1945 in Canada
Encyclopedia
Events
- January 8 - Brantford, OntarioBrantford, OntarioBrantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
becomes the first Canadian community to fluoridate its water supply. - 1944-1945: World War II: JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's Special Balloon Regiment drops 9,000 balloon bombs over the Pacific NorthwestPacific NorthwestThe Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, intended to cause panic, by starting forest fires. Six casualties, a woman and her five children in the American stateU.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, were reported. The ten metre-wide balloons contained 540 cubic metres of hydrogenHydrogenHydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
and reached as far inland as ManitobaManitobaManitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. The event was declared a failure and abandoned, after six months. - January 20 - World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
: The first conscripted Canadian soldiers arrive overseas - February 8 - World War II: The Anglo-Canadian Operation VeritableOperation VeritableOperation Veritable was a Second World War pincer movement conducted by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group to clear and occupy the land between the Rhine and Maas rivers. It took place between 8 February and 11 March 1945. It was a part of General Dwight Eisenhower's "broad front"...
launched in the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... - February 24 - Radio Canada InternationalRadio Canada InternationalRadio Canada International is the international broadcasting service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Until 1970, it was known as the CBC International Service and was sometimes referred to as the "Voice of Canada" in its early years.- The early years :The idea for creating an...
begins operation - February 25 - Sergeant Aubrey CosensAubrey CosensAubrey Cosens, VC, was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Military service:Cosens was 23 years old and a sergeant in The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada...
posthumously awarded the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories.... - March 1 - Major Frederick Tilston wins the Victoria Cross
- March 29 - The British Commonwealth Air Training PlanBritish Commonwealth Air Training PlanThe British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
is shut down - April 16 - World War II: HMCS Esquimalt is sunk off HalifaxCity of HalifaxHalifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
by a German U-boatU-boatU-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
. - May 8 - VE Day sees celebrations across the nation, but also the Halifax RiotHalifax RiotThe Halifax VE-Day riots, 7–8 May 1945 in Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia began as a celebration of the World War II Victory in Europe. This rapidly declined into a rampage by several thousand servicemen, merchant seamen and civilians, who looted the City of Halifax...
. - June 4 - Ontario general election, 1945Ontario general election, 1945The Ontario general election of 1945 was held on June 4, 1945, to elect the 90 members of the 22nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
: George Drew's PCs win a majority - June 11 - Federal electionCanadian federal election, 1945The Canadian federal election of 1945 was the 20th general election in Canadian history. It was held June 11, 1945 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 20th Parliament of Canada...
: Mackenzie King's Liberals win a third consecutive majority - June 26 - Canada is a founding member of the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
- August 2 - The Canadian Armoured Corps becomes the Royal Canadian Armoured CorpsRoyal Canadian Armoured CorpsThe Royal Canadian Armoured Corps is the armoured branch of service of the Canadian Army, including regular force and reserve regiments.-History:...
- August 15 - VJ Day marks the end of the Second World War. Over a million Canadians had fought in the conflict and 42,000 were killed.
- September 5 - The defection of Soviet embassy clerk Igor GouzenkoIgor GouzenkoIgor Sergeyevich Gouzenko was a cipher clerk for the Soviet Embassy to Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. He defected on September 5, 1945, with 109 documents on Soviet espionage activities in the West...
reveals a Soviet spy ring in Canada. - September 8 - Angus MacdonaldAngus Lewis MacdonaldAngus Lewis Macdonald, PC, QC , popularly known as 'Angus L.', was a Canadian lawyer, law professor and politician from Nova Scotia. He served as the Liberal premier of Nova Scotia from 1933 to 1940, when he became the federal minister of defence for naval services...
becomes premier of Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
for the second time, replacing Alexander MacMillanAlexander MacmillanAlexander Macmillan may refer to:*Alexander Macmillan , co-founder of the publishing company Macmillans*Alexander Macmillan, 2nd Earl of Stockton, descendant and former chairman of Macmillan Publishers*A.H... - September 12 - The Ford Motor employees in Windsor, OntarioWindsor, OntarioWindsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
go on strike.
