Highlights of the day

  • 1759 James Wolfe’s army defeats Montcalm’s French forces at the Battle of Québec on the Plains of Abraham.
  • 1915 Arthur Currie appointed General commanding the 1st Canadian Division of the new Canadian Corps.
  • 1981 First 10k Terry Fox Run is held in 800 Canadian communities to raise money for cancer research.

List of Facts for September 13

  • 1657 Retired Governor Louis d’Ailleboust appointed temporary Administrator of New France; serves until July 10, 1658. Quebec, Quebec
  • 1759 French and Indian War - British General James Wolfe’s army defeats the Marquis de Montcalm’s French forces at the Battle of Québec on the Plains of Abraham. Measured by the numbers engaged, the Battle of Quebec was but a heavy skirmish, wrote historian Francis Parkman; measured by results, it was one of the great battles of the world. Four years later, the Treaty of Paris gave England ownership over most of New France, from Cape Breton Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the mouth of the Mississippi River. Quebec, Quebec - See - Wolfe and Montcalm (NFB/ONF)
  • 1762 William Colville, Lord Amherst lands at Torbay, north of St. John’s, drives French back into Fort William Henry two days later; with 1,500 troops from Louisbourg. Torbay, Newfoundland
  • 1779 Library - Frederick Haldimand asks dramatist Richard Cumberland to select books for public library at Québec. Québec, Québec
  • 1839 Republican rebels cross the Niagara River, burn Anglican church in Chippawa. Chippawa, Ontario
  • 1882 John R. Booth opens his own railway, the Canada-Atlantic Railway, running from Coteau Junction, Ontario into Ottawa; Ottawa Valley timber baron uses line to export lumber to the CPR main line. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1886 Canadian Pacific Telegraph starts operation across Canada; branch of CPR. Montréal, Québec
  • 1886 Farming - Federal Order-in-Council doubles the lease rent rate to 2¢/acre in the NWT. All leases cancellable with 2 weeks notice. Regina, Sasaktchewan
  • 1889 Henry J. Clarke dies; lawyer and politician; Manitoba’s first attorney-general and its Premier of Manitoba from 1872-1874. Manitoba
  • 1895 Smelting - Construction begins on Heinze’s smelter. Trail Creek Landing, BC
  • 1905 John Ware dies near Brooks, after a riding accident when his horse tripped and fell, crushing him underneath; a former US slave turned cowboy and rancher. Brooks, Alberta
  • 1907 Founding of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU) (Big Four) with the Hamilton Tigers, Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders & Montréal Foot Ball Club. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1907 G.P. Graham appointed Minister of Railways and Canals. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1910 Football - Founding of the Regina Rugby Club; origin of Saskatchewan Roughriders. Regina, Saskatchewan
  • 1910 New Dominion Copper Company officially moves its headquarters to Greenwood, BC.
  • 1915 First World War - Arthur Currie then a Brigadier, is appointed General commanding the 1st Canadian Division of the new Canadian Corps; formed on the arrival of the 2nd Canadian Division, the Canadian Corps is the First completely Canadian fighting unit in France, and eventually consists of 4 infantry divisions. France
  • 1919 HRH Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) visits Calgary. Calgary, Alberta
  • 1930 Winnipeg Rugby Football Club plays its First game; loses to St John’s Rugby Club 7-3. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1940 Second World War - Luxury liner S.S. ‘City of Benares’ leaves port with British children being evacuated to Canada to escapethe war. The ship is torpedoed by U-boat during the night about 600 miles out to sea; only 13 of the over 90 children survive. Liverpool, England
  • 1941 Second World War - HMCS Drumheller is commissioned. Esquimalt, BC
  • 1942 Second World War - German U-Boat U-91 torpedoes and sinks RCN River Class destroyer HMCS Ottawa, in the North Atlantic, while escorting convoy ON.127; hit by two torpedoes, she sinks at about 2330; 113 of her ship’s company are lost, plus 6 RN seaman and 22 merchant seamen; Battle of the Atlantic growing in intensity. Atlantic Ocean
  • 1943 Second World War - Militia - Government orders two home-defence divisions disbanded. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1944 Second World War - Canadian Army troops capture Coriano Ridge in fierce fighting south of Rimini. Rimini, Italy
  • 1967 Ike Smith sworn in as Conservative Premier of Nova Scotia, succeeding Robert Stanfield. Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • 1969 John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s band the Plastic Ono Band, which included Eric Clapton on guitar, makes a surprise live debut at the Rock n’ Roll Revival Concert in Toronto; their appearance at the Toronto Peace Festival is Lennon’s First in four years, and will be featured on their album Live Peace In Toronto. New cuts include Give Peace A Chance, which makes it to number 14 on the charts, Cold Turkey, Yer Blues and a 12 minute Yoko piece, plus the oldies Blue Suede Shoes, Money and Dizzy Miss Lizzy. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1971 Founding of the World Hockey Association; WHA play will begin in October, 1972. New York, New York
  • 1971 Publishing - Ontario brings in aid program to help prevent foreign ownership of Ontario-based Canadian publishers. Ontario
  • 1971 Medicare - Ontario to give free hospital and medical care for low-income earners and those 65 and over. Ontario
  • 1973 Energy - Ottawa brings in crude oil export tax of 40¢ per barrel. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1974 Premiers Conference - Provincial Premiers start conference in Toronto. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1979 Football great George Reed is inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Saskatchewan
  • 1980 Athletics - Diane Jones Konihowski is inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Saskatchewan
  • 1981 First Terry Fox Run; the 10k Run is held in 800 Canadian communities to raise money for cancer research; one year earlier, the 23 year old Fox was forced to end his Marathon of Hope in Thunder Bay, Ontario, when the cancer that took his leg spread to his lungs. Canada
  • 1981 Team Soviet Union wins its First Canada Cup hockey tournament by defeating Team Canada 8-1 in the final game; they are later caught trying to smuggle the Cup out of the country. Montréal, Québec
  • 1984 Pope John Paul II tells young people at a rally in Nova Scotia it was up to them to forge the bonds of justice and peace. Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • 1986 CKND-TV starts First national telecast of the Canadian Country Music Awards. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1991 Near disaster as 35 tonne beam falls from Olympic Stadium when 16 reinforcing rods break; stadium closed for study; falls on public walkway but no one injured. Montréal, Québec
  • 1991 Toronto Blue Jays slugger Joe Carter the First major leaguer to have 3 consecutive 100-RBI seasons with 3 different teams - Cleveland, San Diego and Toronto. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1995 Energy - Ottawa sells most of its stake in Petro-Canada through a share offering that brings in $1.8-billion. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1996 CRTC allows CMT (Country Music Television) to broadcast in Canada; the network had been booted off the air over a broadcasting rights dispute. Gatineau, Québec
  • 2004 Medicare - Prime Minister Paul Martin hosts a health care conference with the provincial premiers. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 2006 Goth gunman Kimveer Gill, 25, opens fire at CEGEP Dawson College, killing one person and injuring 19. He is then killed by Montréal police, who act quickly to stop further tragedy. Montréal, Québec