TODAY – AUG 31, 2010 – IN CANADIAN HISTORY

On This Day

	Today's Canadian Headline....
1527	FIRST LETTER WRITTEN FROM CANADASt. John’s Newfoundland – John Rut writes to English King Henry VIII noting that there are 14 French and Portuguese fishing vessels in the harbour; also describes Labrador; the first recorded letter written from Canada.
1991	Also On This Day... New York New York – United Nations awards 226 Canadian peacekeepers with UN service medals; for work in Yugoslavia. This TV feed shows a Canadian soldier taken hostage by the Bosnian Serbs .
1807	And in Today's Canadian Birthdays... Sir John Young, Baron Lisgar 1807-1876 Second Governor-General of Canada 1869-72, was born on this day in Bombay, India in 1807; died in Baillieborough, Ireland Oct. 6, 1876. Lisgar calmed US-Canadian relations during the Fenian raids and helped in the sale of Rupert’s Land to Canada and the creation of the province of Manitoba. He also founded the Governor General’s Foot Guards.Also Felix-Antoine Savard 1896-1982 priest, poet, novelist, folklorist, was born on this day in Quebec, Quebec in 1896; died in Quebec Aug 24, 1982. Savard’s works show a strong nationalist spirit and a love of the land. Also Jean-Marc Béliveau 1931- Montreal Canadiens hockey centre, born on this day in Trois Rivières, Quebec in 1931. After his junior years with the Quebec Aces, BŽliveau played his entire career (1953-71) with the NHL Canadiens, where he scored 507 goals and 1219 points. He helped the Habs to 17 Stanley Cup playoffs and 10 victories, many as team captain. He was playoff MVP (1965) and 2-time regular season MVP (Hart Trophy 1956 and 1964). His playoff record of 79 goals and 176 points stood until Wayne Gretzky broke it in 1987. Beliveau retired in 1971 and spent several years with the Canadiens front office. Also Cliff Lumsdon 1931-1991 swimmer, coach, was born on this day in 1931; died Aug. 31, 1991. Lumsdon won five world marathon swim championships, the first in 1949 when he defeated 70 other competitors; first swimmer to cross the Straits of Juan de Fuca; 1955 only one of 30 swimmers to complete the 55 km distance in 46 degrees F water. Also Alan Fotheringham 1932- journalist, wit, was born on this day in Hearne, Saskatchewan in 1932. Fotheringham is best known for his Southam and Financial Post columns from Ottawa and Washington and his Macleans pieces, plus his work on the late Front Page Challenge. Also Tony DeFranco 1959- pop musician, of The Defranco family, was born on this day in 1959.
In Other Events….
1995	Quebec – Sûreté de Québec provincial police swear in first 6 Inuit constables.
1993	Ottawa Ontario – Government slaps a ban on cod fishing after stocks dwindle.
1990	Schreiber Ontario – CP Rail sues Pays Plat Ojibwa Band for $37 million for blockading rail lines Aug 21-23 in sympathy with Oka occupation; also suit against Pic Mobert band at White River.
1988	Ottawa Ontario – Canada-US Free Trade Agreement becomes law.
1987	Montreal Quebec – Quatre Saisons network launches La Maison Deschênes; 30 minute drama Canada’s first daily TV soap opera.
1985	New York City – Bryan Adams’ ‘Summer Of ’69’ peaks at #5 on the Billboard pop singles chart.
1981	Langley BC – Clifford Robert Olson charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of nine children, after RCMP make a deal to lead them to the bodies and other evidence, in exchange for a $100,000 trust fund for his wife and infant son; native of Coquitlam, BC, will later be charged with killing 11 boys and girls aged nine to 18, and sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole.
1976	Burnaby BC – Carallyn Bowes arrives in Burnaby after running the 3,840 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Burnaby, British Columbia in 133 days; first woman to run across Canada.
1973	Fort McMurray Alberta – Shell Canada announces plans to build $700 million oil extraction plant on Athabasca tar sands.
1971	Alberta – Peter Lougheed 1928- leads Progressive Conservatives to victory in Alberta provincial election over the Social Credit government under Harry Strom; upsetting 36 years of Socred rule.
1964	Charlottetown PEI – Centennial of Charlottetown Conference of 1864 re-enacted.
1956	Montreal Quebec – Henri Bourassa dies.
1955	Toronto Ontario – Church of England in Canada changed its name to Anglican Church of Canada.
1955	Winnipeg Manitoba – Placard-carrying mob of Ukrainian nationalists punch and kick four RCMP plain-clothes officers at Winnipeg airport, thinking they are part of a visiting delegation of Soviet farming experts; Mounties, Winnipeg city police and the railway police stop a potential riot; Soviets put under protective guard in a downtown hotel.
1944	Rimini Italy – Canadian troops break through Gothic Line south of Rimini; enter Po Valley; until Sept. 3.
1942	Ottawa Ontario – Federal Finance Minister announces Victory design on new 5¢ copper-zinc alloy (Tombac) coin, 12-sided to help distinguish it from the penny and quarter; change in metal is to preserve nickel supplies for war uses.
1940	Montreal Quebec – Mgr. Joseph Charbonneau becomes Roman Catholic Archbishop of Montreal on the death of Mgr. Gauthier.
1940	Berlin Germany – Canadians join RAF in first bombing attack on centre of Berlin.
1939	Hollywood California – Montreal actress Norma Shearer stars in George Cukor’s ‘The Women’, from the Claire Boothe play; co-stars include Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Joan Fontaine, Paulette Goddard, and Mary Boland.
1938	Quebec – Torrential rains hit St. Lawrence Valley; 12 persons killed in flooding and landslides.
1906	Alaska – Roald Amundsen’s ship Gjoa reaches Alaska; first ship to sail the Northwest Passage.
1883	Calgary Alberta – Andrew M. Armour and Thomas B. Braden publish the first issue of their Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate and General Advertiser newspaper; a four pager published, edited and typeset from a tiny hand-press in a tent on the banks of the Elbow River; one year subscription available for $3.00 (in advance).
1814	Castine Maine – John Sherbrooke 1764-1830 captures Castine, Maine, with a force from Halifax; War of 1812.
1721	Quebec Quebec – New France harvests 216,000 lbs of tobacco.
1721	Quebec Quebec – New France harvests 50,000 lbs of tobacco.
1673	Quebec Quebec – All beggars in Quebec ordered to leave by authorities.
1666	Quebec Quebec – Intendant Jean Talon’s census taken. Here are some results: population of New France 3,418; Beauport 172; Beaupré 678; Ile d’Orléans 471; Montreal 584; Quebec 555; Sillery 217; Trois-Rivières 461. In addition, 63% are males; 257 women and 791 men are unmarried; 40% are aged 14 and under; 7 married women are aged 14 or under.
1604	Dochet Island, Maine – Poutrincourt sails for France leaving de Monts, Champlain and 77 others to spend the winter on St. Croix.
1583	Cape Race, Newfoundland – Two remaining ships of Humphrey Gilbert c1537-1583 return to Cape Race and head for England; Gilbert and the ‘Squirrel’ lost in mid-ocean.
1578	Frobisher Bay NWT – Martin Frobisher c1539-1594 sets out for England; other 13 ships leave three days later.

<!– “A happier calamity never befell a people than the conquest of Canada by the British arms.”
Francis Parkman
American historian –>

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