TODAY – NOV 3, 2010 – IN CANADIAN HISTORY

On This Day

November 03

	Today's Canadian Headline...
1995	RAPTORS AND GRIZZLIES MAUL OPPONENTSToronto/Vancouver – Toronto Raptors basketball team beats the New Jersey Nets 94-79, and Vancouver Grizzlies thump the Portland Trail Blazers 92-80 on opening night; first games for Canada’s new NBA expansion teams.
1873	Also On This Day... Selkirk Manitoba – First 150 North West Mounted Police (NWMP) recruits sworn in at Lower Fort Garry, Manitoba after arduous overland journey from the east; training begins for their march westward in 1874; recruited by the militia from Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
1894	And in Today's Canadian Birthdays... Billy Barker 1894-1930 fighter pilot, was born on this day at Dauphin Manitoba in 1894; died in a plane crash at Rockcliffe Air Base Mar 12, 1930. Barker shot down 53 enemy planes, making him Canada’s Number 1 World War I flying ace, and won the Victoria Cross for a single handed attack against a squadron of 60 German planes.Also Vilhjalmur Stefansson 1879-1962 explorer, ethnologist, was born on this day at Arnes, Manitoba in 1879 of Icelandic descent; died in Hanover, New Hampshire Aug 26, 1962. Stefansson spent many years exploring the Canadian Arctic from 1906, and adapted himself to Inuit ways of surviving. While commanding the Canadian Arctic Expedition 1913-18, he discovered Borden, Brock, Lougheed and Meighen Islands, but his heavy handed management left him with many official enemies, and he spent the remainder of his career at Dartmouth University in the US. Also Bronislau ‘Bronko’ Nagurski 1908-1990 football running back, defensive tackle, was born on this day at Rainy River, Ontario, in 1908; grew up there and in International Falls across the border; died Jan. 07, 1990, at age 81. Nagurski joined the Chicago Bears after legendary college career at Minnesota (1927-29); played with Bears 1930-1937, 1943; known for his toughness; gained 4,031 yards in 9 seasons; All-NFL, 1932, 1933, 1934; in the 1932 NFL championship game against the Portsmouth Spartans, Nagurski won the game for the Bears with a disputed pass to Red Grange. As a result the NFL changed its rules on passing; his two TD passes clinched Bears’ 1933 title win; again helped 1943 Bears to NFL crown after 6-year stint professional wrestling, scoring a touchdown against the Washington Redskins; retired to wrestling until 1960; 3-time world heavyweight champion, defeating Dean Detton (1937), Lou Thesz (1939), and Ray Steele (1941); voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1963. Also William Kurelek 1927-1977 artist, was born on this day on his family’s homestead near Whitford, Alberta, in 1927, the eldest of seven children; died in Toronto Nov. 03, 1977. Kurelek’s family lost their farm in the Depression and moved to Stonewall, Manitoba; after leaving school he worked in lumber camps to raise money to attend art school; in the 1970s, he started to write text to accompany his paintings, and books like A Prairie Boy’s Winter have become Canadian classics for children. Kurelek also painted religious art, which helped him cope with his frequent depressions. Also Lee Montgomery 1961- actor, was born on this day at Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1961. For a list of Montgomery’s movie roles, check out the Internet Movie Database. Also Rob Cowie 1967- hockey defenceman, was born on this day at Toronto in 1967. Cowie last played for the LA Kings. Also Paul Quantrill 1968- baseball pitcher, was born on this day at London, Ontario, in 1968. Quantrill hurls for the Toronto Blue Jays. Also Debbie Rochon 1968- actor, was born on this day at Vancouver, BC, in 1968. Rochon started her acting career playing Romeo & Juliet. For a list of her movie roles, check out the Internet Movie Database. Also Jim McKenzie 1969- hockey left winger, was born on this day at Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, in 1969. McKenzie was selected by the Hartford Whalers in the fourth round (73rd pick overall) of the 1989 Entry Draft; selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1995 NHL Waiver Draft; now playing for Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Also Colbie Bell 1971- wrestler, was born on this day at Edmonton, Alberta, in 1971. Bell competed for Canada in 100 kg Greco Roman at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
In Other Events…
1996	Montreal Quebec – Quebec pop diva Céline Dion wins 7 Félix awards at the 18th Gala de L’ADISQ.
1996	Ottawa Ontario – Government accepts resignation of Quebec’s Lieutenant Governor Jean-Louis Roux, after revelations he wore a swastika while a student.
1995	Markham Ontario – Frank Stronach takes home annual pay packet of $47.3 million (Canadian) from auto parts maker Magna International Inc., by far a Canadian record.
1991	Fredericton , New Brunswick – Allan Legere convicted of four counts of first-degree murder in the beating deaths of three women and a Catholic priest during a reign of terror in the Miramachi region after his 1989 jail break; will file a hand-written appeal few days later.
