1976 in Canada - Definition and Overview

See also: 1975 in Canada, other events of 1976, 1977 in Canada and the Timeline of Canadian history.

Incumbents

• Prime Minister - Pierre Trudeau
• Governor General - Jules Léger

• Premier of Alberta - Peter Lougheed
• Premier of British Columbia - W.R. Bennett
• Premier of Manitoba - Edward Schreyer
• Premier of New Brunswick - Richard Hatfield
• Premier of Newfoundland - 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 then René Lévesque
• Premier of Saskatchewan - Allan Blakeney

Events

• January 14 - The Eaton's catalogue is discontinued.
• January 28 - The government of Saskatchewan takes over the provinces potash industry.
• February 4 - The Supreme Court rules provinces cannot censor movies.
• February 7 - Toronto Maple Leafs star Darryl Sittler scores ten points in one game.
• February 7 - Joe Clark is elected leader of the Progressive Conservative Party replacing Robert Stanfield.
• April 1 - The CRTC is given the power to regulate Canadian television and radio.
• April 15 - Dome Petroleum is given approval to drill for oil in the Beaufort Sea.
• May 2 - Time Magazine's Canadian edition is discontinued.
• June 25 - The CN Tower opens in Toronto.
• June 30 - Parliament votes to abolish the death penalty.
• July 17 - The 1976 Summer Olympics open in Montreal.
• October 14 - Over a million workers stage a one day strike to protest wage and price controls.
• November 15 - In the Quebec election, René Lévesque's Parti Québécois wins a majority, defeating Robert Bourassa's Parti libéral du Québec.
• November 25 - René Lévesque becomes premier of Quebec, replacing Robert Bourassa.
• The Timbit is introduced.

Arts and Literature

New Works

• Marian Engel - Bear
• Hugh Hood - Dark Glasses
• Joy Fielding - The Transformation
• Farley Mowat - Canada North Now: The Great Betrayal

Awards

• See 1976 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Stephen Leacock Award: Harry J. Boyle, The Luck of the Irish
• Vicky Metcalf Award: Suzanne Martel

Film

• The Man Who Skied Down Everest becomes the first Canadian film to win an Academy Award

Television

• Second City Television premiers

Births

• January 7 - Eric Gagne, baseball player
• January 25 - Mia Kirshner, actor
• February 19 - Brian Price, Olympic rower
• February 23 - Jeff O'Neill, hockey player
• March 9 - Ben Mulroney, television personality
• March 23 - Nolan Baumgartner, hockey player
• May 10 - Kristen French, murder victim
• May 13 - Jeff Powell, Olympic rower
• May 19 - Jason Botterill, hockey player
• June 10 - James Moore, politician
• June 26 - Ed Jovanovski, hockey player
• July 1 - Leslie Mahaffy, murder victim
• July 3 - Wade Belak, hovkey player
• July 12 - Dan Boyle, hockey player
• July 13 - Sheldon Souray, ice hockey player
• August 5 - Jeff Friesen, hockey player
• August 17 - Eric Boulton, hockey player
• August 27 - Sarah Chalke, actor
• September 13 - Jose Theodore, hockey goaltender
• September 17 - Zac Bierk, hockey goalie
• October 1 - Denis Gauthier, hockey player
• October 7 - Rachel McAdams, actor
• October 10 - Shane Doan, hockey player
• November 20 - Laura Harris, actor
• December 26 - Jake Wetzel, Olympic rower
• Big Ben, race horse

Deaths

• Roy Thomson, newspaper baron
• Olive Palmer, wife of John Diefenbaker