1961 in Canada

none April 2026 September 2023 1961 thumb|Flag of Canada in 1961 Events from the year 1961 in Canada. Incumbents Crown Monarch – Elizabeth IIQueen Elizabeth II The Canadian Encyclopedia https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/timeline/queen-elizabeth-ii www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca 4 December 2022 Federal government Governor General – Georges VanierLentz Harris M. Heads of States and Governments Since 1945 4 February 2014 Routledge 978-1-134-26490-2 143 https://books.google.com/books?id=D6HKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA143 en Prime Minister – John Diefenbaker Chief Justice – Patrick Kerwin (Ontario) Parliament – 24th Provincial governments September 2023 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 Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – Edward Chester Plow Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – John Keiller MacKay Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – Frederick Walter Hyndman Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Onésime Gagnon (until October 12) then Paul Comtois Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Frank Lindsay Bastedo 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 – Leslie Frost (until November 8) then John Robarts Premier of Prince Edward Island – Walter Shaw Premier of Quebec – Jean Lesage Premier of Saskatchewan – Tommy Douglas (until November 7) then Woodrow Lloyd Territorial governments Commissioners Commissioner of Yukon – Frederick Howard Collins Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Robert Gordon Robertson Events January to June June 1 The Canadian Bank of Commerce and the Imperial Bank of Canada merge to form the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.A New Bank, 1961-1986 http://www.cibc.com:80/ca/inside-cibc/history/story-cibc-3.html The Story of CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce August 31, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20050209115927/http://www.cibc.com/ca/inside-cibc/history/story-cibc-3.html February 9, 2005 dead Census Day for the 1961 Census of Canada, which finds Canada has a population of 18,238,247. June 6 – CUSO is formed June 13 – The NCC study of Ottawa's new Green Belt is completed June 14 – James Elliott Coyne, the Governor of the Bank of Canada resigns due to disagreements with the federal government's fiscal policies July to December August 3 – Tommy Douglas is elected leader of the newly formed New Democratic Party August 14 – 15 – The Premiers meet in Charlottetown August 26 – The new home for the Hockey Hall of Fame opens in Toronto, at the Canadian National Exhibition. October 1 – CTV, Canada's second major television network, begins broadcasting November 7 – Woodrow Lloyd becomes premier of Saskatchewan, replacing Tommy Douglas November 8 – John Robarts becomes premier of Ontario, replacing Leslie Frost November 17 – Saskatchewan passes a bill creating Canada's first government run health system December 28 – Canada's first BOMARC Missile squadron is formed Full date unknown The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation becomes the New Democratic Party The Massey Lectures are created The transatlantic telephone system is officially launched with a call from Elizabeth II to Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. The Canadian Conference of the Arts is established. Sport March 12 – The Trail Smoke Eaters win the 1961 Ice Hockey World Championships for Canada. May 5 – The Ontario Hockey Association's Toronto St. Michael's Majors win their fourth (and final) Memorial Cup by defeating the Central Alberta Hockey League's Edmonton Oil Kings 4 games to 2. The deciding Game 6 was played at Edmonton Gardens. July 11 – Gene Kiniski becomes the first Canadian to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Verne Gagne December 2 – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers win their 6th Grey Cup by defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21–14 in the 49th Grey Cup at CNE Stadium in Toronto. Arts and literature New books Morley Callaghan: A Passion in Rome Max Aitken: Courage Margaret Atwood: Double Persephone Farley Mowat: Owls in the Family Awards See 1961 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards. Stephen Leacock