# 1980 in Canada

Events from the year 1980 in Canada.

## Incumbents
### Crown

* Monarch – Elizabeth II

### Federal government

* Governor General – Edward Schreyer
* Prime Minister – Joe Clark (until March 3) then Pierre Trudeau
* Chief Justice – Bora Laskin (Ontario)
* Parliament – 32nd (from April 14)

### Provincial governments
#### Lieutenant governors

* Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – Francis Charles Lynch-Staunton
* Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – Henry Pybus Bell-Irving
* Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – Francis Lawrence Jobin
* Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – Hédard Robichaud
* Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland – Gordon Arnaud Winter
* Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – John Elvin Shaffner
* Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – Pauline Mills McGibbon (until September 15) then John Black Aird
* Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – Gordon Lockhart Bennett (until January 14) then Joseph Aubin Doiron
* Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Jean-Pierre Côté
* Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Irwin McIntosh

#### Premiers

* Premier of Alberta – Peter Lougheed
* Premier of British Columbia – Bill Bennett
* Premier of Manitoba – Sterling Lyon
* Premier of New Brunswick – Richard Hatfield
* Premier of Newfoundland – Brian Peckford
* Premier of Nova Scotia – John Buchanan
* Premier of Ontario – Bill Davis
* Premier of Prince Edward Island – Angus MacLean
* Premier of Quebec – René Lévesque
* Premier of Saskatchewan – Allan Blakeney

### Territorial governments
#### Commissioners

* Commissioner of Yukon – Douglas Bell
* Commissioner of Northwest Territories – John Havelock Parker

#### Premiers

* Premier of the Northwest Territories – George Braden (from June 16)
* Premier of Yukon – Chris Pearson

## Events
### January to June

* January 21 – Three Soviet embassy workers are expelled after they are accused of spying
* January 28 – Canadian ambassador to Iran, Ken Taylor, organizes the escape of American citizens from Iran
* February 5 – Fort Chimo, Quebec, is renamed to Kuujjuaq.
* February 18 – Federal election: Pierre Trudeau's Liberals win a majority, defeating Joe Clark's PCs
* February 29 – Jeanne Sauvé becomes first woman Speaker of the House of Commons
* March 3 – Pierre Trudeau becomes prime minister for the second time, replacing Joe Clark
* April 12 – Terry Fox begins his Marathon of Hope run across Canada in support of cancer research
* May 20 – Quebec votes against separation in the 1980 Quebec referendum
* June 16 – George Braden becomes government leader of the Northwest Territories, as responsible government is reinstituted for the first time since 1905.

### July to December

* July 1 – "O Canada" becomes the official national anthem
* July 30 – Elizabeth II augments the coat of arms of Alberta with a crest and supporters
* August 14 – Dorothy Stratten, an actress, is raped and killed in Los Angeles by Paul Snider before he commits suicide.
* August 16 to August 23 – First Session of the Youth Parliament of Canada/Parlement jeunesse du Canada held in the Senate chambers of the Canadian Parliament Buildings in Ottawa.
* August 27 – The Winnipeg Tribune and the Ottawa Journal, two Canadian broadsheet newspapers, owned by Southam and Thomson newspapers are closed.
* September 1 – Due to a return of his cancer Terry Fox curtails his run
* September 1 – Saskatchewan and Alberta celebrate the 75th anniversaries of their establishment as provinces, culminating a summer full of festivals and special events
* October 6 – The Quebec and Newfoundland governments sign the Churchill Falls hydro agreement.
* October 6 – Trudeau announces his plan to patriate the Canadian constitution unilaterally
* October 28 – The National Energy Program is introduced
* November 17 – Clifford Olson rapes and kills his first victim

## Arts and literature
### New Works

* Mordecai Richler – Joshua Then and Now
* Robert Munsch – The Paper Bag Princess

### Awards

* See 1980 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
* Books in Canada First Novel Award: Clark Blaise, Lunar Attractions
* Stephen Leacock Award: Donald Jack, Me Bandy, You Cissie
* Vicky Metcalf Award: John Craig

### Television

* The Royal Canadian Air Farce makes it first television special

### Film

* April 14 – The National Film Board wins an Oscar for its animated films.

## Sport

* March 16 – The Alberta Golden Bears win their University Cup by defeating the Regina Cougars 7 to 3. The final game was played at the Regina Agridome
* April 22 – Canada announces it will join the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.
* April 30 – Hockey player Gordie Howe retires
* May 11 – The Cornwall Royals win their second Memorial Cup by defeating the Peterborough Petes 3 to 2. The final game was played at the Keystone Centre in Brandon, Manitoba
* May 21 – The Atlanta Flames relocate to Calgary, to become the 8th Canadian team in the NHL as the Calgary Flames
* May 24 – Val Marie, Saskatchewan's Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders is awarded the Conn Smythe trophy
* October 10 – Wayne Gretzky plays in his first NHL game when his Edmonton Oilers are defeated by the Chicago Black Hawks
* November 8 – Quebec City's Rick Martel wins his first World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Championship (with Tony Garea) by defeating the Wild Samoans in Allentown, Pennsylvania
* November 23 – The Edmonton Eskimos win their seventh (and third consecutive) Grey Cup by defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 48 to 10 in the 68th Grey Cup played at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto
* November 29 – The Alberta Golden Bears win their third (and last to date) Vanier Cup by defeating the Ottawa Gee-Gees 40–21 in the 16th Vanier Cup played at Varsity Stadium in Toronto

### Full date unknown

* Walter Wolf Racing, first Canadian Formula One constructor, closes, its assets sold to Emerson Fittipaldi.

