December 17, 1917: Canada holds its 1st "Khaki Election," in the midst of World War I, allowing servicemen and, for the 1st time, servicewomen to vote.
This move, by Prime Minister Robert Borden, leader of the Conservative Party, was seen by French Canadians and the leader of the Liberal Party, former Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, as a slap in the face to the French who opposed the country's 1st military draft.
The Conservatives won overwhelmingly, winning 57 percent of the popular vote, which remains their highest ever, and gaining 21 seats in the House of Commons.
The vast majority of French Canadians opposed conscription, as they felt that they had no particular loyalty to either Britain or France. Led by journalist Henri Bourassa, they felt their only loyalty was to Canada. English Canadians supported the war effort as they felt stronger ties to the British Empire.
On January 1, 1918, the Unionist government began to enforce the Military Service Act. It caused 404,385 men to be liable for military service, from which 385,510 sought exemption. This extended what became known as the Conscription Crisis. The most violent opposition occurred in Quebec, where anti-war attitudes sparked a weekend of rioting between March 28 and April 1, 1918. Five men were killed.
Borden remained Prime Minister for another 3 years, including the end of the war. Having gone 4-2 in federal elections, Laurier remained Liberal Leader for 2 more years, until his death. Both had been knighted by King George V. In 1972, the Bank of Canada placed Laurier is on Canada's $5 bill. In 1975, it placed Borden on its $100 bill.
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December 17, 1917 was a Monday. Baseball was out of season. Football was between its regular season and its end-of-season Christmas and New Year's games, not yet called "bowl games." Professional basketball was on a very minor league level. And the 1st season of the NHL began 2 days later. So there were no scores on this historic day.
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