Highlights of the day

  • 1632 Paul Le Jeune sends his first report on mission work and Indian life to the Jesuit Order in France.
  • 1833 Royal Assent given to act outlawing slavery in the British Empire; over 700,000 will be liberated.
  • 1992 PM Brian Mulroney, the premiers and aboriginal leaders negotiate the Charlottetown Accord

List of Facts for August 28

  • 1606 Pont-Gravé returns to France, leaving Jean de Poutrincourt in charge at Port Royal. Annapolis, Nova Scotia
  • 1606 Jean de Poutrincourt sets sail from Port Royal and explores down the American coast on the Jonas; will return November 14, 1606. Annapolis, Nova Scotia
  • 1632 Paul Le Jeune sends his First report on mission work and Indian life to the Provincial of the Jesuit Order in France, Father Bartholémy Jacquinot, as an account of his trip to the New World; First of the annual Jesuit Relations, spanning 40 years in the life of New France; Le Jeune was Superior of the Jesuits in Québec from 1632-1639. Father Jacquinot was so taken with the account that he had it and future letters printed by Sebastien Cramoisy. They became immensely popular reading in France. Other authors include Jérôme Lalemant, author of the Relations for 1646 to 1650 (in part) and 1660 to 1664, and Paul Rageneau, author of the memorable Huron Relations for 1648-1650, of which the 1648-1649 account of various martyrdoms in Huronia became the whole Relation sent by Lalemant to France. Ragueneau also wrote the general Relations of 1650 and 1651. Québec, Québec
  • 1660 René Menard leaves Trois-Rivières for Keweenaw Bay on the south shore of Lake Superior, where he establishes the Ste-Thérèse mission. Trois-Rivières, Québec
  • 1661 Pierre Radisson & Médart des Groseilliers leave Montréal without the Governor’s permission; journey to Lake Superior; possibly reach Hudson Bay. Montréal, Québec
  • 1667 Alexandre de Prouville, Marquis de Tracy departs for France. Québec, Québec
  • 1696 English recapture Fort York (HBC’s York Factory) from the French. Churchill, Manitoba
  • 1760 French and Indian War - William Haviland occupies Fort Île aux Noix on the Richelieu River; later Fort Lennox. Île aux Noix, Québec
  • 1775 American Revolutionary War - Richard Montgomery begins one wing of invasion of Canada down Richelieu River with General Philip Schuyler and 1,000 troops; invites inhabitants to join the American Revolution. General George Washington also sent Benedict Arnold towards Quebec with a supporting force. Richelieu River, Québec
  • 1781 American privateers attack Annapolis Royal. Annapolis, Nova Scotia
  • 1809 Theatre - Play ‘Le Charivari’ performed in Montréal. Montréal, Québec
  • 1819 Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond, dies of rabies in a settler’s cabin, on Chapman’s farm, near Perth, Ontario; Governor of Lower Canada for only 13 months, he had set off on a summer tour of Canada; at Sorel, Québec, he was bitten in the hand by a pet fox; a few weeks later the symptoms of rabies appeared, with pains in his throat and shoulders, and a fear of water. He died of fever near the military settlement that bore his name. Richmond, Ontario
  • 1833 Human Rights - Royal Assent given to an act of the British Parliament outlawing slavery in the British Empire; effective August 1, 1834; over 700,000 persons will be liberated. London, England
  • 1846 British Possessions Act lets Canada and Maritime provinces enact revenue tariffs and cut or repeal duties; marks new stage in Canadian independence. London, England
  • 1854 Mgr. Ignace Bourget announces the building of a Roman Catholic Cathédral de Montréal. Montréal, Québec
  • 1860 Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales attends a lacrosse match played in his honour. (later King Edward VII) Montréal, Québec
  • 1861 William Lyon Mackenzie dies at age 66; Toronto’s First mayor; as a member of the Assembly of Upper Canada, he was expelled for breach of privilege and never allowed to resume his seat, even though his constituents re-elected him five times; leader of the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837 in two skirmishes north of Toronto; fled to the US; returned under amnesty in 1849; re-elected in 1851; retired from politics in 1858. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1867 Mgr. Pierre Baillargeon named Bishop of Québec. Québec, Québec
  • 1872 George-Étienne Cartier defeated by 1,300 votes in Montréal East, despite the spending of over $25,000 in the riding during the election. Louis Riel later offers him his seat of Provencher, Manitoba, which he accepts. Montréal, Québec
  • 1872 Honoré Mercier elected MP for the county of Rouville. Rouville, Québec
  • 1872 Wild Bill Hickok (aka James Butler) stars in the Grand Buffalo Hunt at Niagara Falls; First Wild West Show in Canada sees Native American and Mexican cowboys doing a thrilling display of roping and riding, and ‘hunting’ three tame buffalo. Niagara Falls, Ontario
  • 1878 First issue of Sherbrooke Examiner newspaper published. Sherbrooke, Québec
  • 1883 Saskatchewan River Steamboat ‘Lily’ begins her last voyage from Medicine Hat, Alberta to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; she will sink 40 miles from Medicine Hat. Alberta
  • 1885 North-West Coal & Navigation Company completes the 109 mile Turkey Trail from Dunmore to Coal Banks. Dunmore, Alberta
