Technological and Scientific developments in Canada from 1914 to 1929

  • Period: to

    1914 - 1929 events

  • Creation of Gas Masks

    Creation of Gas Masks
    During World War 1, a demobilized soldier of the Canadian Army Force by the name of Cluny Macpherson developed what is known today as the gas mask in 1915. The gas mask saved hundreds of thousands of soldier lives, preventing injuries to the eye, throat, and lung.
  • Creation of the Sonar Device

    Creation of the Sonar Device
    One of the most important systems on a boat, a sonar is a device that uses sound waves underwater to decent and locate items such as submarines, mines, and other boats. This device was made possible by Robert William Boyle during World War 1, who created the sonar with physicist Paul Langevin.
  • Development of Mustard Gas

    Development of Mustard Gas
    The introduction of mustard gas by the Germans changed the gas warfare of World War 1. Causing harm to the skin, lungs, and eyes, the Canadians later adapted to using this chemical during World War 1. Thankfully the invention and enhancement of gas masks in Canada saved many lives of soldiers.
  • The discovery of Insulin

    The discovery of Insulin
    Through countless hours of research and failed experiments, the discovery of insulin was made public in 1921, led by a group of doctors at the University of Toronto. This groundbreaking discovery, which started as a hypothesis in the morning of October 31, 1920 by Frederick Banting, changed millions of diabetic lives by bringing down a patient's blood sugar levels.
  • Expansion of hydroelectricity

    Expansion of hydroelectricity
    With the development of hydroelectricity in Niagara Falls, Ontario Hydro’s Queenston-Chippawa Power Generation project followed right after. Being the largest engineering project since the Panama Canal, the construction lasted 4 years, from 1917-1921, and provided light and power to many places. This included urban areas and factories for mining and aluminum processing.
  • Creation of the Snowmobile

    Creation of the Snowmobile
    By hooking up a Model-T Ford engine to an aging wooden sled, a young teenager named Joseph-Armand Bombardier created the first ever snowmobile at the age of 15. In today's time, most military mobilized vehicles are built and handled by Bombardier Inc, a company started by Joseph-Armand Bombardier.
  • Creation of Snow Blowers

    Creation of Snow Blowers
    After witnessing grain threshers working in a field of wheat, Canadian inventor Arthur Sicard spent over 30 years working on a model of snow blower that was capable of blowing snow almost 27 meters far. While Sicard created the snow blower in 1925 to make delivering milk on a vehicle easier in the winter, demands rose after Sicard sold his first design.
  • Creation of the Variable-pitch propeller

    Creation of the Variable-pitch propeller
    Creating the world's safest propeller, Wallace Rupert Turnbull designed and engineered what is now known as the variable-pitch propeller. The device can adjust the propeller’s blade angle, which can control the maximum power on landings and takeoffs, and provides efficiency and safety for all vehicles with this device.
  • Opening of the Hudson Bay Railway

    Opening of the Hudson Bay Railway
    Officially opened on the 10th of September, 1929, the Hudson Bay Railway cost a total of $45 million to construct. The construction of the Hudson Bay Railway expanded across Canada and was a huge disappointment, until the discoveries of minerals around Manitoba made the railway the busiest one in Canada.