Federal Old-Age Pensions are introduced
1927 The Old Age Pensions Act of 1927 was passed because of growing concern about social welfare in Canada. At first, the old-age...
Vimy Ridge
1917 At Easter 1917, the Canadian Corps and British troops captured Vimy Ridge, held by the German army, and the site of previous...
Enemy alien internment
1914 to 1920 During the First World War, Canada (like many other countries) instituted a policy of interning residents who were...
Canadian Pacific Railway is completed
1885 On November 7, 1885, the driving of the ceremonial “Last Spike” at Craigellachie, British Columbia marked the completion...
François-Xavier Garneau’s Histoire du Canada is published
1845 to 1848 Enraged by remarks by John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, about French-Canadian culture, the notary...
“Eskimo” Decision
April 5, 1939 On April 5, 1939, the Supreme Court of Canada decided on the constitutional status and racial definition of...
The Americans fail to capture Québec City
1775 to 1776 At the beginning of the American Revolution, American rebels decided to send an army to conquer Canada. An invasion...
Birth of Mary Brant
1736 Mary, or “Molly,” Brant (Mohawk name: KoñwatsiˀTsiaiéñni) was one of the most prominent Indigenous women in North...
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan is created
1939 In December 1939, Australia, Canada, Britain and New Zealand signed an agreement that created the British Commonwealth Air...
Creation of Nunavut
April 1, 1999 On April 1, 1999, the Territory of Nunavut was created as part of a settlement of land claims launched in the...
Forges du Saint-Maurice Company is established
1730 By 1670, the regime in New France was aware that rich iron ore deposits were located near present-day Trois-Rivières. In...
Canada and the U.S.S.R. play the hockey Series
1972 The 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union represented a defining moment in Canadian sports history. The...
Agnes Deans Cameron travels to the Arctic Ocean
1908 After a 25 year teaching career, Agnes Deans Cameron, along with her niece Jessie Brown, travelled to the Arctic Ocean in...
Further changes are made to the Indian Act
1951 In 1951, significant revisions to the Indian Act eliminated bans on potlatching and other traditional ritual and spiritual...
Princess Elizabeth tours Canada
1951 Accompanied by her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II) made her first visit to...
Nova Scotia becomes the first British colony to implement responsible ...
1848 In 1848, guided by newspaper publisher and politician Joseph Howe, Nova Scotia became the first British colony in which the...
Alphonse Desjardins founds the first Caisse Populaire
1900 In the 1800s, it was difficult for the working poor to gain access to financial services such as banking and credit....
Flu epidemic strikes
1918 The Spanish flu (influenza) — so-called because of the mistaken belief that it began in Spain — was brought to Canada by...
Chinese head tax
1885 As the Canadian West developed, projects such as the Canadian Pacific Railway needed a steady supply of labour. In response,...
Nootka Sound incident
1789 British explorer and fur trader Captain John Meares established a trading post at Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island in 1788....