Award: Norman Ward, Mice in the Beer Births September 2023 January to March thumb|right|150px|Wayne Gretzky January 11 – Graham Welbourn, swimmer January 15 - Yves Pelletier, film director and actor January 18 – Mark Messier, ice hockey player January 26 – Wayne Gretzky, ice hockey player and coach January 27 – Tony Clement, politician and Minister January 28 – Normand Rochefort, ice hockey player and coach February 4 – Connor O'Brien, Canadian skier February 10 – Steve Pagendam, boxer February 21 – Paul Edwards, politician and lawyer February 23 – Silvia Ruegger, long-distance runner (died 2019) February 27 – Ann Peel, race walker February 28 - René Simard, singer March 16 – Todd McFarlane, cartoonist, comic book artist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur March 24 – Pat Turner, rower and Olympic gold medallist April to June April 6 – Gene Eugene, actor, record producer, engineer, composer and musician (died 2000) April 10 – Barb Tarbox, anti-smoking activist (died 2003) April 22 – Scott D. Sampson, paleontologist, science communicator and television presenter May 1 – Clint Malarchuk, ice hockey player May 8 – Greg Thomey, comedian May 9 – Darren Praznik, politician May 10 – Randy Cunneyworth, Canadian ice hockey player and coach June 1 – Paul Coffey, ice hockey player June 9 – Michael J. Fox, actor, author and voice over artist July to September July 1 – Michelle Wright, singer-songwriter July 8 – Kelly Kryczka, synchronized swimmer July 12 – Camilla Scott, actress and television host July 17 – Blair Horn, rower and Olympic gold medallist July 23 André Ducharme, author, comedian and humorist Richard Martineau, journalist Rob Stewart, actor July 24 – Brian McMahon, coxswain and Olympic gold medallist July 26 – Alan Lowe, politician August 12 – Peter Szmidt, swimmer August 20 – Lizanne Bussières, long-distance runner August 23 – François Lapointe, racewalker August 25 – Dave Tippett, ice hockey player and coach September 12 – Mylène Farmer, singer, songwriter, actress and author September 16 – Jen Tolley, actress, voice actress and singer September 18 – Denis Lambert, boxer September 24 Nancy Garapick, swimmer and Olympic bronze medallist Luc Picard, actor September 25 – Tracy Wilson, ice dancer September 27 – Randy Vancourt, composer and entertainer September 30 – Erica Ehm, video jockey, songwriter and actress October to December thumb|right|150px|Floyd Roland October 16 - Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor Inc., Quebecor Media Inc. and Sun Media Corporation October 25 – Alison Webb, judoka November 2 – k.d. lang, singer-songwriter November 23 – Floyd Roland, politician and 11th Premier of the Northwest Territories December 8 – André Bachand, politician December 10 – Mark McKoy, hurdler and Olympic gold medallist December 11 - Michel Courtemanche, actor December 13 – Ranza Clark, middle-distance runner December 18 – Brian Orser, figure skater, double Olympic silver medallist and World Champion December 30 Douglas Coupland, novelist Ben Johnson, Jamaica-born sprinter, double Olympic bronze medallist, Olympic gold medal rescinded as disqualified for doping Deaths September 2023 January to June May 12 - Janis Babson (born 1950) May 14 – Albert Sévigny, politician (born 1881) May 28 – Frank Boyes, politician (born 1874) May 29 – Gilbert Layton, businessman and politician (born 1899) May 31 – Walter Little, politician (born 1877) June 6 – William Anderson, politician and businessman (born 1905) June 19 – Richard Turner, soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross (born 1871) July to December July 12 – Mazo de la Roche, author (born 1879) July 15 – John Edward Brownlee, politician and 5th Premier of Alberta (born 1884) September 12 – Joseph-Arthur Bradette, politician (born 1886) September 16 – Percy Chapman Black, politician (born 1878) September 21 – William Duncan Herridge, politician and diplomat (born 1888) September 30 - Onésime Gagnon, politician and the 20th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (born 1888) October 15 – Peter Dickinson, architect (born 1925) October 22 – Harry Nixon, politician and 13th Premier of Ontario (born 1891) Full date unknown Anne Wilkinson, poet (born 1910) See also 1961 in Canadian television List of Canadian films References 1961 in Category:Years of the 20th century in Canada