We have reached the 50th year since Canada became a country, and the 50th episode of this podcast. This year was not only a big anniversary year, but another watershed year in the history of Canada.
On Feb. 1, James Alexander Murray became the premier of New Brunswick, replacing George Clarke, who had served as Premier since 1914. Clarke suffered from poor health and resigned as premier.
Unfortunately for Murray, his time as premier was very short. He served until April 4 when his Conservatives lost the provincial election to Walter Foster and the Liberals. This was the first election loss for the Conservatives since 1903. Foster would serve as premier until 1923 to put his failing finances into order. The Conservatives would not win another election until 1925.
On April 3, Russian revolutionary was detailed at the Halifax Citadel while his return ship was in Halifax Harbour. Shortly after, he was sent to the Amherst Internment Camp, while his wife Natalia and their children remained in Halifax. They had to report daily to the police station.
At the camp, Trotsky became friends with the workers and sailors who were also imprisoned there. A German officer there complained to the camp commander about Trotsky’s anti-patriotic attitude. Morris forbid Trotsky of making anymore speeches, which led 530 prisoners to protest and sign a petition against the order.
Trotsky wrote of his month in the internment camp,
“The whole month I was there was like one continuous mass meeting. I told the prisoners about the Russian revolution, about Lenin, the British colonel… forbade me to make any more public speeches. But this did not happen until the last few days of our stay at the camp, and served only to cement my friendship with the sailors and workers, who responded to the colonel’s order by a written protest bearing five hundred and thirty signatures. A plebiscite like this, carried out in the very face of Sergeant Olsen’s heavy-handed supervision, was more than ample compensation for all the hardships of the Amherst imprisonment.”
Trotsky returned to Russia on May 17.
On April 9, one of the most famous battles in Canadian history began, the Battle of Vimy Ridge. In the battle, the Canadians, supported by a creeping barrage, were able to capture most of the ridge on the first day. The objective of the battle was to draw German reserves away from French forces. By the second day, the crest of the ridge had been captured by the Canadians. The final objective, a fortified knoll, fell to the Canadians on April 12. This forced the retreat of the German Sixth Army.
This battle was the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force fought together. Due to meticulous planning, and through technical and tactical innovation and artillery support, the Canadian forces were successful in a battle that has become part of our national identity.
In the battle, the Canadian corps suffered 3,598 dead and 7,004 wounded. Four members of the Canadian Corps, William Milne, Ellis Sifton, John Pattison and Thain MacDowell, received the Victoria Cross for their bravery on the battlefield.
Today, a 100 hectare portion of the battleground now serves as a memorial park and the site of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.
The battle has achieved a great deal of significance in Canada. While it was not the greatest achievement of the Canadian Corps during the First World War, it has been mythologized and a symbol of national unity and achievement.
On May 21, Raymond Burr was born in New Westminster, British Columbia. Drawn to acting, he started out in theatre but eventually moved into films. From 1946 to 1957, he acted in more than 50 feature films, usually playing a villain.
In 1951, he acted in his first television show and quickly became busy with roles in television. In 1956, he was cast as Perry Mason. To get the role, he went on a crash diet over the course of the month, and eventually dropped 60 pounds. The series ran until 1967, and had 30 million viewers every night at its height. Burr received 3,000 letters a week and earned three Emmy nominations for Best Actor, winning once.
After Perry Mason ended, Burr began to act in the show Ironside. The show ran from 1967 to 1975, in which he played Robert Ironside, who was paralyzed in the first episode. He became the first person to star as a policeman with a disability. He earned six Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for the role.
Along with his most famous roles on television, he also had a role in the first Godzilla movie in 1956, Godzilla, King of Monsters! He reprised that role in 1985’s Godzilla 1985.
Later in life, he reprised his Perry Mason role in 26 TV movies.
Burr died on Sept. 12, 1993 of liver cancer. In 2009, he received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. In 2014, he was rated the most favourite actor by Netflix users.
On June 2, 1917, Billy Bishop, Hell’s Handmaiden, flew on a mission by himself into German territory where he destroyed a German aerodrome and three German planes. His actions earned him the Victoria Cross, but there is some debate over his account of the raid.
On June 7, the Liberals under Arthur Sifton won another majority government. The party won 34 seats, five down from the previous election. The Conservatives under Edward Michener won 19 seats, an increase of two. This is, to date, the last time a Liberal Party has won a provincial election in Alberta. In this election, Louise McKinney was elected to the Legislature, becoming the first woman in Canada to be elected to a provincial legislature.
On June 9, after Commander Julian Byng was made a commander of one of the British armies, he recommended Arthur Currie to replace him. This recommendation was accepted and Currie was made the commander of the Canadian Corps, and knighted. He was also promoted to Lt. General. This made him the first Canadian commander to command the Canadian forces.
On June 21, Aubin-Edmond Arsenault became the premier of Prince Edward Island, replacing John Mathieson who resigned to take a judicial appointment. Arsenault was the first Acadian to become premier of any province. Under his leadership, the island province repealed the automobile ban on the island and founded the PEI Travel Bureau. Arsenault served as premier until his loss in the 1919 provincial election.
