Highlights of the day

  • 1853 George Brown first issues his newspaper The Globe as a daily
  • 1930 Natural Resources Transfer Agreement hands over control to Alberta and Saskatchewan.
  • 1966 CBC starts 1st colour TV broadcasting in Canada, with Telescope documentary on Calgary Stampede.

List of Facts for October 1

  • 1578 Martin Frobisher and his ships all return to England safely; the worthless pyrites he brought back from Baffin Island are used to pave London streets; giving rise to the saying that the streets of London were “paved with gold”. London, England
  • 1665 Jesuit priest Claude Allouez founds a mission and birch-bark chapel at Pointe du Saint Esprit on Lake Superior; begins missionary work into Illinois. Lake Superior
  • 1669 Sulpician priests François Dollier de Casson and René de Galinée reach Tinaouataoua on Lake Ontario with Robert de La Salle; La Salle leaves them to return to Montreal; they will winter on the north shore of Lake Erie; on March 23, 1670, they erect a cross and take possession of the area in the name of the King of France; they then follow the Saint Clair River to Lake Huron, and reach the Jesuit mission at Sault Ste Marie, returning to Montreal via the Ottawa River. Hamilton, Ontario
  • 1674 Pope Clement X creates the bishopric of Québec; appoints François de Laval First Bishop of Québec. Rome, Italy
  • 1800 Diplomacy - Secret Treaty of Ildefonso; Spain returns Louisiana to France. Ildefonso, Italy
  • 1825 Milling - The Red River Colony’s First windmill begins to grind grain into flour. Manitoba
  • 1831 Census - End of 1831 Census of Lower Canada, taken from June 1 to October 1. Québec
  • 1846 Lord Elgin appointed Governor-General of Canada; serves from January 30,1847 to December 19, 1854. London, England
  • 1848 Fine Art - Paul Kane returns from his wanderings on the Prairies and Pacific coast of North America with over 700 sketches of aboriginal life in the west; he starts to paint canvases of his subjects during this winter. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1853 Media - George Brown First issues his newspaper The Globe as a daily. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1869 William McDougall appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Rupert’s Land and the Northwest Territories. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1876 First western Canadian wheat shipped to Ontario by railway and lake steamship. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1882 Rail - Original CPR line from Broadview, Saskatchewan to Regina opens. Regina, Saskatchewan
  • 1884 October 1 - Education - First women admitted to University College at the University of Toronto. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1884 G. B. Wright completes the Eagle Pass wagon road between Farwell and Shuswap Lake. Farwell, BC
  • 1890 Alberta Railway and Coal Company completes its line between Lethbridge and Coutts, Alberta to connect to its Great Falls and Canada Railway at the Boundary. Lethbridge, Alberta
  • 1891 Jennie Rath convenes classes in the new school at Stanley, BC.
  • 1897 Responsible Government in the Northwest Territories inaugurated with Frederick Haultain as Premier. Regina, Saskatchewan
  • 1898 October 1 - Evans Dawson leads a detachment of the Yukon Field Force to the Klondike gold fields. Dawson, Yukon
  • 1898 Post Office opens a bureau at Okanagan Falls, BC.
  • 1899 Diomede Falconio arrives in Québec as the First permanent Apostolic Delegate (Nuncio) to Canada. Québec, Québec
  • 1907 Vancouver, Victoria & Eastern Railway starts regular rail service into Keremeos, BC.
  • 1909 Governor-General Earl Grey lays the cornerstone of Alberta’s provincial Legislative Building. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1910 Regina Rugby Club play their First game, losing 16-6 to the Moose Jaw Tigers; forerunners of the CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders. Regina, Saskatchewan
  • 1916 First World War - Finance - Second Canadian War Loan of $100 million oversubscribed. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1917 British Columbia Prohibition Act (1917) declared; prohibition of alcoholic beverages lasts until June, 1921. Victoria, BC
  • 1919 Canadian Army vaudeville troupe “The Dumbells”, who First performed at Vimy Ridge in 1917, premiere their musical review in London. They follow up with rave reviews at the Grand Theatre in Toronto, and will open a new variety show at the Ambassador Theatre in New York two years later, becoming the First Canadian musical on Broadway. The Dumbells will disband in 1929. London, Ontario
  • 1926 Granby Consolidated acquires Allenby Copper Company. BC
  • 1927 Disaster - Gas explosion ignited by shot kills two miners in Corbin Coal’s No.6 mine at Corbin, BC.
  • 1930 October 1 - Canada hands over to Alberta control of its natural resources under the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1930 Canada hands over to Saskatchewan control of its natural resources under the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1932 Ottawa Senators readmitted to the NHL, which drops Pittsburgh; it is soon clear that the financially troubled team will not make a profit during the Depression, and it goes out of business. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1936 Col. Philip Primrose appointed Lieutenant-governor of Alberta; serves to March 23, 1937. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1938 Robert Bryce begins work in the Department of Finance; a disciple of John Maynard Keynes. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1941 Second World War - Agricultural Supplies Board given power to fix prices during wartime. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1943 Second World War - The 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade fights their First battle with Germans in Italy at Motta; also on this day the British Fifth Army enters Naples after the US Army breakout from Anzio. Motta, Italy
  • 1944 October 1 - Second World War - Canadian Army takes Calais, overrun flying bomb sites; end campaign to clear Channel ports. Calais, France
  • 1944 Second World War - Battle of the Scheldt - Second Canadian Division crosses Antwerp Canal to begin freeing of Scheldt estuary; victorious November 8. Antwerp, Belgium
