On June 27, 1896, Louis Minier and Louis Pupier held the first
commercial screening of a motion picture in Canada. The location
Montreal, the screening device a Lumière Cinematographe, a wooden
contraption with spindles and cranks and a host of other impossible
gadgetry said to transform a strip of separate photographs into a moving,
life-like panorama. Word spread quickly, with Montrealers lining up
in droves to witness the inaugural event. They were not disappointed.
With a click and a pop and a spin of a wheel, the Cinématographe
whirred into motion; the machine took grip of the film and, as the
images poured across the illuminated lens, a fascinating series of
events unfolded, frame by frame . . .

We have, in this work, tried to create a panorama of the extraordinary history of Canada. This, too, is like a series of frames unfolding before the reader’s eyes. It is a collection of Canadian facts, dates, people, places, events and lore, beginning with the geological formation of the land itself — when the many parts of Canada were pushed and pulled together through physical forces that continue to shape our landscape today.

Canada has some of the oldest rock on the planet, along with the continually evolving Rocky Mountains, barely into their geological puberty. Ice Ages have pulverized rock and created some of the most fertile land in the world. The ice has also scraped off much of the rock cover, providing access to natural wealth that has made Canada one of the most important producers of essential materials. We have one of the largest and most secure supplies of fresh water the world has ever known, abundant coastlines that provide access to fish and other resources, a system of lakes and rivers that made the opening of an entire continent possible.

440 Million Years Ago South America slammed into
eastern North America, closing the lapetus Ocean
and adding Newfoundland and the Maritimes to
the ever-growing land mass of what is now Canada.
The collision created the Appalachian Mountains,
the oldest on the continent...

The people of Canada – from the first to reach North America, to the early explorers, to the waves of European peoples seeking a better future – are all included. Thousands of their triumphs and tragedies have been recorded to capture the dynamics of a young country trying to tame the elements, or, more accurately, adapt to the forces of nature. A story emerges as the frames move through the projector’s lens, and we see the nation forming in all its beauty, its passion, and its drama.

March 7,1719 Michel-Philippe lsabeau (d 1724) was
awarded the contract to build the King’s Bastion
and Château Saint-Louis at Louisbourg. lsabeau was
responsible for the fortification’s landward front,
including the citadel barracks and the Royal and
Island batteries. The director and designer of the
fortifications was Jean-François de Verville (1680-
1729), who 1 recommended the site in 1716.
Referred to as the “Gibraltar of Canada,” Louisbourg
was designed to protect the St. Lawrence fisheries
and the sea route to New France. The fortress took
25 years to complete. The end result was not only a
fortress, but a complete French town, with governor’s
palace, barracks, houses, hospital, arsenals and
warehouses.

This book does not present history grouped around a series of organized themes. It is not a common reference work designed to generate an endless list of footnotes, although it will provide an excellent base for further historical departure and, as important, a broader context within which specific subjects can be explored in depth. Many of the influences on particular events or trends can be discerned from a review of what else was going on in Canada, perhaps half a continent away. The extensive bibliography and comprehensive index of names, places and events do provide useful encyclopedic direction to assist those wishing to pursue more focused endeavours. Nuggets of information may serve as the precursors of new ideas, new inventions, new political initiatives, new social trends and a wealth of other features of our modern society. Above all, the Fitzhenry& Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts & Dates captures the variety, eclecticism and the richness of diversity that is Canadian history at any one point in time. It is varied, informative, and immensely browsable.

Also in 1969
• Calgary bartender Walter Chell (d 1997) developed
the Bloody Caesar, a combination of tomato
juice, vodka, celery, a lime wedge, pepper sauce,
celery salt and ice all mixed in with his pièce
de résistance, mashed clams. The Bloody Caesar
became one of the most popular cocktails in
Canada.

We have tried to identify basic facts without which it would be impossible to study or understand Canada. We have tried to include most of the major events in Canadian history, with brief entries that give the past both substance and flavour. The main actors and the roles they played are noted, but we have refrained from the exercise of too much editorial comment, letting the actions and events speak for themselves. Politics and social judgment are personal; we have left such conclusions to the reader. We have also tried not to be too “serious” and have made sure to include items that are whimsical, since odd turns and fanciful endeavours are also part of our historical quilt.