On June 26, The Liberals under William Martin won a majority government by increasing their seat total by six to 51. The Conservatives under Wellington Willoughby lost a seat to finish with seven. To that point, the Liberals had never lost an election in the province, and would not lose one until 1944.
On July 8, 1917, celebrated Canadian painter Tom Thomson died in Algonquin Park.
For the previous five years, Thomson had been painting the beauty of Algonquin Park, creating iconic works such as The Jack Pine. That painting has been in the National Gallery of Canada since 1918 and is considered an icon of Canadian painting His work attracted others, including Fred Varley, Arthur Lismer and A.Y. Jackson, who would form the Group of Seven two years after the death of Thomson.
The day he died, he ventured out on a canoeing trip on Canoe Lake in the park. Later that afternoon, his canoe was found upturned on the lake, although some sources say it was two days later. It would be eight days before the body of Thomson was found. An investigation of his body found that he had a four-inch cut on his right temple and had bled from his ear. A fishing line was also wrapped around his legs. His watch had also stopped at 12:14 p.m. Mark Robinson, the park ranger at the time, noted in his diary the following about Thomson.
“Left Fraser’s Dock after 12:30 p.m. to go to Tea Lake Dam or West Lake.”
At the time, his death was ruled as an accidental drowning. The speculation of his death continues to this day as he was reaching his artistic peak period and his fame was starting to grow. Some say he was murdered, others say he committed suicide. As for the bruise, it was believed by the coroner that he struck a stone when his body was drowned. The issue that many have with this is that Thomson was an accomplished individual in a canoe, and would not have tipped a canoe. As for the fishing line around the legs, it is believed that this was caused by the motion of waves and currents.
On Aug. 15, the battle of Hill 70 began at 4:25 a.m. The First and Second Divisions were to attack on the front along a 3.7 kilometre line and capture the defensive positions of the Germans on the slope of Hill 70. The Third Infantry Brigade of the First Canadian Division would attack north of Hill 70, and the Second Canadian Infantry Brigade would attack the summit. Meanwhile, the Fourth and Fifth Brigades of the Second Division would attack the ruins of the suburbs south of the hill.
The plan was for 204 eighteen-pounders and 48 4.5-inch howitzers to fire a creeping barrage at the Germans.
In the air, the Royal Flying Corps would do high patrols over the battlefield and scout out positions of Germans on the hill.
Things began with the Royal Engineers firing drums of burning oil into the German positions on the hill. This was followed by heavy artillery fire to create a creeping barrage, moving at 91 metre increments in front of the troops. The Fourth Division conducted a simulated attack in front of Lens as a diversion for the First and Second Divisions to advance up the hill.
After 20 minutes, the Canadian infantry had progressed 549 metres and paused to dig in and then advance to their next objective at 6 a.m.
As the Canadians moved up the hill, the Germans increased their defensive attack. The four attacking Canadian brigades began to consolidate as they reached their various objectives,
As the morning went on, the smoke screen began to drift away, giving the Germans a clear view of the Canadians.
At this point, the machine guns of the Germans inflicted heavy casualties on the Canadians and many soldiers ran from shell hole to shell hole as they advanced up the hill.
With each steady advance up the hill, the Canadians captured German machine-gun posts.
To help the Canadians, Currie ordered 200 gas bombs fired into the German positions south of Lens as a diversion during the assault on Hill 70.
Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Aug. 15, the Germans executed four local attacks against the Canadian positions. Each attack was pushed back thanks to the forward artillery who had a clear view of the German positions. At least one attack made it through to the Canadians, resulting in hand-to-hand fighting.
On Aug. 16 at 9 a.m., the Germans began to counterattack to regain positions on the hill but the Canadians were able to repel them each time.
The Germans launched a major counter attack at 7:15 p.m. resulting in hand-to-hand combat once again. The Fifth Battalion eventually retired from the final objective due to shell holes, being short of ammunition and suffering major casualties. The Second Brigade suffered 249 men killed, 1,177 men wounded and 225 men missing.
Through the night of August 17 and 18, the Germans attempted to recapture the chalk quarry and Chicory Trench using the cover of the gas, but these failed as the Canadians pushed back the attempts. At one point, German troops used flamethrowers to push into the Canadian lines but they were driven back.
For the next two days, the things were quiet as both sides consolidated their lines. The front line was drawn back 270 metres, halfway between their intermediate and final objectives.
In the morning of Aug. 21, the Sixth Canadian Infantry Brigade and the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade attacked at 4:35 a.m. but the Germans were ready, beginning their shelling at 4 a.m.
The Sixth Brigade met the German Fourth Guard Division, resulting in hand-to-hand combat. The Brigade was pushed back in the attack and communication between the forward units and brigade headquarters had broken down.
The attack officially ended on Aug. 25, and while the Germans still held Lens, it was seen as a huge success for the taking of Hill 70.
