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League of Indians of Canada first meets
Onondeyoh (Fred Ogilvie Loft), from the Six Nations of the Grand River, founded the League of Indians of Canada. They held their first meeting at Ketegaunseebee (Garden River) First Nation in Ontario. The Department of Indian Affairs, under the leadership of Duncan Campbell Scott, tried to stop the group from growing. They treated Onondeyoh as someone who was a threat to the government. They tried to give him voting rights so that he lost his Indigenous status in Canada. -
United Artists is created
United Artists (UA) was the first movie studio created and owned by the actors in their films. Before this the actors were usually contracted by film studios to do as many movies as they could as fast as possible. Now the actors had more control of their films as well. One of the owners was Canadian actress Mary Pickford, the most famous actress in the world. The other owners included her husband Douglas Fairbanks, and the most famous actor of the silent-film period - Charlie Chaplin. -
First transatlantic flight completed
John Alcock and Arthur Brown completed the first airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean. They flew from Ireland to Newfoundland. It took about 14 hours without stopping. -
Winnipeg General Strike Ended
A strike of almost all workers in Winnipeg ended. It began May 15 and nearly shut down the city hoping to get better wages and working conditions for workers. It ended when the leaders of the strike were all arrested. -
Last Issue of "Les Mouches" is published
"Les Mouches" was the first gay friendly magazine published in North America. It first began to be produced in 1918 in Montreal. It was an underground publication so very few people knew about it. It lasted 5 issues. After the last issues, the publishers Elsa Gidlow and Roswell George Mills moved to New York City. -
Group of Seven's first art exhibit
A group of 7 Canadian landscape painters (Lawren Harris, Frederick Varley, Franklin Carmichael, A.J. Casson, A.Y. Jackson, Arthur Lismer, and J.E.H. Macdonald) had their first exhibit. They were heavily influenced by another painter Tom Thomson. They would go on to become the most well known painters of Canada and would influence what it means to be Canadian. Much of the art that they did was of Canadian nature and landscapes and was influenced by the Impressionist art movement in Europe. -
1st Woman elected to Canadian government
Agnes Macphail was elected to the Canadian government. Just 4 years before this women were not even able to vote in Canadian elections. Agnes was elected by the people of the riding of Grey Southeast in Grey County, Ontario. She was the candidate for the the Progressive Party. She was re-elected in this riding until 1935. -
A National Crime was published
Dr. Peter Bryce, a former doctor with the Canadian government wrote a book about the conditions for indigenous children in residential schools. The book was based on research that he did for the government earlier in his career. This research was covered up by the Canadian government. -
Adam Beck #1 starts to make electricity
Adam Beck #1, the new hydroelectricity generating station in Niagara Falls began to produce electricity for people between Niagara Falls and Toronto. Its size would expand until 1930. Construction was overseen by the Government of Ontario. -
Hockey Night in Canada first broadcast
Hockey Night in Canada began radio play by play announcing of Toronto Maple Leafs games. The following month the broadcast would be taken over by Foster Hewitt. Hockey Night in Canada is still one of the most watched shows on Canadian TV and Foster Hewitt is one of Canada's most famous radio broadcasters ever. -
Chinese Immigration Act is created
This law, sometimes called the Chinese Exclusion Act, banned almost all immigration to Canada from China. There were a few exceptions for students, businessmen, and government workers. Chinese-Canadians often refer to this day as "Humiliation Day". Before this, Chinese immigrants had to pay a very large tax to immigrate to Canada, a tax that other immigrants did not have to pay. The law was in effect until 1947. -
Banting and Macleod win Nobel Prize for insulin
Drs. Frederick Banting and James MacLeod won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for discovering and refining insulin to be used as a treatment for diabetes. Charles Best (one of Banting's students) who also worked on the project was excluded from the prize. The first human patient to receive this treatment was a 14 year old boy, Leonard Thompson. Before this treatment, patients were often given a poor diet to control symptoms but that would still kill them. -
First Traffic Light in Canada
The first traffic light was installed at the intersection where Main St. East and King St. East cross in Hamilton, Ontario. This intersection was very confusing as it had 1 way streets turning into 2 way streets at this spot. -
Marriage and Divorce Act goes into effect
The laws about marriage and divorce were changed so that women could get a divorce if their husbands cheated on them. Before this, only men could do that. -
Regulation 17 ended
The government of Ontario stopped enforcing Regulation 17 and made French and English equal in Ontario schools. The Regulation was not officially removed from law books until 1944. Regulation 17 was the law that allowed French to be taught in Ontario schools for only 1 hour each day, even if most of the students spoke French as their main language. -
CFRB begins to broadcast
CFRB was Canada's first radio broadcasters not owned by the government. The station started in Toronto and was opened to help sell the Rogers Batteryless Radio invented by Ted Roger, Sr. -
Prohibition ended in Ontario
The Ontario Temperance Act was replaced by the Liquor License Act. This made alcohol a product whose sale was controlled by the government. Alcohol sales had been banned in Ontario since WWI so that there was more grain available for bread for soldiers. It was also put in place to help protect women from violence at home due to drunken husbands. -
First Female Pilot
Eileen Vollick became the 1st licensed female pilot in Canada on her 19th birthday. She was also the 1st woman to parachute into water when she jumped from a Curtiss JN-4 into Hamilton Harbour. -
First talking film in Canada
The first talking film made and shown in Canada was presented in Timmins, Ontario. It was a comedy film called "Ghost Talks". The first one in the world had been released 2 years earlier, a musical film called "The Jazz Singer" (https://youtu.be/8SzltpkGz0M)