Highlights of the day

  • 1668 François de Laval opens the Grand Séminaire de Québec; forerunner of Laval University, Canada’s first institution of higher education.
  • 1812 War of 1812 - US Lt Jesse Elliot captures British ships Detroit and Caledonia at Fort Erie.
  • 1961 Eleanor Roosevelt officiates at the opening of Memorial University at St. John’s, Newfoundland.

List of Facts for October 9

  • 1576 Martin Frobisher sets sail for England from the Arctic. Baffin Island, Nunavut
  • 1615 Samuel de Champlain and his party of 500 Huron warriors capture 11 Iroquois; while en route to attack on Onondaga and Seneca strongholds. Syracuse, New York
  • 1668 October 9 - Religion - François de Laval opens the Grand Séminaire de Québec; Québec Seminary the forerunner of Laval University, and Canada’s First institution of higher education. Québec, Québec
  • 1668 François de Laval sets up the Petit Séminaire de Québec; First class of students 8 French and 6 Indian boys; First Franco-Huron college. Québec, Québec
  • 1710 First Anglican service in southern Canada; a thanksgiving service at the garrison of Annapolis Royal. Annapolis, Nova Scotia
  • 1744 Louis de Vergor appointed administrator of Cape Breton Island on death of Duquesnel; serves until June 17, 1745. Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
  • 1811 Isaac Brock appointed Administrator of Upper Canada; serves until his death October 13, 1812. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1812 War of 1812 - US Lieutenant Jesse Elliot leads two boatloads of American soldiers and sailors up the Niagara River, and at 3:00 am, completely surprises the crews of the British ships Detroit and Caledonia at anchor under the protection of the guns of Fort Erie, freeing 40 American sailors who were prisoners aboard the two brigs, and capturing 70 British and Canadian sailors; in ten minutes sails them away; Caledonia makes it to the American naval base at Black Rock, but Detroit runs aground, and all that day, the British forts pounded the brig; that night Elliott took what stores he could off the ship and set fire to it. In one bold action, Elliott had sharply reduced the strength of the British squadron on Lake Erie and seized a fighting ship for an American squadron that had previously had none, and it will lead to Oliver Perry’s later defeat of the British squadron on Lake Erie, and the loss of the western frontier for the rest of the war. Fort Erie, Ontario
  • 1820 Governor issues proclamation rejoining Cape Breton to Nova Scotia; originally part of the colony of Nova Scotia in 1763, it became a separate colony for Loyalist refugees in 1784. Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • 1838 Lord Durham publishes his resignation in the Montréal and Québec newspapers; he will leave for England November 1, 1838. Québec
  • 1867 Heroism - William Jackman, captain of a Bowrings sealing steamer, swims through the surf to rescue 11 men from a wooden fishing vessel, the Sea Clipper, wrecked on a rocky reef. Then with the help of others and a rope, he swims out to the reef 16 more times to save the remaining men and women. Spotted Island, Labrador
  • 1874 James Macleod and the First North West Mounted Police troop, guided by Métis scout Jerry Potts, arrive at Fort Whoop-Up ; they find the whisky trading post abandoned; they build a fort on an island in the Oldman River. The First NWMP arrest comes with the capture of five whiskey traders with two wagon loads of buffalo robes, rifles and fire water (a concoction of brandy and pepper). Fort Macleod, Alberta
  • 1877 October 9 - Rail - First northern colonization railway train leaves Montréal for St-Jérôme, Québec. Montréal, Québec
  • 1877 Rail - Contractor Joseph Whitehead brings the Countess of Dufferin railway engine up the Red River by barge towed by the steamer Selkirk to build the Dominion government’s Selkirk-Emerson line Pembina Branch]; First locomotive in Manitoba and in the Canadian West. St. Boniface, Manitoba
  • 1897 Minister of the Interior Clifford Sifton arrives in the Yukon with James Walsh of the North West Mounted Police to investigate a boundary dispute; the Americans were casting covetous eyes on the gold fields, and planning to send troops to keep order, so Walsh set up NWMP posts in the Lake Bennett-Lake Tagish area near the border with Alaska; Walsh became Commissioner of the Yukon district for 1897-98. Yukon
  • 1899 Opening of the Soulanges Canal, replacing the old Beauharnois Canal on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. Montréal, Québec
  • 1907 Supreme Court of Saskatchewan is opened in Regina. Regina, Saskatchewan
  • 1918 First World War - General Sir Arthur Currie leads the Canadian Corps and some British divisions in the capture of Cambrai, the hub of the German defensive system on the British front. Cambrai, France
  • 1938 Official opening of St. Clair River Bridge to Port Huron, Michigan. Point Edward, Ontario
