Highlights of the day

  • 1778 Captain Cook Reaches Nootka Sound; First British Ships on West Coast
  • 1962 Donald Jackson first in the world to land a triple lutz jump in ice skating competition.
  • 1967 Parliament recommends adoption of Calixa Lavallée’s music for O Canada as the National Anthem.

List of Facts for March 15

  • 1603 Samuel de Champlain leaves Honfleur with fur trader Pont-Gravé and Pierre de Monts on Aymar de Chaste’s ship ‘Bonne Renomme’; his First major voyage to Canada; will survey the region with a view to future settlement; will spend the winter at Tadoussac, and on his return publishes an account of his voyage: Des Sauvages. Honfleur, France
  • 1615 William Baffin sails as pilot and mapmaker in the Discovery, Captain Robert Bylot, on First voyage to Hudson Bay; charts Hudson Strait, west end of Southampton Island, and Foxe Channel. Bristol, England
  • 1657 Mother Giffard de Saint-lgnace dies; First Canadian woman to take religious vows. Quebec
  • 1744 King George’s War - France declares war on Britain, in War of the Austrian Succession; called King George’s War in North America; to Oct. 14, 1748. Paris, France
  • 1778 Captain James Cook reaches the west coast of Vancouver Island with his ships Resolution and Discovery, on the way to search for a North West Passage from the Pacific; names the site Friendly Cove after a warm reception from local Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) people, who trade sea otter pelts with the sailors. The British will anchor in Nootka Sound from March 29 to April 26 in Resolution Cove, at the south end of Bligh Island, about 8 km east across the sound from Yuquot. Nootka Sound, BC
  • 1820 Royal Navy Captain John Franklin, on his way to explore the Arctic coast east of the Mackenzie delta, descends the Clearwater River and finds “pure sulphur deposited by springs and smelling very strongly”. On March 17, his party reaches Fort McMurray. John Richardson notes the “sulphurous springs” and “bituminous salt” in this region, and gives the earliest geological interpretation of the oil sands deposits. Alberta
  • 1827 Education - Royal Charter granted by King William IV to King’s College “with the style and privileges of an University … for the education of youth in the principles of the Christian Religion, and for their instruction in the various branches of Science and Literature … to continue for ever, to be called King’s College.” Promoted by the Rev. John Strachan, King’s was set up in a three-storey Greek Revival school building in Queen’s Park; it was closely aligned with the Church of England and the colonial elite, known as the Family Compact. On April 3, 1849, Robert Baldwin’s University Bill secularized higher education and led to the renaming of King’s College as the University of Toronto. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1827 Absolom Shade his village of Shade’s Mills becomes town of Galt; named after John Galt of the Canada Company; now part of Cambridge. Cambridge, Ontario
  • 1843 Jean-Baptiste-Zacharie Bolduc 1818-1889 appointed First priest on Vancouver Island. Victoria, BC
  • 1870 Alexandre-Antonin Taché1823-1894 Bishop of St. Boniface, meets Métis council at Fort Garry; new list of rights includes claim for separate schools. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1871 First Manitoba legislature meet for the First time in the house of A.G.B. Bannatyne, no public building being available. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1883 Hayter Reed appointed Assistant Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
  • 1887 First federal Members of Parliament for the North West Territories are elected. Saskatchewan
  • 1894 Fourth session of 7th Parliament meets until July 23; protects young offenders in prisons by ordering separation from older prisoners, cuts duty on tea imported from UK. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1894 Nova Scotia votes for prohibition of alcoholic beverages. Nova Scotia
  • 1899 Fernie Board of Trade organized.
  • 1906 Alberta legislature opens First session in temporary quarters at the Thistle skating rink. Edmonton, Alberta

