1985 in Canada
Encyclopedia
Incumbents
- MonarchMonarchy in CanadaThe monarchy of Canada is the core of both Canada's federalism and its Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, being the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Canadian government and each provincial government...
: Elizabeth II - Governor GeneralGovernor General of CanadaThe Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
: Jeanne SauvéJeanne SauvéJeanne Mathilde Sauvé was a Canadian journalist, politician, and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 23rd since Canadian Confederation.... - Prime MinisterPrime Minister of CanadaThe Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
: Brian MulroneyBrian MulroneyMartin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S... - Premier of AlbertaPremier of AlbertaThe Premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. The current Premier of Alberta is Alison Redford. She became Premier by winning the Progressive Conservative leadership elections on...
: Peter LougheedPeter LougheedEdgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985....
then Don GettyDon GettyDonald Ross Getty, OC, AOE is a retired Canadian politician who served as the 11th Premier of Alberta between 1985 and 1992. A member of the Progressive Conservatives, he served as Energy Minister and Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister in the government of Peter Lougheed before... - Premier of British ColumbiaPremier of British ColumbiaThe Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
: Bill BennettBill BennettWilliam Richards Bennett, PC, OBC , commonly known as Bill Bennett, was the 27th Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia 1975–1986. He is a son of the former Premier, W. A. C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed, of R.B... - Premier of ManitobaPremier of ManitobaThe Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
: Howard PawleyHoward PawleyHoward Russell Pawley, PC, OC, OM is a Canadian politician and professor who was the 18th Premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988.-Personal life:... - Premier of New BrunswickPremier of New BrunswickThe Premier of New Brunswick is the first minister for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
: Richard HatfieldRichard HatfieldRichard Bennett Hatfield, PC, ONB was a New Brunswick politician and long time Premier of the province .- Early life :... - Premier of Newfoundland: Brian PeckfordBrian PeckfordAlfred Brian Peckford, PC served as the 3rd Premier of Newfoundland. He served as leader of the Progressive Conservatives from 1979 until his retirement in 1989....
- Premier of Nova ScotiaPremier of Nova ScotiaThe Premier of Nova Scotia is the first minister for the Canadian province of Nova Scotia who presides over the Executive Council of Nova Scotia. Following the Westminster system, the premier is normally the leader of the political party which has the most seats in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly...
: John BuchananJohn BuchananJohn MacLennan Buchanan, PC, QC is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 20th Premier of Nova Scotia from 1978 to 1990 and as a member of the Senate of Canada from 1990 to 2006.-Early life:... - Premier of OntarioPremier of OntarioThe Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
: Bill DavisBill DavisWilliam Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
then Frank Miller then David PetersonDavid PetersonDavid Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years.... - Premier of Prince Edward IslandPremier of Prince Edward IslandThe Premier of Prince Edward Island is the first minister for the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive.The current Premier of Prince Edward Island is Robert Ghiz.-See also:...
: James Lee - Premier of QuebecPremier of QuebecThe Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
: René LévesqueRené LévesqueRené Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
then Pierre-Marc JohnsonPierre-Marc JohnsonPierre-Marc Johnson, , is a Quebec lawyer, physician and politician. He was the 24th Premier of Quebec from October 3 to December 12, 1985.- Early background :...
then Robert BourassaRobert BourassaJean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early... - Premier of SaskatchewanPremier of SaskatchewanThe Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
: Grant DevineGrant DevineDonald Grant Devine was the 11th Premier of Saskatchewan from May 8, 1982 to November 1, 1991.- Early life :Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, he received a B.Sc. in Agriculture degree specializing in Agricultural Economics in 1967 from the University of Saskatchewan, an M.Sc. specializing in...
