1980 in Canada

Crown

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

Federal government

Governor general – Edward Schreyer (viceregal consort – Lily Schreyer)

Prime minister – Joe Clark (until March 3) then Pierre Trudeau

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

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

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 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

New Works

Mordecai Richler - Joshua Then and Now

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

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

Full date unknown

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

Births

January 22 – Amy Cotton, judoka

January 28 – Nathan Marsters, ice hockey player (d.2009)

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 – Yannick Lupien, swimmer

February 29 – Simon Gagné, ice hockey player

March 13 – Malindi Elmore, middle distance athlete

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 19 – 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 22 – Angela Whyte, hurdler

May 26 – Richard Green, soldier killed in Afghanistan (d.2002)

July 2 – Thomas Marks, water polo player

July 15 – Jonathan Cheechoo, ice hockey player

July 16 – Matt Peck, field hockey player

July 21 – Scott Frandsen, rower and Olympic silver medalist

July 27 – Paul Larmand, basketball player

August 5 – Mark Bell, ice hockey player

August 24 – Tanya Hunks, swimmer

August 29 – Perdita Felicien, hurdler

September 9 – Félix Brillant, soccer player

September 17 – Brent McMahon, triathlete

September 19 – Adrian Cann, soccer player

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 medalist

Ben Rutledge, rower, Olympic gold medalist and World Champion

November 12 – Ryan Gosling, actor, musician, and producer

November 16 – Carol Huynh, freestyle wrestler and Olympic gold medalist

November 18 – Emanuel Sandhu, figure skater

November 23 – Tracy Latimer, murder victim (d. 1993)

December 2 – Adam Kreek, rower, Olympic gold medalist and World Champion

Full date unknown

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

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 21st Governor General of Canada (b.1913)

December 7 - W. L. Morton, historian (b.1908)

December 9 - Dorise Nielson, 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)