April 15, 1862 Twenty-three Bactrians — the first
camels in Western Canada — were herded off
ships at Esquimalt, BC, and driven to the Cariboo
goldfields as pack animals. The beasts of burden,
purchased in San Francisco for $300 a head by
BC entrepreneur John Gaibraith, could carry over
226 kg each, twice that of the traditional mule.
Yet the Arabian animals of legend had one tragic
drawback — mules and horses were terrified of
them. The unexpected relationship caused stampedes,
accidents, lost horses, mules and packs.
The dilemma could not be solved; by Oct. all
camels were either sold back into the US or left to
fend for themselves. The last surviving Wild West
camel died near Grand Prairie, Alb., in 1905.

We have tried to address a broad selection of themes. They include, of course, the major political and constitutional highlights, as well as significant business, cultural, legal, exploratory, artistic and military events and personalities. The arrangement by dates has been deliberate. The format allows for use by history buffs and scholars, reference librarians and those who relish Canadiana and want to use it as an occasional and enjoyable “read” to absorb a sense of what was going on in Canada at any particular time. What happened in Canada the year you were born? When you finished school? When you got married? When your children were born? Who was Prime Minister in 1936? When did Canada get its flag? How close was the 1995 Quebec Referendum? Who was the 15t[first] woman MP? How many Canadian soldiers were killed in WW I? What happened to the Avro Arrow? When was Treaty No. 10 signed? Who commanded the Canadian forces during World War I? When was the family allowance introduced? When was Two Solitudes published? When did Tom Thomson paint Northern River? Who 15t [first] performed Tomson Highway’s Rez Sisters? There is almost no end to the fascinating details that are contained in this edition.

June 14,1996 Bill C—47 (the Human Reproductive
and Genetic Technologies Act) was introduced in
the House of Commons in an attempt to prohibit
genetic recombination that would lead to the creation
of animal-human half-breeds. The bill was the
outcome of geneticist Patricia Baird’s Nov. 15, 1993,
Royal Commission report Handle with Care. The bill
stated/’No person shall knowingly cause the fertilization
of a human ovum by sperm of an animal or
the fertilization of an animal ovum by human
sperm, for the purpose of producing a zygote that
is capable of differentiation.” The bill, which died
in the House before the 1997 election call, also
prohibited human cloning, the sale of sperm, and
placed a prohibition against sex selection for the
purpose of reproduction.

The format is much easier to read than in previous editions and the number of entries has been expanded, not only to reflect the additional history in the decade or so since the second edition, but also to add more material from earlier times. We have tried to ensure that we have material from across the entire country, to make the work as “Canadian” as possible. Selection for entries will, inevitably, be a combination of editorial judgment and the extent of the knowledge of the editors. There may, indeed, be entries that are “missing” and we hope that we have not missed too many. We welcome any suggestions and will undertake to give them serious consideration in future editions, so readers can help complete the picture by drawing them to our attention. We were forced, in the interests of completing this edition, to establish a cut-off date and selected December 2003 for that purpose.

Also in 1984
• Mingan Archipelago National Park was established
off the north St. Lawrence shore between
Havre-Saint-Pierre and Anticosti Is., Que. The
unique archipelago comprises 40 islands and 800
islets, which include fantastic water-sculpted limestone
formations, grottoes, arches, sea stack monoliths
and 1 5-m cliffs. Common eiders, Atlantic
puffins and kittiwakes are common, as are grey,
harbour and harp seals. Nine types of whale feed
off the archipelago, including minke, humpback,
fin and the fabled blue whale.

I want, in particular, to thank the editors of both this and past editions and also the many contributors who so generously proffered their expertise and knowledge to this project. They have been immensely helpful through their research and their understanding of the usefulness of a work of this nature. Without them, it would have been all but impossible to produce such a comprehensive volume.

Richard W. Pound
Editorial Director