  • 1907 Strathcona becomes a city. Edmonton, Alberta

  • 1911 United Mine Workers begin 6-month walk-out in the Crowsnest. The Big Strike..
  • 1915 Lietch Collieries closes its mine at Passburg, Alberta.
  • 1943 Second World War - Canadian Pacific steamer, Empress of Canada, torpedoed by German U-Boat and sunk off the coast of West Africa, with the loss of 400 lives. Freetown, Sierra Leone
  • 1951 Energy - Persia nationalizes the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company; founded by Lord Strathcona and First developed by Canadian drillers. Teheran, Iran
  • 1956 Wrestling - Whipper Billy Watson beats Lou Thesz in Maple Leaf Gardens to become the NWA champion. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1962 Donald Jackson First in the world to land a triple lutz jump in ice skating competition; gives him a gold medal at the World Figure Skating Championship. Prague, Czech Republic
  • 1964 Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton marry for the First time, in a civil ceremony on the 8th floor of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Montréal; her fifth marriage, his second. Montréal, Québec
  • 1967 Symbols - Special joint committee of the Senate and House of Commons unanimously recommends that the government be authorized to adopt forthwith the music for O Canada composed by Calixa Lavallée as the music of the National Anthem of Canada with the following notation added to the sheet music: With dignity, not too slowly. God Save The Queen was found to be in the public domain as the Royal Anthem of Canada, but for O Canada the committee deemed it essential to take such steps as necessary to appropriate the copyright to the music providing that it shall belong to Her Majesty in right of Canada for all time. This provision would also include that no other person shall be entitled to copyright in the music or any arrangements or adaptations thereof. The committee recommended further study of the lyrics. It suggested keeping the original French version and using the Weir English version with minor changes - that is replacing two of the Stand on guard phrases with From far and wide and God keep our land. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1968 Ottawa suspends gold trading by Canadian banks and dealers; to dampen speculation. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1970 Boston Bruin Bobby Orr picks up four points against Detroit, to become the First NHL defenceman to score 100 points in a season; from Parry Sound, Ontario. Boston, Massachusetts
  • 1972 First radio and TV coverage of regular sittings of the Alberta legislature. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1973 Alberta Indians awarded $190,000 settlement in back payment of ammunition money promised to them under their 1877 treaty; sum of $2,000 should have been paid annually. Alberta
  • 1977 Canadian actress Suzanne Somers stars in ABC TV’s new Three’s Company comedy show, opposite John Ritter. Los Angeles, California
  • 1980 Tracey Wainman, age 12, the youngest Canadian skater to compete in a world championship. Dortmund, Germany
  • 1981 Wayne Gretzky scores his 50th goal of the season against Calgary Flames.
  • 1983 Accord to recognize the Métis Nation of Alberta is signed. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1986 Field Hockey - Canada beats England 3–1 In an international women’s field hockey match at Wembley Stadium. London, England
  • 1989 Musical Les Miserables opens at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1990 Ottawa scraps gas export test; companies no longer need to prove exports beneficial. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1990 Police - Solicitor General Pierre Cadieux announces that Sikhs in the RCMP can wear turbans and other religious garb while in uniform; change to duty dress code highly controversial. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1993 Luc Robitaille of the Los Angeles Kings scores his 50th goal of the season against Buffalo Sabres.
  • 1995 Crime - Former Nova Scotia Premier Gerald Regan charged with 16 counts of child abuse and sex crimes. Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • 1997 Politics - Gilles Duceppe is elected leader of the Bloc Québécois.
  • 2000 Stephane Dion, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, sees his Clarity Act passed by the House of Commons; sets guidelines and conditions for federal response to a referendum on secession of Québec, stating that the referendum question must be clearly worded and supported by a clear majority. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 2004 Politics - Brad Wall elected leader of the Saskatchewan Party. Regina, Saskatchewan
  • 2004 Health - Quebec ministry of health warns 1,144 people who attended an acupuncture clinic owned by Suzanne Sicotte in Montreal to take blood tests for HIV and hepatitis. Montréal, Québec
  • 2004 Treasury Board of Canada President Reg Alcock announces a merit-based system to appoint new CEOs for Crown corporations. Ottawa, Ontario