@cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social
Host of the podcast\radio show Canadian History Ehx. Author of "Canada's Main Street: The Epic Story of The Trans-Canada Highway" Sharing Canada's history daily!
I did π
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Ready to watch I Like Me, now on Amazon Prime
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Sources:
Canadian Encyclopedia: buff.ly/aVnVDwU
IMDB: buff.ly/03m8rfx
McCord Steart Museum Montreal: buff.ly/0kWyTBb
I hope you enjoyed that look at The Great Antonio.
If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support my work with a donation at π
www.buymeacoffee.com/craigu
*sources in next post*
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A plaque on a bench reads "Hommage au Grand Antonio," honoring a strong professional wrestler and actor, Antonio Barichievich (1925-2003), also known as the Grand Antonio. It notes he lived in the Rosemont neighborhood, was internationally recognized for his spectacular strength, and notably pulled buses full of passengers. The plaque is placed by La Petite-Patrie, MontrΓ©al.
He has been immortalized in a songs and a children's book. A bench in the RosemontβLa Petite-Patrie borough of Montreal was dedicated to him. In 2004, sculptor Armand Vaillancourt created a statue of Antonio. To date, the City of Montreal refuses to erect it anywhere.
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A person with a long beard and hair sits sprawled on a leather couch, wearing a suit with a white shirt and cowboy boots, with legs extended and hands raised slightly, in a room with a patterned rug and dark walls.
Among the clippings were photos of himself with prominent figures such as Pierre Trudeau, Lee Majors, Johnny Carson and Sophia Loren.
Antonio died of a heart attack while at a Montreal grocery store on Sept. 7, 2003 at the age of 77.
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A crowded scene with a man in a blue suit and tie standing next to a bearded man with long hair, both surrounded by other people in formal and casual attire, with some holding papers or objects.
In his later years, Antonio became an eccentric figure in Montreal. While claiming to be both Italian and Croatian, he also made claims he was an extraterrestrial. He sold postcards about himself and carried news clippings about his life in garbage bags.
πΈ Musee McCord
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A person dressed in a shaggy, fur-like costume with a long beard and hair stands against a clear blue sky, with a rocky formation visible in the background.
From the 1960s to 1990s, Antonio appeared in shows and films. He was on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He also acted in the films Quest for Fire in 1982, A 20th Century Chocolate Cake in 1983 and Abominable Snowman in 1996.
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A scene from a wrestling match inside a ring, featuring two wrestlers facing each other, one with raised arms wearing yellow pants and the other in dark trunks. A referee stands nearby, and a crowd is visible in the background.
Through the 1970s, he continued to perform strongman demonstrations, while also wrestling. In 1971, he won the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship in Calgary. He also toured on the New Japan Pro-Wrestling Circuit for a time.
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A group of men collaboratively lift a large log on their shoulders in a street setting, with a shirtless man prominently in the center and others dressed in various clothing, including coats and jackets. The name "Antonio Barichievich" is written at the bottom.
In 1960, he pulled four city buses loaded with passengers. He also dragged a car attached to his own hair.
While he was an imposing figure who stood 6 foot 4 and weighed over 400 pounds, Antonio was said to have a beautiful singing voice.
πΈ Musee McCord
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A shirtless person with a long beard and curly hair stands with their hands raised, wrapped in heavy chains with hooks around their torso and arms, wearing dark pants.
He never discussed his time there, but it had a lasting impact on him. In 1945, he came to Canada as a refugee. Within a few years, he was earning money as a strongman.
In 1952, he set a world record when he pulled a 433-tonne train for 19.8 metres.
πΈ Musee McCord
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A shirtless person with a muscular build and chest hair flexes their arms in front of a curtained background.
Antonio Barichievich was born on Oct. 10, 1925 in Zagreb in present-day Croatia. From an early age, he displayed great strength. Some of his biographers said he could uproot a tree at the age of 12. During the Second World War, he spent time in a concentration camp.
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A person with a long beard and hair, wearing a light-colored jacket and gloves, holds a heavy chain with hooks above their head.
Antonio Barichievich, known as The Great Antonio, was one of the most unique individuals in Montreal's history.
A strongman, wrestler and eccentric, he was known for his feats of strength.
This is his story.
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A photograph of a man wearing a green hockey jersey with the number 7 and a whale logo, standing next to a person dressed in full medieval knight armor with a helmet featuring a perforated visor, both against a dark background.
On this day 1987, Doug Jarvis' ironman streak of 964 consecutive games ended when he was a healthy scratch. His record was broken by Keith Yandle on Jan. 25, 2022. Phil Kessel currently holds the ironman record at 1,064 consecutive games. Jarvis' streak now ranks third all-time.
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Sources:
Dictionary of Canadian Biography: buff.ly/FqZF37T
Canadian Encyclopedia: buff.ly/pXQoP86
Historica Canada: buff.ly/z3fVvfz
IMDB: buff.ly/z3fVvfz
I hope you enjoyed that look at the life of Louis Cyr.
If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support my work with a donation at π
www.buymeacoffee.com/craigu
*sources in next post*
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A black-and-white photograph of Arnold Schwarzenegger, a muscular man posing with his right arm flexed and left arm extended, wearing only black briefs with the number "18" on them. He stands barefoot on a wooden floor with a brick wall and ropes in the background. Next to him is a man in a suit, shaking hands with Arnold.
