Montreal is captured by the Americans

Story by Sharon Adams

On Nov. 13, 1775, Montreal was captured, without a fight, by American revolutionaries. The American Revolution, the revolt by American Patriots in the British colonies on the Eastern Seaboard which began in April 1775, naturally boiled over from the Thirteen Colonies to British colonies in Canada. The rebels formed what was called the Continental Army and launched a campaign to entice Canadians, particularly Québécois, to join them.

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Assault pioneers make a comeback in Canada

Story by Stephen J. Thorne

An age-old military tradition has returned to the Canadian Army just a few years after it was abandoned. Assault pioneers—long-known as the bearded, leather-aproned, axe-bearing innovators whose jobs originated with the Roman legions—are making a comeback, albeit with some modern twists.

Attached to infantry units, they have typically been responsible for manual labour and light engineering work such as road-clearing (hence, the axe) and specialized explosives work, making way for assault troops to proceed with their lethal tasks.

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November 12-13, 1775

United States General Richard Montgomery demands the keys to public stores in Montreal;
the citizens capitulate and his army occupies the city until May.

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