Events from the 1970s of Canada.
Incumbents Crown Monarch – Elizabeth II
Federal government Governor General – Roland Michener Prime Minister – Pierre Trudeau Chief Justice – John Robert Cartwright (Ontario) (until 23 March) then Gérald Fauteux (Quebec) Parliament – 28th
Provincial governments
Lieutenant governors Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – Grant MacEwan Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – John Robert Nicholson Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – Richard Spink Bowles (until September 2) then William John McKeag Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – Wallace Samuel Bird Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland – Ewart John Arlington Harnum Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – Victor de Bedia Oland Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – William Ross Macdonald Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – John George MacKay Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Hugues Lapointe Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Robert Hanbidge (until February 2) then Stephen Worobetz
Premiers Premier of Alberta – Harry Strom Premier of British Columbia – W.A.C. Bennett Premier of Manitoba – Edward Schreyer Premier of New Brunswick – Louis Robichaud (until November 12) then Richard Hatfield Premier of Newfoundland – Joey Smallwood Premier of Nova Scotia – G.I. Smith (until October 28) then Gerald Regan Premier of Ontario – John Robarts Premier of Prince Edward Island – Alexander B. Campbell Premier of Quebec – Jean-Jacques Bertrand (until May 12) then Robert Bourassa Premier of Saskatchewan – Ross Thatcher
Territorial governments
Commissioners Commissioner of Yukon – James Smith Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Stuart Milton Hodgson
Events January to June January 1 - The cities Fort William and Port Arthur are merged to create Thunder Bay, Ontario January 16 - The federal government announces plans to convert the nation to the metric system February 2 - Canada becomes an official observer at the Organization of American States February 5 - An oil tanker runs aground in Chedabucto Bay (Nova Scotia) causing a major oil spill February 17 - The use of phosphates in laundry detergent is banned March 2 - Keith Spicer is appointed as the first Official Languages Commissioner March 7 - A total solar eclipse affects the Maritimes March 20 - The Francophonie is established with Canada as a founding member April 27 - The Abortion Caravan leaves Vancouver May 1 - The Capitol Cinema, Ottawa's only movie palace, is closed and later demolished May 12 - Robert Bourassa becomes Premier of Quebec after his Liberals defeat the Union Nationale party May 22 - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission issues the first Canadian content rules for television and radio May 29 - The Hudson's Bay Company moves its headquarters from London to Winnipeg, Manitoba June 26 - The federal voting age is lowered from 21 to 18
July to December July 5 - 109 people are killed in the crash of an Air Canada DC-8. August 2 - Three Canadians are killed when a ferry collides with a Soviet freighter off British Columbia August 17 - Arthur Erickson is awarded at Expo '70 for his design of the Canadian pavilion August 20 - The Sudbury, Ontario tornado event, with winds up to 100 miles per hour, hits Sudbury and Field, Ontario."1970 Sudbury tornado". Sunday Magazine, CBC Radio, August 23, 1970. It was one of the worst tornadoes in Canadian history — killing six people, injuring 200, and causing C$17 million dollars in property damage. September 27 - TVOntario begins broadcasting October - Canada establishes formal relations with the People's Republic of China. October 5 - October Crisis: British Trade Commissioner James Cross is kidnapped by the FLQ. October 5 - Award-winning news & current affairs program, 24Hours starts on CBWT in Winnipeg. October 10 - October Crisis: Quebec Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte is kidnapped by FLQ. October 13 - Canada and the People's Republic of China establish diplomatic relations. October 16 - October Crisis: Pierre Trudeau introduces the War Measures Act to deal with the FLQ threat. Trudeau also addresses the nation in a televised speech explaining why he invoked the War Measures Act. October 17 - October Crisis: The body of Pierre Laporte is found in the trunk of a car. October 28 - Gerald Regan becomes Premier of Nova Scotia after his Liberals defeat George Smith's Conservatives in the 1970 election. November 6 - Police raid the hiding place of the FLQ's Chenier cell, arresting Bernard Lortie for the kidnapping and murder of Pierre Laporte. November 12 - Richard Hatfield becomes Premier of New Brunswick after his Conservatives defeat Louis Robichaud's Liberals in the 1970 election. December 3 - October Crisis: James Cross is released unharmed by FLQ December 28 - October Crisis: The FLQ kidnappers of Pierre Laporte are caught.
Full date unknown The Royal Commission on the Status of Women reports to Parliament INCO builds the world's tallest smokestack at Copper Cliff, Ontario The Pierre Laporte Bridge opens in Quebec City, at the time it is Canada's longest bridge The Don't Make a Wave Committee, the predecessor organization to Greenpeace, is founded in Vancouver The first ACTRA Awards are held Louis Cyr Monument
Arts and literature New books The Collected Works of Billy the Kid - Michael Ondaatje S th story I to: trew adventure - bill bissett Fifth Business - Robertson Davies The Journals of Susanna Moodie - Margaret Atwood Il est par là, le soleil - Roch Carrier The National Dream - Pierre Berton La Rivière sans repos - Gabrielle Roy Counterblast - Marshall McLuhan
New plays The Ecstasy of Rita Joe - George Ryga
Awards See 1970 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards. Stephen Leacock Award: Farley Mowat, The Boat Who Wouldn't Float Vicky Metcalf Award: Farley Mowat
Film Paul Almond's Act of the Heart opens
Music February 23 - The first Juno Awards for Canadian music are held.
