Today’s Features

  • 1738 Pierre de La Vérendrye and sons travel to main Mandan village on the Missouri River.
  • 1960 Annette Toft, age 16, arrives at Québec from Denmark; Canada’s 2,000,000th immigrant since 1945.
  • 1960 Opening of Edmonton International Airport, Canada’s largest.
  • 1985 Old city of Québec inside the walls classified as a United Nations (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

List of Facts for December 3

  • 1653 Fur Trade - Nicolas Denys purchases rights to islands of the Gulf of St. Lawrence from Cap Canseau to Cap des Rosiers on the Gaspé Peninsula; gets royal mining concession; becomes Lord Proprietor and Governor of Cape Breton. Canso, Nova Scotia
  • 1667 Religion - Mgr. François de Laval abolishes certain obligatory feast days, and institutes the Feast of Ste-Anne. Québec, Québec
  • 1738 Pierre de La Vérendrye travels south to Mandan country with sons Louis-Joseph de La Vérendrye and François de La Vérendrye; reaches main Mandan village on the Missouri River. North Dakota
  • 1775 American Revolutionary War - Richard Montgomery meets up with Benedict Arnold’s force; the two American armies of the Continental Congress turn downstream to attack Québec; arrive in sight of the walls later that day. Point-aux-Trembles, Québec
  • 1810 David Thompson reaches the Athabasca River; continues upstream on December 30, 1810. Alberta
  • 1837 Lower Canada Rebellion - Lt-Col Charles Gore and his troops arrive at St-Charles, and leave the following day for St-Hyacinthe, Québec. St-Charles, Quebec
  • 1838 Upper Canada Rebellion - Group of 400 republicans and Canadian exiles cross the St. Clair River from Detroit and attack Windsor; they set the British barracks on fire, burn the steamer Thames and several houses, and shoot a black man named Mills, after he gives three cheers for the Queen. Windsor, Ontario
  • 1855 Rail - Opening of Great Western Railway from Hamilton, Ontario to Toronto. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1874 Robert Davis sworn in as Premier of Manitoba, succeeding Marc Girard; will negotiate better financial terms with Ottawa, and abolishes the Legislative Council; serves until October 15, 1878; he then sells his hotel business in Winnipeg and moves to Chicago. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1878 Rail - Canadian Pacific Railway connects Winnipeg with Emerson, Minnesota, and the outside world; Pembina branch connects with St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1880 Rail - Québec, Montréal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway extends its line from Hull to Chaudière over the Prince of Wales Bridge. Gatineau, Québec
  • 1881 Edgar Dewdney installed as Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories; serves to 1888. Regina, Saskatchewan
  • 1882 Religion - Arrival of Les Soeurs de Ste-Croix at Montréal. Ste-Foy, Québec
  • 1887 Media - Edmund Ernest Sheppard publishes the First issue of Saturday Night magazine; prints 10,000 copies, at five cents a copy; the magazine will survive for 118 years. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1893 Fur Trade - Dave Akers killed; owner of Fort Whoop-Up. Alberta
  • 1895 Shipping - C&KSN Railway’s steamboat Kootenai grounded and broke in a shallows in Upper Arrow Lake. BC
  • 1909 T. W. Patterson installed as Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. Victoria, BC
  • 1915 Politics - Charles Philippe Beaubien appointed to the Senate of Canada as a Conservative; serves for 33 years, 1 month and 14 days, until his death January 17, 1949. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1917 Rail - First train crosses the new Québec Bridge. Ste-Foy, Québec
  • 1919 Finance - Federal government makes $25 million available to help tenants and returning soldiers buy their homes. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1921 Football - Toronto Argonauts beat Edmonton Eskimos, 23-0 in the 9th Grey Cup game. Toronto, Ontario
  • December 3 - Badminton - Founding of the Canadian Badminton Association; First championships held in Montréal in 1922; becomes an open world tourney in 1957. Montréal, Québec
  • 1931 Farming - Lochinvar, a 6-year old black stallion owned by J. E. Falconer of Govan, Saskatchewan, becomes Grand Champion Stallion and Senior Stallion Champion at the International Livestock Show in Chicago. Chicago, Illinois
  • 1932 Football - Hamilton Tigers beat Regina Roughriders, 25-6 in the 20th Grey Cup game. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1939 Royalty - Princess Louise dies; fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and the wife of Governor General Lord Lorne; the Province of Alberta and Lake Louise are named for her. England
  • 1943 Second World War - US-Canadian First Special Service Force takes Mount la Difensa on the Cassino front. Cassino, Italy
  • 1951 Energy - Ottawa and Ontario agree to proceed with the St. Lawrence Power Development. Cornwall, Ontario
  • 1956 Communications - Canadian Overseas Telecommunication Corporation introduces international Telex to Canada. Montréal, Québec
  • December 3 - Economy - Walter Gordon’s Royal Commission on Canada’s Economic Prospects issues a preliminary report on the government’s economic policies, particularly on foreign investment; after 18 months or research directed by Douglas LePan; final report issued November, 1957. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1958 Raod - Opening of the Autoroute des Laurentides from Montréal, Québec to St-Jovite. St-Jovite, Québec
  • 1960 Immigration - Annette Toft, age 16, arrives at Québec City from Denmark; Canada’s 2,000,000th immigrant since 1945. Québec, Québec