See 1985 Canadian incumbents
1985 Canadian incumbents
-Federal government:*Head of State - Queen Elizabeth II*Governor General - Jeanne Sauvé-Cabinet:*Prime Minister - Brian Mulroney*Deputy Prime Minister - Erik Nielsen*Minister of Finance - Michael Wilson*Secretary of State for External Affairs - Joe Clark...
for more
January to March
- January 26 - Frank Miller elected leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party replacing Bill DavisBill DavisWilliam Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
- January 30 - The federal government relaxes laws requiring businesses to use the metric systemMetric systemThe metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
- February 8 - Frank Miller becomes premier of OntarioPremier of OntarioThe Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
, replacing Bill DavisBill DavisWilliam Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
after the Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership election - February 11 - The federal and Newfoundland governments sign the Atlantic AccordAtlantic AccordThe Atlantic Accord is an agreement signed in 1985 between the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to manage offshore oil and gas resources adjacent to Newfoundland and Labrador....
paving the way for joint development of Newfoundland's offshore oil and gas reserves - February 12 - Minister of National DefenceMinister of National Defence (Canada)The Minister of National Defence is a Minister of the Crown; the Canadian politician within the Cabinet of Canada responsible for the Department of National Defence which oversees the Canadian Forces....
Robert CoatesRobert Coates (politician)Robert Carman Coates, PC, QC is a former Canadian politician and Cabinet minister.Coates was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1957 election as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for Cumberland, Nova Scotia. Coates was a backbencher during the John Diefenbaker...
resigns after it is revealed that he visited a strip-club while on government business in Germany - February 13 - Denis LortieDenis LortieDenis Lortie is a former Canadian army corporal. In 1984, he stormed into the National Assembly of Quebec building and killed three Quebec government employees....
is found guilty of murder for his attack on the Quebec National Assembly that killed three - February 28 - Holocaust denier Ernst ZündelErnst ZündelErnst Christof Friedrich Zündel is a German Holocaust denier and pamphleteer who was jailed several times in Canada for publishing literature which "is likely to incite hatred against an identifiable group" and for being a threat to national security, in the United States for overstaying his visa,...
is found guilty of publishing false news and fomenting racial intolerance - March - Willard PhelpsWillard PhelpsWillard Leroy Phelps is a former Yukon politician.-Political career:Phelps was first elected to the territorial legislature in 1974 but did not run in the first election with political party participation in 1978...
becomes premier of YukonPremier of YukonThe Premier of Yukon is the first minister for the Canadian territory of Yukon. They are the territory's head of government and de facto chief executive, although their powers are considerably smaller than that of a provincial premier.From 1978 to 1990 and from 1992 to 1996, the term Government...
, replacing Chris PearsonChris Pearson (politician)Christopher William Pearson was the first leader of the Yukon Progressive Conservative Party and the first Government Leader in the Yukon. Pearson moved to the Yukon in 1957 and worked for the government from 1960 until 1973 when he entered private business... - March - At the so-called Shamrock SummitShamrock SummitThe Shamrock Summit was the colloquial name given to the 1985 meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and US President Ronald Reagan in Quebec City. So-named because of the Irish background of the two leaders, and due to the meeting being held on St...
between Prime Minister Mulroney and President Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
the two agree on cooperation on Missile Defence and free tradeFree tradeUnder a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from... - March 12 - Heavily armed ArmeniaArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n terrorists storm the TurkishTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
embassy in OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. They kill a security guard and hold a dozen people hostage for four hours - March 21 - Rick HansenRick HansenRichard M. Hansen, CC, OBC is a Canadian Paralympian and an activist for people with spinal cord injuries. Following a car crash at the age of 15, Hansen sustained a spinal cord injury that paralyzed him from the waist down. Hansen is most famous for his Man In Motion World Tour...
launches his Man in Motion world tour to raise money for spinal cordSpinal cordThe spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
research - March 29 - 10 are killed after two military planes collide near CFB EdmontonCFB EdmontonCFB Edmonton is a Canadian Forces base located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks".-History:...
