uTour

The 212th anniversary of the #BattleOfStoneyCreek happens overnight tonight. This marks the point where, by a bold action by the pursued British troops, the outcome of the #WarOf1812 turns from a rout to a 2-year back-and-forth that will define 2 nations’ national stories.

Remember #CharlesPlenderleath who passed away in Florence on #NewYearsDay 1854. #WarOf1812

Inspired! #HappyLabourDay!

@HistoricaCanada Major issues with the “Canadian Volunteers” article. Should read “retaking of the Redan Battery”. Also, Brock died at the Battle of Queenston Heights, October 12, 1812

In recollection of Ask GPS Tours & their excellent #CapeBreton experience m.youtube.com/watch?v=v56DCc…

@CraigBaird Gonna have to work hard to trump Joseph Bloor 😊

Saw a post asking for the creepiest photo you’ve ever seen. It is this photo I posted of Diefenbaker as a puppet back in June… Haunts my dreams.

@CraigBaird 😳

Matthew Perry has died. He was raised in Ottawa where his mother was a journalist & press secretary to Pierre Trudeau. His step-father was Keith Morrison. He moved to Los Angeles when he was 15 to pursue acting. He is most famous for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends.

@CraigBaird How the @CHCHTV of the day differs from that of today.

My work is done here 🫡

This campaign of terrorism would cement Willcocks’ legacy & when his end came 9 months later, there were none to mourn his passing. After his death, his remains were ultimately interred somewhere in @ForestLawnCem, unmarked & unremarked to those he sought to influence 6/6

& the #BattleOfBeaverDams (famous for #LauraSecord’s walk), US forces retreated across the Niagara River to Fort Niagara. Willcocks & the Volunteers were tasked with setting fire to all structures that might provide cover for the ‘enemy’, a task they undertook with gusto. 5/6

#OTD 1814 #WarOf1812 turncoat & #CanadianVolunteers leader Joseph Willcocks dies while leading an attack on a British battery during the #SiegeOfFortErie Virtually unknown to most Canadians, this mercurial figure played an important role in negotiating #SixNations warriors to 1/6

@CraigBaird Gronk FTW 😊

Today in 1971, The Hilarious House of Frightenstein debuted on CHCH-TV. It aired for one nine-month season, with 130 episodes (and years in reruns). Let's learn about this very unique children's show that is still beloved to this day! The idea came about with Riff Markowitz having an idea for the show and inviting a group of friends to a dinner party to brainstorm at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto. The idea for The Hilarious House of Frightenstein was approved by the station, who hoped to reach the Toronto market with it. Vincent Price was brought on to do introductions to the various segments as he wanted to do a children's show. He filmed all 400 of his segments in four days for $13,000. In Canada it aired after-school or on weekend mornings, with it aimed to children. The United States aired it in a late-night slot and aimed it towards college students. In some American markets, it outdrew The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in the college demographic. Each episode was structured around a narrative of Count Frightenstein attempting to revive Brucie J. Monster, with various unrelated bits from the castle filling out the show. Count Frightenstein was played by Billy Van, while Igor was played by Fishka Rais. Billy Van played nearly every character on the show including The Count, Grizelda The Ghastly Gourmet, The Wolfman and many more. Other characters included The Grammar Slammar, The Professor, Grizelda, Bwana Clyde Batty. There were also three puppets named Harvey Wallbanger, Gronk and Bammer. Julius Sumner Miller played The Professor and filmed all his segments within the summer. Mike Myers has listed the show as one that played an informative influence on his comedy. If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support Canadian History Ehx with a donation at buymeacoffee.com/craigU

@BowersWrites @PBS should maybe ask the Royal Nova Scotia Tattoo to include him as part of their next show

The one and only Ashley MacIsaac at Pipers, Antigonish.

@peterfmackay @CraigBaird If a War nail-biter interests you, I’d recommend “Strange Fatality”. I’ve long championed that that was where the war was decided

@uTour @CraigBaird Darn it! But I'm going to stubbornly stick with my assertion that they were British people committing arson in North America, therefore they belong to us!

Today in 1814, the White House was turned into a giant bonfire. We like to take some credit for this as Canadians. Don't get me wrong, we Canadians are bad ass. Sadly, we had nothing to do with the burning of Washington. That was the British.

@ksm_wilson @CraigBaird True. Most in that time didn’t really give much consideration to nationalism because they were mostly focused on scratching out a living/legacy.

@uTour @CraigBaird I don't think they came from the Canadas at all. They were British troops who came from the European theatre to North America by boat via Bermuda (IIRC). That's why all the trophies from the campaign are heaped up in Bermuda to this day.

@peterfmackay @CraigBaird Nope. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_o…

@uTour @CraigBaird LOL. But wait a minute. Help me out here: did those soldiers who burned down the Whitehouse come THROUGH present-day Canada to get there? (I'm guessing not when I look at a map, but it's worth a try)

@ksm_wilson @AndreaWillman7 @CraigBaird Playin’ to the audience 😊

@uTour @AndreaWillman7 @CraigBaird The Worms are unjustifiably arrogant in this context, eh?