Highlights of the day

  • 1869 Patrick Whelan Hanged for the Murder of D’Arcy McGee.
  • 1922 Frederick Banting announces the discovery of insulin, used to treat diabetes.

List of Facts for February 11

  • 1747 Claude de Ramezay and a group of Acadian guides attack the British position at Grand Pré. Grand Pré, Nova Scotia
  • 1834 William Lyon Mackenzie forcibly ejected from the Upper Canada legislature. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1839 John Lambton, Lord Durham 1792-1840 submits his ‘Report on the Affairs of British North America’ to Parliament; recommends Union of the Canadas and the provinces of British North America London, England
  • 1869 Patrick James Whelan hanged in a snowstorm before a crowd of 5,000 people for the murder of Thomas D’Arcy McGee on April 7, 1868. Whelan denies he did it; second last public execution in Canada. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1870 Second Convention ends, having agreed to elect a council and send a delegation to Ottawa. Manitoba
  • 1874 George Anthony Boomer Walkem selected conservative premier of British Columbia BC
  • 1887 CPR opens Pacific steamship service to the Orient. Vancouver, BC
  • 1890 Education - St. Hilda’s College incorporated to provide higher education for women within the University of Trinity College. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1896 Prime Minister Mackenzie Bowell 1823-1917 introduces the Manitoba Remedial School Bill, to force Manitoba to restore separate schools; withdrawn on April 16 after no decision. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1897 Fire destroys part of the West wing of the Parliament Buildings. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1898 CPR agrees to buy the Columbia and Western Railway, Trail smelter, etc., from Heinze.
  • 1901 Mackenzie King 1874-1950 deplores employment of children under age 12; in the First Annual Report of the Bureau of Labour. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1903 WFM members strike CNP Coal. The deputy federal Minister of Labour, W.L.M. King, sent to mediate.
  • 1907 Founding of the Supreme Court of Alberta. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1909 CNP Coal modifies its charter to allow itself to develop real estate at Fernie.
  • 1913 Hockey leagues make definite return to the six man team from seven men.
  • 1915 First World War - 19th Alberta Dragoons go into action in France. France
  • 1918 Government sets up Food Board, replacing the Food Controller; controlled by Ministry of Agriculture. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1920 Canada attends opening meetings of the Council of the League of Nations, forerunner of the United Nations. London, England
  • 1922 Frederick Grant Banting 1891-1941 announces the discovery of insulin, used to treat diabetes, at the University of Toronto; with colleagues C.H. Best 1899-1978, J.B. Collip 1892-1965 and J.J.R. Macleod 1876-1935. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1926 Father Louis Gravel dies; missionary and colonizer, founder of Gravelbourg. Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan
  • 1928 Canadian team attends opening of the second Winter Olympic games in St Moritz. St. Moritz, Switzerland
  • 1929 Saskatchewan Power Commission begins operations. Saskatchewan
  • 1940 John Buchan, Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield 1875-1940 Governor-General dies in Montréal. Montréal, Québec
  • 1942 Second World War - RCN Flower Class corvette HMCS Spikenard is torpedoed and sunk in the North Atlantic by U-136 about 465 nautical miles west of Malin Head, Ireland in position 56º10’N, 21º07’W, while escorting convoy SC-67. There are only eight survivors; Captained by Lt. Cdr. H.G. Shadforth, RCNR. Atlantic Ocean
  • 1942 Anti-conscription riot breaks out after 10, 000 people rally at the Marché St-Jacques; one of the speakers at the meeting is a young student, Jean Drapeau, later perennial Mayor of Montréal. Montréal, Québec
  • 1942 Musical comedienne Anna Russell gives her First one-woman show at the Eaton Auditorium; her parodies of concert music and opera, made her a favorite around the world. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1943 Ottawa imposes severe wartime gasoline rationing of 10 gallons a month for every private car. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1957 Founding of the NHL Players Association, with Detroit Red Wings’ Ted Lindsay elected First President of the NHLPA. New York, New York
  • 1963 Shoot-out between loggers and independents sees three Kapuskasing loggers killed and nine wounded. Kapuskasing, Ontario
  • 1964 Haiti expels eighteen Canadian Jesuits on grounds their activities are subversive. Port-au-Prince, Haiti
  • 1967 Opening of First Canada Winter Games; held for a week in Québec City Québec, Québec
  • 1969 Canadian and West Indian student demonstrators destroy $1.4 million computer and set fire to data centre at Sir George Williams University, after occupying the centre since Jan. 29; 97 persons charged with conspiracy to commit mischief and arson. Montréal, Québec
  • 1971 Canada with 62 other countries signs the Seabed Arms Control Treaty, banning nuclear weapons from the ocean floor,no further than 2 miles from the coastline. Washington, DC
  • 1971 Hockey - Jean Beliveau, Captain of the Montréal Canadiens, scores his 500th career NHL goal against Minnesota North Stars. Montréal, Québec
  • 1972 Ottawa unveils $1.7 million aid package to bolster the Canadian book publishing industry. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1977 Fisherman catches 20.2 kg lobster off Nova Scotia; the world’s heaviest known crustacean. Nova Scotia
  • 1978 Disaster - Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314 crash-lands at Cranbrook, killing 43 people; snowplow on runway during PWA jet’s landing. Cranbrook, BC
  • 1984 Hockey - Wayne Gretzky sets NHL short handed season scoring record of 11 goals. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1985 Energy - Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Newfoundland Premier Brian Peckford sign the Atlantic Accord to develop offshore oil and gas resources around the Grand Banks. St. John’s, Newfoundland
  • 1987 Teleglobe Canada sold to Memotec for $488.3 million. Montréal, Québec
  • 1988 Hockey - Gretzky reaches 100 points in the season for the 9th time, a new NHL record, with a goal and two assists. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1994 Bryan Adams joins Sting and other Australian stars in a benefit concert at Sydney’s Football Stadium to aid victims of bush fires; show raises about $600, 000. Sydney, Australia
  • 1997 Celine Dion receives an award for her 50 millionth record sold. New York, New York
  • 2006 Olympics - Jennifer Heil wins gold in free style skiing, women’s monguls. Turin, Italy
  • 2006 Rodney MacDonald elected leader of the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party . Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • 2008 Environment - Halifax Regional Municipality opens $400 million project to clean up Halifax Harbour; first of three planned treatment facilities.
  • 2010 Prime Minister Stephen Harper addresses the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, before the Olympics opening ceremony. Victoria, BC