Other Canadian Inventions
Joseph Coyle wasn't the only Canadian whose ingenuity changed the world. Canadians of all ages, genders, and ethnicities have left their mark on history through their inventiveness and creativity. This includes the diverse Indigenous societies who have existed in this land long before it was called 'Canada.' Here is a timeline of just a few fascinating Canadian (and pre-Canadian) innovations:
Snowshoes
While the exact origins of the snowshoe are unclear, the traditional webbed snowshoes we know today were developed and perfected by Indigenous North Americans.
Snow goggles
The first snow goggles (precursors to sunglasses) were created several thousand years ago by the Inuit and Yup'ik peoples of the Arctic to prevent snow blindness. They were typically made of driftwood, bone, walrus ivory, or caribou antler with eyehole slits cut into them.
Maple syrup/maple sugar
The practice of extracting and boiling maple sap originated among the Indigenous peoples of eastern North America, long before the first European settlers arrived.
Toggling harpoon - c. 5500-4000 BCE (BC)
This whaling instrument first appeared among the Red Paint culture of ancient Atlantic Canada and New England, with the earliest-known example coming from a 7,000-year-old burial site in Labrador.
Toboggans - c. 3000 BCE (BC)
Toboggans were developed by various Indigenous North American peoples to transport objects and small children during the winter.
Kayaks - c. 2000 BCE (BC)
Kayaks were first invented by the Inuit, Yup'ik, and Aleut peoples at least 4,000 years ago.
Lacrosse - c. 1100 CE (AD)
The original game of lacrosse was first played as early as 1100 CE (AD) by Indigenous North American peoples. The game we know today has been highly modified by European colonists.
Red River carts - c. early 1800s
These two-wheeled, animal-drawn carts, made entirely of natural materials, were developed by the Metis people of the Red River area (modern-day Manitoba).
'Reverse cooking stove' - 1855
Although little is known about this stove, including whether it ever went into production, it's notable for being the first Canadian invention officially patented by a woman - a Ruth Adams of Toronto. It was intended to improve the efficiency of cooking by reducing heat loss.
Hubbard's portable oven - c. 1860s
William Peyton Hubbard, the Canadian-born son of escaped African-American slaves, invented a highly successful portable oven which remained in use for decades. He later served as a Toronto alderman for twenty years (1894-1914).
Design for electric lightbulb - 1874
Torontonians Henry Woodward and Mathew Evans patented a design for an electric lightbulb in 1874, but lacked the funds to produce it. A second patent of theirs, developed two years later, was among those purchased by Thomas Edison and used to develop the first working lightbulb.
Peanut paste - 1884
Marcellus Gidmore Edson of Quebec was the first modern inventor to receive a patent for peanut paste, a forerunner of peanut butter. (However, the earliest-known peanut butter-like substance was actually consumed by the ancient Incas and Aztecs!)
'Marquis' wheat - 1904
Dr. Charles Saunders and his brother William developed this highly popular, fast-growing strain of wheat at the Experimental Farm in Ottawa.
Sonar - 1915
Two Canadians were involved with the creation of sonar. Reginald Fessenden, who was born and raised in Eastern Canada, developed and tested an experimental system in Boston in 1912. Several years later, Newfoundlander Robert William Boyle collaborated with French scientists to invent sonar for the detection of German submarines.
Insulin - 1922
Dr. Frederick Banting, Charles Herbert Best, and their team of researchers at the University of Toronto successfully isolated insulin from a dog pancreas. The first patient to recieve an insulin injection was Leonard Thompson, a 13-year-old Canadian boy with diabetes.
Snowmobile - 1936
The snowmobile was invented by Joseph-Armand Bombardier of Quebec, whose young son had died of peritonitis because he could not be brought to the hospital during a blizzard.
Packset (walkie-talkie) - 1937
Canadian inventor Donald Hings was the first to create a working portable two-way radio system (though a separate patent had been filed by a Polish engineer several years earlier). Known as a 'packset' and later as the Walkie Talkie, it found widespread use in World War II.
