THIS WEEKEND in history

Feb. 24

In 2006, 34-year-old Rodney MacDonald of Inverness was sworn in as premier of Nova Scotia - Canada’s youngest premier.

In 1993, Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster Danny Gallivan of Sydney died at age 75. He was the English voice of the Montreal Canadiens from 1952-84. In 2002, Canada’s 50-year wait for an Olympic men’s hockey title ended. Joe Sakic scored twice and assisted on two other goals as Canada downed the United States 5-2 in the gold-medal game in Salt Lake City. The victory, which set off celebrations across Canada, came 50 years to the day that the Edmonton Mercurys won Canada’s previous Olympic hockey crown in Oslo, Norway. (Canada won gold again at the 2010 Vancouver Games and the 2014 Sochi Games.)

In 1976, the Trudeau government unveiled its “peace and security’’ legislation. It included the abolition of hanging, increased minimum sentences for murder, stricter gun control and wider police wiretapping powers.

In 1986, Tommy Douglas, remembered as the father of medicare, died at age 81. As Saskatchewan premier from 1944-61, he implemented Canada’s first public hospital insurance program. In 1962, a year after Douglas became the federal NDP leader, Saskatchewan introduced North America’s first socialized health plan. In 1993, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced he was stepping down after more than eight years in office. He said his greatest disappointment was the failure of the Meech Lake constitutional accord. In June, Kim Campbell won the Tory leadership and served briefly as prime minister.

Feb. 25:

In 2010, Canada claimed its third consecutive Olympic championship in women’s hockey with a 2-0 victory over the United States at Vancouver’s Winter Games. (Canada extended the streak to four at the 2014 Sochi Games.)