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1918 LEST WE FORGET

Compiègne France - French Field Marshal Foch and the members of the German Armistice Commission sign a formal surrender to end World War I at 5 am in Marshal Foch's railway car in the Forest of Compiègne, to take effect at 11 am, as Sir Arthur Currie's Canadian troops chase the last Germans out of Mons, Belgium. Over 750,000 Canadians served in the four years of the Great War; 424,589 went overseas; 60,661 were killed. In all, over 10 million people died in the war, including 6 million civilians. In 1931, November 11 was renamed Remembrance Day and declared a legal holiday.

1813

Also On This Day...

Morrisburg Ontario -
British Col. Joseph Morrison and Royal Navy Captain William Mulcaster defeat an American invasion force of over 7,000 led by General James Wilkinson at the Battle of Crysler's Farm. Wilkinson's flotilla left Sackett's Harbor in late October and landed on the Canadian side of the Long Sault rapids. With only 800 British regulars of the 49th and 89th Regiments, plus some Canadian militia and Indians, Morrison moves to attack 1,800 Americans of the 25th Infantry Regiment under Brown at Crysler's Farm 30 km west of Cornwall; at the same time, Captain William Mulcaster's gunboats fire shrapnel and grapeshot on General John Park Boyd's flotilla of 4,000 American troops trying to descend the rapids toward Montreal, which helps Morrison land his troops at Crysler's Farm. In the first skirmish, the Americans take 400 casualties to the British 200. For larger version of this map, click here. Wilkinson could have pressed on against Morrison, but when he gets a message that General Wade Hampton and his army of 4,200 were defeated at Châteauguay Oct. 26, he calls off the invasion, since Hampton was supposed to meet him downstream for the attack on Montreal. Hampton later resigned when Wilkinson blamed him for the failure of the campaign; Wilkinson was then relieved of his command.

1937

And in Today's Canadian Birthdays...

Stephen Lewis 1937-
politician, journalist, diplomat, was born on this day at Ottawa, the son of CCF politician David Lewis. After teaching in Africa in the early 1960s, Lewis served as an organizer for the NDP, won the Scarborough West seat in the Ontario Legislature in 1963, and was elected leader in 1970. In 1972, he split with the left wing Waffle movement of his party, but three years later led the NDP to official opposition status. He resigned in 1977 after an electoral loss, to work as a broadcaster, lecturer and labour arbitrator, and in 1984 External Affairs Minister Joe Clark appointed him Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations. Here he is with federal NDP leader Ed Broadbent in the late 1970s.

Also Matthew Henry Cochrane 1823-1903
cattle breeder, businessman, was born on this day at Compton, Quebec, in 1823; died at Compton Aug. 12, 1903. Cochrane learned the leather and shoe business in Boston as a young man, then built a factory in Montreal in 1864; built up pedigreed Shorthorn cattle herd in the 1870s; 1881 brought a large herd from Montana to his grazing lease, the Cochrane Ranch, west of Calgary.

Also Violet Clara McNaughton 1879-1968
farmer, journalist, feminist, was born Violet Jackson on this day at Borden, England, in 1879; died at Saskatoon Feb. 03, 1968. McNaughton and her husband joined the Saskatchewan Grain Growers' Association in 1912; 1913 organized women's section, President from 1914 to 1917; 1915 helped found the Saskatchewan Equal Franchise League, which got the vote for women a year later; 1919 president of Interprovincial Council of Farm Women; 1921 helped formulate Progressive Party platform; 1925-50 edited the Mainly for Women page in The Western Producer.

Also Alice Girard 1907-
nurse, first woman dean of the University of Montreal, was born on this day at Montreal in 1907. Girard was the first Canadian to serve as President of the International Council of Nurses.

Also Kathleen Shannon 1935-
film director, producer, was born on this day at Vancouver in 1935. Shannon joined the National Film Board in 1956, and helped produce over 115 films; 1970 she participated in Challenge for Change production program; 1971 directed 'I Don't Think It's Meant for Us'; 1974-75 directed 'Working Mothers', a series of 11 films about women's work; 1974 executive producer of Studio D, the NFB production unit set up to examine the role of women in society; 1983 produced documentary Dream of a Free Country: A Message from Nicaraguan Women.

Also Gilbert Perreault 1951-
NHL centre, was born on this day in 1951. Perreault was first draft choice of the Buffalo Sabres, and was selected first overall in the 1970 NHL draft; 1971 won the Calder trophy as the NHL's rookie-of-the-year; 1973 won the Lady Byng Trophy; 1975 led the Sabres to the Stanley Cup finals, but defeated in six games by the Flyers; 1976 and 1977 member of the NHL Second All-Star team; centre of 'French Connection' line with Rick Martin and René Robert; has career total of 512 goals and 814 assists, for 1326 points in 1,191 games, in his 17 seasons with the Sabres.

Also Gina Smith 1957-
equestrian, was born on this day at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 1957. Smith joined the Saskatoon Pony Club in 1968; 1974 team member for Saskatchewan at the National Pony club rally in Montreal; 1979 National Dressage champion at the Medium level; 1982 received a scholarship to train in Germany with Johann Hinneman for seven weeks; 1988 member of the Canadian Dressage team that won a bronze medal at the Seoul Olympics.

