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HBC and NWC merge
The Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company merge after decades of often-fierce rivalry. -
British Parliament Abolishes Slavery
On 28 August 1833, slavery was abolished throughout the British colonies by an Imperial Act which became effective 1 August 1834. -
First Residential Schools
The first residential school are made in Canada's plan to assimilate the aboriginal peoples. -
Irish Potato Famine Refugees
Over the next six months Toronto's population grew as more than 38 000 migrants escaping the Irish Potato Famine landed on the city's waterfront. -
Canada Becomes a Country
The Dominion of Canada, uniting Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, comes into existence, with John A. Macdonald as first prime minister. -
Manitoba Becomes A Province
Manitoba becomes Canada’s fifth province. -
Chinese Immigration to build the Railroad
Over 17,000 Chinese came to Canada from 1881 through 1884 -
The Chinese Head Tax
The Chinese Head Tax was created in 1885 after the Canadian government passed the Chinese Immigration Act of 1885. This tax was a fixed fee for any Chinese immigrant entering Canada. This tax was meant to repress Chinese people after the sucessful creation of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The tax was put out of use by the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 which stopped all Chinese immigration except for business people, clergy, educators, students, and other categories. -
Louis Riel Is Hanged
Metis leader Louis Riel is hanged for high treason as a result of the North West Rebellion -
The Komagata Maru Incident
The Komagata Maru Incident took place on May 23, 1914 when the Japanese steamship arrivedin Vancover, British Columbia, Canada. The steamship originally came from Hong Kong, China. The steamship carried 376 passengers from Punjab, India, 20 passengers were allowed to stay in Canada, but the others were forced to go back to India. -
Internment of Ukrainian Canadians
Two years after the First World War the War Measures Act was implemented towards Ukrainian-Canadians and considered them enemy "aliens". At this time about 4000 Ukrainian men, women and children of Hungarian citizenship were kept in twenty-four internment camps and related work sites. -
Manitoba Becomes the First province to give women right to vote
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Winnipeg General Strike
A general strike begins in Winnipeg in support of striking workers in building and metal trades. It ends six weeks later, after two deaths in skirmishes. -
Jewish Refugees Turned Away
907 Jewish refugees aboard the German transatlantic liner St. Louis were seeking sanctuary from Nazi Germany. Canada refused to take them in and the ship sailed back to Europe, where 254 would later die in concentration camps. -
Japanese Canadian Internment
The internment of Japanese-Canadians began in January 1942 during World War 2. The Canadian federal government gave the order based on speculation of sabotage and espionage, although the RCMP and defence department lacked proof on this speculation. The Canadian government promised the Japanese Canadians that their property and finances would be returned upon release. Although the Canadian govenment promised, these poccesions/properties were sold off at auctions for cheap prices. -
Refugees Being Added as an Immigration Category
This event was first 'created' when Canada accepted homeless people from Europe as Canadian immigrants. During 1945 to 1955, Canada accepted over a million immigrants under the status "refugee". At this time the term "Refugee" was add to the Immigration Categories. -
Bill of Rights become Law
Canada’s official policy of multiculturalism, within a bilingual framework, is announced. -
New Immigration Policy
The government announces a new immigration policy intended to remove any racial discrimination from the system. -
Official Languages Act
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau introduces the Official Languages Act, making English and French the country’s two official languages. -
Canada becomes Multicultral
Canada’s official policy of multiculturalism, within a bilingual framework, is announced. -
Creation of Immigration Categories
The Immigration Act of 1976 in Canada was created by the Parliament of Canada to ensure a better structure for immigration. It focused on who should be allowed into Canada as an immigrant, and not on who should be kept out. -
Immigration Act
The act came was put into action in 1978, along with new immigration regulations (Categories of Immigration). This act gave more power to the provinces to create and set their own immigration laws. Immigrants were forced to a point system test that insured whether or not they could enter Canada. -
Trudeau Gov. Changes Immigration Act
Changes to the Immigration Act proclaimed in 1978 allowed new Canadians to sponsor their parents of any age, which proved particularly enticing to those from less-developed nations, and less so to those from Europe. -
Canadian Human Rights Act
The Commons approves changes to the Canadian Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination against gays.