April

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April 2, 1873

The Pacific Scandal erupts. Sir John A. Macdonald’s government is accused by the Liberal opposition and the media of having accepted $350,000 (worth about $10 million today) from Montréal entrepreneur Sir Hugh Allan in exchange for the contract to build the transcontinental railway. This railway will link Canada from sea to sea.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Find out about the Pacific Scandal
• Read a biography of Sir John A. Macdonald

Caught taking bribes, Sir John A. Macdonald’s Conservative government will have no choice but to resign on October 23, 1873.

Watercolour portrait of Sir John A. Macdonald.

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April 3, 1957

Elvis has (not) left the building! Ottawa is “All Shook Up” as Elvis Presley performs before 9,000 ecstatic fans at the Auditorium. The previous evening, the King of Rock and Roll played to a full house at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. These are the only two concerts that Elvis ever performed in Canada.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Find photos of Elvis Presley and other international stars who visited Canada, using the “Image Search” database

City of Ottawa

• Learn about Elvis Presley’s visit to Ottawa
• Check out musical events lined up by Ottawa2017 for the 150th anniversary

Elvis Presley Music

• See unique images of Elvis Presley in Ottawa

CBC Radio-Canada

• View video clips of Elvis Presley in concert in Ottawa

A specially chartered train from Montréal nicknamed the “Rock ’N’ Roll Cannon Ball” brings more than 500 Elvis fans to Ottawa.

Photo of Elvis answering questions from journalists after a concert at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, April 2, 1957.

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April 4, 1949

Canada joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as a founding member. The basic goal of this western military alliance is to safeguard its members’ freedom and security. A few years after its founding, NATO will be counterbalanced by the Warsaw Pact, made up of the main Communist countries Today, NATO includes 28 countries.

To learn more:

Canadian War Museum

• Read about the history of Canada and NATO

Global Affairs Canada

• Learn more about NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

• What is NATO?

Postage stamp commemorating Canada’s 50-year membership in NATO.

April 5, 1958

One of the world’s largest controlled non-nuclear explosions, at Ripple Rock in the Seymour Narrows of British Columbia, is broadcast live on television. Navigation around the rock is hazardous, and the waters are unpredictable. The blast levels the seabed in the shipping corridor for about 14 metres. The whole operation goes off without a hitch and is the culmination of many years of research and complex underground excavation and engineering work.

To learn more:

National Research Council of Canada

• Learn about 100 years of Canadian innovation and accomplishment

National Film Board of Canada

• View the film Ripple Rock

The Canadian Military Engineers Association

• Read the article “Canadian Engineer Creates Biggest Explosions in the World”

This incredible feat of engineering required the construction of a tunnel more than 720 metres long and the use of 1,270 metric tons of explosives to displace over 635,000 metric tons of rock.

Photo taken from the film Ripple Rock, National Film Board of Canada, 1959.

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April 6, 1987

Nova Scotia proclaims April 6 as Tartan Day. Today, all Canadian provinces celebrate this historic day, which showcases the important contribution made by Scottish immigrants and their descendants in Canada.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Discover your Scottish roots

Canadian Heritage

• Learn about the Maple Leaf Tartan and other official symbols of Canada

Nova Scotia

• Visit Nova Scotia!

Tartan Day commemorates the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, which aimed to confirm Scotland as an independent and sovereign nation.

Photo of a young woman wearing a tartan and a bonnet with a feather at the Scottish Games on Dominion Day, showcasing Canada’s diverse cultures and national unity. Winnipeg, Manitoba, July 1967.

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April 7, 1868

Thomas D'Arcy McGee, Member of Parliament and Father of Confederation, is assassinated on an Ottawa street. A week later, a state funeral will be held in Montréal before his burial in Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery. The next year, his alleged murderer, James Patrick Whelan, will be hanged in the yard of the Ottawa Prison. More than 5,000 people will attend this execution, the last public hanging in Canadian history.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Read about Thomas D’Arcy McGee and Canadian Confederation

Dictionary of Canadian Biography

• Consult a biography of Thomas D’Arcy McGee

Canadian Museum of History

• View the film “Whelan's Gun”

Photo of Thomas d’Arcy McGee.

