May 15

Highlights of the day

1861 Nova Scotia passes Joseph Howe’s resolution for the union of the provinces of BNA.
1885 Louis Riel surrenders to Middleton’s troops; North West Rebellion ends after 100 days.
1893 First Stanley Cup presented to the Montreal Hockey Club (MHC).
1919 Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council calls out its members in a General Strike.

List of Facts for May 15

1603 Samuel de Champlain sails from France on his First voyage to Canada. Le Havre, France
1702 The Grand Alliance declares war against France; beginning of the War of the Spanish Succession, also called Queen Anne’s War; sees First American conflict between England and France. London, England
1756 Seven Years’ War - England declares war on France to start the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), the European counterpart to the French and Indian War (1754-1763); fighting had been going on in North America for two years, but did not go well for England until William Pitt came to power in 1756 and sent troop reinforcements. London, England
1814 War of 1812 - Raiding party of 500 Americans crosses Lake Erie from Erie, Pennsylvania and destroys the town of Port Dover. Port Dover, Ontario
1837 Louis-Joseph Papineau speaks at a popular assembly at St-Laurent and St-Marc against Lord Russell’s resolutions; advocates boycotting imports from Great Britain and engaging in contraband; Governor Lord Gosford responds with a proclamation against the holding of assemblies. St-Laurent, Québec
1851 John Rae sets off to search for Franklin expedition; explores Victoria Island from Wilbank Bay to Cape Back. Fort Confidence, NWT
1852 Edward Belcher sets sail to search for Franklin expedition in the vicinity of Melville Island; Henry Kellett his second-in-command. London, England
1854 Edward Belcher, searching for the Franklin expedition, is forced to abandon his ships and cross the ice to Beechey Island, where he boards Inglefield’s North Star, Phoenix and Talbot; with McClure and men from the nvestigator. Beechey Island, Nunavut
1861 Joseph Howe proposes a resolution for the union of the British North American colonies; passed by the Nova Scotia Legislature sent to the governors of the other provinces on July 6, 1861. Halifax, Nova Scotia
1864 Chilcotin War - Governor Anthony Seymour, responding to news of the the Chilcotin Uprising of April 29-30, sends Chartres Brew and 28 men to Bute Inlet aboard the HMS Forward but they were unable to make their way up the trail from Homathko valley to the scene of the incident and returned to New Westminster. A second party of 50 men under Gold Commissioner William Cox, went overland, met an ambush and retreated. Seymour then led a party to Bentinck Arm aboard the HMS Sutlej, with Brew and 38 men; they arrived July 7, and by October 26. New Westminster, BC
1873 Pacific Scandal - Lucius Huntington accuses Hugh Allan of paying the Macdonald government $360,000 in return for the CPR contract. Ottawa, Ontario
1874 Montreal’s McGill University ties Harvard 0-0 in the second of First two football contests for which admission was charged; McGill rules later adopted by American colleges. Cambridge, Massachusetts
1876 Founding of l’Université de Montréal; a branch of l’Université Laval. Montréal, Québec
1879 Samuel Tilley’s protective tariff is adopted by the Macdonald government as national policy. Ottawa, Ontario
1879 Parliament passes The Dominion Day Act, 1879, to make Dominion Day a statutory holiday. The Act reads, “Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the first day of July, not being a Sunday, shall be a legal holiday, and shall be kept and observed as such, under the name of “Dominion Day”. 42V., c.47, s.l. When the first day of July is a Sunday, the second day of July shall be, in lieu thereof, throughout Canada, a legal holiday and shall be kept and observed as such under the same name. 42V., c.47, s.2.” The Dominion Day Act, c.88, in the Revised Statutes of 1952, shows only two changes: The inverted commas are omitted, and the concluding words are “under the name of Dominion Day” instead of “under the same name”. Ottawa, Ontario
1885 North West Rebellion - Louis Riel surrenders to Middleton’s troops; rebellion ends after 100 days; 80 killed on each side; rebellion costs government over $5 million. [Image: Riel under guard shortly after his capture . Regina, Saskatchewan
1893 Hockey - First Stanley Cup presented to the Montreal Hockey Club (MHC) of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) at its annual meeting; the MHC placed first in the standings with a 7–1–0 record as of the March 22. Montreal, Quebec
1894 Nova Scotia votes for prohibition of alcoholic beverages. Nova Scotia
1907 Toronto plumbers go on four-month strike. Toronto, Ontario
1911 The Canadian Parliament approved the Indian Act (Indian Act). Under paragraph 49A of the Act, the Government of Canada now has the power to expropriate any Indian reserve located near the town of 8,000 residents or more, regardless of any treaty or agreement prior to the reservation. Ottawa, Ontario
1912 Boundaries of Manitoba, Ontario and Québec extended northward; Manitoba’s are extended northward a second time; the District of Ungava (which will be called New-Quebec) is now part of the territory of the province. Ottawa, Ontario -May 15 - The Liberals under Sir Lomer Gouin win a resounding victory in general elections in Quebec. Québec
1919 The Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council Central Strike Committee calls out its members in a General Strike at 1100 hours after negotiations break down between management and labour in the building and metal trades; between 25,000 and 30,000 Winnipeg workers walk off the job at the big railway shops and yards. All factory production stops. Winnipeg has no telephones, no gasoline, no streetcars, no taxi service, There is no delivery of mail, newspapers, telegrams, or milk. Most restaurants, stores, and even barber shops close. The police, fire fighters, and employees of the water works will also join the strike. Out of 96 unions in the city, 94 join the walkout, and thousands of non-unionized workers joined the strikers. The entire city of Winnipeg is shut down for 41 days, paralyzed by striking workers. Winnipeg, Manitoba
