1962 in Canada - Definition and Overview

See also: 1961 in Canada, other events of 1962, 1963 in Canada and the Timeline of Canadian history.

Incumbents

• Queen - Elizabeth II
• Prime Minister - John Diefenbaker
• Governor General - Georges Vanier

• Premier of Alberta - Ernest Manning
• Premier of British Columbia - W.A.C. Bennett
• Premier of Manitoba - Duff Roblin
• Premier of New Brunswick - Louis Robichaud
• Premier of Newfoundland - Joey Smallwood
• Premier of Nova Scotia - Robert Stanfield
• Premier of Ontario - John Robarts
• Premier of Prince Edward Island - Walter Shaw
• Premier of Quebec - Jean Lesage
• Premier of Saskatchewan - Woodrow Lloyd

Events

• March 21 - The birth-defect-causing drug thalidomide is banned
• May 2 - The Canadian dollar is pegged to the U.S. currency
• June 15 - Canada is the third power to reach space with the launch of scientific satellite
• June 18 - In the 1962 Federal election John Diefenbaker's Progressive Conservatives are reduced to a minority government
• July 1 - First medicare plan is launched in Saskatchewan to great protest by doctors
• July 30 - Trans-Canada Highway opens
• August 6 - A Premiers Conference is held in Victoria, British Columbia
• September 1 - Place Ville Marie opens in Montreal
• September 29 - Alouette 1, Canada's first sattelite is launched.
• October 25 - The Bedford Institute of Oceanography opens in Nova Scotia
• October 25-November 12 - The Cuban Missile Crisis occurs. An indecisive Diefenbaker refuses to put Canadian forces on alert, angering the U.S. government.
• December 1-December 2 - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers win the Grey Cup in the famous fog bowl
• December 11 - The last three hangings in Canada take place.
• The Globe and Mail adds the Report on Business section

Arts and literature

New books

• Max Aitken - The Decline and Fall of Lloyd George
• W. O. Mitchell - The Kite
• Marshall McLuhan - The Gutenberg Galaxy
• George Woodcock - Anarchism
• Farley Mowat - The Black Joke
• Thomas B. Costain - The Last Plantagenets

Awards

• See 1962 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Stephen Leacock Award: W. O. Mitchell, Jake and the Kid

Television

• Mister Rogers' Neighborhood premieres on CBC

Theatre

• The first Shaw Festival opens

Births

• January 17 - Jim Carrey, comedian and actor
• January 22 - Kevin Lamoureux, Manitoba politician
• March 27 - Jann Arden, musician
• July 1 - Michelle Wight, singer
• August 27 - Adam Oates, hockey player
• September 18 - John Mann, musician
• September 24 - Nia Vardalos, filmmaker
• September 28 - Grant Fuhr, hockey goalie
• October 16 - Dan McTeague, politician
• October 30 - Rex Harrington, ballet dancer
• November 8 - Cliff Cullen, Manitoba politician
• November 21 - Martin Cauchon, politician

Deaths