The cost of that battle was extremely high. The First Canadian Division suffered 881 dead and 3,035 total casualties, while the Second Canadian Division had 763 men dead and 2,724 total casualties. The Fourth Canadian Division had 381 dead and 1,432 total casualties. Total casualty counts vary it should be noted. The Attack on Hill 70 resulted in 3,527 casualties, while the total battle and attacks on Lens resulted in 5,671 casualties. In all, nearly 10,000 men were listed as casualties over the course of 11 days. Of those, 1,300 have no known grave.
There was another cost that is often overlooked, the financial cost. The shelling alone of Hill 70 resulted in a cost of $3 million, or $62 million today. In all, an estimated 140,000 shells were used.
On Aug. 29, Earl Grey died. He served as Governor General of Canada from 1904 to 1911 and was the one to donate to Grey Cup to be awarded to the Dominion Football Champion. Today, it is the most celebrated Canadian sports trophy after the Stanley Cup.
The same day Earl Grey died, Canada brought in the Military Service Act. This act introduced conscription to Canada, which many felt was needed as the number of volunteers were slowing down as casualties mounted. Under the act, anyone who was a resident of Canada since 1914, and was between the age of 20 and 45 with no children and was a widow or unmarried, could be called up for military service. The implementation of conscription was highly controversial and deeply unpopular in Quebec, leading to the Conscription Crisis.
Of the 401,000 men who registered for conscription, 124,588 were taken on strength into the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Of those 44,509 went overseas and 24,132 saw action in the trenches of France.
On Oct. 26, the Canadian Corps joined the Battle of Passchendaele, which had been fought since July 31, 1917.
General Arthur Currie had called the attack needless but he was ignored. To minimize casualties, he made careful plans for the Canadian assault.
Upon arriving at the battlefield, Currie wrote in his diary,
“Battlefield looks bad. No salvaging has been done and very few of the dead buried.”
For two weeks, the Canadians assaulted the Passchendaele Ridge in four attacks, gaining only a few hundred metres a day and dealing with heavy losses. The Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry lost nearly every junior officer within an hour on one assault on Oct. 30.
The mud caused constant problems and caused rifle barrels to become gummed up and difficult to fire.
The Canadian Corps were able to capture the ridge on Nov. 6 despite heavy rain and shelling.
Over 4,000 Canadians were killed and 12,000 were wounded, and the battle did nothing to help the Allies. Many see it as nothing more than a needless slaughter. Nine Victoria Crosses were awarded to Canadians who fought in the battle.
On Oct. 30, Charles Stewart became the premier of Alberta following the resignation of Arthur Sifton who left to join federal politics. Stewart served as premier until 1921. He remains the last Liberal premier of Alberta.
On Nov. 2, Anne Rutherford was born in Vancouver. She went into acting and quickly established herself as a bankable star in several movies including playing Careen O’Hara in Gone With the Wind in 1939. She also kept busy playing Polly Benedict in the Andy Hardy series of movies through the 1930s and 1940s. She retired from acting in 1950, but came back for two small film roles in 1972’s They Only Kill Their Masters and 1976’s Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood. She died in Beverely Hills in 2012.
On Nov. 26, the National Hockey League was established after the National Hockey Association suspended operations. The owners of the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators and Quebec Bulldogs were at the meeting in Montreal to create the new league. Quebec would not play that first season, and the Toronto Arenas were admitted into the league shortly after the meeting. The first games in NHL history were played on Dec. 19.
On Dec. 6, the SS Mont-Blanc collided with the SS Imo in Halifax Harbour. The Mont-Blanc was loaded with high explosives and caught fire. After about 20 minutes, it exploded into a 2.9 kiloton blast.
The explosion killed 1,782 people and injured 9,000 people. It destroyed every building in an 800 metre radius.
At the time, it was the largest human-made explosion in history, only exceeded by the atomic bombs. The pressure wave was felt as far away as Prince Edward Island. The explosion completely altered Halifax, and changed the lives of thousands. It remains the largest accidental manmade explosion in history.
On Dec. 10, Sir Mackenzie Bowell died. Born in England in 1823, he moved to Belleville, Upper Canada in 1832. He eventually purchased the Belleville Intelligencer, which led him to a political career. He served in the House of Commons from 1878 to 1892, during which time he held several important cabinet posts in the government. He entered the Senate in 1892, and from 1894 to 1896, he served as the fifth prime minister of Canada. As prime minister, he attempted to solve the Manitoba Schools Question, which only ended in his own cabinet revolting against him and forcing him to resign. He remained in the Senate until his death, having served for 50 continuous years as a Parliamentarian.
On Dec. 17, Sir Robert Borden’s Union Government, made up of Conservatives and Liberals who supported conscription, won 153 seats to form a massive majority over the Liberals who won 82 seats. The election was heavily influenced by the Wartime Elections Act which took the vote away from anyone deemed an enemy alien, and gave the vote to female relatives of servicemen, who were most likely to vote for a government that supported conscription. The Military Voters Act also allowed soldiers who were serving overseas to select a riding in which they wanted their vote counted. This allowed the government to guide votes to ridings where they were most useful. Using Army votes, the Unionists were able to gain at least 14 seats through this method. The 153 seats won by the Unionist Government was the most in Canadian history to that point, and would remain a record until the Liberals won 173 in 1935.
