1960 in Canada

1960 in Canada
Events from the year 1960 in Canada.
Incumbents
Crown
Monarch – Elizabeth II
Federal government
Governor General – Georges Vanier
Prime Minister – John Diefenbaker
Chief Justice – Patrick Kerwin (Ontario)
Parliament – 24th
Provincial governments
Lieutenant governors
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – John Percy Page
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – Frank M. Ross (until October 12) then George Pearkes
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – John S. McDiarmid (until January 15) then 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
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 (until July 12) then Louis Robichaud
Premier of Newfoundland – Joey Smallwood
Premier of Nova Scotia – Robert Stanfield
Premier of Ontario – Leslie Frost
Premier of Prince Edward Island – Walter Shaw
Premier of Quebec – Paul Sauvé (until January 2) then Antonio Barrette (January 8 to July 22) then Jean Lesage
Premier of Saskatchewan – Tommy Douglas
Territorial governments
Commissioners
Commissioner of Yukon – Frederick Howard Collins
Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Robert Gordon Robertson
Events
January to June
January – The Board of Broadcast Governors begins hearings in Winnipeg to determine alternatives to CBC Television. Hearings are conducted throughout the country. Eventually, numerous licences are given to: Halifax—the Finlay MacDonald group—CJCH-TV; Montreal—the Canadian Marconi Co.—CFCF-TV; Ottawa—Ernie Bushnell's group—CJOH-TV; Toronto—Baton—the Bassett group—CFTO-TV; Winnipeg—the Moffat group—CJAY-TV (CKY-TV); Edmonton—the CBC (CBXT), (which would relieve CFRN-TV of its CBC affiliation); Calgary—the Love organization—CFCN-TV; Vancouver—the Vantel group—CHAN-TV (BCTV).
January 2 – Paul Sauvé, Premier of Quebec, dies in office.
January 8 – Antonio Barrette becomes premier of Quebec.
April 24 – Television station CBWFT signs on for the first time as Radio-Canada Winnipeg.
June 8 – Saskatchewan election: Tommy Douglas's Co-operative Commonwealth Federation wins a fifth consecutive majority.
June 22 – 1960 Quebec general election: Barrette's ruling Union nationale, is defeated by the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Lesage, beginning the 'Quiet Revolution' in the historically conservative province.
June 27 – 1960 New Brunswick general election: The Liberals, led by Louis Robichaud defeat the Progressive Conservative government of Hugh John Flemming.
July to December
July 1 – Status Indians are given the right to vote.
July 9 – Seven-year-old Roger Woodward became the first person accidentally to fall over the Horseshoe Falls and survive.
July 12 – Louis Robichaud becomes premier of New Brunswick, replacing Hugh John Flemming.
July 22 – Vincent Massey becomes the first Canadian to receive the Royal Victorian Chain.
July 25–27 – The first First Ministers conference is held.
August 10 – The Canadian Bill of Rights is given royal assent.
September – York University's first class begins learning.
September 19 – The University of Calgary is founded.
December 17 – Quebec becomes the last province to agree to the National Health Act.
December 20 – Ontario executes 10,000 cats due to over population.
Full date unknown
French beginning to be recognized as language taught in schools outside of Quebec
L'Anse aux Meadows, evidence of Viking colonization of North America is discovered in Newfoundland
The Ford Frontenac is introduced exclusively to the Canadian market.
Arts and literature
February 16 – The new National Gallery of Canada building opens in Ottawa.
November 2 – The National Theatre School opens in Montreal.
New books
Milton Acorn: Against a League of Liars
Farley Mowat: Ordeal by Ice
Gordon R. Dickson: Necromancer
Awards
See 1960 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
Stephen Leacock Award: Pierre Berton, Just Add Water and Stir
Sport
January 16 – Gordie Howe becomes the leading scorer in National Hockey League history, passing Maurice Richard.
April 14 – The Montreal Canadiens win their 12th (fifth consecutive) Stanley Cup by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 games to 0. The deciding game (as well being Maurice Richard's final game) was played in Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto
May 8 – The Ontario Hockey Association's St. Catharines Teepees win their second (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 Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto
October 6 – Maurice Richard's number (9) is retired by the Montreal Canadiens in a ceremony at the Montreal Forum
November 26 – The Ottawa Rough Riders win their fifth Grey Cup by defeating the Edmonton Eskimos 16 to 6 in the 48th Grey Cup played at Vancouver's Empire Stadium. Toronto's Ron Stewart became the first Canadian to win the game's official MVP award.
Births
January to June
January 12 – Oliver Platt, actor
January 24 – Mark Reeds, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (d. 2015)
February 11 – Grant Main, rower and Olympic gold medalist
February 12 – George Elliott Clarke, poet and playwright
February 14 – Walt Poddubny, ice hockey player and coach (d. 2009)
February 14 – Meg Tilly, actress and dancer
February 17 – Lindy Ruff, ice hockey player and coach
February 28 – Dorothy Stratten, model, actress and murder victim (d. 1980)
March 7 – Gail Greenough, equestrian
March 13 - John Greyson, filmmaker
March 15 – Carole Rouillard, long-distance runner
March 18 - Guy Carbonneau, retired professional ice hockey player
April 8 - Pat Duncan, politician and sixth (and first female) Premier of Yukon and the first Liberal government
April 10 – Drew Caldwell, politician
April 12 - Toren Smith, manga publisher and translator (d. 2013)
April 20 - Eria Fachin, pop singer
April 29 – Robert J. Sawyer, science fiction writer
May 3 – Jennifer Luce, architect
May 8 - Patrick McKenna, actor
May 11 - Gildor Roy, actor
July to December
July 19 – Atom Egoyan, filmmaker
July 22 – Jane Patterson, judoka
July 25 – Alain Robidoux, snooker player
July 28 – Anna Marie Malone, long-distance runner
July 31 – Dale Hunter, ice hockey player and coach
August 17 – Chris Potter, actor
August 27 – Mike Mahovlich, javelin thrower
August 30
Mark Eyking, politician
Guy A. Lepage, actor
September 14 – Callum Keith Rennie, actor
September 21 – David James Elliott, actor
September 25 - Sonia Benezra, TV and radio interviewer and personality and actress
October 8 - François Pérusse, comedian and humor
November 2 – Paul Martini, pair skater
November 6 – Kevin Neufeld, rower and Olympic gold medallist
November 8
Anne Dorval, actress
Robert Libman, politician, architect and leader of Equality Party
November 20 - Marc Labrèche, actor, comedian and host
December 28 – Ray Bourque, ice hockey player
Deaths
January to June
January 2 – Paul Sauvé, lawyer, soldier, politician and 17th Premier of Quebec (b. 1907)
February 16 – James Alexander Murray, politician and Premier of New Brunswick (b. 1864)
February 22 – Paul-Émile Borduas, painter (b. 1905)
June 13 – Brooke Claxton, politician and Minister (b. 1898)
July to December
July 26 – Maud Menten, medical scientist (b. 1879)
August 5 – Arthur Meighen, politician and 9th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1874)
November 5 – Mack Sennett, actor, producer, screenwriter and film director (b. 1880)
December 12 – Louis Orville Breithaupt, 18th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (b. 1890)
December 19 – Jean Désy, diplomat (b. 1893)
December 29 – Philippe Panneton, physician, academic, diplomat and writer (b. 1895)
December 31 – C. D. Howe, politician and Minister (b. 1886)
See also
1960 in Canadian television
List of Canadian films
References
1960 in North America