  • 1895 First service in the new Presbyterian Church on Nickel Plate Flat at Rossland, BC.
  • 1900 Chief Mi’kai’stowa (Red Crow) of the Kainai drowns in the St. Mary’s River in southern Alberta. Alberta
  • 1902 Plan of the City of Blairmore, NWT, registered. Blairmore, Alberta
  • 1904 First holy liturgy is celebrated in Shandro St. Mary’s Russo-Greek Orthodox Church. Shandro, Alberta
  • 1915 Former Manitoba Premier Rodmond Roblin and three ex-ministers are arrested on charges of conspiracy to defraud the Crown. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1917 Fire destroys much of the downtown of Bellevue, Alberta.
  • 1920 Nathan Nathanson presides over gala opening of his Pantages Theatre on Yonge Street, with six vaudeville acts and two silent films; moved to Canada from the US in 1907 to start the Famous Players Canadian Corporation which built the Pantages. The movie palace was later renamed the Imperial Theatre, then in 1973 converted into six movie screens as the Imperial Six; closed in 1986 during dispute between Famous Players and Cineplex Odeon; restored in 1989 by Garth Drabinsky for the Toronto production of the Phantom of the Opera. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1920 Aviation - Bush pilot W. R. Maxwell leaves Moose Factory on James Bay in his Curtiss HS-2L with patient J. W. Thompson for an emergency mastoid operation in Cochrane, Ontario; First known medical rescue by a bush plane. Moose Factory, Ontario
  • 1922 Captain Joseph-Elzéar Bernier builds Craig Harbour, Canada’s most northerly settlement to date at 76 degrees I0’ N; on the Canadian Government Arctic Expedition. Craig Harbour, Nunavut
  • 1941 Dominion Observatory time becomes Canada’s official time at 1 pm on this day. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1945 French General Charles de Gaulle arrives in Ottawa for talks with Prime Minister Mackenzie King; pre-war French gold is being stored in the Bank of Canada. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1968 Michel Tremblay premieres his play Les belles-soeurs; one of first artistic uses of Québecois French slang, or ‘joual’. Québec, Québec
  • 1969 Jean Lesage resigns as Leader of the Québec Liberal Party. Québec, Québec
  • 1971 Human Rights - George Hislop leads Canada’s first gay rights demonstration on Parliament Hill Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1980 Strike by Halifax transit workers ends after 31-day walkout. Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • 1982 Media - Today magazine publishes last issue; distributed in 18 Canadian newspapers with circulation of 3 million.
  • 1986 Record - Largest wrestling crowd in Canadian history, 69,300, watch a match at the CNE’s Exhibition Stadium. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1987 Blairmore Health Care Centre inaugurated. Blairmore, Alberta
  • 1988 Jean Marchand dies; Québec labour leader, federal politician. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1990 Oka Crisis - Canadian Army offers 24 hour grace period to Mohawks at Kanasetake to dismantle barricades. Oka, Québec
  • 1991 Montréal Expo pitcher Dennis Martinez faces off against Cincinatti Reds’ Tom Browning vs; both perfect game pitchers face off in one baseball game. Montréal, Québec
  • 1992 Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, the premiers and aboriginal leaders negotiate the Charlottetown Accord after 5 day debate; Québec to get 25% of Commons seats; veto over French language, culture; approval on three Supreme Court of Canada judges. Provinces to have the right to veto future changes in national institutions; get full control of forestry, mining, tourism, recreation, housing, culture; also urban affairs; can opt out of new national cost-sharing programs, and be compensated. Provinces agree in principle to get rid of interprovincial trade barriers. Accord enshrines native right to self-government in Constitution; 5 years to define concept before courts get involved; natives to be able to make native laws consistent with federal and provincial laws; peace, order, good government. Accord to let territories become provinces; existing provinces to OK terms and representation. Senate to be elected and equal; Québec and Ontario to get 18 more Commons seats each; new Senate to be cut to 62 seats, 6 from each province, 1 from each territory; proposed new Senate can veto legislation on natural resources taxation and government appointments; Québec senators in proposed new Senate can veto legislation on French language and culture. Charlottetown, PEI
  • 1992 Peacekeeping - Defence Minister Marcel Masse says Canada prepared to send 750 troops to Somalia to help relieve famine and civil war. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1992 Peacekeeping - Department of National Defence sends destroyer HMCS Gatineau to monitor UN embargo against Yugoslavia; moves to NATO standing force in Mediterranean. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1994 Golf - Martha Nause wins the 22nd du Maurier Golf Classic.
  • 2002 Crime - Winnipeg police arrest a man in the sexual abuse and murder of an 11-year-old aboriginal boy who was found in a basement storage room. Winnipeg, Manitoba.
  • 2009 Foreign Affairs - Stephen Harper appoints former NDP Manitoba premier Gary Doer as Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. Ottawa, Ontario