1963 in Canada

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Events from the year 1963 in Canada.

Incumbents Crown Monarch – Elizabeth II

Federal government Governor General – Georges Vanier Prime Minister – John Diefenbaker (until April 22) then Lester B. Pearson Chief Justice – Patrick Kerwin (Ontario) (until 2 February) then Robert Taschereau (Quebec) Parliament – 25th (until 6 February) then 26th (from 16 May)

Provincial governments

Lieutenant governors Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – John Percy Page Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – George Pearkes Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – Errick Willis Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – Joseph Leonard O'Brien Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland – Campbell Leonard Macpherson (until March 1) then Fabian O'Dea Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – Edward Chester Plow (until March 1) then Henry Poole MacKeen Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – John Keiller MacKay (until May 1) then William Earl Rowe Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – Frederick Walter Hyndman (until August 1) then Willibald Joseph MacDonald Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Paul Comtois Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Frank Lindsay Bastedo (until March 1) then Robert Hanbidge

Premiers Premier of Alberta – Ernest Manning Premier of British Columbia – W.A.C. Bennett Premier of Manitoba – Dufferin 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

Territorial governments

Commissioners Commissioner of Yukon – Gordon Robertson Cameron Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Robert Gordon Robertson (until July 12) then Bent Gestur Sivertz

Events February 4: Defence Minister Douglas Harkness resigns after Prime Minister Diefenbaker refuses to accept nuclear weapons from the United States February 5: The Diefenbaker government collapses over the Bomarc Missile Crisis 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 9: Canadian Recording Industry Association is established April 20: The Front de libération du Québec 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: 1963 Alberta general election: Ernest Manning's Alberta Social Credit Party wins an eighth consecutive majority July 22: The Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism is announced August 1: An explosion kills 8 people, including 5 children, in the town of Hanmer near Sudbury, Ontario September 21: Place des Arts opens in Montreal September 25: 1963 Ontario general election: John Robarts's PCs win a sixth consecutive majority November 29: 118 are killed in the Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 831 crash near Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec December 23: plans to build the National Arts Centre are approved

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

Sport March 16 – The McMaster Marlins win the first University Cup by defeating the UBC Thunderbirds 3 to 2 at the Kingston Memorial Centre April 18 – The Toronto Maple Leafs win their 11th Stanley Cup by defeating the Detroit Red Wings. The deciding Game 5 is played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto April 22 – Winnipeg awarded the 1967 Pan Am Games May 11 – The Central Alberta Hockey League's Edmonton Oil Kings win their First Memorial Cup by defeating Ontario Hockey Association's Niagara Falls Flyers 4 games to 2. All games were played at Edmonton Gardens. November 30 – The Hamilton Tiger-Cats win their third Grey Cup by defeating the BC Lions 21–10 in the 51st Grey Cup played Empire Stadium in Vancouver.

Births January to March January 1 – Cheryl Dick, netball player January 9 – Larry Cain, sprint canoer and Olympic gold medallist January 12 – Ken Fitzpatrick, swimmer January 19 – Steve Peters, politician and Minister January 25 – Paul Dewar, educator and politician (d. 2019) February 12 – Ron Schuler, politician February 21 – Lori Fung, rhythmic gymnast March 1 – Ron Francis, ice hockey player and coach March 17 – Lawrence Ytzhak Braithwaite, novelist, spoken word artist, dub poet, essayist and musician (d. 2008) March 26 – Roch Voisine, singer-songwriter, actor and radio and television host March 28 – Sharon Hambrook, synchronized swimmer March 30 Wayne Gordon, boxer Carol Klimpel, swimmer

April to June

April 4 Vince Ditrich, rock musician Dale Hawerchuk, ice hockey player Jim Wilson, politician April 14 – John Kalbhenn, boxer April 17 – Penny & Vicky Vilagos, synchronized swimmers April 18 – Eric McCormack, actor, musician, writer and producer April 27 – Joe Peschisolido, politician and businessman April 27 – Cali Timmins, actress

April 28 – Lloyd Eisler, pair skater May 5 James LaBrie, vocalist (Dream Theater) Susan Whelan, politician and minister May 9 – Joe Cirella, ice hockey player and coach May 11 – Roark Critchlow, actor May 17 – Michelle Conn, field hockey player May 18 – Nigel S. Wright, businessman and chief of staff to the prime minister (d. 2025) May 25 – Mike Myers, actor, comedian, screenwriter and film producer May 26 – Richard Crouse, film critic June – Laureen Harper, wife of Prime Minister Stephen Harper June 4 – Carey Nelson, long-distance runner June 6 – Bernard Drainville, Canadian journalist and politician June 17 – Sandra Greaves, judoka June 23 – Laureen Harper, wife of Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper June 24 – Barbara Underhill, pairs figure skater and World Champion June 25 – Doug Gilmour, ice hockey player and coach June 25 – Yann Martel, author

July to September July 11 – Al MacInnis, ice hockey player July 11 – Sandra Schmirler, curler, Olympic gold medallist and World Champion (d. 2000) July 12 – Andy Savoy, politician and engineer July 28 – Gregory Henriquez, architect July 30 – Albert Schultz, actor and director August 2 – Russell Smith, novelist and newspaper columnist August 8 – Stephen Walkom, ice hockey official and executive September 2 – Gerard Gallant, ice hockey player and coach September 7 – Karen Dianne Baldwin, Miss Universe 1982 September 9 – Kathryn Johnson, field hockey player September 25 – Karin Larsen, synchronized swimmer and broadcaster September 29 – Dave Andreychuk, ice hockey player

October to December

October 20 – Julie Payette, astronaut November 19 – Bill Dunlop, boxer November 22 – Benoît Sauvageau, politician (d. 2006) November 23 – Troy Hurtubise, inventor and conservationist (d. 2018) November 25 – Holly Cole, jazz singer December 4 – Robert Dawson, wrestler December 9 – Dave Hilton, Jr., boxer December 29 – Liisa Savijarvi, alpine skier December 30 – Michelle Douglas, human rights activist

Deaths January 2 – Jack Carson, actor (b. 1910) March 27 – Gaspard Fauteux, politician, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada and Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec (b. 1898) May 12 – Robert Kerr, sprinter and Olympic gold medallist (b.1882) June 23 – Herbert Alexander Bruce, surgeon and 15th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (b.1868) August 19 – Kathleen Parlow, violinist (b.1890) September 8 – Leslie Gordon Bell, politician and lawyer (b. 1889) October 8 – Grace Darmond, Canadian-born actress (b. 1893)Darmond, Grace (1898–1963)

Full date unknown Murdoch Mackay, politician (b.1884)

See also 1963 in Canadian television List of Canadian films

References