On This Day In September

September graphic

September 1

1980    Terry Fox is forced to abandon his Marathon of Hope after completing over 5.000 km in 135 days. Cancer had
come back in his lungs.

1864    Charlottetown, P.E.I. -- 5 delegates from each province of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
meet at the Charlottetown Conference to discuss union of British North America.

1994    Paul Bernardo was found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison for the vicious murder of Leslie Mchaffy and
Kristen French.

1994    Quebec Provincial Police raided Chambly, Quebec and arrested over 100 people -- including the city's entire police
force -- on suspicion of smuggling, prostitution and racketeering.

1990     The Canadian Army invaded the Mohawk reserve at Kanesatake, near Oka, Quebec, to end a standoff.

1972     Munich, Germany -- Canadians Leslie Cliff and Bruce Robertson win Olympic Silver Medals in swimming:
Robertson in the 100m butterfly, losing to Mark Spitz and Cliff in the 400m individual medley.

1972     Arsonists are responsible for setting fire to the Blue Bird Club in Montreal, Quebec. 37 people died, and 54 were
injured. It was the city's worst fire since 1927.

1971     British Columbia became the first Canadian province to ban tobacco advertising.

1966     Canada's first regular colour television programming came on the air.

1961     Ontario Premier Leslie Frost brought out a 3% sales tax -- it became known as the Frost Bite.

1951     Author and women's rights activist Nellie McClung dies. Her political activities started in Manitoba with the
Women's Christian Temperance Union. She began a successful writing career when she published her first novel in 1908,
Sowing Seeds for Danny.

1944     Second Division of the First Canadian Army liberates Dieppe, France.

1939     As Nazi Germany invades Poland, William Lyon Mackenzie proclaims the War Measures Act, retroactive to August
25.

1928     Manitoba brings into effect the Old Age Pension Act.

1919     Edward, Prince of Wales (1894-1972) lays cornerstone of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.

1917     In Toronto, Ontario, the Canadian Press is founded.

1905     New arrivals into the Dominion: Alberta becomes the 8th and Saskatchewan becomes the 9th provinces.

1715     King Louis XIV dies of grangrene. He was Canada's King for 72 years -- the longest in European history.

1557     Explorer Jacques Cartier dies.

September 2

1988     Prime Minster Brian Mulroney signs the Free Trade Agreement with U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

1961     Toronto, Ontario -- Canada's first women bank managers were appointed.

1942     Canada signs Declaration of Unity with 27 other countries.

1929     Niagara Falls is preserved when Canada and the U.S. signs a treaty that limits amount of water used for hydro
generation.

1908     Ottawa, Ontario -- The Royal Mint of Canada is founded.

1872     The first telegraphed weather report shared between Canada and the United States.

1826     Newfoundland establishes its first Supreme Court.

September 3

1979     CFMT began broadcasting as the world's first full-time multi-cultural TV station.

1989     Toronto, Ontario --During the Canadian National Exhibition Air Show, 1 pilot is killed as 2 nowbird jets collide.

1962     Alberta -- John Diefenbaker officially opens the Trans Canada Highway at Rogers Pass -- it's 4,800 miles from
coast to coast.

1939     Canada, along with 5 other countries, declares war on Germany -- 2 days after Nazi invades Poland.

1894     Labour Day officially celebrated amongst Canadians for the first time.

1535     Beluga wales were spotted and reported for the first time in the St. Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier and his crew.

September 4

1972     The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is robbed of $3 Million of paintings and art objects -- including a $1 Million
Rembrandt.

1880     John A. Macdonald signs agreement with CPR, allowing for the building of the railway.

1876     Frederic Stupart issues Canada's first Prepared Storm Warning.

1858     Newfoundland -- Atlantic Cable breaks down.

September 5

1979     Canadian gold Maple Leaf coin, Canada's first gold builion, goes on sale across Canada, the United States and
Europe.

1968     Gene Mauch became head coach of a new baseball team in Montreal -- he named it the Expos.

1945     Canada's first nuclear reactor begins operation at Chalk River.

1944     Earthquake does serious damage to the city of Cornwall, Ontario.

1914     Babe Ruth hits his first home run in Toronto, Ontario.

1881     Forest fires in Ontario kill 500 people and the area was covered with a yellowish-green fog for quite a while.

September 6

1979    On this day, a mini tornado ripped through at least two farms north of Athens, Ontario, levelling a silo, many trees and
rows of fences, before cutting a path through a cornfield. At one farm, a fallen apple tree crushed a brand new truck, brought
home only three minutes before the storm hit, and an old maple tree fell, taking out a 15-year-old tree house.

1977     With the exception of Quebec and Nova Scotia, all of Canada's highway signs are converted to metric.

1961     The first 10 Canada Council medals were awarded.

1953     30 Canadians are released from Korea after an exchange with Korean communists.

September 9

1919      The HD-4 hydrofoil boat, built by Casey Baldwin and Alexander Bell, set a world record speed of over 114 km/h.

September 11

1984     Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass for 65,000 gatherers at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec.

September 12

1672     Count Frontenac was named Governor of Canada.

September 13

1981     Almost 900 Canadian communities joined in the first Terry Fox Run!

September 15

1922     Two brothers, John and Alfred Billes started a business that has become one of the truly Canadian unofficial symbols:
Canadian Tire. Prior 1927, however, it was called Hamilton Garage and Rubber Company -- name's not as catchy, eh?

September 20

1917     Canadian women who had close relatives in the armed forces were given permission to vote in federal elections.

September 21

1902     First oil strike in Alberta by the Rocky Mountain Development Company, at 3.11 meters.

September 25

1979     The Montreal Star shut down publication after 110 years in business.

September 26

1917     Compulsory military service went into effect in Canada.

September 30

1912     The famed Harry Oakes, and brothers George and Tom Tough, discovered gold in Kirkland Lake, Ontario.

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