Full date unknown
- Family allowance payments is introduced.
- Canada has its first trade surplus with the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Sport
- February 25 - Maurice RichardMaurice RichardJoseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...
sets a new record for the most goals in a single ice hockey season.
January to March
- January 15 - Bonnie BurnardBonnie BurnardBonnie Burnard is a Canadian novelist.She grew up in Forest, Ontario, lived much of her life in Saskatchewan, and now lives in London, Ontario.-Awards:...
, novelist - January 18 - Steven TruscottSteven TruscottSteven Murray Truscott is a Canadian man who was sentenced to death in 1959, when he was a 14-year old student, for the murder of classmate Lynne Harper...
, murderer - January 21 - Len DerkachLen DerkachLen Derkach is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a cabinet minister in the government of Gary Filmon, and is currently a member of the Manitoba legislature....
, politician - January 23 - Mike HarrisMike HarrisMichael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
, politician and 22nd Premier of OntarioPremier of OntarioThe Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario... - January 27
- Harold CardinalHarold CardinalDr. Harold Cardinal was a Cree writer, political leader, teacher, negotiator and lawyer.Dr. Harold Cardinal was a Cree writer, political leader, teacher, negotiator and lawyer.Dr...
, writer, political leader, teacher, negotiator and lawyer (d.20052005 in CanadaEvents from the year 2005 in Canada. This year was recognized, by Veterans Affairs Canada, as the Year of the Veteran.-January:*January 7 - Minister of Health Ujjal Dosanjh arrives in Sri Lanka to survey the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami damage....
) - Joe GhizJoe GhizJoseph Atallah "Joe" Ghiz was the 27th Premier of Prince Edward Island from 1986 to 1993, an educator of law and a justice of the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island. He was the father of Robert Ghiz, the current Premier of Prince Edward Island...
, politician and 29th Premier of Prince Edward IslandPremier of Prince Edward IslandThe Premier of Prince Edward Island is the first minister for the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive.The current Premier of Prince Edward Island is Robert Ghiz.-See also:...
(d.19961996 in CanadaEvents from the year 1996 in Canada.-Incumbents:*Monarch: Elizabeth II*Governor General: Roméo LeBlanc*Prime Minister: Jean Chrétien*Premier of Alberta: Ralph Klein*Premier of British Columbia: Mike Harcourt then Glen Clark...
)
- Harold Cardinal
- February 2 - Pauline Vaillancourt, singer
- February 5 - Nancy McCredieNancy McCredieNancy McCredie is a retired female track and field athlete from Canada, who represented her native country in two events at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan...
, track and field athlete - February 19 - Bill CaseyBill CaseyWilliam D. "Bill" Casey is a Canadian politician. He is a former Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons.-Life and career:...
, politician - February 20 - Donald McPherson, figure skater (d.20012001 in CanadaEvents from the year 2001 in Canada.- Incumbents :Estimated Canadian population: 31,110,565-January to March:*January 1 - The Ontario cities of Ottawa, Hamilton and Sudbury officially merge with their suburban municipalities to create new "megacities". Events from the year 2001 in Canada.-...
) - March 4 - Patrick BoyerPatrick BoyerJ. Patrick Boyer is a university professor, author and a former Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament ....
, politician and university professor - March 26 - Diane McGiffordDiane McGiffordDiane McGifford is a Manitoba politician, and a current member of Premier Greg Selinger's cabinet.McGifford was born in Manchester, England, and moved to Manitoba at a young age. She was educated at the University of Manitoba, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970, a Master of Arts degree in...
, politician - March 17 - Dave BaileyDave Bailey (athlete)David Bailey is a retired track and field athlete, who represented Canada at the 1968 Summer Olympics in the men's 1.500 metres...