'Toronto method' of stimulating bacterial growth - 1939/1940
Leone N. Farrell, a Canadian biochemist and microbiologist, developed a new method of promoting bacterial growth in a liquid culture. Through this process, she and her team supplied American researcher Jonas Salk with the virus samples he used to develop the world's first polio vaccine.
Maple Leaf II & Hawker Hurricane planes - late 1930s/early 1940s
Elsie MacGill, the first woman to earn a Master's degree in aeronautical engineering, developed and manufactured the Maple Leaf II training plane at her Canadian Car & Foundry factory in Thunder Bay. This was the first aircraft known to have been designed and produced by a woman. She later oversaw the production of Hawker Hurricane fighter airfcraft for the British Royal Air Force during WWII, and designed several winter features such as de-icing controls and landing skis for this plane.
Wheelchair-accessible bus - 1947
The world's first wheelchair-accessible bus was designed by Walter Callow, a Nova Scotian WWI veteran who was blind and quadriplegic.
Garbage bags - 1950
Disposable green garbage bags were invented by Canadians Harry Wasylyk (of Winnipeg) and Larry Hansen (of Lindsay, Ontario). Another inventor, Frank Plomp of Toronto, created his own version of the garbage bag in the same year.
Electric wheelchair - 1952
Ontarian George Klein created the first electric wheelchair for use by quadripeligics. He also contributed to many other inventions, including the first microsurgical staple gun, the 'Weasel' all-terrain vehicle, a prototype for the CANDU reactor, and Canadarm.
Jolly Jumper - 1957
Though various baby jumpers and swings existed long beforehand, the Jolly Jumper itself was patented by Olivia Poole of Vancouver in 1957. She had made her first model in Ontario in 1910, inspired by childhood memories of Ojibwe mothers who had hung their babies' cradleboards from branches at the White Earth Reservation in North Dakota. Being part-Ojibwe herself, she was one of the first Indigenous women in Canada to receive a patent.
Inuit stonecut printmaking - 1957
While this art form was introduced by a non-Inuit couple, James and Alma Houston, it was the work of the Cape Dorset artists' collective, including Pitseolak Ashoona, Nuna Parr, and Kenojuak Ashevak, that elevated it to national and international fame.
Artificial cell - 1957
Thomas Ming Swi Chang, a McGill University undergraduate, created the world's first artificial cell out of improvised materials in his dorm room. This plastic sack was able to carry hemoglobin almost as effectively as a real blood cell! Chang later developed treatments for drug poisoning and carried out research into safe blood substitutes.
IMAX - 1967
The giant screen system was pioneered by Canadians Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor, William Shaw, and Robert Kerr. A quote by Kroitor also served as George Lucas' inspiration for 'the Force' in Star Wars.
Hydrazine Resistojet Propulsion System - 1967
This jet propulsion system was invented by Yvonne Brill, who was born and raised in Manitoba and later worked in the United States. It is now used to power satellite systems worldwide.
California roll - 1970s
Despite its name, this popular sushi treat was actually created by chef Hidekazu Tojo in Vancouver!
Canadarm - 1981
The famous robotic arms were created by the National Research Council of Canada for NASA's Space Shuttle program.
CPR mannequin - 1989
Dianne Croteau invented the 'Actar 911,' a lightweight mannequin with disposable inflatable lungs, for use in CPR training. It replaced the heavier, more expensive models of earlier years.
Internet search engine - 1990
Alan Emtage, a Bajan-Canadian postgraduate student at McGill university, created 'Archie,' the world's first internet search engine. He had helped bring the first internet link to eastern Canada in 1986.
BlackBerry phone - 1999
Mihal 'Mike' Lazaridis created the BlackBerry wireless handheld device, precursor to today's smartphone.
LongPen - 2006
This device, which allows for a person to remotely write in ink via tablet PC and a robotic hand, was invented by Canadian Margaret Atwood, author of books such as The Handmaid's Tale.