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April 8, 1892

“America’s Sweetheart” Mary Pickford, née Gladys Louise Smith, is born in Toronto, Ontario. A founding member of United Artists, Pickford will work with greats like Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks.

A star of the silent film era, a producer and a director, Pickford will win two Academy awards, including Best Actress in 1929 for her role in Coquette.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Discover some of Mary Pickford’s accomplishments

The Canadian Encyclopedia

• Learn about Mary Pickford’s life and career

Canada’s Walk of Fame

• Read the rags to riches story of Mary Pickford

Mary Pickford as Little Annie Rooney.

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April 9, 1917

The Canadian Army begins one of the most important battles in its history: the capture of Vimy Ridge in France. Four Canadian divisions, a total of 15,000 infantrymen from all across Canada, storm the German positions. The Canadians will emerge victorious, capturing the crucial top of the ridge. The fighting will last for three days, with a total of 3,598 Canadians killed and 7,000 wounded.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

Explore the Battle of Vimy Ridge: Resources at Library and Archives Canada webpage.

Veterans Affairs Canada

• Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the First World War and the Battle of Vimy Ridge

National Film Board of Canada

• Watch the documentary “Fields of Sacrifice” to learn about the “battlefields ... and the cemeteries where servicemen are buried”

Canadian War Museum

• Learn about the history of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, April 9 to 12, 1917

In 1922, the French government granted Canada use in perpetuity of Vimy Ridge. The gleaming white marble and sculptures of the Vimy Me
morial, unveiled in 1936, honour the 11,285 Canadiens listed as “missing, presumed dead” in France.

Photo of a soldier in front of Canada’s National Vimy Memorial.

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April 10, 1964

Pianist Glenn Gould gives his final public performance in Los Angeles. He is 32 and respected internationally, especially for his masterful interpretations of works by Bach. Gould will subsequently limit his concerts to radio and television.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Visit the “Glenn Gould Archives” virtual exhibition

National Arts Centre

• Check out the history of Glenn Gould’s beloved piano: the Steinway CD 318

National Film Board of Canada

• Read “Glenn Gould: Two Portraits, One Musical Genius” and watch a few films that showcase Gould

Photo of Glenn Gould in rehearsal, Toronto, 1974.

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April 11, 2000

A proposed Species at Risk Act is tabled in the House of Commons by Canada’s Environment Minister, David Anderson. The illegal traffic in species at risk is estimated to be worth over $6 billion a year. The tabled bill shows the Canadian government’s desire to protect species facing extinction.

To learn more:

Environment and Climate Change Canada

• Consult the Species at Risk Act

Parks Canada

• Learn how the Species at Risk Act is enforced

Postage stamp depicting endangered species in Canada, 2006.

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April 12, 1980

Terry Fox begins his Marathon of Hope in Newfoundland. His goal is to cross Canada to raise money for cancer research. Having lost his right leg to the disease, he will run for 143 days on an artificial leg made of fibreglass and steel. Fox will cover 5,373 km through the Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario. Health problems forced him to stop near Thunder Bay, Ontario. Fox will die on June 28, 1981, one month short of his 23rd birthday.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Learn more about Terry Fox’s life

Parks Canada

• See where the run began

Photo of the Terry Fox statue erected by the Government of Canada in Ottawa.

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April 13, 1927

The Ottawa Senators win their 10th Stanley Cup. They defeat the Boston Bruins by a score of 3 to 1 in front of 8,000 spectators filling the Ottawa Auditorium. The team has a dream season, finishing with 30 wins, 10 losses and 4 ties.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Check out “Backcheck: a Hockey Retrospective”

Governor General of Canada

• Learn who Lord Stanley was and find out the story behind the Cup that bears his name

Government of Canada

• A new monument in Ottawa will pay tribute to the 125th anniversary of the Stanley Cup

The Ottawa Senators

• Read the story of the “Sens” (French only)

Photo of the Ottawa Senators, winners of the 1926-1927 Stanley Cup.

