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Declaration of WWI
On August 4th, 1914, Britain followed the 3 previous declarations and declared war on Germany. Since Canada’s external affairs were governed by the UK, when Britain declared war, Canada also joined automatically. This event is important because it signified the start of WWI which affected global food supply, caused millions of deaths and injuries, and put the world into a state of fear and chaos. This is also significant because it shows how Canada was mostly governed by Britain at the time. -
Vimy Ridge
On April 9th, 1917, in France, the four divisions of the Canadian Corps worked together for the first time to capture Vimy Ridge. The battle lasted 4 days until April 12th, when the Canadian Corps successfully captured the ridge. This battle is very significant because this is the first time that all four divisions of the Canadian Corps worked together. Although this was a very deadly battle, this win also showed the strength and power of Canada’s military and Canada as a country. -
Wartime Elections Act
A law put in place by Robert Borden in 1917 to help him win the election. This law gave women who were serving overseas as well as women with family serving overseas the right to vote, and took away voting rights from “enemy aliens” (immigrants from opposing countries) and conscientious objectors. This law was very significant because it gave women in Canada the right to vote for the first time. This overall gave Women more power on a bigger scale and was a big step towards more women’s rights. -
Influenza ("Spanish Flu")
An outbreak of the Influenza took place in 1914, and lasted until 1918. In Canada, there were about 2 million cases and 10,000 deaths during the epidemic. The virus had similar symptoms to our modern common flu, but tended to affect the young and healthy. This epidemic was significant because it affected the population by causing lockdowns, mandated masks, and deaths. Most of these deaths occured due to the Influenza weakening the immune system, making the person susceptible to other diseases. -
Winnipeg General Strike
On May 15th, 1919, over 30,000 workers in Winnipeg gathered and went on a strike, which shut the city down for 37 days. On June 21st, the mayor of Winnipeg called the Royal Northwest Mounted Police to stop the strikers. In the end, there was one death, and many injuries and arrests. It is now known as “Bloody Saturday”. This event is significant because it helped gain the right for workers to join labour unions, giving the workers more rights and protection, and inspired more strikes/protests. -
Treaty of Versailles
An armistice was reached, and Germany agreed to a cease-fire at 11am on November 11th, 1918. The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28th, 1919 after months of argument and negotiation amongst the so-called “Big Three” as to what the treaty should contain. This Treaty is very significant because it put and end to the first world war, and brought temporary peace to the world. This is also significant for Canada because we now celebrate Remembrance Day on the day of the armistice. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
In 1885 the federal government added a Head Tax on Chinese immigration due to booming immigration from China. In 1923, the new Chinese Immigration Act (Chinese Exclusion Act) only allowed for students, businessmen, and diplomats to immigrate to Canada. The Act was withdrawn in 1947. This is significant because it was an act of racism which affected the lives of many Chinese-Canadians families, limiting their rights and preventing the Chinese-Canadian community to thrive in Canada. -
Residential Schools
Residential Schools were government funded church-run schools meant to assimilate Indigenous children into western culture. The first school opened in 1831, but they peaked in 1931. Indigenous children were forced to attend these boarding schools and contact with families were often cut. Children there suffered mental and physical abuse and poor living conditions, and many died. These schools are significant because they caused trauma, family issues and committed cultural genocide. -
D-Day
On June 6th, 1944 the Allies landed on the coast of Normandy, France. Despite many deaths, the Allies were able to defeat the Nazis and gain a stronghold in the captured France eventually helping them turn the war. The Canadian troops were also able to push the furthest inland of all the Allies, which increased their reputation as a strong country, helping towards their independence and global recognition. -
UN
The UN was created on October 24th, 1945 in place of the League of Nations, aiming to maintain international peace and security. The UN is significant because it has helped to keep global peace. It had drastic increase in members in comparison to the League of Nations. It also helped recognize genocide as a crime globally, and proclaimed the declaration of human rights in 1948. All of these accomplishment have helped to keep our current world more peaceful and safe than it has been in the past.