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April to June
- April 24 - The Supreme CourtSupreme Court of CanadaThe Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
rules the Lord's Day Act violates Canadians' freedom of religion - May - Tony PenikettTony PenikettAntony David John Penikett is a mediator and negotiator and former politician in Yukon, Canada.-Life and work:An activist with the New Democratic Party , Penikett was campaign manager in 1972 for Wally Firth, the first indigenous northern MP ever elected to the House of Commons...
becomes government leader of Yukon, replacing Willard Phelps - May 2 - Ontario election: Frank Miller's PCs win a minority, but David PetersonDavid PetersonDavid Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
's Liberals will form a coalition with the NDP, forcing Miller to resign - May 9 - The Supreme Court rules that Orders in Council are subject to the Canadian Charter of Rights and FreedomsCanadian Charter of Rights and FreedomsThe Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada. It forms the first part of the Constitution Act, 1982...
- May 31 - A tornadoTornadoA tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
in Barrie, OntarioBarrie, OntarioBarrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
kills twelve in the 1985 Barrie tornado outbreak. - June 23 - Air India flight 182Air India Flight 182Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi route. On 23 June 1985, the airplane operating on the route a Boeing 747-237B named after Emperor Kanishka was blown up by a bomb at an altitude of , and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while in Irish airspace.A...
explodes en route from TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to London; SikhSikhA Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
terrorists are blamed. - June 26 - David PetersonDavid PetersonDavid Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
becomes premier of Ontario, replacing Frank Miller
July to December
- September 1 - The wreck of the RMS Titanic is found off the coast of Newfoundland
- September 6 - The Canadian Encyclopedia is launched
- September 17 - The tunagateTunagateTunagate was a 1985 Canadian political scandal involving large quantities of possibly tainted tuna that were sold to the public under order of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, John Fraser....
scandal erupts - September 20 - Lincoln AlexanderLincoln Alexander-External links:* * *...
becomes the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, the first Black person to hold a vice regal position in Canadian history - September 25 - The Royal Tyrrell Museum of PalaeontologyRoyal Tyrrell Museum of PalaeontologyThe Royal Tyrrell Museum is a popular Canadian tourist attraction and a leading centre of palaeontological research noted for its collection of more than 130,000 fossils....
opens in Drumheller, AlbertaDrumheller, AlbertaDrumheller is a town within the Red Deer River valley in the badlands of east-central Alberta, Canada. It is located northeast of Calgary... - October 3 - Pierre-Marc JohnsonPierre-Marc JohnsonPierre-Marc Johnson, , is a Quebec lawyer, physician and politician. He was the 24th Premier of Quebec from October 3 to December 12, 1985.- Early background :...
becomes premier of Quebec, replacing René LévesqueRené LévesqueRené Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec... - November 1 - Don GettyDon GettyDonald Ross Getty, OC, AOE is a retired Canadian politician who served as the 11th Premier of Alberta between 1985 and 1992. A member of the Progressive Conservatives, he served as Energy Minister and Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister in the government of Peter Lougheed before...
becomes premier of AlbertaAlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, replacing Peter LougheedPeter LougheedEdgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985.... - November 5 - Nick SibbestonNick SibbestonNick G. Sibbeston is a Canadian Senator. He attended residential school in Fort Simpson, Providence, Inuvik, and Yellowknife, and the University of Alberta where he graduated with Bachelor of Arts and Law degrees.-Political career:...
becomes government leader of the Northwest Territories, replacing Richard NerysooRichard NerysooRichard Nerysoo is a territorial level politician from Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, Canada. He was a member of the Northwest Territories Legislature from 1979 to 1995 and briefly served as the third Premier and Speaker of the territories.... - December 2 - In the Quebec electionQuebec general election, 1985The Quebec general election of 1985 was held on December 2, 1985, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by former premier Robert Bourassa, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by premier Pierre-Marc Johnson.This election...
, Robert BourassaRobert BourassaJean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
's Liberals gain a majority, defeating the Parti QuébécoisParti QuébécoisThe Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
. - December 12 - Robert BourassaRobert BourassaJean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
becomes premier of Quebec for the second time, replacing Pierre-Marc JohnsonPierre-Marc JohnsonPierre-Marc Johnson, , is a Quebec lawyer, physician and politician. He was the 24th Premier of Quebec from October 3 to December 12, 1985.- Early background :... - December 12 - The worst airplane accident in Canadian history occurs when Arrow Air Flight 1285Arrow Air Flight 1285Arrow Air Flight 1285 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF jetliner, registered N950JW, which operated as an international charter flight carrying U.S. troops from Cairo, Egypt, to their home base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, via Cologne, Germany and Gander, Newfoundland...
crashes on take-off from Gander International AirportGander International AirportGander International Airport is located in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is currently run by the Gander Airport Authority. Canadian Forces Base Gander shares the airfield but is a separate entity from the airport.-Early years and prominence:...