, track and field athlete
April to June
- May 27 - Bruce CockburnBruce CockburnBruce Douglas Cockburn OC is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll.-Biography:...
, folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter - June 11 - Robert MunschRobert MunschRobert Norman Munsch, CM is an American-born Canadian children's author.-Personal life and career:Robert Munsch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, children's writer - June 16 - Lucienne RobillardLucienne RobillardLucienne Robillard, PC is a Canadian politician and a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. She sat in the Canadian House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Westmount—Ville-Marie in Montreal....
, politician and Minister - June 20 - Anne MurrayAnne MurrayMorna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
, singer
July to September
- August 4 - Ben SveinsonBen SveinsonBen Sveinson is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a member of the Manitoba legislature from 1990 to 1999 as a Progressive Conservative....
, politician - August 11 - David WalshDavid Walsh (mining)David Walsh was a Canadian businessman in the oil and gas and mining industries. Walsh was founder and CEO of the Canadian mining company Bre-X, which was involved in one of the largest stock market scandals in Canadian history...
, businessman, disgraced head of Bre-XBre-XBre-X was a group of companies in Canada. A major part of the group, Bre-X Minerals Ltd. based in Calgary, was involved in a major gold mining scandal when it was reported to be sitting on an enormous gold deposit at Busang, Indonesia...
(d.19981998 in CanadaEvents from the year 1998 in Canada.-January to March:*January 1 - Toronto and six other communities are merged to form a new megacity. The next day Mel Lastman is sworn in as its first mayor...
) - August 12 - Mary StewartMary Stewart (swimmer)Mary Stewart-McIlwaine is a retired freestyle swimmer from Canada, who twice broke the world record in the women's 100m butterfly in the early 1960s. She represented her native country in two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1960 in Rome, Italy.-References:* * *...
, swimmer and world record breaker - August 15 - Rosann Wowchuk, politician and Deputy Premier of ManitobaDeputy Premier (Manitoba)The Deputy Premier is a cabinet minister in the province of Manitoba, Canada. The position has existed for several years, but only appears to have become a full-fledged cabinet portfolio in 1988....
- September 21 - Bjarni Tryggvason, engineer and astronaut
October to December
- October 15 - John MurrellJohn Murrell (playwright)John Murrell, OC, AOE is an American-born Canadian playwright.Born in Lubbock, Texas, Murrel moved to Alberta after graduating from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas with a BFA in 1968. He moved to Canada to avoid the draft, studying at the University of Calgary...
, playwright - November 5 - Jacques LanctôtJacques LanctôtJacques Lanctôt is a Canadian writer and publisher, restaurateur, and former militant separatist.Lanctôt is a former member of the FLQ, a violent separatist group.He was one of the FLQ members who kidnapped James Cross, a British diplomat in October 1970....
, member of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) - November 11 - Norman DoyleNorman DoyleNorman E. Doyle, is a Canadian businessman and politician in Newfoundland and Labrador.Doyle was a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1979 to 1993. He was a Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons. He represented the riding of...
, politician - November 12 - Neil YoungNeil YoungNeil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, singer-songwriter, musician and film director - December 4 - Roberta BondarRoberta BondarRoberta Bondar,is OC, O.Ont, FRCP, FRSC is Canada's first female astronaut and the first neurologist in space. Following more than a decade as NASA's head of space medicine, Bondar became a consultant and speaker in the business, scientific and medical communities.-Education:Roberta Bondar had...
, neurologist and Canada's first female astronaut
Full date unknown
- Felix PartzFelix PartzRonald Gabe , publicly known as Felix Partz, was a Canadian artist and cofounder of the artistic collective General Idea with Jorge Zontal and AA Bronson....
, artist and co-founder of the artistic collective General IdeaGeneral IdeaGeneral Idea was a collective of three Canadian artists, Felix Partz, Jorge Zontal and AA Bronson, who were active from 1967 to 1994.As pioneers of early conceptual and media-based art, their collaboration became a model for artist-initiated activities and continues to be a prominent influence on...
