1972 in Canada - Definition

See also: 1971 in Canada, other events of 1972, 1973 in Canada and the Timeline of Canadian history.

Incumbents

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

• Premier of Alberta - Peter Lougheed
• Premier of British Columbia - W.A.C. Bennett then David Barrett
• Premier of Manitoba - Edward Schreyer
• Premier of New Brunswick - Richard Hatfield
• Premier of Newfoundland - Joey Smallwood then Frank Moores
• Premier of Nova Scotia - Gerald Regan
• Premier of Ontario - Bill Davis
• Premier of Prince Edward Island - Alexander B. Campbell
• Premier of Quebec - Robert Bourassa
• Premier of Saskatchewan - Allan Blakeney

Events

• January 1 - Winnipeg is merged into a megacity
• January 1 - Canada's ban on cigarette advertisements on film, radio, and television, goes into effect
• January 1 - Canada's Capital Gains Tax comes into effect
• January 18 - Frank Moores becomes premier of Newfoundland, replacing Joey Smallwood, who had governed for 23 years
• February 25 - The Pickering Nuclear Power Plant opens
• April 15 - Canada and the United States sign the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
• May 31 - The "member" level of the Order of Canada is created
• June 16 - The Churchill Falls hydro-electric facility opens
• July 14 - Donald Macdonald of the Canadian Labour Congress becomes the first non-European head of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
• July 21 - Global Television moves into Ontario
• August 30 - Frank Calder becomes the first Native Cabinet minister in Canadian history when he is appointed to the Cabinet of British Columbia
• September 1 - An arson attack on the Blue Bird Bar in Montreal kills 37
• September 12 - Heritage Canada is established
• September 15 - David Barrett becomes premier of British Columbia, replacing W.A.C. Bennett, who had governed for 20 years
• September 27 - The sale of fire crackers is banned in Canada
• September 28 - "... right in front, they score, Henderson has scored for Canada ..."--Foster Hewitt are the words as Canada wins the 1972 Summit Series
• October 30 - Federal election: Pierre Trudeau's Liberals win a minority
• November 9 - Anik I, the world's first non-military communications satellite is launched.
• Government pensions are indexed to cost of living
• The Art Bank is established
• The World Hockey Association begins operations
• CityTV founded in Toronto

Arts and Literature

New Works

• Robertson Davies - The Manticore
• Margaret Atwood - Survival
• Mordecai Richler - Shovelling Trouble
• John Newlove - Lies
• Milton Acorn - More Poems For People
• Donald Jack - Exit Muttering
• Leona Gom - Kindling
• Joy Fielding - The Best of Friends
• Farley Mowat - A Whale for the Killing
• Marshall McLuhan - Culture is Our Business

Awards

• See 1972 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Stephen Leacock Award: Max Braithwaite, The Night They Stole the Mounties' Car
• Vicky Metcalf Award: William Toye

Births

• January 1 - Shaun Majumder, actor
• January 3 - Drake Berehowsky, hockey player
• February 12 - Owen Nolan, hockey player
• March 17 - Melissa Auf der Maur, musician
• March 22 - Elvis Stojko, figure skater
• May 5 - Devin Townsend, musician
• May 5 - Brad Bombardir, hockey player
• May 6 - Martin Brodeur, hockey goaltender
• May 16 - Martin Brodeur, hockey player
• May 30 - Lisa Michelle Merrithew, public relations consultant
• June 17 - Steven Fletcher, politician
• June 26 - Garou, singer
• July 4 - Mike Knuble, hockey player
• August 1 - Tanya Reid, actor
• August 29 - Amanda Marshall, singer
• September 27 - Clara Hughes, cyclist
• October 17 - Cameron Baerg, Olympic rower
• November 26 - Chris Osgood, hockey goaltender

Deaths

• December 27 - Lester B. Pearson, Prime Minister