Jim EgaN
Gay Rights Activist
“I am a Homosexual.”
Scholars of Canadian gay history often refer to Jim Egan (1921-2000) as the country’s first queer activist. Between 1949 and 1964, a time when homosexuality was actually considered criminal, Egan submitted hundreds of letters and articles to newspapers and magazines, advocating for gay rights. In 1987, after Egan and his partner, Jack Nesbit, had been together for over 40 years, Egan applied to receive spousal benefits for Nesbit under the Old Age Security Act. When denied, they launched a landmark challenge that went to the Supreme Court of Canada, Egan v Canada. In 1995, after a long fight, the Supreme Court ruled that discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation was illegal under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. To this day, Jim Egan is remembered as a pioneer of gay rights.
- Victoria Puchko
Tecumseh
Leader of Tecumseh’s Confederacy
“Hear me! A single twig breaks, but the bundle of twigs is strong.”
Tecumseh (1768-1813), meaning “shooting star” or “blazing comet”, was a Shawnee chief warrior. In 1808, Tecumseh became the leader of a confederation of several thousand Indigenous warriors (Tecumseh’s Confederacy) formed to resist American encroachment on their land during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. When the War of 1812 commenced, Tecumseh and the confederacy allied with the British and went to battle against the United States. Tecumseh and his men played key roles in preventing the Americans from successfully invading and occupying Lower Canada (Quebec). Outnumbered 3000 to 500, Tecumseh was later tragically killed in the Battle of the Thames (Thamesville, ON). He is recognized as a hero who inspired victory while defending Canada.
- Khaliya Thawer