. 256 people are killed. - December 23 - Nahanni earthquake1985 Nahanni earthquakesThe 1985 Nahanni earthquakes is the name for a continuous sequence of earthquakes that began in 1985 in the Nahanni region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The largest of these earthquakes occurred on December 23, 1985, reaching 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale...
, largest of a number earthquakes occurs in NahanniNahanni National Park ReserveNahanni National Park Reserve in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada, approximately west of Yellowknife, protects a portion of the Mackenzie Mountains Natural Region. The centrepiece of the park is the South Nahanni River. Four noteworthy canyons reaching in depth, called...
region of NWT. - CorelCorelCorel Corporation from the abbreviation is a computer software company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, that specializes in graphics processing, similar to Adobe Systems...
is founded in OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
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Unknown
- The Mulroney government establishes the Court Challenges ProgramCourt Challenges Program of CanadaThe Court Challenges Program of Canada is a non-profit organization whose stated purpose is "to provide financial assistance for important court cases that advance language and equality rights guaranteed under Canada's Constitution"....
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New books
- Margaret AtwoodMargaret AtwoodMargaret Eleanor Atwood, is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is among the most-honoured authors of fiction in recent history; she is a winner of the Arthur C...
: The Handmaid's TaleThe Handmaid's TaleThe Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel, a work of science fiction or speculative fiction, written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood and first published by McClelland and Stewart in 1985... - Colin ThatcherColin ThatcherWilbert Colin Thatcher is a Canadian former politician convicted for the murder of his ex-wife, JoAnn Wilson.-Political life:Colin Thatcher is the son of Wilbert Ross Thatcher, premier of Saskatchewan from 1964 to 1971...
: Backrooms: A Story of Politics - Brian MooreBrian Moore (novelist)Brian Moore was a Northern Irish novelist and screenwriter who emigrated to Canada and later lived in the United States. He was acclaimed for the descriptions in his novels of life in Northern Ireland after the Second World War, in particular his explorations of the inter-communal divisions of The...
: Black RobeBlack RobeBlack Robe is a historical novel by Brian Moore based on the Jesuit missionaries in New France. It was published in 1985.The novel takes place in the 17th century in New France. It follows Father Laforgue, a French Jesuit priest traveling up river to repopulate the mission to the Huron Indians... - Erin MouréErin MouréErin Mouré is a Canadian poet and translator of poetry from languages which include, French, Galician, Portuguese and Spanish to English. Her mother Mary Irene was born 1924 in Galicia, Poland and moved to Canada in 1929. Erin’s father is William Moure born in Ottawa Canada in 1925...
: Domestic Fuel - Farley MowatFarley MowatFarley McGill Mowat, , born May 12, 1921 is a conservationist and one of Canada's most widely-read authors.His works have been translated into 52 languages and he has sold more than 14 million books. He achieved fame with the publication of his books on the Canadian North, such as People of the...
: My Discovery of America
Awards
- See 1985 Governor General's Awards1985 Governor General's AwardsEach winner of the 1985 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-Fiction:Winner:*Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's TaleOther Finalists:...
for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards. - Books in Canada First Novel AwardBooks in Canada First Novel AwardThe Amazon.ca First Novel Award, formerly the Books in Canada First Novel Award, is a literary award given annually to the best first novel in English published the previous year by a citizen or resident of Canada. It has been awarded since 1976....
: G. Ursell, Perdue, or How the West Was Lost - Gerald Lampert AwardGerald Lampert AwardThe Gerald Lampert Memorial Award is made annually by the League of Canadian Poets to the best volume of poetry published by a first-time poet. It is presented in honour of poetry promoter Gerald Lampert...