  • December 3 - Canadian tenor Robert Goulet stars as Lancelot in the Lerner and Loewe musical, Camelot, opening at the Majestic Theater; with Richard Burton and Julie Andrews in the lead roles; Goulet gets rave reviews for his singing of the songs, If Ever I Would Leave You, Then You May Take Me to the Fair and How to Handle a Woman; also stars in film version. Camelot will run for 873 performances on Broadway. New York, New York
  • December 3 - Aviation - Opening of Edmonton International Airport, Canada’s largest airport. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1963 Music - Conductor Walter Susskind leads the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in its successful Carnegie Hall debut. New York, New York
  • 1970 Terrorism - October Crisis - James Cross taken to Cuban pavilion at Expo ‘67 site and released unharmed to the Commissioner; FLQ terrorists Jacques Cossette, Jacques Lanctôt and Micheline Lanctôt, Marc Charbonneau, Pierre Séguin and two others given safe passage to Cuba; British Trade Commissioner in Montréal had been captured in October. Montréal, Québec
  • 1971 External Affairs - Canada signs new extradition treaty with US; two new offenses added; adds conspiracy to commit assault and unlawful seizure of aircraft. Washington, DC
  • 1973 Hockey - National Hockey League ends reserve clause in future player contracts, favouring a one-year option system similar to that used in National Football League contracts. Montréal, Quebec
  • 1975 Labour - Ottawa starts selective wage controls on 4,300,000 workers; price controls on 1,500 large companies; after Commons passes anti-inflation legislation. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1978 Terrorism - Former FLQ terrorists Jacques Cossette and Micheline Lanctôt return from exile in Cuba and France. Montréal, Québec
  • 1979 Chang Kuo-tao dies in a Toronto nursing home at age 82; last survivor of the 12 founding members of the Chinese Communist Party. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1981 Cinema - Allan Dwan dies at age 96; born Apr 3, 1885; Canadian born director of 1,850 films. Hollywood, California
  • December 3 - Strike - Stelco workers end company’s longest strike after 125 days. Hamilton, Ontario
  • 1983 Music - Anne Murray’s single, A Little Good News, reaches #1 on the Billboard Country charts. New York, New York
  • 1985 Heritage - The old city of Québec inside the walls is classified as a United Nations (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. Québec, Québec
  • 1991 Denis Desautels issues his first Annual Report; criticizes farm aid, Indian Affairs, investment of government pension funds; new Auditor-General of Canada. Ottawa, Ontario
  • December 3 - Labour - Employees acquire 52% of Spruce Falls Pulp & Paper Company mill; cut workforce to 800, take pay cut; residents own 7%; Tembec 41%. Kapuskasing, Ontario
  • December 3 - Governor-General’s Awards - Rohinton Mistry for English Fiction for First novel ‘Such a Long Journey’; Bernard Arcand for French non-fiction for ‘Le Jaguar et le tamanoir’; Andre Brochu for French Fiction for novel ‘La Croix du Nord’; from Ville Mont-Royal; Gilbert Dupuis for French drama for ‘Mon oncle Marcel qui vague vague près du métro Berri’; Madeleine Gagnon for French poetry for ‘Chant pour un Québec lointain’; Robert Hunter, Robert Calihoo for English non-fiction for ‘Occupied Canada: A Young White Man Discovers his Unsuspected Past’; Joan MacLeod for English drama for book ‘Amigo’s Blue Guitar’; Don McKay for English poetry for book ‘Night Field’. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1995 Hockey - Goalie Patrick Roy fired by Montréal Canadiens GM Réjean Houle; traded 3 days later to the Colorado Avalanche for Jocelyn Thibault and two forwards. Montréal, Québec
  • 1996 Terrorism - Hélène Viel of Montréal killed in a terrorist attack in the Paris Metro; an innocent bystander. Paris, France
  • December 3 - Crime - RCMP charge Alan Eagleson with fraud and theft; the former executive director of the NHL Players Association had been indicted in 1994 for racketeering and fraud. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1997 Treaty - Conference of 120 countries discusses a ban on land mines; the US, China, Russia and Iraq are among those countries refusing to sign the ban. Montréal, Québec
  • 2005 Speed Skating - Clara Hughes wins gold for the Womens 5000 metres in speed skating at a World Cup meet, in a time of 6.56,45; Cindy Klassen takes the bronze. Heerenveen, Netherlands
  • December 3 - Speed Skating - Denny Morrison, Arne Dankers and Justin Warsylewicz win silver for the 3,200 metre Mens Team Pursuit at a World Cup meet. Heerenveen, Netherlands
  • December 3 - Figure Skating - Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon win gold medal in pairs at the NHK Trophy event. Japan
  • December 3 - Football - Vanier Cup - Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks defeat the Saskatchewan Huskies 24-23 at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Hamilton, Ontario
  • December 3 - Broadcasting - Allan Waters dies in Toronto; born in 1921; founder of CHUM radio and other media properties.
  • 2009 Foreign Affairs - PM Stephen Harper starts four day visit to China; announces that China has granted Approved Destination status to Canada, allowing Chinese tourists to visit the country. China also agreed to lift a ban on Canadian pork, open a consulate in Montreal, and purchase $180 million worth of Canadian canola next year. Beijing, China
  • 2010 Kathy Dunderdale sworn in as first woman premier of Newfoundland and Labrador; replacing Danny Williams. St. John’s, Newfoundland