Victoria Timeline – 1914

 
 

1914 – The Call to Arms

Canada and the World

Victoria Events
Jan 14 – The first long-distance call in Canada was placed from Montréal to Vancouver. Jan 1 – Yarrow’s Ltd purchased BC Marine Railway Co. works at Esquimalt. Read more about the economy in Victoria here
Jan 28 – Nellie McClung and other suffragettes held the Mock Parliament, in Winnipeg, to agitate for votes for women. Feb 18 – Victoria celebrated the Boer War on the anniversary of the Battle of Paardeburg.
Apr 7 – The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was completed. The first train arrived at Prince Rupert on April 9. Feb 25 – Old guns removed from Beacon Hill.
May 14 – Western Canada’s first oil boom began with the discovery of oil at Turner Valley, southwest of Calgary. May 2 – Opening of Victoria High School. Want to know more about Victoria High? They have created their own website about the impact of WWI on the Vic High community.
May 23 – The Komagata Maru arrived at Vancouver, with 376 Sikh immigrants aboard. They were not allowed to land and the ship was forced out of harbour. May 7 – A Potlach case was before the Court in Alert Bay.  The Colonist reported on the activities of two policewomen.
May 29 – Empress of Ireland sank in the Gulf of St Lawrence.  1014 died May 29 – Miss Veitch of Victoria was among those killed.
Jun 28 – Archduke Francis Ferdinand assassinated at Sarajevo by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip.
Aug 4 – Britain declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. Aug 4 – BC Premier Richard McBride authorized spending $1.1 million for 2 submarines that had been built in Seattle for the Chilean navy.
Aug 15 – Panama Canal opens Aug 5 – Four graduate nurses from St Joseph’s Hospital and five from the Provincial Royal Jubilee Hospital volunteered for active service. Learn more about nursing during the war.
Aug 19 – Canada formally declares war  Aug 6 – The E&N Railway ran the first train to Parksville.
Aug 26-28 – First troops leave Victoria

Troops march down Government Street to the CPR Dock, en route to Valcartier. This would have been one of the first overseas contingents to leave Victoria. Source: Image Courtesy of Craig Cotter at the Museum of the 5th (BC) Regiment Royal Canadian Artillery - Room 401/Box A1/31 Date: 28 August 1914

Troops march down Government Street to the CPR Dock, en route to Valcartier. This would have been one of the first overseas contingents to leave Victoria.
Source: Image Courtesy of Craig Cotter at the Museum of the 5th (BC) Regiment Royal Canadian Artillery – Room 401/Box A1/31
Date: 28 August 1914
Oct 3 – The first Canadian contingent sailed from Québec for England, a total of 31 000 men.
Dec 21 – Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) landed in France Dec 17 – The Hon Sir Francis Stillman Barnard sworn in as BC’s 10th lieutenant-governor.