  • 1940 October 9 - J. A. MacKinnon succeeds W. D. Euler as Minister of Trade and Commerce. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1940 Medical missionary Sir Wilfred Grenfell dies at age 75; came to Canada with the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen; started the First medical mission in the Labrador outports and founded a hospital in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, on the northern tip of the island; later run by the International Grenfell Association. Vermont
  • 1944 October 9 - Second World War - Canadian Army on the offensive in West-Zeeuws-Flanders. Netherlands
  • 1944 Charles de Gaulle gets Canada to recognize his Provisional Government of the French Republic. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1944 Government establishes the Department of Reconstruction, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and the Department of Health and Welfare. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1951 October 9 - Opening of 5th session of 21st Parliament; sits until December 29, 1951. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1951 National Hockey League 1st Team ties 2nd Team 2-2 in the 5th NHL All-Star Game in Maple Leaf Gardens. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1953 Military - Founding of the First Canadian Division, the Army’s First in peacetime. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1956 NHL All-Stars tie Montréal Canadiens 1-1 in the 10th National Hockey League All-Star Game at the Forum. Montréal, Québec
  • 1961 Eleanor Roosevelt officiates at the opening of Memorial University at St. John’s. St. John’s, Newfoundland
  • 1968 Acadia University sets up Canada-Commonwealth Caribbean Centre; to study of matters of interest to Canada and Commonwealth Caribbean nations. Wolfville, Nova Scotia
  • 1970 October Crisis - Chronology of the day: at 6 am the FLQ terrorists issue a new communiqué; at 2:45 pm they release a letter from James Cross to his wife; at 4:30 pm, police arrest and detain several suspects for questioning; at 6:00 pm the FLQ extend their deadline. Montréal, Québec
  • 1974 Horse Racing - Hervé Filion wins his 5,000th harness race, the First North American driver, and First Canadian, to do so. Yonkers, New York
  • 1979 October 9 - Opening of First session of the 31st Parliament; until December 14, 1979. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1979 Interest - Bank of Canada raises lending rate from 12.25% to 13%. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1980 Media - Winnipeg Sun First published; morning tabloid to replace Winnipeg Tribune; published thrice-weekly. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1982 October 9 - Sport - Canada wins 26 gold, 23 silver and 33 bronze medals, finishing 3rd at the Commonwealth Games, Brisbane. Brisbane, Australia
  • 1982 Hockey - Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky scores his 200th NHL goal. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1984 Crime - Peter Greyson sentenced to 89 days in jail for pouring red ink on an original copy of the 1982 Constitution Act; Toronto art student was protesting the former Liberal government’s decision to test cruise missiles in Canada. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1986 Hockey - Buffalo Sabres Gilbert Perreault the 12th NHLer to score 500 goals. Buffalo, New York
  • 1990 October 9 - Air Canada announces layoff of 2,900 employees; blames recession and rising oil prices. Montréal, Québec
  • 1990 Military - Canadian Forces CF-18 fighter jets start patrolling the Persian Gulf as part of multinational force. Qatar
  • 1991 October 9 - Farming - Crowd of 5,000 demonstrate at the Manitoba Legislature demanding aid to grain farmers suffering from a global subsidy war; Brian Mulroney government pledges $800 million the following day. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1991 Hockey - San Jose Sharks beat Calgary Flames 4-3 for their First NHL win as a team. Calgary, Alberta
  • 1992 Energy - Newfoundland Energy Minister Rex Gibbons announces Hibernia oil drilling project will resume; put in mothballs February 14, 1992 after Gulf Canada Resources withdrew. St. John’s, Newfoundland
  • 1993 Casino de Montréal opens in the former French Pavilion on the Expo 67 site. Montréal, Québec
  • 1996 Mining - Concentration mill at the Nickel Plate Mine ceases production. BC
  • 1997 October 9 - Pulp & Paper - Cascades and Domtar pulp and paper companies announce a merger. Montréal, Québec
  • 1997 Referendum - Supreme Court of Canada declares unconstitutional the section of Québec’s referendum law dealing with the financing of third parties, saying that the ceiling on expenses restrains the free expression of certain individuals and groups; regarding the section of the law forcing groups to join either a YES or NO committee, the Court suggests these restrictions are a clear restraint on freedom of expression. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 2007 October 9 - General election in Newfoundland and Labrador is won by Danny WIlliams’ governing Progressive Conservatives.
  • 2007 Small earthquakes hit BC interior. British Columbia
  • 2009 Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberté hosts a multimedia event from the International Space Station to help raise awareness of World drinking water problems. Space