 6 min read
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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Jan 19 • 15 tweets • 6 min read
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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Jan 18 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
Today is Winnie-The-Pooh Day. It commemorates the birthday of A.A. Milne, who wrote Winnie-the-Pooh.
But without Canada, there would have never been a Winnie, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, or the Hundred Acre Wood.
Let's learn more about Winnie the Pooh and Canada!
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On Aug. 24, 1914, a train stopped in White River, Ontario on its way to Camp Valcartier in Quebec. The train contained members of the Canadian Army Veterinary Corps. One soldier on that train was Captain Harry Colebourn.
He was on his way to serve in France.
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Jan 13 • 13 tweets • 5 min read
In 1901, 15 Metis families moved to southwest Winnipeg where six other families had relocated to years earlier. This was the beginning of what became known as Rooster Town.
Half a century later, the City bulldozed the community.
Let's learn more.
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The Metis families wanted to live close together, while also being near the city for employment.
The lots they settled on belonged to the City of Winnipeg. The city had bought the land from speculators who had failed to make a profit on the land.
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Jan 12 • 17 tweets • 6 min read
From 1928 to 1972, the Alberta Eugenics Board was in operation. It imposed sterilization on individuals that it deemed "mentally defective".
During that time, 2,832 sterilizations, most without consent, were performed.
Let's learn more about this dark chapter.
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During the early 20th century, eugenics was a concept growing in popularity. Several influential Canadians including J.S. Woodsworth, Emily Murphy and Nellie McClung supported eugenics and believed it would better the gene pool.
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Jan 11 • 16 tweets • 5 min read
On this day in 1934, Jean Chretien was born in Shawinigan, Quebec.
He was a Parliamentarian from 1963 to 1986 and 1990 to 2003. He served as Prime Minister from 1993 to 2003, winning three straight majority governments.
Let's look at his life in pictures.
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Jean Chretien as a child, rocking a bow tie and a bit of an angry look on his face.
📸Jean Harnois
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Jan 4 • 17 tweets • 6 min read
On this day in 1998, an ice storm developed over southern Ontario and Quebec.
The storm left millions without power, killed 34 people and caused $5-7 billion in damages.
Let's learn more about the Ice Storm of 1998.
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Ice storms and freezing rain are nothing new to the region. Warm air from the Mississippi Valley rises up and overruns a shallow layer of cold air near the surface. This cold air damming usually happens in the St. Lawrence Valley and Ottawa Valley.
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Jan 1 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
On this day in 1947, the Canadian Citizenship Act came into effect.
This Act created the legal status of Canadian Citizenship, which defined who citizens were by making them separate and independent from the status of British subjects.
Let's learn more about it :)
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Prior to 1910, people living in Canada were considered to be British Subjects.
In 1910, the Immigration Act first created the status of Canadian citizen as someone who was a British subject that was born, naturalized or domiciled in Canada.
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Dec 31, 2024 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
On this day in 1966, the community of Bowsman, Manitoba held a parade of outhouses through the streets.
Then they burned the outhouses in a giant bonfire to celebrate the arrival of indoor plumbing.
This is the story of The Biffy Burn :)
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The village, located about 500 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, had spent the previous year installing a sewage treatment plant and hooking up every house to the plant.
Once that was done, the residents didn't need outhouses anymore.
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Dec 27, 2024 • 9 tweets • 4 min read
On this day in 1847, Elizabeth McMaster was born in Toronto. You likely don't know her name, but McMaster changed the world.
Insulin, Pablum, a sharp decline in infant mortality, all can be traced back to her.
Let's learn more about this amazing person :)
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Elizabeth Wyllie was the daughter of a dry-goods merchant. Her family was upper middle class, as her father's business did well in the city.
In 1865, she married Samuel McMaster, the nephew of Senator William McMaster. The marriage gave her financial security.
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Dec 26, 2024 • 13 tweets • 5 min read
It is the start of the World Juniors today!
Since 1977, Canada has won 20 gold medals, more than any other nation. But one of the most famous incidents at the tournament happened in 1987.
Let's learn more about the Punch-up in Piestany!
