1972 in Canada

Crown

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

Federal government

Governor general – Roland Michener (viceregal consort – Norah Michener)

Prime minister – Pierre Trudeau

Lieutenant governors

Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – Grant MacEwan

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – John Robert Nicholson

Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – William John McKeag

Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – Hédard Robichaud

Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland – Ewart John Arlington Harnum

Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – Victor de Bedia Oland

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – William Ross Macdonald

Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – John George MacKay

Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Hugues Lapointe

Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Stephen Worobetz

Premiers

Premier of Alberta – Peter Lougheed

Premier of British Columbia – W.A.C. Bennett (until September 15) then Dave Barrett

Premier of Manitoba – Edward Schreyer

Premier of New Brunswick – Richard Hatfield

Premier of Newfoundland – Joey Smallwood (until January 18) then Frank Moores

Premier of Nova Scotia – Gerald Regan

Premier of Ontario – Bill Davis

Premier of Prince Edward Island – Alexander B. Campbell

Premier of Quebec – Robert Bourassa

Premier of Saskatchewan – Allan Blakeney

Commissioners

Commissioner of Yukon – James Smith

Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Stuart Milton Hodgson

January to June

January 1 - Winnipeg is merged into a megacity

January 1 - Canada's ban on cigarette advertisements on film, radio, and television goes into effect

January 1 - Canada's capital gains tax comes into effect

January 18 - Frank Moores becomes premier of Newfoundland, replacing Joey Smallwood, who had governed for 23 years

February 1 - The Atlantic Pilotage Authority is established

February 25 - The Pickering Nuclear Power Plant opens

April 15 - Canada and the United States sign the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

May 31 - The "member" level of the Order of Canada is created

June 16 - The Churchill Falls hydro-electric facility opens

July 14 - Donald MacDonald of the Canadian Labour Congress becomes the first non-European head of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions

July to December

July 21 - Global Television begins broadcasting in Ontario

August 30 - Frank Calder becomes the first Native Cabinet minister in Canadian history when he is appointed to the Cabinet of British Columbia

September 1 - An arson attack on the Blue Bird Bar in Montreal kills 37

September 12 - Heritage Canada is established

September 15 - David Barrett becomes premier of British Columbia, replacing W.A.C. Bennett, who had governed for 20 years

September 27 - The sale of fire crackers is banned in Canada

October 30 - Federal election: Pierre Trudeau's Liberals win a minority

November 9 - Anik I, the world's first non-military communications satellite is launched.

December - The government's Parliamentary Flag Program begins

December 14 - Muriel McQueen Fergusson becomes the first female Speaker of the Canadian Senate.

Full date unknown

Government pensions are indexed to cost of living

The Art Bank is established

CityTV founded in Toronto

The Government of Ontario renames all departments to ministries.

New works

Robertson Davies: The Manticore

Margaret Atwood: Survival

Mordecai Richler: Shovelling Trouble

John Newlove: Lies

Milton Acorn: More Poems for People

Donald Jack: Exit Muttering

Leona Gom: Kindling

Joy Fielding: The Best of Friends

Farley Mowat: A Whale for the Killing

Marshall McLuhan: Culture Is Our Business

Awards

See 1972 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.

Stephen Leacock Award: Max Braithwaite, The Night They Stole the Mounties' Car

Vicky Metcalf Award: William Toye

Sport

September 28 - Paul Henderson scores the "goal of the century" to give Canada the win in the Summit Series, the first-ever top-level hockey showdown between Canada and the Soviet Union.

The World Hockey Association begins operations.

January to June

January 3 - Drake Berehowsky, ice hockey player and coach

January 7 - Susan Cushman, rhythmic gymnast

January 10 - Jonathan Ohayon, archer

January 25 - Katrina Von Sass, volleyball player

January 29 - Shaun Majumder, comedian and actor

January 30 - Jennifer Hale, actress and singer

February 12 - Owen Nolan, ice hockey player

March 13 - Sherri Field, field hockey player

March 17 - Melissa Auf der Maur, bassist and photographer

March 22 - Elvis Stojko, figure skater, Olympic silver medalist and World Champion

April 1 - Rob Anders, politician

April 2 - Graham Hood, middle-distance runner

April 24 - Nicolas Gill, judoka and Olympic silver medalist

May 5 - Brad Bombardir, ice hockey player

May 5 - Devin Townsend, vocalist, guitarist and record producer

May 6 - Martin Brodeur, ice hockey player

June 15 - Krista Thompson, field hockey player

June 17 - Steven Fletcher, politician and Minister

June 26 - Garou, singer

July to December

July 4 - Mike Knuble, ice hockey player

August 1 - Tanya Reid, actress

August 29 - Amanda Marshall, pop-rock singer

September 12 - Lori Strong, gymnast

September 20 - Sergio Di Zio, actor

September 27 - Clara Hughes, cyclist, speed skater and Olympic medalist

October 11 - Brigitte Soucy, volleyball player

October 17 - Cameron Baerg, rower and Olympic silver medalist

November 1 - Glen Murray, ice hockey player

November 11 - Adam Beach, actor

November 26 - Chris Osgood, ice hockey player

December 19 - Charles Lefrançois, high jumper

Deaths

January 2 - James White, World War I flying ace (b.1893)

January 6 - Samuel McLaughlin, businessman and philanthropist (b.1871)

April 7 - Woodrow Stanley Lloyd, politician and 8th Premier of Saskatchewan (b.1913)

August 20 - A. M. Klein, poet, journalist, novelist, short story writer and lawyer (b.1909)

October 31 - Bill Durnan, ice hockey player (b.1916)

December 27 - Lester B. Pearson, politician, 14th Prime Minister of Canada, diplomat and 1957 Nobel Peace Prize recipient (b.1897)