: Paulette JilesPaulette JilesPaulette Jiles-Johnson is an American-born Canadian poet and novelist. Born in Salem, Missouri, she was educated at the University of Illinois in Spanish literature...
, Celestial Navigation - Pat Lowther AwardPat Lowther AwardThe Pat Lowther Memorial Award is an annual award presented by the League of Canadian Poets to the year's best book of poetry by a Canadian woman. It is presented in honour of poet Pat Lowther, who was murdered by her husband in 1975. Each winner receives an honorarium of $1000.-Winners:*1981 - M...
: Paulette JilesPaulette JilesPaulette Jiles-Johnson is an American-born Canadian poet and novelist. Born in Salem, Missouri, she was educated at the University of Illinois in Spanish literature...
, Celestial Navigation
- Stephen Leacock Award: Ted AllanTed AllanTed Allan was a Jewish Canadian writer, several of whose books were made into motion pictures.Ted Allan was born in Montreal as Alan Herman. In the 1930s he fought against fascism in Spanish Civil War, along with another Canadian, Norman Bethune...
, Love Is a Long Shot - Vicky Metcalf AwardVicky Metcalf AwardThe Vicky Metcalf Award is awarded to a writer whose body of work has been "inspirational to Canadian youth." It is one of the top awards for Canadian children's writers. The award was named after Vicky Metcalf...
: Edith FowkeEdith FowkeEdith Fowke, was a Canadian folklorist. Born on April 30, 1913, in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, she was educated at the University of Saskatchewan. She hosted the CBC Radio program Folk Song Time from 1950 to 1963...
Television
- The last episode of The Friendly GiantThe Friendly GiantThe Friendly Giant is a popular Canadian children's television program that aired on CBC Television from September 1958 through to March 1985...
on CBC TelevisionCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are... - The first episode of the children's series The RaccoonsThe RaccoonsThe Raccoons is a Canadian animated television series which was originally broadcast from 1985 to 1991 with four preceding television specials beginning in 1980. The series was created by Kevin Gillis, and produced at Atkinson Film-Arts first-hand from 1984 to 1985, then at Hinton Animation Studios...
on CBC TelevisionCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
Music
- February 10 - A supergroupSupergroup (music)In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
of Canadian musicians, Northern Lights, gathers to record the charity single Tears Are Not EnoughTears Are Not Enough"Tears Are Not Enough" is a 1985 charity single recorded by a supergroup of Canadian artists, under the name Northern Lights, to raise funds for relief of the 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia...
for famine relief in EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
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Births
- January 4 – Robbie DixonRobbie DixonRobbie Dixon is a Canadian alpine skier.Dixon skiing since 2001, North America, before first skiing World Cup 2006 Lake Louise, Alberta finishing 46th overall best Super G. In March 2008, finished 4th place World Cup Super G Kvitfjell, Norway...
, skier - January 14 – Katie ThorlaksonKatie ThorlaksonKatie Thorlakson is a female football forward, who twice won a medal with the Canadian women's national soccer team at the Pan American Games, she currently plays with the Melbourne Victory.-References:*...
, football (soccer) player - February 28 – Fefe DobsonFefe DobsonFelicia Lily "Fefe" Dobson is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her self-titled debut album earned her two Juno Award nominations. Her second album, Sunday Love, was not released and she was terminated from her recording company...
, singer and songwriter - June 23 – Holly LincolnHolly LincolnHolly Lincoln is a female football forward, who won the silver medal with the Canadian women's national soccer team at the 2003 Pan American Games.-References:*...
, football (soccer) player - June 24 – Isabelle RamplingIsabelle RamplingIsabelle Rampling is a Canadian synchronized swimmer. Originally from Burlington, Ontario, she currently lives in Montreal....
, synchronized swimmer - July 23 – Tessa BonhommeTessa BonhommeTessa Bonhomme is an Olympic Gold Medalist and member of the Canadian national women's hockey team. She was also a member and co-captain of the Ohio State Buckeyes women's ice hockey team in the NCAA....
