Jun 30 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — In recent days on Art’s History, we have marked the wedding anniversaries of PM Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie, and that of former PM Brian Mulroney and his life partner Mila. Today, it is a great personal and professional pleasure to send out anniversary congratulations to our 16th PM, Joe Clark, and his wife […]
Jun 29 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — The Right Honourable Arthur Meighen assumed office on this date in 1926 after Mackenzie King, in an unprecedented and (thankfully) never replicated move by a Prime Minister, resigned as PM and left the Crown with no government. With no Prime Minister to advise him, Governor General Lord Byng invited Meighen, who had previously served as […]
Jun 28 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — It is a very big anniversary day in the proud history of Canadian-American relations. On this date in 1959, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and Her Majesty the Queen were all on hand for the official opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, perhaps the greatest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the two […]
Jun 27 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent and his Secretary of State for External Affairs, Lester B. Pearson, were in London on this date in 1956 for meetings with British Prime Minister Anthony Eden and other Commonwealth leaders. Writing almost 20 years later in his memoirs, Mike, Pearson reflected on the meeting and the depressive moods he […]
Jun 26 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — Today on Art’s History we pause to honour two of our underrated Prime Ministers, Sir Robert Borden and R.B. Bennett. First, the happy anniversary. It is, of course, Sir Robert’s birthday so I know all my readers will join me in sending him birthday greetings as he celebrates his big day in the great House […]
Jun 25 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — It is a big day on the political history calendar, particularly for all my Liberal friends. It was, of course, on this date in 1968 that the Pierre Elliott Trudeau era began, when Canadians gave the new and stylish Liberal Leader a majority mandate. The widepsread excitement generated by the charismatic Trudeau came to be […]
Jun 24 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — It is a monumental anniversary to celebrate today on Art’s History as our national anthem, O Canada, debuted on this date in 1880, in Quebec. The Department of Canadian Heritage has placed on-line a detailed history of O Canada. “The first performance took place on June 24, 1880, at a banquet in the Pavillon des […]
Jun 23 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — Today is a big day on the calendar for both Liberals and Tories to celebrate. It was, of course, on this date in 1990, in Calgary, that Jean Chrétien was elected national Liberal leader at a good old-fashioned delegated convention (ones I often wish would return to our politics). Chrétien, Canada’s 20th prime minister, went […]
Jun 22 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — It was a moving and symbolically important day for Chinese Canadians in 2006 as then Prime Minister Stephen J. Harper stood in the Commons and officially apologized for the Chinese Head Tax and other discriminatory policies instituted by past governments. You can read Mr. Harper’s speech below. Prime Minister Harper: Mr. Speaker, I rise today […]
Jun 21 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — Today we mark the anniversaries of the birth of two Quebecers who were key friends and advisors to our 15th Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau. I speak, of course, of Gérard Pelletier (born in 1919) and Jacques Hébert (born in 1923). Before entering politics, Hébert was a ground-breaking and skilled journalist. Most famously, he traveled with […]
Jun 20 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — Any Canadian who was alive in 1967 can still hum the words and tune to “Ca-na-da,” written by musician Bobby Gimby for Canada’s Centennial Year. Mr. Gimby would lead parade after parade across Canada as his countrymen and women celebrated their nation. Gimby’s song was the highest selling record that year in Canada. Wearing his […]
Jun 18 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — Only four years after winning a remarkable 208 seats (a record that stood until Brian Mulroney won 211 seats in 1984), Prime Minister John Diefenbaker’s Progressive Conservatives were re-elected on this date in 1962. However, Dief’s government had lost 89 seats and found itself reduced to a minority status in the Commons. They never regained […]
Jun 17 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — From the great Sir John A. Macdonald on through Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of today, our 23 Prime Ministers have delivered countless thousands of speeches. There were the eloquent tributes made by Sir Wilfrid Laurier; barn-burning opposition addresses by Mr. Diefenbaker; profound and brave speeches like those made in the Commons by Brian Mulroney and […]
Jun 16 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — As always on Art’s History, we pause to mark the birthdays of our 23 Prime Ministers. Today, it is the Rt. Hon. Arthur Meighen’s big day. Twice Prime Minister of Canada, twice leader of Canada’s Conservatives, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Leader of the Opposition in the Commons and a cabinet minister under […]
Jun 15 2022 — Arthur Milnes — National Newswatch — Republican U.S. President Gerald R. Ford and his famed Secretary of State Henry Kissinger graciously granted a 45-minute private meeting in the Oval Office to Canada’s new Tory Leader of the Opposition, Joe Clark, on this date in 1976. The rookie Canadian leader had been elected leader by party members only a few months before. […]