This Day In History
December 17

Year Month Start Date Event
1792 December 17 The first session of the Parliament of Lower Canada opens on December 17.
1796 December 17 Born - December 17 - Thomas Chandler Haliburton, author, judge and politician (d.1865)
1822 December 17 Died - December 17 - Peter Fidler, fur trader, mapmaker, explorer (born 1769)
1844 December 17 Institut canadien de Montréal founded on December 17.
1859 December 17 The first passenger train passes through the Victoria Bridge.
1874 December 17 Born - December 17 - William Lyon Mackenzie King, lawyer, economist, university professor, civil servant, journalist, politician and 10th Prime Minister of Canada (d.1950)
1874 December 17 December 17 - Nova Scotia election: Philip Carteret Hill's Liberals win a second consecutive majority
1874 December 17 Died - December 17 - Hiram Blanchard, Premier of Nova Scotia (b.1820)
1909 December 17 Died - December 17 - George Cox, mayor of Ottawa (b.1834)
1914 December 17 December 17 - George J. Clark becomes Premier of New Brunswick replacing the retiring James K. Flemming
1917 December 17 December 17: Federal election: Robert Borden's Conservatives win a second consecutive majority
1939 December 17 December 17 - World War II: The 1st Canadian Infantry Division lands in Scotland en route to England. The division is accompanied by a team of announcers and technicians, who set up Radio Canada's overseas service.
1960 December 17 December 17 – Quebec becomes the last province to agree to the National Health Act.
1967 December 17 Born - December 17 – Vincent Damphousse, ice hockey player
1968 December 17 Born - December 17 – Paul Tracy, racing car driver
1975 December 17 Born - December 17 - Nick Farrell, boxer
1990 December 17 December 17 – The GST becomes law
1991 December 17 Born - December 17 - Léo Bureau-Blouin, politician
1991 December 17 Died - December 17 - Armand Frappier, physician and microbiologist (born 1904)
1992 December 17 December 17: Prime Minister Brian Mulroney signs the NAFTA deal
2002 December 17 December 17 - The Quebec City police arrest many people in a child prostitution bust that includes many well-known people of the city.