Sport
February 16 - Police recover the Grey Cup after it was stolen the previous December. March 7 - Toronto Varsity Blues won their Fourth University Cup by defeating the Saint Mary's Huskies 3 to 2. The Final game was played in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island April 5 - Bobby Orr becomes the first National Hockey League (NHL) defenceman to win the scoring title. May 2 - Montreal is awarded the 1976 Summer Olympics. May 10 - Parry Sound, Ontario's Bobby Orr is awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy May 12 - Ontario Hockey Association's Montreal Jr. Canadiens won their fourth and final Memorial Cup by defeating the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League'sWeyburn Red Wings 4 games to 0. All games were played at the Montreal Forum May 22 - The National Hockey League adds a third Canadian team as the Vancouver Canucks are established. November 21 - Manitoba Bisons won their second consecutive Vanier Cup by defeating the Ottawa Gee-Gees 38–11 in the 6th Vanier Cup played at Varsity Stadium in Toronto November 28 - Montreal Alouettes won their Second Grey Cup by defeating the Calgary Stampeders 23–10 in the 58th Grey Cup played at Exhibition Stadium at Toronto. The first Arctic Winter Games commence in Yellowknife.
Births January to March January 6 - David Saint-Jacques, astronaut January 19 - Donald Haddow, swimmer January 24 - Lynn Coady, novelist and journalist February 18 - Raine Maida, singer and songwriter February 22 – Nicole Oliver, actress, voice actress, and singer February 23 - Marie-Josée Croze, actress March 5 - Paul Whelan, detainee in Russia March 18 - Ian Bird, field hockey player March 20 - Andrew Kishino, actor, voice actor, and rapper
April to June
April 4 - Barry Pepper, actor April 8 - J. R. Bourne, actor April 11 - Trevor Linden, ice hockey player May 3 - Marie-Soleil Tougas, Quebec actress and TV host (d. 1997) May 4 Will Arnett, actor Karla Homolka, convicted murderer May 6 - Kavan Smith, actor May 8 - Naomi Klein, author and activist May 11 - Heather Stefanson, politician May 12 - Mike Weir, golfer May 19 Mario Dumont, politician Jason Gray-Stanford, actor May 20 - Jason York, ice hockey player June 2 Ted Goveia, football executive (d. 2025) Patricia Noall, swimmer and Olympic bronze medalist June 3 - Julie Masse, pop singer June 4 - Donald Farley, cross-country skier (d. 2016) June 12 - Gordon Michael Woolvett, actor June 23 - Kerri Buchberger, volleyball player
July to September July 14 - Michelle Sawatzky, volleyball player July 17 - Gavin McInnes, far right commentator July 28 - Isabelle Brasseur, pair skater July 31 - Amanda Stepto, actress August 6 - Michael Strange, boxer August 9 - Rod Brind'Amour, ice hockey player August 16 Tina Connelly, track and field athlete Dean Del Mastro, politician Daren Millard, sportscaster August 19 - James Rajotte, politician August 31 - Zack Ward, actor
September 1 - Mitsou, pop singer, businesswoman, television and radio host and actress September 7 Keltie Duggan, swimmer Gino Odjick, ice hockey player (d. 2023) September 19 - Kathryn Humphreys, CityNews sports anchor September 24 - Isabelle Turcotte Baird, triathlete
October to December October 5 - Tina Poitras, race walker October 8 - Heather Jones, field hockey player November 9 - Chris Jericho, wrestler, actor, author, radio and television host and rock musician November 10 - Sue Reid, field hockey player November 12 - Sarah Harmer, singer-songwriter and activist November 15 - Jeff Adams, wheelchair athlete, multiple Paralympic medalist and World Champion December 15 - Michael Shanks, actor December 18 - Victoria Pratt, actress and model December 19 - Jonathan Cleveland, swimmer and Olympic bronze medalist December 20 - Nicole de Boer, actress December 22 - Ted Cruz, politician, and U.S. Senator from Texas since 2013 December 23 - Catriona Le May Doan, speed skater, double Olympic gold medalist and World Champion December 25 - Stu Barnes, ice hockey player and coach
Full date unknown Maher Arar, engineer and rendition victim
Deaths January 23 - Nell Shipman, actress, screenwriter, producer, and animal trainer (b.1892) January 29 - Lawren Harris, Group of Seven painter (b.1885) February 21 - Louis-René Beaudoin, politician and Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada (b.1912) February 27 - Marie Dionne, one of the Dionne quintuplets (b.1934) March 11 - William Stewart Wallace, historian April 6 - Émile Coderre, French-Canadian poet May 9 - Andrew Watson Myles, politician (b.1884) May 31 - Terry Sawchuk, ice hockey player (b.1929)John A. Drobnicki, "Sawchuk, Terrance Gordon ('Terry')," in The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures (Scribner's, 2002), Vol. 2, pp. 335-336. June 12 - John Keiller MacKay, soldier, jurist and 19th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (b.1888) June 22 - William Melville Martin, politician and Premier of Saskatchewan (b.1876) October 17 - Pierre Laporte, Quebec politician and Minister, kidnapped and murdered by Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) (b.1921) September 12 - Jacob Viner, economist (b.1892)
See also 1970 in Canadian television List of Canadian films of 1970
References