Highlights of the day

  • 1675 Charles II charters a Newfoundland company; disallows settlement and the cutting down of trees near the shore.
  • 1859 Cartier Proclaims Ottawa as the Capital of the Canadas
  • 1916 Manitoba the First province to grant women the vote and full political equality; two years before Ottawa.

List of Facts for January 27

  • 1627 Farming - Louis Hébert dies when he slips and falls on ice; Canada’s first European colonist leaves behind his wife, Marie Rollet, and their three children, Guillaume, Guillaumette, and Anne. Québec, Québec
  • 1675 Colonization - Charles II charters a Newfoundland company; disallows settlement and the cutting down of trees near the shore. West Country fishing crews had attacked some settlements ashore, and the Committee for Trade and Plantations sold the “planters” to leave, as they could not expect any military protection. But most of the settlers already present stayed. Commodore Sir John Berry visited the settlements, and advised the Committee that King William III’s Act of 1699 confirmed the inhabitant’s rights to their plantations. The settlers were a bulwark against the French, and could also keep fishery property ashore over the winter. Newfoundland
  • 1721 Postal - First regular mail coach service starts between Québec and Montréal. Québec, Québec
  • 1806 Religion - Joseph-Octave Plessis appointed Bishop of Québec; serves until 1825. Québec, Québec
  • 1826 Religion - Roman Catholic Church makes Upper Canada a separate diocese; Kingston the bishop’s seat. Kingston, Ontario
  • 1854 Rail - Great Western Railway opens from London to Windsor, Ontario. London, Ontario
  • 1855 Alan MacNab and Étienne-Paschal Taché take office as co-Premiers of the Province of Canada. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1859 Capital - George-Étienne Cartier proclaims Ottawa the capital of the Canadas. As co-Premier, he had strenuously lobbied for Ottawa as the Queen’s choice, against Montréal, Kingston and Toronto, as a place where French Canadians could feel at home. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1870 Manitoba and the Northwest Territories incorporated. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1883 Military - Formation of the first corps of Canadian Army volunteers.
  • 1899 Grain Growers’ Grain Company is organized in Sintaluta. Sintaluta, Saskatchewan
  • 1903 Library - Andrew Carnegie offers city of Toronto $350, 000 for a central public library and two branch libraries; offer by US steel magnate accepted February 23, 1903. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1909 Mining - Methane outburst in the Carbonado Mine; no fatalities. Morrissey, BC
  • 1913 Music - Calgary Symphony Orchestra reborn at the Sherman Grand Theatre before an audience of over 700 people; will again disband at the outbreak of First World War; final version of the CSO will be formed in 1949, then absorbed in 1955 by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Calgary, Alberta
  • 1914 Women - Nellie McClung leads a delegation of the Political Equality League to Manitoba’s provincial legislature to present several petitions and request that women be granted the right to vote. Premier Rodmond Roblin rises in the legislature and speaks against the proposal. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1916 Women - Manitoba the First province to grant women the vote and full political equality; two years before Ottawa. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1933 Farming - Lady Victorine, a world-famous Saskatchewan hen, dies, after laying her 694th egg. Saskatchewan
  • 1938 Weather - Ice dam crushes foundations of the Honeymoon Bridge across the Niagara River; causes bridge to collapse. Niagara Falls, Ontario
  • 1942 Second World War - Canada gives a $1 billion grant to Great Britain for war expenses; repaid in 2007. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1947 Human Rights - Cabinet order deporting Japanese-Canadians to Japan is repealed after widespread protests. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1953 Medicine - Canadian Dental Association approves the use of fluoride in drinking water. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1961 Subway - Montréal starts to build Métro, at estimated cost of $300 million; Québec agrees to help with financing . Montreal, Quebec
  • 1966 Environment - Princess Margaret returns Portland Island to province for use as provincial park; British Columbia’s gift to Princess Margaret in 1958. Portland Island, BC
  • 1967 External Affairs - Canada joins other nations in signing UN Outer Space Treaty pledged to peaceful exploration and use. United Nations, New York
  • 1982 Energy - Hydro Québec finishes construction of the La Grande River complex; Phase 1 of the James Bay hydro project. La Grande, Québec
  • 1982 Labour - Manitoba Court of Appeal rules that forced retirement at 65 contravenes province’s Manitoba Human Rights Act. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1984 Hockey - The Los Angeles Kings beat the Edmonton Oilers, 4-2, ending Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record run for consecutive point getting at 51 games. Gretzky collected a total of 153 points (61 goals and 92 assists) during the scoring streak, which started October 5, 1983. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1994 Politics - Toronto area MP Jag Bhaduria quits the Liberal caucus to sit as an independent, after it was revealed he had falsified his academic background. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1996 Hockey - Jacques Martin appointed Coach of the NHL Ottawa Senators. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1996 Politics - Joe Ghiz dies; Premier of Prince Edward Island 1986-92; born January 27, 1945; strong advocate for the failed Meech Lake Accord and Charlottetown Accord. Charlottetown, PEI
  • 1997 Music - Ottawa native Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill named favorite rock album at the American Music Awards; presenter Paul Abdul accepts the award for Morissette, who was a spiritual retreat in India; Morissette also picked as favorite female artist; Timmins, Ontario, native Shania Twain wins for best female country artist. Los Angeles, California
  • 1997 Labour - Statistics Canada reports that the wage gap between women and men has narrowed to an average of 73%. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 2001 Politics - Lorne Calvert elected leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party after winning the fourth ballot at the party’s leadership convention; a United Church minister. Regina, Saskatchewan
  • 2004 Military - Canadian soldier Corporal Jamie Murphy, is killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan; three other soldiers are also injured in the bomb blast. Kandahar, Afghanistan
  • 2009 Politics - Finance Minister Jim Flaherty presents the 2009 Canadian federal budget to the Canadian House of Commons; contains stimulus measures to help Canadians deal with the recession. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 2010 Foreign Affairs - Stephen Harper announces intention to make maternal and child health a focus at G8 meeting. Ottawa, Ontario