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April 14, 2016

The Supreme Court of Canada delivers the landmark Daniels decision, which resolves a long-standing constitutional question. The Métis and non-Status Indians are declared to be within the definition of “Indians” in Canada’s Constitution. The decision confirms the federal government’s exclusive legislative authority over Aboriginal peoples.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Browse the historical records that are available for research

Supreme Court of Canada

• Read the docket for the case: Harry Daniels, et al. v. Her Majesty the Queen

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada

• Find answers to frequently asked questions about the case

Indian or Métis family, Kettle Rapids, Manitoba, 1924.

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April 15, 1912

The RMS Titanic sinks off the coast of Newfoundland, a mere five days after leaving on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England.

Some 700 of the 2200 people on board survive; 1500 are lost.

There are more than 20 Canadians aboard the ship when it hits an iceberg, including Charles M. Hays, president of the Grand Trunk Railway, his wife Clara, and his daughter and son-in-law, Orion and Thornton Davidson. Hays and his party are travelling home to Montréal and plan to attend the grand opening of the Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa on April 26, 1912. The two women survive the sinking, but both men perish.

The RMS Carpathia will bring the survivors to New York City, while many victims will be brought to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• See the 1911 Census Records for Thornton and Orion Davidson
• Learn about Canadian shipwrecks and disasters

Parks Canada / Canada’s Historic Places

• The Titanic: 100 years after the event that shocked the world

A black-and-white postcard featuring the RMS Titanic.

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April 16, 1945

German submarine U-190 torpedoes and sinks the HMCS Esquimalt, a minesweeper, near Halifax harbour. This is the last Canadian ship lost during the Second World War. Survivors are picked up by the HMCS Sarnia and brought back to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Second World War will end three weeks later.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Learn about the first time an RCN ship sank a German U-boat
• Explore some of Canada’s most famous shipwrecks
• Listen to a podcast about shipwreck investigations
• Read about the Battle of the Atlantic

Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces

• Dive into the story of the Battle of the Atlantic

The Canadian Encyclopedia

• Read about the sinking of the HMCS Esquimalt

Survivors of the minesweeper HMCS Esquimalt, torpedoed by the German submarine U-190, disembarking from the rescue minesweeper HMCS Sarnia in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on April 16, 1945.

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April 17, 1982

Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau sign the Proclamation of the Constitution Act in a ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Canada gains full political independence from the United Kingdom with the new constitution. It is accompanied by the new Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees the fundamental rights and freedoms of all Canadians.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• The Proclamation of the Constitution Act
• The original document (raindrops evident)

Department of Justice Canada

• Participate in and celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Parliament of Canada

• Learn about how democracy works and the details of the Constitution Act, 1982
• See a copy of the Charter

Photo of Queen Elizabeth II signing the Proclamation of the Constitution Act (1982). (Left to right:) Mr. Gerald Regan, Minister of Labour; Rt. Hon. Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Prime Minister; H.M. the Queen; Mr. Michael Pitfield, Clerk of the Privy Council; Mr. Michael Kirby. Ottawa, April 17, 1982.

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April 18, 1969

New Brunswick enacts the first law in the country on official languages under the Liberal government of Louis J. Robichaud.

New Brunswick is the first and only officially bilingual province.

To learn more:

Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

• Visit “150 Years of History: Official Languages in Canada”

Statistics Canada

• Follow the evolution of bilingualism in Canada from 1960 to today

National Film Board of Canada

• Meet Louis J. Robichaud (French only)

Department of Justice Canada

• Read the Official Languages Act

New Brunswick Premier Louis J. Robichaud (first from left) poses with his counterparts Robert Stanfield (Nova Scotia), Walter R. Shaw (Prince Edward Island) and Joey Smallwood (Newfoundland) at the Centennial of the Charlottetown Conference, 1964.

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April 19, 1915

Montréal native Édouard Fabre wins the Boston Marathon. Fabre’s long and successful career will see him run in 315 races and collect more than 150 trophies. In 1964, he will be inducted into the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Other notable Canadian runners who won the Boston Marathon include Thomas Longboat from the Six Nations reserve near Brantford, Ontario (1907), Gérard Côté (1940) and Jacqueline Gareau of L'Annonciation, Quebec (1980). These runners set new time records in their eras.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Look through Thomas Longboat’s First World War service record

Radio-Canada

• Learn more about Édouard Fabre (French only)

CBC Radio – As It Happens

• Hear the story of Jacqueline Gareau and Rosie Ruiz

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame

• Read Édouard Fabre’s biography

Édouard Fabre in his prime. The runner will miss the 1916 Olympic Games, cancelled because of the First World War.

