2024 — Anniversaries of significance in Canada

Nunavut, the largest and northernmost territory, officially separated from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act, providing a territory to the Inuit for independent government.

The Ottawa Treaty was signed in 1997 by 133 countries and bans the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines. It came into effect on March 1, 1999. The treaty was a major diplomatic achievement for Canada, which played a leadership role in the development and ratification of this important document that has lasting impacts to this day.

On April 4, 1949, Canada joined a military and political alliance with European and North American countries by signing the North Atlantic Treaty. Thus, NATO was formed to guard the freedom and security of its members, by military or other means.

In early 1949, the first non-stop trans-Canada flight from Vancouver to Halifax was completed by the Royal Canadian Air Force’s plane North Star 17512 in 8 hours and 32 minutes.

Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949, after 42 years of being a separate British Dominion. The province’s name officially included Labrador as of 2001.

The Royal Canadian Air Force was created on April 1, 1924, as a permanent, full-time air force. Its role is to provide the Canadian Armed Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower.

The Canadian Copyright Act was passed in 1921 and came into force in 1924. It created a distinct copyright law to Canada that disassociated itself from the imperial copyright law. The Act is regularly amended to keep up with the ever-evolving world of arts and culture.

For more information: History of Copyright in Canada

Treaty 8 was signed on June 21, 1899. It is a treaty between the Canadian Crown and various First Nations of the Lesser Slave Lake area. It is the most comprehensive of the 11 Numbered Treaties.

Treaty 4 was signed on September 15, 1874, in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan. It is a treaty between the Canadian Crown and the Cree and Saulteaux First Nation band governments. The area covered by Treaty 4 represents most of current day southern Saskatchewan, plus small portions of western Manitoba and southeastern Alberta.

Lucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author best known for the Anne of Green Gables series. She published 20 novels, 530 short stories, 500 poems and 30 essays, translated in over 50 different languages.

In 1874, Parliament passed legislation stipulating that voting in federal elections would be done by secret ballot. The secret ballot is a right for all voting-aged Canadians, ensuring the privacy of everyone’s vote.

For more information: House of Commons Procedure and Practice

On June 22, 1774, the Quebec Act received royal assent. It represented an important decision to protect the rights and practices of French-speaking citizens of the province of Quebec.