Also Lloyd Langlois 1962-
freestyle skier, member of the Quebec Air Force, was born on this day at Magog, Quebec, in 1962. A two-time Olympic medalist, with 57 World Cup medals, including 20 golds, Langlois was the first aerialist to complete the 1/2 rudy full and the quad-twisting triple somersault in international competition; 1985 Canadian champion, winner of the World Cup overall aerials; 1986 World Champion; 1988 bronze medal at Calgary Olympics; 1989 World Champion; 1989-90 retired to recover from a back injury, then to devote time to non-skiing activities and his music; 1992 bronze medal at Lillehammer Olympics; 1993 Canadian champion, winner of the World Cup overall aerials; 1994-95 Canadian champion; retired due to injuries at age 36.

In Other Events...
1997 Montreal Quebec - Expo Pedro Martinez wins National League Cy Young Award over Greg Maddux and Denny Neagle.
1997 Hull Quebec - Quebec Gatineau Railway takes over operation of former CP Lachute subdivision between Outremont and Hull; moves traffic to Smiths Falls for the last time; end of Canadian Pacific presence in Ottawa; first line to enter Bytown in 1854.
1987 Quebec Quebec - Guy Chevrette becomes interim leader of the Parti Québécois on resignation of Pierre-Marc Johnson.
1982 Rome Italy - Pope John Paul II announces visit to Canada in fall of 1984; first papal visit to Canada.
1982 Cape Canaveral, Florida - US space shuttle Columbia blasts off from the Kennedy Space Center, carrying Canada's Anik C comsat into orbit; the first commercial flight of the Shuttle.
1980 Toronto Ontario - A. Y. Jackson's painting Algoma Lake sells for $210,000, a new record for a Canadian work of art; Group of Seven member.
1975 Montreal Quebec - Ottawa and Quebec sign James Bay convention with New Quebec Cree.
1974New York City - Winnipeg's Bachman-Turner Overdrive have a Billboard #1 hit with 'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet/Free Wheelin'.'
1967 St. John's, Newfoundland - Clinton Shaw arrives from Victoria BC, setting the world's distance record for roller skating, a trip of 7,885 km, started April 1.
1963 Detroit Michigan - Red Wing Gordie Howe ties Rocket Richard's lifetime 544 NHL goal record.
1962 Stratford Ontario - Liberal leader Jean Lesage and UN leader Daniel Johnson Sr. hold a provincial election debate televised on Radio-Canada.
1951 Stratford Ontario - Tom Patterson 1920- approaches city council to start summer Shakespearean Festival; with Tyrone Guthrie 1900-1971.
1950 London Ontario - Hank Snow's single 'I'm Moving On' hits #1 on the country music charts; born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, and a star on CBC, Snow moved to Nashville five years earlier to sing at the Grand Ole Opry.
1946 London Ontario - Western wins the Yates Cup with a 6-0 record, following a 47-8 win over Queen's.
1945 Kingston Ontario - Western wins its first Yates Cup football championship under John Metras, beating Queen's 17-2 at Kingston.
1942 Ottawa Ontario - Third Victory Loan campaign launched.
1939 Kingston Ontario - Western finishes the football season 6-0, the only undefeated Ontario university team, beating Queen's 13-8 and scoring 12 points in the final 15 minutes of the game; on returning from Kingston, 3,000 people greet the Mustangs at the train station.
1916 Ottawa Ontario - Sam Hughes 1853-1921 asked to resign as Minister of Militia and Defense because he alienated Catholics and French Canada; an Irish Protestant Orangeman; Albert Kemp 1858-1929 succeeds Sam Hughes.
1914 France - Arrival of first Canadian Stationary Hospital, Unit #2 in France.
1903 Edmonton Alberta - John Macpherson, John W. Cunningham and Arthur Moore, all from Portage La Prairie, produce the first issue of the Edmonton Evening Journal, 1000 copies done on a hand-fed press; 1908 J.P. McConnell, publisher of Vancouver Sunset and founding editor of The Vancouver Sun, acquires option on the Journal; 1909 sells Journal to J.H. Woods, owner of The Lethbridge News, who hires Milton Robbins Jennings as manager/editor; 1912 William Southam and Sons acquire a controlling interest.
1871 Quebec Quebec - Royal Canadian Rifles depart Quebec for Britain; last British troops in Canada, except for small naval garrison at Halifax; some RCRs stay to train Canadian militia.
1871 Quebec Quebec - Founding of the institution of Tribune de la presse du Parlement de Québec; possibly the oldest press ombudsman in the world.
1840 Quebec Quebec - Governor Colborne forms a Special Council of eleven members.
1839 Montreal Quebec - Governor Charles Poulett Thomson, Lord Sydenham, calls the Special Council to meet at Montreal.
1837Quebec Quebec - Authorities start arresting Patriotes; Louis-Joseph Papineau goes into hiding, escapes from Montreal on the 13th; prelude to outbreak of rebellion.
1778 Cherry Valley, New York - Walter Butler raids Cherry Valley, New York, with Rangers and Indians; John Butler's son.
1775 Montreal Quebec - Guy Carleton, Lord Dorchester 1724-1808 evacuates Montreal for Quebec as the American invaders land at Île St-Paul, then the following day at Pointe St-Charles, capturing the city on the 13th.