December 2004 in Canada - Definition and Overview

This page deals with current events in Canada, of interest to Canada and/or involving Canadians.

December 31, 2004

• John Chataway, a backbencher in Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservative minority government, dies at the age of 57 in Toronto. (CP) (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1845&ncid=737&e=5&u=/cpress/20041231/ca_pr_on_na/obit_ns_chataway)

December 30, 2004

• Asian Disaster:
  • Canadians donate $20-million, mostly on-line, in record time. (GM) (http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20041231.wxcharity1231/BNStory/Technology/)
  • The Canadian government pledged they will match donations made by Canadians on top of their $40 million committment. [1] (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1104443723554_8?hub=Canada|(CTV))
  • Canada to forgive debt of tsunami ravaged nations. (Ottawa Citzen) (http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=e8a2be9f-e24c-4ea4-9a23-93197c55bbc3)

December 30, 2004

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announces that it has discovered a possible case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in a dairy cow. Final results are expected within three to five days. The announcement comes one day after the United States Department of Agriculture announced plans to re-open the border to most Canadian beef exports, including live cattle under 30 months on March 7. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/30/mad-cow-border041230.html)
• The largest crowd ever at Canadian Hockey League game witnessed the Kingston Frontenacs defeat the Ottawa 67's 6-5 at the Corel Centre. The final attendance figure was at 20,081, which broke the previous record set in 1995 at the Joe Louis Arena. Ottawa Sun (http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/Sports/2004/12/30/801487-sun.html)
• The Canadian Junior team becomes the only undefeated team at this point at the 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Grand Forks, North Dakota as they defeat Finland 8-1. CBC (http://www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national/2004/12/30/Sports/canada_finland041230.html)

December 29, 2004

• The United States Department of Agriculture announces that it plans to re-open the border to most Canadian beef exports, including live cattle under 30 months on March 7. These products have been banned from crossing the border since a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was diagnosed in a single Albertan cow in May 2003. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/30/mad-cow-border041230.html)

December 28, 2004

• Canada defeats Germany 9-0 in their third group match at the 2005 World Junior Championships in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The Canadians are now 3-0, and assured of qualification for the championship round of the tournament.(CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national/2004/12/28/Sports/041228canadagermanyrecap.html)
• The Department of Foreign Affairs confirms that three Canadians are among those who are confirmed to have died in Sunday's earthquake and tsunami in southeast Asia. Dozens of others are not yet accounted for. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/28/tsuanami-canadians041228.html)

December 27, 2004

• Canada defeats Sweden 8-1 in their second game at the 2005 World Junior Championships in Grand Forks, North Dakota. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national/2004/12/27/Sports/can-swe041227.html)
• Prime Minister Paul Martin offers condolences and announces that Canada will release $1 million in aid to help victims of Sunday's earthquake and tsunami in southeast Asia. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/26/maretinquake041226.html)

December 26, 2004

December 25, 2004

• The Canadian national junior hockey team (U-20) defeats Slovakia 7-3 in the opening group match of the 2005 World Junior Championships in Grand Forks, North Dakota. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national/2004/12/25/Sports/can-slo041225.html)

December 24, 2004

• Federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler orders German-born businessman Karlheinz Schreiber to leave Canada and surrender to German authorities. Schreiber has been fighting extradition to Germany, where he is wanted on charges of fraud, bribery and tax evasion, for four years. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/22/schreiber041222.html)

• Governor General Adrienne Clarkson announces the cancellation of a number of programs after the House of Commons cut her budget by more than $400,000 earlier this month. Some critics charge that Clarkson's cancellation of the annual winter party at Rideau Hall for parliamentarians, diplomats and the Parliament Hill press corps was deliberate retaliation for the budget cut. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/24/clarkson041224.html)

December 23, 2004

• Alice Strike, an English-born woman presumed to be the last Canadian female veteran of the First World War, dies aged 108 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/24/strike-obit-041224.html)

• Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams orders the national flag removed from provincial buildings. Williams is protesting what he sees as a lack of progress in negotiations with the federal government regarding the relationship between offshore petroleum revenues and equalization payments in the province. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/23/williams041223.html)

December 22, 2004

• The Canadian national junior hockey team (U-20) defeats Switzerland 5-0 in an exhibition game at the new MTS Centre in Winnipeg. Canada's first group match of the 2005 World Junior Championships is on Christmas Day against Slovakia. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national/2004/12/22/Sports/canada041222.html)
• Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams and Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm meet with federal finance minister Ralph Goodale in Winnipeg in an effort to secure agreement on the relationship between offshore petroleum revenues and equalization payments in these provinces. (CTV) (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1103726779387_7/?hub=TopStories)
• Todd Bertuzzi pleads guilty to assault charges related to an on ice incident at a National Hockey League game in Vancouver on March 8. Bertuzzi has been given a conditional discharge and one year's probation. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national/2004/12/22/Sports/bertuzzi041222.html)

December 21, 2004

• Newfoundland and Labrador becomes the seventh province and eighth jurisdiction in Canada to legalize Same-sex marriage. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/21/samesex-newfoundland041221.html)
• Thomas Grandi wins his second straight World Cup downhill skiing title, only his second ever.

December 20, 2004

• The Canadian national junior hockey team (U-20) defeats Finland 6-0 in an exhibition game at the new MTS Centre in Winnipeg. Canada's first group match of the 2005 World Junior Championships is on Christmas Day against Slovakia. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national/2004/12/21/Sports/canada-finland041215.html)

• Stan Koebel, who managed a water supply contaminated with E. coli bacteria in Walkerton, Ontario that killed seven people in 2000, is sentenced to one year in jail. His younger brother Frank Koebel receives nine months of conditional house arrest. (National Post) (http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=32a1cf68-4ebf-4f38-9b50-073b78654c9b) (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/20/koebels-sentenced041220.html)

December 19, 2004

• Prime Minister Paul Martin meets with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in Gadhafi's tent on the outskirts of Tripoli. Initially scheduled to last two days, Martin's visit to Libya has been cut to 20 hours to allow the prime minister to attend the funeral of Labrador Member of Parliament Lawrence O'Brien. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/12/19/martin-libya041219.html)

December 18, 2004

December 17, 2004

• A military inquiry into the fire that killed one submariner aboard HMCS Chicoutimi submits its report to the head of the navy. The findings are not expected to be made public until February 2005. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/17/chicoutimi-041217.html)

• The military admits that despite spending more than $1 million on repairs to a Sea King helicopter damaged after crashing onto the deck of HMCS Iroquois in February 2003, the helicopter will never again be fit to fly. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/17/seaking041217.html)

• Frank magazine, a Toronto-based publication noted for gossip and satirical articles about the well-to-do, announce that they have ceased publication. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2004/12/17/Arts/frank041217.html)

December 16, 2004

• Lawrence O'Brien, the federal Liberal Member of Parliament for Labrador, dies of cancer. A by-election will need to be called in 2005. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/17/obrien-dies041217.html)

December 14, 2004

• Same-sex marriage in Canada: Federal justice minister Irwin Cotler announces that the bill to legalize same-sex marriage will contain a provision allowing civic officials to refuse to perform such ceremonies. (365Gay) (http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/12/121404canMarr.htm)

December 9 2004

• Acting on a reference from Parliament, the Canadian Supreme Court states that a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Canada would be constitutional. They decline to say if the Constitution requires that recognition, saying that by not appealing several provincial courts' decisions to that effect, the government has already adopted that position. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/09/scoc-gaymarriage041209.html) Prime Minister Paul Martin says his government will introduce same-sex marriage legislation in January. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/09/martin-samesex041209.html)

December 1 2004

• United States President George W. Bush holds talks with Canada's Prime Minister Paul Martin in his first official visit to the country and agrees to work together to combat terrorism. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4053747.stm)