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On Jan. 4, 1987, Canada and the Soviet Union faced off at Zimný Štadión Piešťany in Piešťany, Czechoslovakia.
The Soviets had been eliminated from medal contention by this point, but Canada was still playing for a medal finish when the game started.
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Dec 21, 2024 • 15 tweets • 6 min read
On June 23, 1611, Henry Hudson, his son and six others were put into a boat in Hudson Bay by mutineers and cast adrift. From that point, they disappeared from history.
So what happened to Henry Hudson?
Let's explore the mystery :)
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Henry Hudson was a celebrated explorer during the early-1600s.
In 1607 and 1608, he made two attempts to find the Northeast Passage. His explorations of North America laid the foundation for Dutch colonization of the present-day New York region.
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Dec 21, 2024 • 11 tweets • 4 min read
Elf is a beloved Christmas classic.
Like with many other Christmas movies, there are quite a few Canadian connections to it. From a haunted former mental hospital in BC to the famous Buddy burp...all Canadian!
So let's learn more about Elf and Canada!
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While the main cast is made up of Americans, and it was directed by an American, much of the supporting cast and the shooting locations are Canadian.
For the North Pole scenes, The Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver was used as the filming location due to the large size.
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Dec 19, 2024 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
It is most famous postal code in Canada, and each year thousands of letters are sent to Santa Claus using that postal code. But what is the history of H0H 0H0?
Let's learn more!
*Canada Post has confirmed all letters sent this year by Dec. 23 will get to Santa in time*
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Everything started back in 1973 when a few Canada Post employees in Vancouver began to answer the letters that were sent to Santa. These letters went to Canada Post's undeliverable mail office headquarters.
That year, 4000 letters were received.
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Dec 18, 2024 • 19 tweets • 7 min read
On this day in 2012, police began arresting people involved in The Great Maple Syrup Heist.
And with the release of The Sticky, now is the perfect time to explore what actually happened in that famous heist (and the things The Sticky changed)
Let's learn more :)
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The story of The Great Maple Syrup Heist begins way back in 1966.
It was in that year that a group of maple syrup producers began to work together to market their maple syrup.
This led to the formation of the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers.
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Dec 17, 2024 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
If you drive through Watson, Saskatchewan, you are going to see a very large Santa Claus greeting you.
The story of how that came to be goes back to one man who greeted children as Santa Claus at the train station during The Great Depression.
Let's learn more :)
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Back in 1932, Jake Smith, the local hardware store owner, started to have Santa Claus greet children at his hardware store.
With how much the children enjoyed seeing Santa at his hardware store, Smith decided he wanted to expand things.
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Dec 16, 2024 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
On Christmas Eve (sometimes New Year's Eve) in many French-Canadian homes, there is the celebration of Réveillon.
Dating back centuries, what began as a dinner for nobles was adopted by families in Canada to celebrate the season. Let's learn more :)
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Réveillon was first documented in the 1600s in France. At the time, it was a night-long dinner party held by French nobles with lots of food and treat.
In New France and Quebec, it was adapted into a Christmas Eve/New Year's Eve celebration by families.
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Dec 11, 2024 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
Talks about the United States annexing Canada is nothing new.
In fact it has been going on since Canadian Confederation in 1867.
Enjoy this thread of annexation talk of the past :)
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In 1894, Senator Higgins of Delaware raised the question of annexation due to what he saw as the advantages enjoyed by Canadian farmers over the farmers in the eastern United States. He stated only full continental unity would give everyone a fair market share.
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Dec 8, 2024 • 11 tweets • 4 min read
The hamlet of Hazlet, Saskatchewan had one of the best baseball teams in Canada in the 80s. The Hazlet Elks.
Future Major Leaguers like Greg Mathews & Steve Reed played for them. The Elks even signed Mark McGwire and Randy Johnson.
Let's learn more about this team.
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It all began in the late-1970s when the Hazlet Elks began playing in the South River Baseball League.
After winning three straight championships from 1979 to 1981, they decided to move up to the Saskatchewan Major Baseball League in 1982.