1924 Lemuel Bartlett founds the Daily Journal newspaper. St. John’s, Newfoundland
1926 Hockey - NHL awards a franchise to the New York Rangers, to be coached and partly owned by Lester Patrick, who sold out his Victoria Cougars roster to the NHL; the Rangers will win their First Stanley Cup two years later, when Patrick, at age 48, replaces his injured goaltender, preserving a Ranger victory. Montreal, Quebec
1938 Canadian bandleader Guy Lombardo and his Orchestra record Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride, the group’s last side for Victor Records; moves the Royal Canadians over to Decca Records to continue making the sweetest sound this side of heaven. New York, New York
1946 Energy - Hydro-Québec presents its offer for the possible expropriation of three hydro companies: $54.87 million to Montreal Light, Heat and Power, $72.26 million to Beauharnois Light and Power; 7.94 million to Montreal Island Power. Québec
1952 Johnny Longden became the second jockey in history, and the First North American, to ride 4,000 winners; Alberta jockey. USA
1953 Quintet of the Year jazz concert takes place at Massey Hall, with saxophonist Charlie Parker, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, pianist Bud Powell, bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Max Roach. Toronto, Ontario
1956 Royal Canadian Air Force jet plane based at Ottawa’s Uplands Airport crashes into the Grey Nuns’ Home for the Aged in Orleans, killing 15 people, including a priest, 11 nuns, two airmen and a workman. Orleans, Ontario
1957 Group of climbers led by Waldermar Fips Broda on Mount Slesse in the Rockies discover the remains of the Trans-Canada Airlines North Star that crashed December 9, 1956. The site is at 7600 feet, down the side of an abyss 2,000 feet deep; fragments contain the remains of the 62 passengers killed in the crash. BC
1961 Outbreak of measles kills 20 in a private institution for the mentally disabled, in Austin, near Magog; victims succumbed to complications or encephalitis. Magog, Québec
1963 Pacific Western Airline starts airbus service between Edmonton and Calgary. Alberta
1965 Igor Vodic beats Québec’s Mad Dog Vachon, to become National Wrestling Association champion. Omaha, Nebraska
1968 Opening of the Centennial Planetarium in Winnipeg. Winnipeg, Manitoba
1969 Omnibus justice bill is passed by the House of Commons 149 to 55; opposition from one Liberal, 11 Créditistes and 12 Conservative; bill changes aspects of the Criminal Code of Canada, including provisions for the legalization of abortion in cases of threat to the health of the mother, measures that facilitate access to a divorce or decriminalize homosexuality between two consenting adults. The law also addresses the issue of the legality of lotteries, and the use of the breathalyzer for motorists suspected of driving their vehicle while intoxicated. Ottawa, Ontario -May 15 - Joe Malone dies at 79; born at Sillery, Quebec, February 28, 1890. Malone was top scorer in the early years of the NHA and NHL, with 379 goals from 1909-24. He scored 44 goals in a 22 game schedule (1917-1918), and in his eight best seasons, with Quebec Bulldogs (5), Hamilton Tigers (2) and Montréal Canadiens (1), he scored 280 goals in 172 games. In Stanley Cup play, he notched 9 goals in one game against Sydney in 1913, 8 against the Montreal Wanderers in 1917 and NHL record 7 against Toronto in 1920. Montréal, Québec
1980 Energy - Ottawa agrees to extend natural gas pipeline from Montréal to Québec City. Ottawa, Ontario
1981 Len Barker of the Indians pitches a perfect no runs, no hits, no walks 3-0 game against the Toronto Blue Jays; 11th major-league hurler to toss a perfect game; First since 1968. Cleveland, Ohio
1981 SCTV Network 90 variety/comedy show debuts on NBC; sequel to Toronto’s Second City Television. New York, New York
1984 New York Islanders 2, Edmonton Oilers 7
1986 Michel Gravel charged with 50 counts of influence peddling, bribery and abuse of public trust Progressive Conservative MP for Gamelin alleged to have corruptly obtained or sought to obtain over $100,000 from individuals or companies doing business with the government. Montréal, Québec -May 15 - Quebec Education Minister Claude Ryan introduces Bill 58, which absolves some 1,500 students enrolled illegally in the English Schools of Quebec and allows them to continue their courses. Québec, Québec
1989 Cinema - Film Jesus of Montreal premieres; directed by Denys Arcand and produced by Roger Frappier, Pierre Gendron and Gerard Mital; stars Lothaire Bluteau, Catherine Wilkening and Remy Girard. Québec
1990 Edmonton Oilers 3, Boston Bruins 2 (3OT)
1991 Angry independent truckers close down 20 km of Highway 401 near Toronto; cause huge traffic jams. Ontario
1991 Robert Bourassa puts forward legislation for a Referendum on Québec sovereignty by October, 1992; will set up two committees to study the potential impact of sovereignty. Québec, Québec -May 15 - Mountaineer Yves Laforest the first Quebecer to complete the ascent of Mount Everest, 8,848 meters above sea level.
1992 Mulroney government House Leader Harvie Andre brings in bill to allow Ottawa to hold vote on constitutional reform; permits 36 day campaign; groups who spend over $5,000 must register. Ottawa, Ontario
1992 Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge Peter Richard appointed by Premier Cameron to probe Westray Coal Mine disaster that killed 26 miners. Halifax, Nova Scotia
1993 Montreal Expos retire their First sweater, the #10 belonging to Rusty Staub - ‘le Grand Orange’. Montreal, Quebec
2001 Eight members of the Canadian Alliance defect from the party, saying that they can no longer support the leadership of Stockwell Day. Ottawa, Ontario
2006 Village of Embrun celebrates its 150th anniversary. Embrun, Ontario