1963 in Canada - Definition and Overview

See also: 1962 in Canada, other events of 1963, 1964 in Canada and the Timeline of Canadian history.

Incumbents

• Prime Minister - John Diefenbaker then Lester B. Pearson
• 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

• February 4 - Defence Minister Douglas Harkness resigns after Prime Minster Diefenbaker refuses to accept nuclear weapons from the United States
• February 5 - The Diefenbaker government collapses over the missile issue and an election is called
• March 1 - Simon Fraser University is founded
• April 8 - Federal election: Lester Pearson's Liberals win a minority, defeating John Diefenbaker's PCs
• April 20 - The Front de libération du Quebec sets off its first bombs in Quebec
• April 22 - Lester Pearson becomes Prime Minister, replacing John Diefenbaker
• May 27 - The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology opens
• June 17 - Alberta election: Ernest Manning's Social Credit Party wins an eighth consecutive majority
• July 22 - The Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism is announced
• September 21 - Place des Arts opens in Montreal
• September 25 - Ontario election: John Robarts's PCs win a sixth consecutive majority
• November 29 - 118 are killed in a TCA plane crash near Ste-Thérèse-de-Blainville, Québec
• December 23 - plans to build the National Arts Centre are approved
• Future hall of fame baseball player Ferguson Jenkins plays his first major league game

Arts and Literature

New Works

• W.L. Morton - The Kingdom of Canada
• Milton Acorn - Jawbreakers
• Leonard Cohen - The Favorite Game
• Farley Mowat - Never Cry Wolf

Awards

• See 1963 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Stephen Leacock Award: Donald Jack, Three Cheers for Me
• Vicky Metcalf Award: Kerry Wood

Births

• January 1 - Cheryl Dick,netball player
• January 9 - Larry Cain, Olympic canoeist
• January 19 - Steve Peters, Ontario politician
• February 12 - Ron Schuler, Manitoba politician
• March 1- Ron Francis, hockey player
• March 26 - Roch Voisine, musician
• April 4 - Vince Ditrich, politician
• April 4 - Dale Hawerchuk, hockey player
• April 4 - Jim Wilson, politician
• April 18 - Eric McCormack, actor
• April 27 - Joe Peschisolido, politician
• April 27 - Cali Timmins, actor
• May 5 - Susan Whelan, politician
• May 25 - Mike Myers, comedian and actor
• June 24 - Barbara Underhill, figure skater
• June 25 - Doug Gilmour
• June 25 - Yann Martel, author
• July 11 - Al MacInnis, hockey player
• July 11 - Sandra Schmirler, Olympic and World champion curler
• July 12 - Andy Savoy, politician
• September 2 - Gerard Gallant, hockey player
• September 29 - Dave Andreychuk, hockey player
• October 17 - Norm MacDonald, comedian
• October 20 - Julie Payette, astronaut
• November 25 - Holly Cole, signer
• December 9 - Dave Hilton, Jr., boxer
• December 29 - Liisa Savijarvi, skier
• Russell Smith, author

Deaths