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Canadian treasures CANADA: NATURAL SOURCE OF PRIDE SINCE 1867 Leonard Braithwaite (1923–2012) WWII VETERAN, POLITICIAN AND RIGHTS ACTIVIST
Quiz TEST YOUR CANADIAN KNOWLEDGE
QUESTION 1: Name the Canadian creator of the Scott Pilgrim series, on which the 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World starring Michael Cera, Anna Kendrick and Jason Schwartzman is based. QUESTION 2: Which province celebrates the statutory holiday Louis Riel Day on the third Monday of February? QUESTION 3: What is the name of the next Canadian astronaut set to travel to the International Space Station for a six-month mission in November 2018? QUESTION 4: In which city are the Canadian Forces Snowbirds—Canada’s aerial acrobatics team—based?
After the war, Braithwaite returned to Ontario’s capital where he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto. He continued his studies at the Harvard School of Busi- ness and there acquired his MBA. The final tier of his education involved a return to Toronto where he achieved a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School of York University. In 1958, he opened a law practice just outside Toronto, in the suburb of Etobicoke. In 1960, Braithwaite commenced his political career as school trustee for Ward 4 in Etobicoke. A couple of years later he was elected as alderman for Ward 4. He became increasingly popular in the riding and ultimately was approached by the Liberals to run as an MPP. He won in the 1963, 1967 and 1971 elections, but ultimately lost his seat in 1975. During his more than 10 years in parliament, he raised his voice for racial and women’s rights. One of the causes he championed was affording women the right to work as legislative pages in parliament—a position formerly re- served exclusively for men. After his years in the Ontario Legislature, Braithwaite returned to municipal politics. He also returned to his law practice, where he worked until his death in 2012 at the age of 88. Shortly after his passing, the City of Toronto renamed an Etobicoke park in honour of the riding’s pioneering representative. His determination and strong sense of justice sparked profound change in Ontario’s legal framework, most notably by, in his words, “getting rid of the old race law.”
A life dedicated to serving the Canadian people
Leonard Braithwaite was the first black Canadian elected to a provin- cial legislature. He ran against NDP and Conservative party candidates to win a Member of Provincial (MPP) seat for the Liberal party. His maiden speech in 1964 to the Ontario Legisla- ture addressed the Separate Schools
Act, which permitted racial segregation in the Ontario school system. Several weeks later, the province’s premier amended the Act. This human rights victory was the first of many championed by Braithwaite during his political career. Leonard Braithwaite was born in Toronto in 1923 to a Bajan (Bar- badian) father and Jamaican mother. He grew up in the Kens- ington Market district during the Depression, and in 1943—after several unsuccessful enlistment attempts stemming from racial prejudice—left to serve overseas with the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Second World War. He functioned as both an engine mechanic and a safety equipment worker with the No. 6 Bomber Group in Yorkshire, England.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ART, LITERATURE AND ENTERTAINMENT
Where are we from? THE 52 LARGEST GROUPS IN CANADA’S MULTICULTURAL MOSAIC
HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY
SPORTS AND LEISURE
infO Canada THE STORIES BEHIND OUR SYMBOLS
Canada’s Belgian community
According to the Canada 2011 Census, 176,615 Canadians claim Belgian ancestry. This population has made significant positive impacts on Canadian culture, affecting numer- ous sectors and industries. Some Belgian-Canadians of note include: painter Henri Leopold Masson; Olympic diver Emilie-Joane Heymans; philanthropist and businessman Michael DeGroote and musician Chad VanGaalen.
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Bird: Gyrfalcon
In the mid 19th century, Belgians were given preferred immigrant status in Canada. The Canadian governing body was actively pursuing agriculturally inclined individuals to help settle the western prov- inces and inmany cases, suitable candidates—such as Belgians—were given safe passage and free farmland. Several Belgian communities therefore sprung up in Manitoba, with St. Boniface and St. Alphonse being among the earliest. Substantial waves of immigration also occurred close to the beginning of the 20th century—thanks to a direct steamship link fromAntwerp and a need for dairy farmers—and after the First World War in response to a need from Ontario tobacco companies. A final large influx of Belgians started to arrive after the Second World War and kept coming until 1990. This final group gravitated to urban centres and were more educated than preceding migrants. About two-thirds among this group landed in Quebec.
In 1990, the gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) became the avian emblem of the Northwest Territories. This largest member of the falcon family winters in the north and primarily inhabits tundra and mountainous areas. Its diet consists mainly of ptarmigan but also includes squirrel, arctic hare and seabirds. The gyrfalcon is quick, strong and has few natural enemies.
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The Journal Cornwall
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Wednesday, December 7, 2016
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