Generally, determining historical significance comes down to a certain criteria. Some of these categories may outweigh one another, but they are related.
Importance: Who were impacted by the event at the time? Have people been affected by the event. Why was it so important to them? How were people’s lives affected?
Profundity: This refers to how deeply people were impacted by the event. Was the event superficial? Or deeply affecting? How were people’s lives affected?
Quantity: Did the event affect many, everyone, just a few?
Durability: How long were the people affected by the event? Was the event lasting or only temporary?
Relevance: This refers to the extent to which the event has contributed to historical understanding. Is the event relevant to our understanding of the past and/or present? Does the event have significance to us?
When looking at your own topic (individual Canadian), and as we enter into asking questions and researching the answers to those questions, also consider this check list for Historical Significance.