Highlights of the day

  • 1625 Jean de Brébeuf and first permanent Jesuit missionaries arrive at Québec.
  • 1776 Guy Carleton gives Sir John Johnson a Royal Warrant to raise the 1st King’s Royal Regiment of New York.
  • 1793 Simcoe’s Upper Canada Assembly passes act banning import of slaves; first such law in British Empire.
  • 1816 Seven Oaks Massacre as Cuthbert Grant’s Métis kill Rupert’s Land Governor Robert Semple and 19 of his men.
  • 1812 War of 1812 - The United States officially declares war on Great Britain.
  • 1866 British army private Timothy O’Hea wins only Victoria Cross for valour inside Canada; puts out ammunition fire on train.
  • 1914 Hillcrest Mine explosion kills 189 of the 235 miners; Canada’s worst mining disaster.

List of Facts for June 19

  • 1610 Samuel de Champlain again defeats the Iroquois in a battle near the mouth of the Richelieu River. - Sorel, Québec May 22). - Québec, Québec
  • 1644 Jesuit priest François-Joseph Bressani tortured by Iroquois, then given to old woman to care for to replace a dead relative. - Québec
  • 1687 Jean de Champigny seizes a group of Iroquois at Fort Frontenac; sends them to France as galley slaves. - Kingston, Ontario
  • 1721 Fire destroys 138 houses, about half the town of Montréal. - Montréal, Québec
  • 1758 James Wolfe opens fire on Louisbourg’s Island battery from Lighthouse Point on this night; takes until the 25th to silence the battery. - Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
  • 1776 American Revolutionary War - Guy Carleton gives Sir John Johnson a Royal Warrant to raise a regiment of American loyalists in Canada; called the 1st King’s Royal Regiment of New York. - Chambly, Québec June 10; divides the province of Québec into two new provinces: Lower Canada and Upper Canada, each with an appointed legislative council and an elected legislative assembly. London, England
  • 1793 Upper Canada Assembly passes act prohibiting importation of slaves into the colony; First such law in the British Empire. - Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
  • 1812 War of 1812 - The United States officially declares war on Great Britain; US President James Madison cites the seizure of American vessels in the Napoleonic Wars, and British support of native resistance to US westward expansion; the war will rage until December 24, 1814; only major war, other than Indian wars, fought on Canadian soil. Washington, DC
  • 1813 War of 1812 - Francis de Rottenburg appointed to command of British forces in Upper Canada as Roger Sheaffe is transferred to Montréal; also appointed President of the Council and Administrator of Upper Canada; serving until December 13, 1813. - Ontario
  • 1816 Rupert’s Land Governor Robert Semple intercepts Cuthbert Grant and Métis party transporting pemmican; Semple killed with 19 of his men in Seven Oaks Massacre on the Frog Plain near Fort Douglas; the Métis have been encouraged by the Nor’Westers who wanted to drive out the Hudson’s Bay Company. - Fort Douglas, Manitoba
  • 1837 Opening of second session of thirteenth Parliament of Upper Canada; meets until July 11, 1837. - Toronto, Ontario
  • 1866 British army private Timothy O’Hea puts out fire in Grand Trunk Railway freight carriage loaded with 95 barrels of gunpowder; saves passengers and troops; awarded First and only Victoria Cross for valour inside Canada. - Sherbrooke, Québec
  • 1874 First and Second contingents of the Northwest Mounted Police rendezvous at Fort Dufferin; 200 new NWMP recruits arrive. - Pembina, Manitoba
  • 1902 First furnace blown in at Boundary Falls smelter near Greenwood, BC
  • 1903 Barr colonists incorporate Regina as a city; First city in Saskatchewan. - Regina, Saskatchewan
  • 1904 William Gibson, builder of the First airplane engine in Canada, tests his aeroplane at Balgonie. - Balgonie, Saskatchewan
  • 1913 First Canadian Northern Railway train crosses the High Level Bridge into Edmonton. - Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1914 Explosion at 9:30 a.m. kills 189 of the 235 miners in the Hillcrest Mine in the Crows Nest Pass; Canada’s worst mining disaster. - Hillcrest, Alberta
  • 1915 Graduates of the McDougall Commercial High School start the Commercial Graduates Basketball Club, later the Edmonton Grads; they will win 502 of 522 games over 25 years including several world basketball championships. - Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1917 First World War - Arthur Currie succeeds English commander Julian Byng as commander of the Canadian Corps. - France
  • 1918 First World War - Canadian air ace Billy Bishop shoots down five German planes in his last dogfight, bringing his total enemy kills to 72. - France
  • 1924 Canadian postal workers go on strike; until June 29, 1924.
  • 1930 Alberta Election: Premier John Brownlee’s United Farmers of Alberta win a third consecutive majority; UFA in power since 1924. - Alberta
  • 1934 Saskatchewan Election - Jimmy Gardiner leads Liberals to majority victory in provincial election, defeating James Anderson’s Conservative-led coalition government. - Saskatchewan
  • 1934 Ontario Election - Mitch Hepburn leads Liberals to majority in provincial election, defeating George Henry’s Conservatives. - Ontario