## Births

* January 1 – Mark Nichols, curler
* January 19 – Luke Macfarlane, actor and musician
* January 20 – Philippe Gagnon, Paralympic swimmer
* January 21 – Kevin McKenna, footballer
* January 22 – Amy Cotton, judoka
* February 6 – Kim Poirier, actress
* February 9
** Liam Cormier, musician
** Michelle Currie, skater
* February 10 – Mike Ribeiro, ice hockey player
* February 14 – Michelle Rempel, Conservative MP
* February 16 – Blair Betts, ice hockey player
* February 17 – Zachary Bennett, actor and musician
* February 21
** Brad Fast, ice hockey player
** Yannick Lupien, swimmer
* February 23 – Yvonne Tousek, artistic gymnast
* February 29 – Simon Gagné, ice hockey player
* March 1 – Manmeet Bhullar, lawyer and politician (d. 2015)
* March 2 – Julia Chantrey, actress
* March 10 – Stephen Peat, ice hockey player (d. 2024)
* March 13 – Malindi Elmore, middle-distance athlete
* March 14 – Jessica Mulroney, fashion stylist
* March 21 – Deryck Whibley, guitarist, lead vocalist, songwriter and producer
* March 24 – Ramzi Abid, ice hockey player
* March 31 – Michael Ryder, ice hockey player
* April 6 – Bardish Chagger, politician
* April 10 – Sean Avery, ice hockey player
* April 17 – Alaina Huffman, film and television actress
* April 19
** Mayko Nguyen, actress
** Robyn Regehr, ice hockey player
* April 21 – Vincent Lecavalier, ice hockey player
* April 29 – Mathieu Biron, ice hockey player
* May 1 – Robin Randall, water polo player
* May 4 – Andrew Raycroft, ice hockey player
* May 5 – Noah Miller, water polo player
* May 8 – Benny Yau, entertainer
* May 22 – Angela Whyte, hurdler
* May 26 – Richard Green, soldier killed in Afghanistan (d. 2002)
* May 29 – Valérie Hould-Marchand, synchronized swimmer
* June 5 – Mike Fisher, ice hockey player
* June 24 – Liane Balaban, actress
* July 2 – Thomas Marks, water polo player
* July 11 – Tyson Kidd, wrestler
* July 15 – Jonathan Cheechoo, ice hockey player
* July 16 – Matt Peck, field hockey player
* July 21 – Scott Frandsen, rower and Olympic silver medallist
* July 27 – Paul Larmand, basketball player
* August 3 – Dominic Moore, ice hockey player
* August 5 – Mark Bell, ice hockey player
* August 9 – Charlie David, actor
* August 21 – Jon Lajoie, comedian
* August 24 – Tanya Hunks, swimmer
* August 28 – Carly Pope, actress
* August 29 – Perdita Felicien, hurdler
* September 2 – Dany Sabourin, French Canadian ice hockey goaltender and coach
* September 5 – Kevin Simm, singer (Liberty X)
* September 9 – Félix Brillant, soccer player
* September 17 – Brent McMahon, triathlete
* September 19 – Adrian Cann, soccer player
* September 26 – Kerry DuWors, violinist, chamber musician and educator
* September 29 – Dallas Green, singer-songwriter
* October 3 – Daniel DeSanto, film, television and voice actor
* October 13 – Marc-André Bergeron, ice hockey player
* October 14 – Mike Munday, volleyball player
* October 21 – Mike Danton, ice hockey player
* November 4 – Erin Cumpstone, softball player
* November 9
** Dominique Maltais, snowboarder and Olympic bronze medallist
** Ben Rutledge, rower, Olympic gold medallist and World Champion
* November 12 – Ryan Gosling, actor, musician, and producer
* November 16 – Carol Huynh, freestyle wrestler and Olympic gold medallist
* November 18
** Dustin Kensrue, singer
** Emanuel Sandhu, figure skater
* November 23 – Tracy Latimer, murder victim (d. 1993)
* December 1 – Joel A. Sutherland, author
* December 2 – Adam Kreek, rower, Olympic gold medallist and World Champion
* December 9 – Ryder Hesjedal, cyclist

### Full date unknown

* Kent Abbott, rock musician (Grade) (d. 2013)

## Deaths
### January to July

* January 1 – Ernest Cormier, engineer and architect (b. 1885)
* March 5 – Jay Silverheels, actor (b. 1912)
* May 17 – Harold Connolly, journalist, newspaper editor, politician and Premier of Nova Scotia (b. 1901)
* July 23 – Sarto Fournier, politician and mayor of Montreal (b. 1903)

### August to December

* August 14
** Dorothy Stratten, model, actress and murder victim (b. 1960)
** Paul Snider, murder (b. 1951)
* September 25 – Antonio Talbot, politician (b. 1900)
* October 17 – Richard Gavin Reid, politician and 7th Premier of Alberta (b. 1879)
* October 27 – Judy LaMarsh, politician and Minister, lawyer, author and broadcaster (b. 1924)
* November 4 – Elsie MacGill, the world's first female aircraft designer (b. 1905)
* November 18 – Conn Smythe, ice hockey manager and owner (b. 1895)
* November 21 – A. J. M. Smith, poet (b. 1902)
* November 22 – Jules Léger, diplomat and Governor General of Canada (b. 1913)
* December 7 – W. L. Morton, historian (b. 1908)
* December 9 – Dorise Nielsen, politician (b. 1902)
* December 12 – Jean Lesage, lawyer, politician and Premier of Quebec (b. 1912)
* December 22 – Ethel Wilson, novelist and short story writer (b. 1888)
* December 31 – Marshall McLuhan, educator, philosopher, and scholar (b. 1911)

### Full date unknown

* Ray Lawson, 17th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (b. 1886)