November 27: Hecla Island quarantined; Sifton's immigration push; adult suffrage.

November 27, 1876 - The entire community of Hecla Island is quarantined after an outbreak of smallpox kills 30 of 145 members. The quarantine lasted nine months.

November 27, 1896 - The largest immigration campaign in Canada's history is launched by Brandon M.P. and Federal Minister of the Interior Clifford Sifton. By the time he left his post in 1905 some 140,000 newcomers arrived in the West.

November 27, 1942 - Winnipeg's first civic election with adult suffrage in effect takes place. 

In a 1940 referendum, voters agreed to extend the vote to all adult Canadian citizens that had been living in the city for more than a year. Prior to that, one had to be a landowner or living in a rented home or full apartment.

A large segment that was missed were those living "in one room". This included rooming house residents, a lodger in another person's house or adult children still living at home.

The Depression and the declining condition of housing stock in Winnipeg swelled the number of people living in such conditions.

It increased the number of potential voters by 30% to 152,531.