(d.19941994 in CanadaEvents from the year 1994 in Canada.-Incumbents:*Monarch: Elizabeth II*Governor General: Ray Hnatyshyn*Prime Minister: Jean Chrétien*Premier of Alberta: Ralph Klein*Premier of British Columbia: Mike Harcourt*Premier of Manitoba: Gary Filmon...
)
Deaths
- March 2 - Emily CarrEmily CarrEmily Carr was a Canadian artist and writer heavily inspired by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. One of the first painters in Canada to adopt a post-impressionist painting style, Carr did not receive widespread recognition for her work until later in her life...
, artist and writer (b.18711871 in CanadaEvents from the year 1871 in Canada.-January to June:*March 10 - Government of Manitoba meets for the first time*March 21 - The 1871 Ontario election: Edward Blake's Liberals win a majority, defeating J. S...
) - March 23 - Walter Charles MurrayWalter Charles MurrayWalter Charles Murray was the first President of the University of Saskatchewan.-Biography:Born in Kings County, New Brunswick, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Brunswick in 1886. In 1891, he received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh...
, first President of the University of SaskatchewanUniversity of SaskatchewanThe University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
(b.18661866 in CanadaSee also:1865 in Canada,other events of 1866,1867 in Canada.----Events from the year 1866 in Canada.-Events:*May–June - The 1866 New Brunswick election...
) - July 17 - Adjutor RivardAdjutor RivardAdjutor Rivard was a lawyer, writer, judge and linguist from Quebec, Canada.He studied at the Petit séminaire de Québec and Université Laval. He is known to have co-founded the Société du parler français au Canada and is recognized as one of the principal authors of the Glossaire du parler...
, lawyer, writer, judge and linguist (b.18681868 in CanadaSee also:1867 in Canada,other events of 1868,1869 in Canada.----Events from the year 1868 in Canada.-Incumbents:Crown*Head of state : Queen VictoriaFederal government...
) - October 24 - Franklin CarmichaelFranklin CarmichaelFranklin Carmichael was a Canadian artist. He was the youngest original member of the Group of Seven.-Biography:The youngest of the Group of Seven, Franklin Carmichael was born in 1890. His father was a carriage maker...
, painter and Group of SevenGroup of Seven (artists)The Group of Seven, sometimes known as the Algonquin school, were a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael , Lawren Harris , A. Y. Jackson , Franz Johnston , Arthur Lismer , J. E. H. MacDonald , and Frederick Varley...
member (b.18901890 in Canada-Incumbents:*Monarch — Victoria of Canada*Governor General — Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby*Prime Minister — John A. MacdonaldOntario*Lieutenant Governor — Sir Alexander Campbell*Premier — Sir Oliver MowatQuebec...
) - November 1 - Marie Lacoste Gérin-LajoieMarie Lacoste Gérin-LajoieMarie Lacoste Gérin-Lajoie was a pioneer Quebec feminist who founded the Fédération nationale Saint-Jean-Baptiste , an organization which campaigned for social and political rights for women...
, feminist and social activist (b.18671867 in CanadaSee also:1866 in Canada,other events of 1867,1868 in Canada.----Events from the year 1867 in Canada.-Incumbents:*Monarch — Queen Victoria*Prime Minister — John A. Macdonald*Premier of New Brunswick — Andrew R...
) - December 10 - Joseph-Octave SamsonJoseph-Octave SamsonJoseph-Octave Samson was a Canadian politician, serving as Mayor of Quebec City from March 1920 to March 1926....
, businessperson, politician and 28th Mayor of Quebec City (b.18621862 in CanadaSee also:1861 in Canada,other events of 1862,1863 in Canada.----Events from the year 1862 in Canada.-Events:*April 7 - United Kingdom-United States treaty for suppression of African slave trade is signed....
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