20th Century at a glance

  • Canadian Pension

    Canadian Pension
    Parliament passes a motion seeking a constitutional amendment that would create pensions for ALL Canadians over the age of 70
  • Women in the Royal Canadian Air Force

    Women in the Royal Canadian Air Force
    The first 80 recruited enlisted women in the Royal Canadian Air Force arrive at St.Jean, Quebec for basic training
  • Ethlyn Trapp

    Ethlyn Trapp
    First female doctor to become the head of the National Cancer Institute of Canada
  • End to labour discrimination

    The Canadian gov't passed the Fair Employment Practices Act to help end discrimination in the labour force
  • Canadian Labour Congress

    Canadian Labour Congress
    Canadian Labour Congress is established
  • Trans-Canada highway

    Trans-Canada highway
    The trans-Canada highway opens for business
  • Social Insurances Cards

    Social Insurances Cards
    The Social Insurance Card is introduced to Canadians
  • Canadian Flag

    Canadian Flag
    The Maple Leaf Flag is inaugurated in Parliament Hill Ceremony
  • Expo '67

    Expo '67
    A world fair built on the theme 'Man and his World' opened in Montreal for the first time
  • Biligualism

    Biligualism
    The Federal gov't officially becomes bilingual
  • Death penalty abolished

    The House of Commons approved, by a mere 8 votes, a bill abolishing the death penalty
  • Inuit sells their land

    The Federal Gov't paid 45million dollars to 2500 Inuit of Western Arctic in return for the surrender of their aboriginal rights to 270,000 square kilometers of land they traditionally used
  • The first Terry Fox run

    The first Terry Fox run
    On this morning Terry Fox dipped his artificial leg in the waters of St.John's harbour and set off on the greatest adventure of his life to raise $1 million for cancer research.
    This was also the beginning of thousands of people continuing the run every year after the death of Terry.
  • Pierre Trudeau

    Pierre Trudeau
    Under his watch as Prime Minister of Canada the new Constitution Act did not change Canada's system of gov't but included 'Charter of Rights and Freedoms' that captured the basic civil rights of all Canadians
  • The naming of Canada Day

    Dominion Day holiday officially changed to Canada Day.
  • Free Trade Agreement

    Free Trade Agreement
    Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and President Ronald Reagan sign the Canada - U.S. free trade agreement
  • Final Trip

    Final Trip
    The Canadian Via passenger train makes its final cross country after the federal gov't orders the railway to cut service
  • Goods and Services Tax

    Goods and Services Tax
    The most unpopular tax in Canadian history is introduced
  • First female Prime Minister

    First female Prime Minister
    Kim Campbell is introduced as the first female Prime Minister, replacing Brian Mulroney
  • Canadian Human Rights Act

    Canadian Human Rights Act
    The House of Commons approves changes to the Canadian Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination against gays
  • Nunavut

    Nunavut
    Nunavut is officially created and becomes the third Arctic territory
  • Beverly McLachin

    Beverly McLachin
    First female chief justice of the supreme court of Canada