Important Historical Events of Canada.
                     Important 
Historical Events 
of Canada
Introduction
The steady population of Canada began around 20,000 
years ago with the arrival of the Inuit, a nomadic band 
wandering from Siberia. 
They developed a remarkable subsistence technology suited 
to the brutal environment, and traces of their ancient culture 
linger. 
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Important Historical 
Events of Canada
3
Confederation, 1867
A bunch of aging politicians managed to form the federal 
Dominion of Canada on July 1, now our great nation’s 
birthday. Ontario and Quebec were formed and united with 
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. 
But bitter bickering would mean our country as we know it 
today wouldn’t be finalized until Newfoundland joined in 
1949.
Source: www.ottawasun.com
The Battle of Vimy 
Ridge April 9, 1917
Canada was getting dragged into the First World War 
whether they liked it or not, clinging to the coattails of the 
British empire. 
With a brutal snowstorm raging overhead, 100,000 Canadian 
troops rushed and overcame the German forces, capturing 
the ridge and allowing French forces to catch the nearby 
town of Aisne under defended. It was a pivotal moment for 
Canadian nationalism.
Source: www.ottawasun.com
Discovery of Insulin, 
1922
Before insulin, getting diabetes could often mean a death 
sentence. But in 1920, Dr. Frederick Banting, an unknown in 
his field, thought he’d found the cure to diabetes. And it all 
revolved around a dog’s pancreas.
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Women’s suffrage
While women who owned property were allowed to cast a 
ballot as early as 1925, it wasn’t until 1951 that any woman 
was allowed to vote and enter as an election candidate.
And that was only because of the thousands of women who 
fought for women’s suffrage, just a short few years before 
women started burning their bras in the U.S. 
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Universal health care
The debate over offering medicare to every Canadian citizen 
was a fiery one in 1960. 
Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas believed every 
province owed their residents a basic level of care, and 
fought tooth and nail to make that happen. 
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Terry Fox, 1980
If Canada has one gleaming hero, it must be Terry Fox. No 
other Canadian man or woman so captivated a nation.
He ran 5,733 km in 143 days on one leg during his Marathon 
of Hope before cancer finally claimed him. 
But his legacy has raised more than $500 million for cancer 
research and he continues to be a beacon of inspiration for 
all Canadians.
Source: www.ottawasun.com
Charter of Rights and 
Freedoms, 1982
Pierre Elliot Trudeau may be the first politician to publicly 
hurl an F-bomb at a fellow MP, but he’s also credited for 
penning the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which granted 
greater political and civil rights to all Canadians and paved 
the way for the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2005.
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Second World War
Finally a card-carrying member of the Big Boys’ Club, 
Canada made its own decision to join the Second World War 
decimating much of Europe. 
Canada showed its allies they were a force to be reckoned 
with, gaining respect across the globe.
Source: www.ottawasun.com
2002 women’s 
hockey gold
Hockey at the Olympic Games in Utah was a tale of two 
bitter rivalries. A historic goal by Jayna Hefford rocketed the 
team to the top of the podium and gave a boost to the 
men’s team, who clinched their own gold.
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