The life of Cyr inspired Quebec brothers Ben and Joe Weider to create the International Federation of Bodybuilding Federation in 1946.
Two decades later, they discovered a young Austrian bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger and brought him to California.
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Cyr died on Nov. 10, 1912 in Montreal. A statue of Cyr was erected in Place des Hommes-Forts in Montreal. In 2013, the acclaimed biopic Louis Cyr was released.
Learn more in my Deep Dive π
canadaehx.com/2025/04/29/l...
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A black-and-white photograph of a group of men posing together, with a large muscular man in the center supporting a bench on his back. The bench holds several men seated and standing, all dressed in formal 19th-century attire, including suits, vests, and ties. The central figure wears a sleeveless outfit with a decorative belt, and the scene appears to demonstrate his strength.
That same year in Boston, Cyr back-lifted a platform with 18 men standing on it.
Other tales of his strength include pushing a freight car up an incline, bench pressing 124 kilograms, and lifting a 242 kilogram weight with one finger.
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A sepia-toned photograph of a large man with a beard, wearing a formal suit, tie, and a vest. He has several medals pinned to his left side, and he is posed against a plain background.
In 1895, Cyr went to Harvard where he was measured by Dr. Dudley A. Sargent. His height was 1.7 metres, while his neck was 51 cm, his biceps 51 cm, his forearms 41 cm, his wrists 21 cm and his chest 140 cm not expanded.
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A sepia-toned photograph of a large man with a mustache, wearing a double-breasted coat, vest, tie, and shirt. He stands with his hands relaxed by his sides against a plain background.
In 1891, he volunteered for the Ottawa police force but they felt he would be too slow due to his large body size. He challenged their regular officers to a foot race and defeated them all. He was brought on as a police officer for a brief period after that.
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A black-and-white photograph of a muscular man lifting a barbell with weights labeled "273 lbs" on each side. He is wearing a sleeveless athletic outfit, a belt, and sandals with knee-high stockings. The man is posed in a studio with a decorative patterned floor and a painted backdrop featuring plants and arches. A sign reading "553" is placed on the floor in front of him.
From 1883 to 1885, he worked as a Montreal police officer. During one incident, he broke up a knife fight and carried both men to the police station.
Once, when confronted by a gang, he used one of the attackers as a club to beat up the rest of the gang.
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A black-and-white photograph of a muscular man standing with one hand resting on an ornate pedestal. He is wearing a sleeveless athletic outfit, a belt, and sandals, with a painted backdrop of trees behind him.
In 1875, he entered a strongman competition and lifted a horse off the ground.
Three years later, he moved to the USA and went by the name of Louis because it was easier to pronounce.
In 1882, he returned to Quebec and worked as a strongman, and in lumber camps.
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When he was 17, he lifted a loaded wagon out of mud where it was stuck. The press from this incident started his career as a strongman.
In a strongman competition with Michaud of Quebec, he defeated him by lifting a granite boulder that weighed 220 kilograms.
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A black-and-white photograph of a muscular man, identified as Louis Cyr in 1890, lifting two large dumbbells overhead. He is wearing a sleeveless top, shorts, and a belt, standing next to an ornate pedestal with a staircase in the background.
Born on Oct. 10, 1863, from an early age, Cyr was developing his strength by working manual labour in his hometown.
He built up his strength as a teenager by carrying a sack of grain every day for half a kilometre, adding one kilogram a day.
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A black-and-white photograph of a muscular man with a mustache, sitting with his arms crossed. He is wearing a sleeveless athletic outfit and a decorative belt. The name "Louis Cyr" is written on the image.
Cyprien-NoΓ© "Louie" Cyr was called the strongest man in history.
His feats of strength were legendary, and if not for Cyr, Arnold Schwarzenegger would have never become a movie star.
This is the story of this French-Canadian icon!
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Sources:
Canadian Encyclopedia: buff.ly/scEzpJ2
Government of Canada: buff.ly/wwqlHqI
Parks Canada: buff.ly/BYRhy88
City of Toronto: buff.ly/QKMMiAF
I hope you enjoyed that look at Agnes Macphail.
If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support my work with a donation at π
buymeacoffee.com/craigu
*sources in next post*
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Top Sign: The sign reads "CEYLON" in large, bold letters. Below that, it says "A PROUD PART OF GREY COUNTY." There is a circular emblem on the left side of the sign with the text "GREY COUNTY" around the top and "Beautiful... Naturally" on a green ribbon at the bottom. Inside the circle, there is an illustration of a scenic landscape with mountains, trees, and a river. Bottom Sign: The sign reads "You Are Now Entering AGNES MACPHAIL COUNTRY." There is an oval portrait illustration of a woman on the left side of the sign. Below the main text, there is a smaller line that says "First Woman Elected to Canada's Parliament."
Several schools, buildings and roads are named for Macphail, including schools in Flesherton and Scarborough.
In 2005, she was voted the Greatest Ontario Woman.
In 2017, she appeared on the Canada 150 edition of the Canadian $10 banknote.
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