1966 in Canada

Crown

Head of state (monarch) – Queen Elizabeth II (consort – Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh)

Federal government

Governor general – Georges Vanier (viceregal consort – Pauline Vanier)

Prime minister – Lester B. Pearson

Lieutenant governors

Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – John Percy Page (until January 6) then Grant MacEwan

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – George Pearkes

Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – Richard Spink Bowles

Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – John B. McNair

Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland – Fabian O'Dea

Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – Henry Poole MacKeen

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – William Earl Rowe

Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – Willibald Joseph MacDonald

Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Paul Comtois (until February 22) then Hugues Lapointe

Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Robert Hanbidge

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 – John Robarts

Premier of Prince Edward Island – Walter Shaw (until July 28) then Alexander B. Campbell

Premier of Quebec – Jean Lesage (until June 16) then Daniel Johnson, Sr.

Premier of Saskatchewan – Ross Thatcher

Commissioners

Commissioner of Yukon – Gordon Robertson Cameron (until November 7) then James Smith

Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Bent Gestur Sivertz

Events

January 1: The Canada Pension Plan and the Quebec Pension Plan both begin operation

February 25: Toronto Transit Commission inaugurates the Bloor-Danforth Subway line.

March 4: The Munsinger Affair is Canada's first major political sex scandal

May 1: Army camps, RCAF stations, and the RCN's land-based installations become Canadian Forces bases. Training schools and the pay system are unified.

May 18: Paul Joseph Chartier is killed when a bomb he is carrying goes off on Parliament Hill

June 5: The Union Nationale under Daniel Johnson, Sr. is elected in Quebec.

June 16: Daniel Johnson, Sr., becomes premier of Quebec, replacing Jean Lesage

July 28: Alexander B. Campbell becomes premier of Prince Edward Island, replacing Walter Shaw

September 1: The CBC becomes the first Canadian television network to broadcast in colour, followed within days by the private-sector CTV Television Network.

October 14: Montreal inaugurates its metro system (see Montreal Metro).

October 17: The Montreal Metro opens

November 4: Bill C-243, The Canadian Forces Reorganization Act, is introduced in Parliament.

December 31: The Centennial Flame in front of Parliament Hill is lit

The Revolutionary Strategy and the Role of the Avant-Garde outlining the strategy of the FLQ is written.

The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program is established.

The Medical Care Act is passed, helping set up the Medicare system

Unknown

The Glenbow Museum opens in Calgary.

New works

Cold Mountain. Singing Hands Series 3 by B. P. Nichol

The Circle Game by Margaret Atwood

Expeditions by Margaret Atwood

Speeches for Doctor Frankenstein by Margaret Atwood

Beautiful Losers by Leonard Cohen

Awards

See 1966 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.

Stephen Leacock Award: George Bain, Nursery Rhymes to Be Read Aloud by Young Parents with Old Children

Vicky Metcalf Award: Fred Savage

Music

March 3: Canadian Neil Young, joins Stephen Stills and Richie Furay to form Buffalo Springfield.

Television

Star Trek premieres starring Montreal actor William Shatner

Sport

March 12 – Bobby Hull sets the record for the most goals in an NHL season.

Grey Cup – Saskatchewan Roughriders win 29–14 over the Ottawa Rough Riders

Vanier Cup – St. Francis Xavier X-Men win 40–14 over the Waterloo Lutheran Golden Hawks

Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win 4–2 over the Detroit Red Wings

January to March

January 23 – Bernadette Bowyer, field hockey player

January 24 – Michael Forgeron, rower and Olympic gold medalist

January 30 – Doug Wood, pole vaulter

February 20 - Louis Ferreira, actor

February 27 – Donal Logue, actor

March 1 – Susan Auch, speed skater and double Olympic silver medalist

March 20 – Chris Gifford, field hockey player

March 25 – Jeff Healey, jazz and blues-rock guitarist and vocalist (d.2008)

March 25 – David Hohl, wrestler

March 29 – Pamela Rai, swimmer and Olympic bronze medalist

March 31 – Nathalie Gosselin, judoka

April to June

April 19 – David La Haye, actor

April 24 – David Usher, rock singer-songwriter

May 2 – Belinda Stronach, politician and Minister, businessperson and philanthropist

May 11 – Michelle MacPherson, swimmer and Olympic bronze medalist

May 12 – Anne Ottenbrite, swimmer and Olympic gold medalist

May 23 – Gary Roberts, ice hockey player

June 12 – Michael Redhill, poet, playwright and novelist

June 18 – Kurt Browning, figure skater and four-time World Champion, choreographer

June 24 – Debbie Fuller, diver

June 26 – Kirk McLean, ice hockey player

June 29 – John Part, darts player

June 30 – Peter Outerbridge, actor

July to September

July 18 – Lila Feng, weather presenter

August 27 – Gianni Vignaduzzi, track cyclist

September 10 – Joe Nieuwendyk, ice hockey player and manager

September 27 – Gerry Byrne, politician

October to December

October 17 – Peter Milkovich, field hockey player and coach

October 24 – Conrad Pla, kickboxer and actor

October 25 – Wendel Clark, ice hockey player

November 9 – Lisa Faust, field hockey player

November 21 – Christopher Bowie, swimmer

December 1 – Larry Walker, baseball player

December 5 – Deb Whitten, field hockey player

December 21 – Kiefer Sutherland, actor

Full date unknown

Stéphane Demers, actor

André Gingras, dancer and choreographer (d.2013)

Deaths

February – Morris Gray, politician (b.1889)

April 8 – Robert Methven Petrie, astronomer (b.1906)

July 11 – Andrew McNaughton, army officer, politician and diplomat (b.1887)

September 5 – William Murdoch Buchanan, politician (b.1897)

September 15 – Leonard Brockington, lawyer, civil servant and first head of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) (b.1888)

October 18 – Elizabeth Arden, businesswoman (b.1884 in Canada)