  • 1947 October 1 - The office of the Governor-General becomes independent; given authority to exercise all Royal powers and executive authority of the Crown in relation to Canada. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1947 National Hockey League President Clarence Campbell establishes the NHL Pension Society. Montreal, Quebec
  • 1950 Colonel Clarence Wallace sworn in as Lieutenant-governor of British Columbia. Victoria, BC
  • 1951 Charlotte Whitton sworn in as Mayor of Ottawa on death of incumbent; first woman to serve as mayor of a large Canadian city. Ottawa, Ontario -
  • 1952 Mining - Canex completes the repurchase of the Emerald Mine from the Canadian government. BC
  • 1958 Canadian External Affairs Minister Sidney Smith opens Canada House in New York City; with Mayor Robert Wagner. New York, New York
  • 1959 Medicare - Federal-provincial hospital plan goes into effect in Prince Edward Island. PEI
  • 1960 October 1 - Hockey - NHL All-Stars beat Montréal Canadiens 2-1 in the Forum in the 14th National Hockey League All-Star Game. Montreal, Quebec
  • 1960 Opening of the O’Keefe Centre for the Performing Arts (now the Hummingbird Centre), with the premiere of Lerner and Loewe’s musical Camelot, with Canada’s Robert Goulet in the role of Sir Lancelot. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1961 October 1 - Media - CTV, Canada’s second major television network, begins broadcasting.
  • 1961 Canadian Finance Minister Donald Fleming elected Chairman of the new Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Paris, France
  • 1966 Media - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC-TV) starts First colour television broadcasting in Canada, with a Telescope documentary on the Calgary Stampede. Montréal, Québec -
  • 1967 Columbia Records releases the soundtrack album of the Broadway musical Camelot, featuring Canadian tenor Robert Goulet as Sir Lancelot. New York, New York
  • 1969 William Higgitt appointed 15th Commissioner of the RCMP; serves to December 28, 1973. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1970 Fishery - Soviet vessels banned from fishing in Big Bank region off the west coast of Vancouver Island; after collisions between Soviet and Canadian ships. BC
  • 1972 World Hockey Association opens its First season with WHA games around the League. Canada USA
  • 1976 Premiers Conference - Provincial Premiers meet in Toronto; again fail to reach agreement on amending formula for BNA Act. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1978 October 1 - Baseball - Cleveland Indians beat New York Yankees 9-2 on the last day of the season to force a one-game American League playoff between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, who won their eighth consecutive game 5-0 over the Toronto Blue Jays. New York, New York
  • 1978 Energy - Crow’s Nest Industries Limited amalgamated into Shell Canada Limited. Calgary, Alberta
  • 1981 Space - Anik satellite used to extend national edition of the Globe and Mail newspaper to Vancouver. Vancouver, BC
  • 1983 Fishery - Canada a founding member of the new North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization. London, England
  • 1986 John Fraser elected Speaker of the House of Commons; had resigned as a Minister after tainted tuna scandal. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1988 Olympics - Lennox Lewis Canadian super-heavyweight defeats Riddick Bowe at the 24th Olympiad, to win Canada’s First Olympic Boxing gold medal in 56 years. In the pool, Carolyn Waldo wins her second gold medal in synchronized swimming, in the duet competition with Michelle Cameron, becoming the First Canadian woman to win two gold medals at a summer Olympics competition. Seoul, Korea
  • 1990 October 1 - Energy - Ottawa announces plans to privatize Petro-Canada; 3,300 outlets, $6.8b assets; limits foreign ownership to 25%; no one investor to own more than 10% of the company. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1990 Bob Rae sworn in as Premier of Ontario, replacing David Peterson. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1991 Raymond Protti named head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), replacing Reed Morden; former Deputy Minister of Labour. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1992 October 1 - Pierre Trudeau comes out strongly against the Charlottetown Accord; says it will weaken Ottawa and create hierarchy of rights; Québeckers at the top, women, natives and individual Canadians at the bottom. Montréal, Québec
  • 1992 Justice - Mi’kmaq (Micmac) chief Reg Maloney gets right to try some native court cases as a justice of the peace on his 1,200 member reserve; mostly minor criminal cases. Indian Brook, Nova Scotia
  • 1992 Family - Statistics Canada says average first-time bride was aged 26 in 1990, 22.6 in 1971; groom 27.9, 24.9; First marriages 77%, 90% in 1971; 7.1/1000 people; 7.9 in 1921. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1994 Strike - National Hockey League team owners begin a 103-day lockout of their players; 1994-95 NHL season delayed because owners and players couldn’t agree on a new contract. North America
  • 1997 October 1 - Michel Bastarache appointed to Supreme Court of Canada after retirement of Gérard LaForest. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1997 Supreme Court of Canada strikes down Québec’s law limiting spending on referenda. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 2000 Olympics - 27th Olympiad games close at Sydney. Sydney, Australia
  • 2004 October 1 - Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson’s term extended for one year. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 2004 Health - Provinces of Manitoba, New Brunswick and Alberta bring in tough new anti-tobacco smoking laws.
  • 2007 October 1 - Election - General election in Northwest Territories; premier to be chosen by and from the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs. NWT
  • 2007 Governor General appoints Steven Point as Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, replacing Iona Campagnolo. Victoria, BC
  • 2008 Federal Election - Radio-Canada hosts French-language debate for federal party leaders.
  • 2010 October 1 - David Johnston sworn in as the 28th Governor General of Canada, replacing Michaëlle Jean; former head of McGill and Waterloo universities. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 2010 Weather - Torrential rain causes flooding in Sherbrooke killing one person. Sherbrooke, Quebec