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April 20, 1968

Two weeks after winning his party’s leadership race, Pierre Elliott Trudeau succeeds Lester B. Pearson as the 15th Prime Minister of Canada. Two months later, Trudeau will win a majority government.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Discover more about the life and times of Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Elections Canada

• Read about current and past elections

Parliament of Canada

• Learn about Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s political career

National Film Board of Canada

• Watch “The Champions, Part 1: Unlikely Warriors“

Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson (right) with three future Canadian prime ministers: Pierre Elliott Trudeau, John Turner and Jean Chrétien, after a cabinet shuffle in 1967.

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April 21, 1918

First World War flying ace Arthur Roy Brown is credited with shooting down the German "Red Baron," Manfred von Richthofen, in the skies over Vaux-sur-Somme, France.

Von Richthofen is shot down while pursuing Wilfred “Wop” May, who will become one of the most distinguished pilots of the war, and an accomplished bush pilot afterwards. May had just joined the squadron and was still learning the ropes from his old school friend, Brown.

However, it is not certain that Brown was responsible for the Red Baron’s death, because the fatal bullet was probably fired from the ground.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Discover the service records and stories of Arthur Roy Brown
• Discover the service records and stories of Wilfred Reid May

National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces

• Who killed von Richthofen?

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

• See the German biplane Junkers J.1

Photo of two Canadians interested in a German tin plane, the wings of which are also made of metal. November 1918.

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April 22, 2016

Canada signs the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at an official ceremony in New York on Earth Day 2016.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• See records and other archival documents from Environment Canada

Environment and Climate Change Canada / ClimateChange.gc.ca

• Explore Canada’s actions on climate change
• Discover Canada’s priorities for COP 22 in December 2016

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

• Get the latest news and updates about the status of the Paris Agreement

Terrestrial globe with alphabet stuck to meridians, used by Sandford Fleming to illustrate the principle of standard time.

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April 23, 1888

Georges Vanier is born in Montréal, Quebec. During the First World War, Major-General Vanier will serve with the illustrious 22nd Regiment, known as the VanDoos, even returning to the fighting after losing a leg. He will also serve in the Second World War.

In 1959, he will be appointed Governor-General of Canada, replacing Vincent Massey. Vanier will fulfill this role until his death in 1967.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Read about Georges Vanier’s First World War experience in his own words
• See Vanier’s service record and learn about his exploits in France during the last 100 days of the war

Governor General of Canada

• Read about the eight years that Vanier and his wife spent at Rideau Hall

Photo of Major Georges P. Vanier of the 22nd Battalion, June 1918.

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April 24, 1895

Joshua Slocum sets sail, in a rebuilt oyster boat, on the world’s first solo attempt to circumnavigate the globe.

The Nova Scotia native will complete his 74,000 km journey in 3 years, 2 months and 2 days.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Find out about ship registrations (1787–1966)

Transport Canada

• Learn all about marine transportation rules and regulations

RDV2017 – Canada150

• Be on hand for the RDV2017 Tall Ships Regatta

The Canadian Encyclopedia

• Travel around the world with Joshua Slocum

Virtual Museum of Canada

• Visit the virtual exhibition “St. Lawrence Scavenger Hunt”

Captain Joshua Slocum on the Spray at Gibraltar. W.R. MacAskill, photographer; NSA, W.R. MacAskill fonds.

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April 25, 1959

The St. Lawrence Seaway is open for business. The first vessel to enter the new shipping route is the icebreaker D’Iberville.

The official opening ceremony will take place the following day in St. Lambert, Quebec, with Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prime Minister John G. Diefenbaker, and President and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower in attendance.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Discover the visual history of the St. Lawrence in the national collection

RDV2017 – Canada150

• Be on hand for the RDV2017 Tall Ships Regatta

Transport Canada

• Discover the e-Navigation Maritime Information Portal and the St. Lawrence Seaway

CBC Digital Archives

• Watch a news story from 1959

Photo of the official party at opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway: (left to right) H.R.H. Prince Philip, H.M. Queen Elizabeth, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Mrs. Eisenhower.

