1970 in 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. 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)
• 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)

References

References

1. "Queen Elizabeth II {{!}} The Canadian Encyclopedia".
2. (4 February 2014). "Heads of States and Governments Since 1945". Routledge.
3. [http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/environment/extreme-weather/deadly-skies-canadas-most-destructive-tornadoes/1970-sudbury-tornado.html "1970 Sudbury tornado"]. ''Sunday Magazine'', [[CBC Radio One. CBC Radio]], August 23, 1970.
4. (13 October 2010). "Canada Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with China". [[Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada]].
5. (16 October 1970). "Pierre Trudeau's War Measures Act speech during the 1970 October Crisis". CBC Television News.
6. (25 March 2020). "Naomi Klein".
7. 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.