1984 in Canada - Definition and Overview

See also: 1983 in Canada, other events of 1984, 1985 in Canada and the list of 'years in Canada'.

Incumbents

• Prime Minister - Pierre Trudeau then John Turner then Brian Mulroney
• Governor General - Edward Schreyer then Jeanne Sauvé

• Premier of Alberta - Peter Lougheed
• Premier of British Columbia - Bill Bennett
• Premier of Manitoba - Howard Pawley
• Premier of New Brunswick - Richard Hatfield
• Premier of Newfoundland - Brian Peckford
• Premier of Nova Scotia - John Buchanan
• Premier of Ontario - Bill Davis
• Premier of Prince Edward Island - James Lee
• Premier of Quebec - René Lévesque
• Premier of Saskatchewan - Grant Devine

Events

• January 12 - Richard Nerysoo becomes government leader of the Northwest Territories, replacing George Braden
• February 29 - Pierre Trudeau announces he will retire as soon as the Liberals can elect another leader
• May 8 - Cpl. Denis Lortie enters the Quebec National Assembly and opens fire, killing 3 and wounding 13. René Jalbert, sergeant-at-arms of the assembly, succeeds in calming him, for which he will later receive the Cross of Valour.
• May 19 - The NHL's Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup defeating the New York Islanders 5-2 at Edmonton and ending the Islanders dynasty. The first in Oilers club history and of a new dynasty.
• June 30 - John Turner becomes Canada's seventeenth prime minister replacing the retiring Pierre Trudeau.
• August 12 - At the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles Canada has its best performance ever, mostly due to the boycott of the games by the Eastern Bloc countries.
• September 4 - 1984 Canadian election Turner's Liberals are routed as Brian Mulroney wins the largest majority in Canadian history.
• September 9-20 - Pope John Paul II tours Canada.
• September 17 - Brian Mulroney is sworn in as Canada's eighteenth prime minister.
• October 5 - Marc Garneau becomes the first Canadian in space, aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger (41-6).
• November 6 - Saskatchewan MLA Colin Thatcher is convicted of the murder of his ex-wife JoAnn.
• Richard Nerysoo becomes premier of the Northwest Territories. The territory recognizes aboriginal languages as official languages.
• Labatt introduces the first twist-off cap on a reusable beer bottle.
• Grey Cup - Winnipeg Blue Bombers won 47-17 over the Hamilton Tiger Cats
• Vanier Cup - Guelph Gryphons won 22-13 over the Mount Allison Mounties

Arts and literature

New books

• Neuromancer - William Gibson
• La Détresse et l'enchantement - Gabrielle Roy
• Dinner Along the Amazon - Timothy Findley
• The Summer Tree - Guy Gavriel Kay

Awards

• See 1984 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Books in Canada First Novel Award: Heather Robertson, Willie
• Gerald Lampert Award: Sandra Birdsell, Night Travellers and Jean McKay, Gone to Grass
• Pat Lowther Award: Bronwen Wallace, Signs of the Former Tenant
• Stephen Leacock Award: Gary Lautens, No Sex Please...We're Married
• Vicky Metcalf Award: Bill Freeman

Film

• James Cameron's The Terminator propels the Canadian director to international fame

Television

• Jeopardy! is relaunched with Canadian Alex Trebek as host
• Second City Television ends its run on Canadian television

Births

• April 27 - Pierre-Marc Bouchard, hockey player
• June 16 - Rick Nash, hockey player
• September 27 - Avril Lavigne, singer/songwriter
• November 28 - Marc-Andre Fleury, goalie

Deaths

• Gaëtan Dugas - early AIDS victim
• Gordon Sinclair - newspaper columnist