16 OCTOBER, 1784. The first recorded eye-witness account of an aeronautical event by a Canadian was written by William B. Jarvis, who later became Secretary and Registrar of Upper Canada. He wrote from London, England, to his brother in Parr Town (later Saint John), New Brunswick, describing the ascension of Vincent Lunardi’s balloon on 15 September, 1784, beginning the first aerial voyage in England.
15 OCTOBER, 1834. Three unmanned hot air balloons were to be sent up from the Champ de Mars, Montreal, Quebec, by W.M. MacGlashan. The exhibition was planned for the benefit of the Montreal General Hospital and the Orphan Asylum. A large and unmanageable crowd prevented the release of the balloons.
18 MAY, 1835. An unmanned hot air balloon devised by F.E. Butterfield, a travelling comedian, ascended from the yard of the Farmer’s Hotel, Kingston, Upper Canada.
24 AUGUST, 1835. Three unmanned balloons provided by Joseph Donegani ascended during the grand fete at Guilbault’s Botanic Garden amusement park, Montreal, Quebec.
10 APRIL, 1837. The earliest recorded aeronautical experiment in Canada was devised by John Rae, headmaster of the Gore District Grammar School, Hamilton, Upper Canada. He successfully launched a weight-carrying paper balloon for which lift was provided by the heating, owing to its blackened surface, of the air within by the sun.
28 JUNE, 1838. During celebrations for Queen Victoria’s coronation, an unmanned balloon devised by E. Brown ascended fromThe Common, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
22 JULY, 1839. A celebration of the 27th anniversary of the Battle of Salamanca at Fredericton, New Brunswick, included the ascension of an unmanned hot air balloon devised by Benjamin Franklin Tibbitts.
10 AUGUST, 1840. First aerial voyage in what is now Canada. Louis Anselm Lauriat of Boston, Massachusetts, ascended from Barrack Square, Saint John, New Brunswick, in his balloon “Star of the East” and landed at a point near the Ouaco Road, 21 miles from the city.
EARLY SEPTEMBER, 1847. A kite was flown fromThe Common, Halifax, Nova Scotia, to advertise Rockwell & Company’s circus from New York City.
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 1850. Small hydrogen-filled balloons carrying messages intended for the lost expedition of Sir John Franklin were released from the Royal Navy ship H.M.S. Assistance in Wellington Channel and Barrow Strait near Cornwallis Island, N.W.T. (within 50 nautical miles of the present airport at Resolute Bay).
15 JULY, 1851. Three kites and a sail for auxiliary motive power were deployed by the Royal Navy sledge “Perseverance” ( Lt F. L. McClintock) off Griffith’s Island, west of Resolute Bay, Cornwallis Island, Northwest Territories while searching for the lost expedition of Sir John Franklin.
4 SEPTEMBER, 1856. The balloon “Canada”, which was constructed under the direction of M. and Mme. Eugene Godard in the Bonsecours Market building, Montreal, Canada East, was placed on public exhibition in the City Concert Hall in the same building.
8 SEPTEMBER 1856. The first successful voyage of a balloon constructed in Canada was made and the first aerial passengers in Canada were carried. The balloon “Canada” ascended from the yard of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Griffintown, Montreal, Canada East, and landed at Pointe Olivier in St. Mathias parish, Rouville county, C.E. Accompanying French aeronaut Eugene Godard were: Alexandre Edouard Kierzkowski, civil engineer; Alfred Xavier Rambau, journalist, and Captain David S. Ramsay, advocate.
15 SEPTEMBER, 1856. French aeronaut Eugene Godard and passengers L. Beaudry, G. Lamothe and J. Masson travelled with the balloon “Canada” from Griffintown, Montreal, to near St. Lambert, Chambly county, Canada East.
22 SEPTEMBER, 1856. The balloon “Canada” carried Eugene Godard and passengers A. Roy, L. Beaudry and M. Coursolles from Griffintown, Montreal, to Tanneries des Rollands (now St. Henri), Hochelaga county, Canada East.
OCTOBER, 1856. The first publication in Canada completely devoted to an aeronautical subject was produced by Senecal et Daniel, printers of the newspaper La Patrie in Montreal. “Eugene Godard”, a biographical sketch by Henri-Emile Chevalier, had already appeared in seven parts in La Patrie during the previous month while Godard was making balloon ascensions in Montreal, Canada East.
11 OCTOBER, 1856. Eugene Godard made the first of a series of ascensions from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the balloon
“Canada”.
17 JUNE. 1858. Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe, appearing as Monsieur Carlincourt, made his first public exhibition balloon ascension at Ottawa, Canada West. A previous attempt on 24 May had not been successful.
1 SEPTEMBER, 1858. Monsieur Carlincourt (T.S.C. Lowe) made his second successful balloon ascension at Ottawa, Canada West. The occasion was the completion (temporary) of the first transAtlantic telegraph cable.
24 AUGUST, 1859. The balloon “Europa” carried Professor John H. Steiner of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from Toronto across Lake Ontario to Minetto, Oswego county, New York.
8 SEPTEMBER, 1859. The balloon “Europa” carried Professor John H. Steiner and Captain Bob Moodie from beside the Revere House, Toronto, to near the Gates Tavern, Kingston Road, Canada West.
22-23 SEPTEMBER, 1859. First international air travellers arrive in Canada. The balloon “Atlantic” carried Professor John LaMountain and John A. Haddock from Watertown, New York, to a landing in the wilderness more than 100 miles north of Ottawa, Canada West.
25 JUNE, 1860. The balloon “Europa” carried Professor John H. Steiner and Joseph Simmons from Toronto to near Norway village, York county, Canada West.
25 JULY, 1860. The balloon “Europa” carried Professor John H. Steiner from Tete du Pont Barracks, Kingston, Canada West, to near French Creek, Jefferson county, New York.
4 AUGUST. 1860. The balloon “Europa” carried Professor John H. Steiner from Montreal to near St. Jean, Canada East.
5 SEPTEMBER, 1860. Professor John H. Steiner made his second successful balloon ascension from Tete du Pont Barracks, Kingston, Canada West.
29 MAY, 1861. The balloon “Enterprise” carried Professor T.S.C. Lowe and R.C. Buscombe from the Crystal Palace grounds,
Hamilton, to St. Anns, Monck county, Canada West.
30 MAY, 1861. The balloon “Enterprise” carried Professor T.S.C. Lowe from St. Anns, Monck county to St. Catharines, Canada West.
22 JULY, 1862. The balloon “Niagara”carried Professor and Mrs. M.Ayers from the James Street “pleasure grounds”, Hamilton, Canada West, to Oaklands on Burlington Bay north of the city.
19 AUGUST, 1862. The balloon “Niagara” carried Professor and Mrs. M. Ayers from Government House grounds, Toronto, to
Scarborough township, Canada West.
21 AUGUST, 1862. The balloon “Niagara” carried Professor M. Ayers from Dulmage’s Square, London, Canada West, to near Thorndale Station, Middlesex county.
11 SEPTEMBER, 1862. The balloon “Niagara” carried Professor M. Ayers from Victoria Gardens, Montreal, to St. Leonard, Canada East.
