1969 in Canada - Definition

See also: 1968 in Canada, other events of 1969, 1970 in Canada and the Timeline of Canadian history.

Incumbents

• Prime Minister - Pierre Trudeau
• Governor General - Roland Michener

• Premier of Alberta - Harry Strom
• Premier of British Columbia - W.A.C. Bennett
• Premier of Manitoba - Walter Weir then Edward Schreyer
• Premier of New Brunswick - Louis Robichaud
• Premier of Newfoundland - Joey Smallwood
• Premier of Nova Scotia - George Smith
• Premier of Ontario - John Robarts
• Premier of Prince Edward Island - Alexander B. Campbell
• Premier of Quebec - Jean-Jacques Bertrand
• Premier of Saskatchewan - W. Ross Thatcher

Events

• January 29-February 11 - The George Williams Computer Riot occurs as students occupy the computer centre of Sir George Williams University to protest alleged racism on campus
• February 13 - FLQ terrorists bomb the Stock Exchange in Montreal, Quebec
• February 19 - An 18 month long strike by Quebec teachers comes to an end
• March 7 - Pierre-Paul Geoffroy pleads guilty to charges connected to 31 FLQ bombings
• April 14 - The Montreal Expos baseball team plays their first home game
• May 2 - Telesat Canada formed
• June 2 - The National Arts Centre in Ottawa opens
• July 7 - The Official Languages Act makes French and English equal throughout the Canadian government
• July 15 - Edward Schreyer becomes premier of Manitoba, replacing Walter Weir
• August 24 - The oil tanker Manhattan becomes the first such ship to travel through the Northwest Passage

Arts and Literature

New Works

• Margaret Atwood - The Edible Woman
• Timothy Findley - The Butterfly Plague
• Robert Kroetsch - The Stud Horse Man
• Mordecai Richler - The Street
• Milton Acorn - I've Tasted My Blood
• Farley Mowat - The Boat Who Wouldn't Float
• Gilles Archambault - Le tendre matin
• Marshall McLuhan - Counterblast

Awards

• See 1969 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Stephen Leacock Award: Stuart Trueman, You're Only as Old as You Act
• Vicky Metcalf Award: Audrey McKim

Music

• Karel Ancerl replaces Seiji Ozawa as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Births

• January 29 - Brendan Shanahan, hockey player
• April 3 - Lance Evers, wrestler
• June 12 - Kelvin Goertzen, politician
• July 7 - Joe Sakic, hockey player
• July 7 - Cree Summer, actor
• July 23 - Andrew Cassels, hockey player
• July 24 - Rick Fox, basketball player
• August 15 - Mark Heese, Olympic athlete
• August 19 - Matthew Perry, actor
• August 28 - Pierre Turgeon, hockey player
• September 23 - Donald Audette, hockey player
• October 8 - Dylan Neal, actor
• October 17 - Rick Mercer, comedian
• November 1 - Tie Domi, hockey player
• December 10 - Rob Blake, hockey player
• December 15 - Chantal Petitclerc, wheelchair athlete
• December 22 - Myriam Bédard, Olympian

Deaths

• John Bracken, Premier of Manitoba, Tory leader