Posted in Harper, Pearson, tagged Canadian Prime Ministers, Gary Schlee, Lester B. Pearson, Stephen Harper on April 30, 2010| Leave a Comment »
1959 — Stephen Joseph Harper is born in the Leaside neighbourhood of Toronto. He is the first of three sons born to Joseph Harper and Margaret Johnston.
He attends school first in Leaside, then in Etobicoke after the family moves to the west end of Toronto. A whiz in school, Harper becomes a member of the Richview Collegiate team on the television quiz show Reach For The Top. Question: Who was the first PM born in Toronto? Answer: Lester B. Pearson.
Posted in Laurier, tagged Canadian Prime Ministers, Gary Schlee, Wilfrid Laurier on April 29, 2010| Leave a Comment »
1901 — To mark the death of Queen Victoria, the government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier designates May 24 as Victoria Day — a statutory holiday. However, if the former Queen’s actual birthday falls on a Sunday, it is to be celebrated on May 25.
Celebrated informally in Canada for over a half-century, the day is more typically called Empire Day. Fifty-one years later, the government will revise the holiday to reflect the times, moving it to the Monday preceding May 25 to give Canadians a long weekend each spring.
Posted in Trudeau, tagged Canadian Prime Ministers, Gary Schlee, Pierre Trudeau on April 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »
1960 — Pierre Trudeau and two friends set off in a canoe from Key West, Florida, for Cuba. They’re doing the work in shifts, with one person paddling conventionally while the second person paddles with his feet while lying on his back. The third person rests until the team rotates positions.
A few days later they are swamped about 50 kilometres from shore and are towed back to Florida by a shrimp boat.
Posted in Borden, Bowell, Tupper, tagged Canadian Prime Ministers, Charles Tupper, Gary Schlee, Mackenzie Bowell, Robert Borden on April 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »
1896 — Having called an election — and having no choice since the 7th Parliament has run a full five years — Sir Mackenzie Bowell steps down as Prime Minister and is replaced by his recently appointed Secretary of State, Sir Charles Tupper.
One of Tupper’s first tasks as leader is to get in touch with Nova Scotia colleague Robert Borden and ask him to consider running in the election. Both men are elected, but the Conservatives are defeated. Tupper’s term as PM lasts two months, one week.
Posted in Mackenzie, tagged Alexander Mackenzie, Canadian Prime Ministers, Gary Schlee on April 26, 2010| Leave a Comment »
1881 — Alexander Mackenzie does not want a ‘Sir’ in front of his name, having now rejected a knighthood for the third time. He also turned down the honour in 1877 and 1879.
Mackenzie is the only Prime Minister in the first half century after Confederation not to be knighted.
Posted in King, Pearson, St. Laurent, tagged Canadian Prime Ministers, Gary Schlee, Lester B. Pearson, Louis St. Laurent, William Lyon Mackenzie King on April 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »
1945 — Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King attends the founding conference of the United Nations in San Francisco. With him are his External Affairs minister, Louis St, Laurent, and Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S., Lester B. Pearson.
Fifty countries take part in the meetings to draft the UN Charter. Six months later, King puts forward Pearson’s name to be the first Secretary-General of the UN, but the choice is vetoed by the USSR.
Posted in King, tagged Canadian Prime Ministers, Gary Schlee, William Lyon Mackenzie King on April 24, 2010| Leave a Comment »
1928 — Last year, women’s rights activists known as the Famous Five appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada to clarify whether or not the word persons in the British North America Act included females. Today, the Court said “no”.
With some help from Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, the women — Emily Murphy, Henrietta Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney and Irene Parlby — take their appeal to the Imperial Privy Council in Britain. It’s answer is “yes”, making it possible for women to sit in the Senate.
Posted in Pearson, tagged Canadian Prime Ministers, Gary Schlee, Lester B. Pearson on April 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »
1897 — A second son is born to Rev. Edwin Pearson and his wife Annie in Newtonbrook, Ontario (now part of Toronto). His name is Lester Bowles Pearson.
While Lester may not seem an inspiring name, it’s probably a better one than his older brother’s: Marmaduke. It turns out that Lester finds an alternative during the First World War when a pilot instructor calls him Mike. The name ‘Lester’ just wasn’t dashing enough for an airman.
Posted in Trudeau, tagged Canadian Prime Ministers, Gary Schlee, Pierre Trudeau on April 22, 2010| Leave a Comment »
1949 — Gérard Pelletier, a Le Vevoir journalist, talks his friend Pierre Trudeau into joining him on a trip to observe the workers’ stike in Asbestos, Quebec.
While there he makes a militant speech at St. Anne’s church. He also meets union leader Jean Marchand, who asks him to join the union as a legal adviser. He refuses, but does start meeting regularly with Pelletier, Marchand and others back in Montreal.
Posted in Abbott, Macdonald, Thompson, tagged Canadian Prime Ministers, Gary Schlee, John A. Macdonald, John Abbott, John Thompson on April 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »
1871 —John Sparrow David Thompson, a 25-year-old lawyer raised as a Methodist, converts to Catholicism. He didn’t become a Roman Catholic a year earlier when he married Annie Affleck because he didn’t want his conversion to be judged as driven by marriage.
Having made the conscious decision to convert, Thompson realizes he runs a risk of driving away some of his clients in the Protestant Scots atmosphere of Nova Scotia. He doesn’t lose a single client. However, being a Catholic prevents him from being considered an obvious successor to Sir John A. Macdonald in 1891. Opinions change a year and a half later when he replaces Sir John Abbott as Prime Minister.
Canadian Prime Ministers 