  • 1938 Bloody Sunday - RCMP and Vancouver police use tear gas and clubs to remove Relief Project Workers Union strikers from Art Gallery and Post Office. Vancouver, BC
  • 1940 Second World War - Britain organizes to evacuate children to Canada. - London, England
  • 1940 Second World War - Canada and Britain plan steps to be taken if the Royal Navy is forced to withdraw to Canada. - Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1951 McGillivray Creek Coal & Coke accepts International Coal and Coke’s offer of $300,000 for its operations. BC
  • 1956 Canada recognizes independence of former French North African colonies of Morocco and Tunisia. - Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1958 Parliament approves Canada’s participation in NORAD - the joint North American Air Defence Command with the United States. - Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1959 Start of of severe two-day storm in Northumberland Strait sinks 50 salmon and lobster fishing boats, drowns 35 fishermen. - Escuminac, New Brunswick
  • 1963 Charter members of Canadian Football Hall of Fame chosen. - Hamilton, Ontario
  • 1969 Ottawa sets up Prices and Incomes Commission to study causes and effects of inflation. - Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1969 Flood underground in Balmer South mine kills three. Michel, BC
  • 1972 Canadian Airline Pilots Association joins international 24-hour strike to protest against hijacking; 2,000 CALPA members demand better airport security. Montréal, Québec
  • 1973 National Ballet of Canada stars Karen Kain and Frank Augustyn win First prize for duet ensemble at International Ballet Competition, attracting drew 75 contestants from 23 countries; perform the Bluebird Pas de Deux from Sleeping Beauty; Kain also wins women’s silver medal. - Moscow, Russia
  • 1973 Retired Detroit Red Wings star Gordie Howe jumps to the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association to join his sons, Mark Howe and Marty Howe; gets a $1 million, four year contract; Houston will win the WHA title and Gordie his seventh MVP title. - Houston, Texas
  • 1974 Canadian Nuclear Association to award named for Dr. W. Bennett; to recognize accomplishments of a Canadian in nuclear science and engineering. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1975 Canadian delegation attends opening of World Conference on International Women’s Year. - Mexico City, Mexico
  • 1978 Ottawa bans import and sale of cut-rate US editions of Canadian books; dumping of products competing with higher priced Canadian editions, damaging publishing industry. - Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1983 Opening of BC Place, 60,000 seat domed stadium; cost $126 million to build. - Vancouver, BC
  • 1986 New Competition Act comes into force. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1988 Opening of annual Group of Seven summit; G7 leaders agree on tougher action to fight illegal drug trade, forgive some African debt and endorse Canada-US Free Trade Agreement. - Toronto, Ontario
  • 1991 Parliament sets up Special Joint Committee on a Renewed Canada, a super-committee on the Constitution set up to make recommendations to Parliament on the proposals made public on September 24, 1991; the Dobbie-Castonguay Committee, later Beaudoin-Dobbie Committee of 20 MPs and 10 senators will travel across Canada to present federal proposals to provinces, interest groups. - Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1991 Petro-Canada public issue of 39.5 million shares almost sold out in one day; Ottawa to distribute 19.5% of Petro-Canada in a partial privatization. - Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1991 Canadian sprinter Brian Morison banned from competition for two years by Athletics Canada for steroid use. - Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1991 Jean Pelletier replaces Michel Fournier as Liberal Leader Jean Chrétien’s chief of staff; former Québec City mayor. - Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1991 Ottawa required to conduct environmental review of Alcan’s Kemano II hydro dam in northern BC; Ottawa to appeal ruling. - Kitimat, BC
  • 1992 Alberta francophones win right to control own school boards and set curriculum; after 10 year battle; 1990 Supreme Court ruling ‘where numbers warrant’. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1992 Boris Yeltsin visits Ottawa; signs $200 million wheat deal to tide Russia over until fall harvest; Russian President tells Canada’s Parliament his country has let go of totalitarianism to embrace democracy. - Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1996 Boston Bruins defenseman Ray Bourque named to the NHL’s First all-star team for the 12th time, tying Gordie Howe’s record for most career First-team selections. Pittsburgh Penguins’ Mario Lemieux wins Art Ross Trophy as League’s leading scorer. - Montréal, Québec
  • 1996 Statistics Canada reports Canada’s population will be approximately 29,955,000 by July 1; expected to pass the 30 million mark in August, 1996. - Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1996 Statistics Canada reports only 44.5% of all Canadian families are now composed of officially married couples with children, down from 55% in 1981. - Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1999 St. Cyprian’s Anglican Church in Brocket, Alberta, deconsecrated.