Wainfleet Historical Society

11/02/2025

History, politics, arts, science & more: the Canadian Encyclopedia is your reference on Canada. Articles, timelines & resources for teachers, students & public.

11/02/2025

Everybridge has a story. Join us for the second lecture in the 2025 Travelling Lecture Series at the Welland Museum, as we visit the fascinating tales of Bridges along each of the Welland Canals.

November 8, 1 p.m. at the Welland Museum. All are Welcome. Admission by Donation.

For more information, please follow the link to see events on our website in the Bio

11/02/2025

On this day in 1869, the Red River Rebellion began in earnest. In recognition, this image shows the elected members of the Provisional Government of the Métis Nation in early 1870.

On October 11, 1869, a group of 18 unarmed Métis horsemen, led by Louis Riel, stopped the Dominion of Canada from surveying Indigenous land by standing on the survey chains. The British North America Act, in the eyes of the Canadian government, had given the Dominion the right to Rupert’s Land. The National Committee of the Red River Métis disagreed. On October 25, 1869, the committee announced that no Canadian governor would be permitted entry into Rupert’s Land until the Dominion of Canada included Métis peoples in their confederation negotiations. The Red River Métis were particularly concerned that, as a result of Rupert’s Land joining Confederation, their language and culture would be at risk from the influx of settlers. On November 2, 1869, a Métis patrol of 14 armed guards successfully prevented the Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories, William McDougall, from entering the North-West. Later that day, Louis Riel and 120 armed Métis occupied Fort Garry.

On December 1, 1869, McDougall snuck across the border and declared the North-West a Canadian territory, and himself as Lieutenant-Governor. McDougall’s subsequent attempts to raise an army failed, whereas the Métis were able to successfully continue to mount their resistance to Canadian control. Louis Riel immediately seized all the guns and ammunition in Winnipeg, and on December 7, 1869, took as prisoners, 47 supporters of the Dominion. On December 10, 1869, Louis Riel formed a Provisional Government, sending a letter to the Lieutenant Governor citing why the foundation of this body was in line with the laws of the nation. In the early months of 1870, a committee of 20 French-speaking Métis, and 20 English-speaking elected members of the Red River community met several times and composed a Bill of Rights that they wanted the Canadian Government to guarantee them in exchange for Manitoba joining Canada. On May 12, 1870, the Canadian Parliament passed the Manitoba Act, adopting into law most of the Rights for which the Provisional Government had advocated, and formally making Manitoba a Canadian province. Parliament, however, did not agree to provide amnesty to those who participated in the initial insurgence— though they insisted that inhabitants of the Red River would be free from punishment. Soon after the Manitoba Act was passed, the Canadian government began a reign of terror towards the Red River Métis, who were largely forced to flee their lands as a result.

Today, we honour the Métis as Manitoba’s founders and acknowledge the injustices they faced.

11/02/2025

Today marks the end of Daylight Saving Time as many parts of Canada turned the clocks back one hour.
Did you know the first place in the world to enact DST was Port Arthur, ON (Thunder Bay), or that Newfoundland once tried "double daylight saving"?
This is the story.

While the idea of Daylight Saving Time had been around for decades, Port Arthur, Ontario (now Thunder Bay), was the first place in the world to enact it on July 1, 1908. This was followed by Orillia, Ontario in 1911. Various other communities did so after.

When the First World War was raging, the Canadian government introduced Daylight Saving Time nationwide to increase production.
After the war, the regulation of Daylight Saving Time lapsed and various places in Canada used it, while others did not.

In some places, the trains used Daylight Saving Time, as well as schools, but the rest of the community did not.
This created situations where various buildings in a community were on a different time than other buildings, sometimes on the same street.

Municipalities began to regulate Daylight Saving Time to end this confusion.
As more communities did this, various provinces eventually took over to implement Daylight Saving Time to end the confusion. Some places in Canada don't do DST.

Saskatchewan does not observe Daylight Saving Time, nor do some eastern regions of British Columbia. In Ontario, some communities like Pickle Lake don't observe DST. Parts of Quebec, Nunavut and all of the Yukon also do not observe it.

In 1988, the Newfoundland's government experimented with double daylight saving time, moving clocks ahead two hours instead of one. The move was incredibly unpopular with the public and did not last long.
This was recently covered in an episode of Son of A Critch.

I hope you enjoyed that look at Daylight Saving Time history in Canada.

If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support my work with a donation at 👇
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/craigu

Sources:

Canadian Encyclopedia: https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/daylight-saving-time-in-canada
University Canada West: https://www.ucanwest.ca/blog/media-communication/the-history-of-daylight-saving-time
Explore North: https://www.explorenorth.com/yukon/yukon_time.html
National Research Council Canada: https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/canadas-official-time/time-zones-daylight-saving-time

11/01/2025

Welcome, November🧡 🍂

The Welland Museum has some great events scheduled this month. If you are interested in learning more about the Welland Canal, visit us on November 8 for Insights into our Past. If you are looking for fun crafts and free snacks, be sure to stop by our Christmas Open House. Our Messy @ the Museum, and PA Day programming are a must-attend if you are seeking educational activities for your children.

📅 Learn more & plan your visit:https://www.wellandmuseum.ca/events/

11/01/2025

10/31/2025

Haunted places gain a reputation through tragic events, historical individuals or their environment. In Canada, haunted places represent more than just a locati...

10/31/2025

On this day in 1967, Expo 67 ended. Considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, it featured 62 nations taking part. Nearly 55 million people visited.

Learn more in my Deep Dive 👇
https://canadaehx.com/2022/05/14/expo-67

10/29/2025

📢Event Reminder:

Join us for the next installment of the Department of History Speaker Series with Dr. Steve McClellan, currently teaching modern global history in the Department. His talk will shed light on the complex linkages between conservation and colonialism.

When: Thursday, October 30, 4-5 p.m.
Where: 573A Glenridge Ave. (Brock campus), Room 201

All are welcome!

Brock University Faculty of HumanitiesBrock University Historical SocietyBrock University