1991	San Francisco, California – Toronto rocker Neil Young reunites with Crosby, Stills & Nash before 300,000 people in a free concert in Golden Gate Park in memory of rock promoter Bill Graham; others include Grateful Dead; Joan Baez; Santana; and Journey.
1981	Ottawa Ontario – René Lévesque and seven anglophone provinces try to get a compromise agreement to permit the federal government to act with unanimity in the patriation of the BNA Act.
1981	Inuvik NWT – Dome Petroleum Ltd. finds huge new oil deposits in Beaufort Sea; about 109 km north of Mackenzie delta.
1981	Toronto Ontario – Ontario government invokes closure to end debate in Legislature, to get access to tax funds; first time since 1874.
1975	Ottawa Ontario – Ottawa announces program to make more low and medium-cost housing available through CMHC.
1974	New York City – Canadian rock group Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) have a #1 Billboard hit with ‘You AinÕt Seen Nothing Yet’.
1969	Ottawa Ontario – Department of External Affairs closes 3 Canadian missions in Latin America, and in Cambodia, Laos, Cyprus, and West Berlin; cost-cutting measure.
1964	Ottawa Ontario – Defence Minister Paul Theodore Hellyer 1923- announces disbanding of almost 60 militia units.
1960	Ottawa Ontario – Opening of second federal-provincial constitutional conference on amendment of BNA Act.
1959	Montreal Quebec – Jean-Paul Desbiens 1927- publishes the first of his Frère Untel (Brother Anonymous) letters in Quebec newspapers, member of the Marist order of brothers and a teacher, Desbiens later published his writing in a book, Les Insolences du Frère Untel, describing the failure of the Quebec school system; helped influence Quebec’s Quiet Revolution.
1959	Ottawa Ontario – Paul Tremblay appointed Canada’s Ambassador to Chile.
1957	Deep River, Ontario – National Research Unit reactor starts operation at Chalk River; one of world’s most advanced nuclear reactors
1952	Chester, New York – Baker Clarence Birdseye markets his first frozen peas; learned the technique of flash freezing from Labrador Inuit.
1951	Montreal Quebec – Canadiens star Maurice Richard gets his 300th goal in his 481st NHL game.
1948	Chicago Illinois – NHL All-Stars beat Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in the second NHL All-Star Game.
1943	Halifax, Nova Scotia – US freighter ‘Volunteer’, carrying explosives, catches fire in Halifax harbour; courage of navy men saves city from disaster.
1941	Washington DC – US Lend-Lease Act becomes law; cash and carry provisions of Neutrality Act of 1939 changed to permit direct transfer of munitions to Allies, especially Canada and Britain.
1937	Montreal Quebec – NHL All-Stars beat Montreal Canadiens 6-5 in the Howie Morenz Memorial Game, the first League All-Star game.
1930	Windsor Ontario – Opening of the auto tunnel to Detroit, the world’s first vehicular tunnel from one country to another.
1918	Vienna Austria – Austria signs an armistice with the Allies, a prelude to the German surrender Nov. 11.
1908	Vatican City – Roman Catholic Church declares that it will no longer consider Canada as a country for missionary activities.
1904	Canada – Wilfrid Laurier 1841-1919 wins landslide in Tenth Canadian federal election; re-elected with a majority of 64 seats; 138 seats to 75 for the Conservatives; Henri Bourassa one of the new MPs elected for the Liberals.
1873	Ottawa Ontario – John A. Macdonald defends himself against the Pacific Scandal charges in a 5 hour speech to parliament; he resigns two days later.
1869	Hamilton Ontario – Founding of the Hamilton Foot Ball Club; later the Hamilton Tigers; today’s Tiger Cats.
1843	Montreal Quebec – Montreal chosen as the capital of the Province of Canada, and the seat of Parliament.
1838	Quebec – Hunters Lodges (Fr&eggrave;res Chasseurs) mobilize in towns around Montreal such as Beauharnois, Ste-Martine, St-Mathias and St-Constant (where they disarmed a body of Loyalists); the Hunters were republican rebels backed by American sympathizers, who wanted to keep the revolution alive.
1817	Montreal Quebec – The Bank of Montreal opens its first branch and trades its first shares; incorporated three years later, on Dec. 20, 1820, by English and French merchants.
1815	Selkirk Manitoba – Robert Semple 1777-1816 leaves Colin Robertson in charge of Red River colony.
1775	St-Jean Quebec – Richard Montgomery 1736-1775 captures Fort St. John after two day siege; continues up Richelieu River from Lake Champlain toward Montreal.
1662	Quebec Quebec – Sieur des Monts returns to France after leaving a garrison of 100 soldiers at Quebec.
1657	Quebec Quebec – Genevieve-Agnes Skanudharoua dies at Quebec a few hours after taking holy vows; daughter of Huron chief the first Native woman to enter religious life
1655	England – England and France sign Treaty of Westminster; Acadia restored to French.
1653	Quebec Quebec – Most Iroquois make peace with French; some Mohawks, Oneidas and Onondagas continue to fight in spite of treaty of Neutrality.
1644	Quebec Quebec – Martin Prévost marries Manitouabewich; first religious marriage between French-Canadian and an Indian woman; newly married couples given a cow, bull, hog.
1634	Quebec Quebec – Father Lalemant baptizes Matchonon, a 25 year old Huron.

Today in Canadian History is written, compiled, edited and produced by Ottawa Researchers © 1984-2002.