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April 26, 1900

The Hull Fire starts in a chimney. Half of the town of Hull, Quebec, and whole neighbourhoods in Ottawa, Ontario, burn to the ground.

The fire destroys the E.B. Eddy Match Co. and spreads to the woodlots of the Hull Lumber Company. The fire crosses the Ottawa River via the Chaudière Bridge and reduces 3000 homes and businesses to ashes.

The fire is stopped when water is released at the Hog’s Back dam.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Scroll through the photographic records of the fire

Public Safety Canada

• Learn how to prepare for and manage emergencies

Canadian Museum of History

• Come to Fire Station No. 3 at 239 Champlain Street

Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec

• Learn more about the Hull Fire of 1900 (French only)

Panoramic photo of the fire that destroyed half of the city of Hull and neighbourhoods in Ottawa in 1900.

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April 27, 1942

Referendum Day: Canadians vote on conscription.

In Canada’s second referendum, the country votes on whether or not the government can bring in overseas military conscription for eligible men over 18.

Most of Canada votes to allow conscription, but 70% of people in Quebec vote against it.

Conscription of troops will begin in November 1944, limited to 16,000 individuals for overseas service.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Read the diaries of Mackenzie King

Parks Canada

• Visit Laurier House, home of Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King

National Film Board of Canada

• Mackenzie King and the Conscription Crisis

The Canadian History Project

• Learn about the World War II Conscription Plebiscite

Photo of Prime Minister Mackenzie King voting in the referendum on conscription for military service overseas.

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April 28, 1967

Montreal welcomes the world at the official opening of the 1967 World’s Fair. Expo 67 is a key event marking the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation.

From April 28 to October 29, 1967, over 50 million visitors will throng to Îles Sainte-Hélène and Notre-Dame. The visitors show “passports” to enjoy the rides, shows and exhibitions in more than 90 pavilions from 62 countries and private sponsors.

Expo 67: a huge success and a memorable event for an entire generation.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Visit the “Expo 67 Man and His World” virtual exhibition
• See photos of Expo 67

National Film Board of Canada

• Watch the film “Impressions of Expo 67”

Productions de la Ruelle (creators of the documentary: Expo 67 Mission Impossible, 2017)

• Relive Expo 67 with the website: expo-67.ca/en/

Stewart Museum on St. Helen's Island, Montreal

• Visit the Expo 67: A world of dreams

To build the Expo 67 site on Îles Sainte-Hélène and Notre-Dame, 28 million metric tons of debris from the excavations for the Metro tunnels and dredging for the St. Lawrence Seaway were used.

Poster advertising the 1967 Montréal World’s Fair.

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April 29, 1903

The town of Frank, Northwest Territories (now in Alberta), is buried under 74 million tons of rock that crash down from Turtle Mountain.

Local Blackfoot tribes avoided establishing a settlement near the base of the mountain that they call the “mountain that moves.”

Seventy people lose their lives in the disaster. The 23 survivors include miners who were underground and dug themselves out, and 4 girls: Lillian Clarke (15), Fernie Watkins, Gladys Ennis (27 months) and Marion Leitch (15 months).

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Get informed about some of Canada’s worst catastrophes

Public Safety Canada

• See how the Government of Canada prepares for disasters

The Canadian Encyclopedia

• Learn more about the Frank Slide disaster

View the day after the landslide that buried part of the town of Frank in 1903.

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April 30, 1987

Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the premiers meet at Meech Lake in Gatineau Park to sign a constitutional agreement.

The Meech Lake Accord specifically addresses five concerns put forward by the province of Quebec, so that the province will sign the Canadian constitution. The Meech Lake Accord will be rejected by many Indigenous leaders.

To learn more:

Library and Archives Canada

• Browse through the national collection

Parliament of Canada

• Consult the timeline of Canada’s constitutional process
• Learn about the concept of a “distinct society”

A Guide to the Meech Lake Constitutional Accord, 1987.