, hockey player - August 26 – Sean DenisonSean DenisonSean Morgan Denison is a basketball player from Canada, who plays for Turkish club Tofaş. He ended up in seventh place with the Canada national men's basketball team at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...
, basketball player - September 8 – Justin BradleyJustin BradleyJustin Bradley is a Canadian actor.Bradley was born in Montreal, Quebec. He started his career at the age of six, modelling on various department store advertisements. Bradley also appeared in commercials for McDonalds, Danone and Canadian Tire as a child...
, actor - September 27 – Massimo BertocchiMassimo BertocchiMassimo Bertocchi is a male decathlete from Canada.Bertocchi set his personal best score in the men's decathlon on July 4, 2008 in Windsor. He is a three-time national champion in the men's decathlon: 2006, 2007 and 2008.-Achievements:-References:...
, decathlete - November 11 – Kalan PorterKalan PorterRichard Kalan Porter is a singer-songwriter from Medicine Hat, Alberta, and the winner of the reality television series Canadian Idol in season 2. He started to sing at an early age and is classically trained, playing several instruments, most notably, the violin and viola...
, singer-songwriter
January to June
- January 30 - F. R. ScottF. R. ScottFrancis Reginald Scott, CC commonly known as Frank Scott or F.R. Scott, was a Canadian poet, intellectual and constitutional expert. He helped found the first Canadian social democratic party, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, and its successor, the New Democratic Party...
, poet, intellectual and constitutional expert (b.18991899 in Canada-Events:*January 20 - About 2000 Doukhobors arrive in Halifax, Nova Scotia*June 21 - Treaty No. 8 cedes much of northern Alberta to the federal government...
) - February 2 - Micheline Coulombe Saint-MarcouxMicheline Coulombe Saint-MarcouxMicheline Coulombe Saint-Marcoux was a Canadian composer and music educator who played an important role in the contemporary classical music scene of Canada and France from the late 1960s through the mid 1980s...
, musician and composer (b.19381938 in Canada-Incumbents:*Monarch - George VI*Governor General - John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir*Prime Minister - William Lyon Mackenzie King-Events:*June 8 - Saskatchewan general election: William John Patterson's Liberals win a second consecutive majority...
) - February 5 - Georges-Émile LapalmeGeorges-Émile LapalmeGeorges-Émile Lapalme was a politician in Quebec, Canada, member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, and leader of the Quebec Liberal Party.-Background:...
, politician (b.19071907 in Canada-Events:*March 6 - William Pugsley becomes premier of New Brunswick, replacing Lemuel John Tweedie*May 24 - Boer War Memorial unveiled*May 30 - King Edward VII grants the Coat of Arms of Alberta...
) - February 16 - Marian EngelMarian EngelMarian Engel, OC, née Marian Ruth Passmore was an award-winning Canadian novelist.-Summary:Born May 24, 1933 in Toronto, Ontario, to teacher parents Frederick Searle and Mary Elizabeth Passmore...
, novelist (b.19331933 in Canada-Events:* April 7 - Raymond Paley becomes the first known skiing fatality in the Canadian Rockies on Fossil Mountain.* August 16 - A race riot occurs at Christie Pits in Toronto.* November 11 - The magnitude 7.3 Baffin Bay earthquake occurs at Baffin Bay, Nunavut....
) - March 17 - Athole ShearerAthole ShearerAthole Shearer was an actress most noted as the sister of motion picture star Norma Shearer and film sound engineer Douglas Shearer....
, actress (b.19001900 in Canada-January to June:* January 8 - Hugh John Macdonald becomes premier of Manitoba, replacing Thomas Greenway.* February 18-February 27 - Boer War: The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry plays a decisive role in the Battle of Paardeberg....
) - April 17 - Walter WeirWalter WeirWalter C. Weir was a politician who served as the 15th Premier of Manitoba from 1967 to 1969.Weir was born in High Bluff, Manitoba, and worked as a funeral director. He served as chairman of the Minnedosa Hospital Board from 1955 to 1957, and of the Minnedosa Town Council from 1958 to 1959...
