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Jacques Cartier Explores PEI Coast
Jacques Cartier sails along the north shore of Prince Edward Island, noting its fertile land and pleasant climate, declaring it 'the loveliest land one can see, with great heat'.
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Jacques Cartier sails along the north shore of Prince Edward Island, noting its fertile land and pleasant climate, declaring it 'the loveliest land one can see, with great heat'.
Samuel de Champlain reaches Lac St. Pierre and enters the mouth of the Richelieu River during his first voyage to New France, beginning his exploration of the interior waterways.
Jacques-François de Brouillan arrives in Acadia as military commander, taking over administration of the colony as France seeks to strengthen its Atlantic colonies against British expansion.
Fur trader and guide Joseph La France reaches York Factory after traversing much of the interior of North America, providing valuable geographic information about the western interior.
Final preparations are underway for Canada's first Dominion Day on July 1, 1867, with communities across the new nation planning celebrations to mark the birth of the Dominion of Canada.
Parliament passes legislation establishing the North-West Mounted Police (later renamed Royal Canadian Mounted Police) to maintain law and order in the newly acquired western territories.
Parliament passes the Indian Act, a sweeping piece of legislation that defines the legal status of First Nations people in Canada and governs reserve lands, band governments and other Indigenous affairs.
Vancouver completes major rebuilding efforts following the Great Vancouver Fire of 1886, with the city growing rapidly as a western terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
The newly created province of Alberta formally establishes its Legislative Assembly in Edmonton, beginning the development of the provincial government machinery.
A formal inquiry into the sinking of the Empress of Ireland in the St. Lawrence River on May 29, 1914, which killed 1,012 people, concludes its hearings and assigns blame for Canada's worst peacetime maritime disaster.
Canadian forces continue their preparations for the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles of World War I, in which the Canadians will play a prominent role in the fighting around Courcelette.
Parliament revises the Indian Act, making some amendments to the administration of First Nations reserves and band councils, though the fundamental structure of the legislation remains unchanged.
John Diefenbaker delivers a powerful speech in Parliament advocating for a Canadian Bill of Rights, laying the groundwork for the legislation he will pass when he becomes Prime Minister in 1957.
The Trans Mountain Pipeline, running from Edmonton, Alberta to the BC coast at Burnaby, begins operations, marking a major development in Canadian energy infrastructure.
The Canadian Bill of Rights, introduced by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, passes the Senate and receives Royal Assent, becoming the first federal human rights statute in Canadian history.
A group of environmental activists in Vancouver formally organize Greenpeace, an environmental organization that will become one of the most influential in the world.
Calgary completes construction of Olympic legacy facilities built for the 1988 Winter Olympics, including the Olympic Oval, Canada Olympic Park and the Saddledome, which remain in use decades later.
Newfoundland Premier Clyde Wells announces the cancellation of a provincial vote on the Meech Lake Accord, ensuring the final defeat of the constitutional package following Manitoba's failure to ratify.
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal issues an important ruling on First Nations child welfare services, finding that Ottawa discriminates against Indigenous children in underfunding on-reserve services.