1959 in Canada

none April 2026 January 2021 1959 Events from the year 1959 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 – Vincent Massey (until September 15) then Georges VanierLentz Harris M. Heads of States and Governments Since 1945 4 February 2014 Routledge 978-1-134-26490-2 142–143 https://books.google.com/books?id=D6HKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA142 en Prime Minister – John Diefenbaker Chief Justice – Patrick Kerwin (Ontario) Parliament – 24th Provincial governments Lieutenant governors Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – John J. Bowlen (until December 16) then John Percy Page (from December 19) Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – Frank Mackenzie Ross Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – John Stewart McDiarmid 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 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 – Hugh John Flemming Premier of Newfoundland – Joey Smallwood Premier of Nova Scotia – Robert Stanfield Premier of Ontario – Leslie Frost Premier of Prince Edward Island – Alex Matheson (until September 16) then Walter Shaw Premier of Quebec – Maurice Duplessis (until September 7) then Paul Sauvé (from September 11) Premier of Saskatchewan – Tommy Douglas Territorial governments Commissioners Commissioner of Yukon – Frederick Howard Collins Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Robert Gordon Robertson Events February 20: Avro Arrow project is terminated April 1: The St. Lawrence Seaway opens June 11: 1959 Ontario general election: Leslie Frost's PCs win a fifth consecutive majority June 18: 1959 Alberta general election: Ernest Manning's Social Credit Party wins a seventh consecutive majority June 20: The Escuminac Disaster results in 35 fishermen drowned or missing and 22 fishing boats sunk. September 7: Maurice Duplessis, Premier of Quebec, dies in office September 11: Paul Sauvé becomes premier of Quebec September 15: Georges Vanier is sworn in as Governor General replacing Vincent Massey. He is the first French Canadian Governor General. September 16: Walter Shaw becomes premier of Prince Edward Island, replacing Alex Matheson October 12: Isabella Memorial (Montreal) unveiled November 18: Canadian content rules are introduced for television. December 2: York University is founded Full date unknown National Energy Board of Canada is created. Steven Truscott falsely convicted of the murder of Lynne Harper. He would be exonerated in 2007. Vancouver Folk Song Society is founded.Holdstock, Roger. “Vancouver Folk Song Society,” Canadian Folk Music Bulletin, March, 1986. Arts and literature New books Mordecai Richler: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz Hugh MacLennan: The Watch That Ends the Night Farley Mowat: Grey Seas Under Max Aitken: Friends Gordon R. Dickson: Dorsai! Awards See 1959 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards. Sport April 18 - Montreal Canadiens won their Eleventh (and Fourth consecutive) Stanley Cup by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 games to 1. The deciding Game 5 was played at the Montreal Forum May 1 - Manitoba Junior Hockey League's Winnipeg Braves won their only Memorial Cup by defeating the Ontario Hockey Association's Peterborough TPT Petes 4 games to 1. The deciding Game 5 was played at Wheat City Arena in Brandon, Manitoba November 1 – Montreal Canadiens Jacques Plante becomes the first ice hockey goalie to wear a protective face mask during a game against the New York Rangers at the Montreal Forum November 28 - Winnipeg Blue Bombers won their Fifth Grey Cup by defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21 to 7 in the 47th Grey Cup played at Toronto's CNE Stadium Births January to March January 1 – Sharon Bayes, field hockey player January 3 – Dwight Duncan, politician and Minister January 8 – Bill Sawchuk, swimmer January 11 – Rob Ramage, ice hockey player January 12 – Helen Vanderburg, synchronized swimmer May 25 – Rick Wamsley, ice hockey player April to June April 5 – Stephen Feraday, javelin thrower April 6 Jim Rondeau, politician Gail Shea, politician (d. 2025) thumb|right|100px|Stephen Harper April 13 – Genevieve Robic-Brunet, road racing cyclist April 15 – Kevin Lowe, ice hockey player April 22 – Ryan Stiles, actor, comedian and director April 30 – Paul Gross, actor, producer, director, singer and writer April 30 – Stephen Harper, politician and 22nd Prime Minister of Canada May 14 – Rick Vaive, ice hockey player May 26 – Brian Peaker, rower and Olympic silver medalist May 27 Eugene Melnyk, businessman and sports franchise owner (d. 2022) Donna Strickland, physicist, recipient of Nobel Prize in Physics June 2 – Charlie Huddy, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach June 4 – Rex Barnes, politician thumb|right|100px|Chris Hadfield June 9 - Louis Hamelin, writer June 12 – Scott Thompson, comedian June 20 – Louise Bessette, pianist June 28 – Brad Fraser, playwright, screenwriter and cultural commentator July to December August 29 – Chris Hadfield, astronaut, first Canadian to walk in space September 29 – Robert Thibault, politician October 14 – Dominic Agostino, politician (d.2004) October 20 – Janice McCaffrey, racewalker November 5 – Bryan Adams, rock singer-songwriter and photographer November 17 – Guy André, politician November 22 – Geoff Regan, politician December 2 – David Alward, 32nd Premier of New Brunswick December 8 – Mark Steyn, writer and broadcaster Full date unknown Carole Laganière, documentary filmmaker Michael Slobodian, murderer responsible for the Centennial Secondary School shooting (d.1975) Deaths January 26 – Barbara Hanley, first woman to be elected a mayor in Canada (b.1882) February 11 – Harry James Barber, politician (b.1875) February 13 – Thomas Laird Kennedy, politician and 15th Premier of Ontario (b.1878) March 3 – Philémon Cousineau, politician (b.1874) March 17 – Sidney Earle Smith, academic and 7th President of the University of Toronto (b.1897) thumb|right|100px|Maurice Duplessis campaigning in the 1952 election April 8 – George Croil, first Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Canadian Air Force (b.1893) June 3 – Filip Konowal, soldier, Victoria Cross recipient in 1917 (b.1888) June 9 - Lynne Harper, murder victim (b.1946) September 7 – Maurice Duplessis, politician and 16th Premier of Quebec (b.1890) October 25 – Samuel Lawrence, politician and trade unionist (b.1879) Full date unknown Edwin Hansford, politician (b.1895) See also 1959 in Canadian television List of Canadian films References 1959 in Category:Years of the 20th century in Canada Canada Category:1959 in North America