, politician and 15th Premier of ManitobaPremier of ManitobaThe Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
(b.19291929 in Canada-Events:*January 10 - Lomer Gouin becomes Quebec's 15th Lieutenant Governor, serving until his death on March 28, 1929.*March 22 - The Canadian schooner and rum-runner I'm Alone was sunk by the US Coast Guard....
) - April 21 - Foster HewittFoster HewittFoster William Hewitt, OC was a Canadian radio broadcaster most famous for his play-by-play calls for Hockey Night in Canada. He was the son of W. A. Hewitt, and the father of Bill Hewitt.-Early life and career:...
, radio pioneer (b.19021902 in Canada-Incumbents:*Prime Minister: Wilfrid Laurier*Governor General: Earl of Minto*Premier of British Columbia: James Dunsmuir then Edward Prior*Premier of Manitoba: R.P. Roblin*Premier of New Brunswick: Lemuel J. Tweedie...
) - April 22 - Jacques FerronJacques FerronJacques Ferron was a Canadian physician and author.Jacques Ferron was born in Louiseville, Quebec, the son of Joseph-Alphonse Ferron and Adrienne Caron. On March 5, 1931 his mother died. He attended Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf but was expelled in 1936...
, physician and author, founder of the Parti Rhinocéros (b.19211921 in Canada-Events:*March 26 - The Bluenose is launched*June 9 - Saskatchewan general election, 1921: William M. Martin's Liberals win a fifth consecutive majority*June 15 - Prohibition comes to an end in British Columbia...
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July to December
- July 3 - Frank J. SelkeFrank J. SelkeFrancis Joseph Aloysius Selke was a Canadian hockey manager in the National Hockey League. He was a nine-time Stanley Cup champion with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens and a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee....
, ice hockey manager (b.18931893 in Canada-Events:*May 27 - Algonquin Provincial Park is established as a wildlife sanctuary in Ontario*September 16 - Calgary incorporated as a city*October 27 - The National Council of Women meets for the first time...
) - August 20 - Donald O. Hebb, psychologist (b.19041904 in Canada-Events:*April 8 - In the Lansdowne-Cambon Convention France gives up some of its longstanding rights in Newfoundland* April 18 - The Great Toronto Fire destroys much of that city's downtown, but kills no one....
) - September 6 - Isabel MeighenIsabel MeighenIsabel Meighen, née Jessie Isabel Cox was the wife of Arthur Meighen, the ninth Prime Minister of Canada.She was born in Granby, Quebec...
, wife of Arthur MeighenArthur MeighenArthur Meighen, PC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served two terms as the ninth Prime Minister of Canada: from July 10, 1920 to December 29, 1921; and from June 29 to September 25, 1926. He was the first Prime Minister born after Confederation, and the only one to represent a riding...
, 9th Prime Minister of CanadaPrime Minister of CanadaThe Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
(b.18831883 in Canada-Events:*January 23 - Manitoba election*January 29 - William Smithe becomes premier of British Columbia, replacing Robert Beaven*February 27 - Ontario election: Sir Oliver Mowat's Liberals win a fourth consecutive majority...
) - October 28 - Eric CoyEric CoyEric Eaton Coy was a discus thrower and shot putter, who represented Canada at the 1948 Summer Olympics.He was born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and died in Winnipeg, Manitoba....
, discus thrower and shot putter (b.19141914 in Canada-January to June:* March 19 - The Royal Ontario Museum opens* April 11 - Canadian Margaret C. MacDonald is appointed Matron-in-Chief of the Canadian Nursing service band and becomes the first woman in the British Empire to reach the rank of major....
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Full date unknown
- Wilfrid EgglestonWilfrid EgglestonWilfrid Eggleston was a Canadian journalist and chief censor for Canada from 1942 until 1944. Eggleston was founder and first director of Carleton University's school of journalism....
, journalist and chief censor for Canada from 1942 until 1944 (b.19011901 in Canada-Events:*March 9 — Japanese Canadians win the vote in British Columbia*December 12 — Guglielmo Marconi receives a transatlantic radio message at St. John's, Newfoundland*December 18 — The Territorial Grain Growers' Association is founded...
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