1969 in Canada

See also: 1968 in Canada, other events of 1969, 1970 in Canada and the Timeline of Canadian history.

Incumbents

• Prime Minister – Pierre Trudeau
• Governor General – Roland Michener

• Premier of Alberta – Harry Strom
• Premier of British Columbia – W.A.C. Bennett
• Premier of Manitoba – Walter Weir then Edward Schreyer
• Premier of New Brunswick – Louis Robichaud
• Premier of Newfoundland – Joey Smallwood
• Premier of Nova Scotia – George Smith
• Premier of Ontario – John Robarts
• Premier of Prince Edward Island – Alexander B. Campbell
• Premier of Quebec – Jean-Jacques Bertrand
• Premier of Saskatchewan – W. Ross Thatcher

Events

• January 29-February 11 – The George Williams Computer Riot occurs as students occupy the computer centre of Sir George Williams University to protest alleged racism on campus
• February 13 – FLQ terrorists bomb the Stock Exchange in Montreal, Quebec
• February 19 – An 18 month long strike by Quebec teachers comes to an end
• March 7 – Pierre-Paul Geoffroy pleads guilty to charges connected to 31 FLQ bombings
• April 14 – The Montreal Expos baseball team plays their first home game
• May 2 – Telesat Canada formed
• June 2 – The National Arts Centre in Ottawa opens
• July 7 – The Official Languages Act makes French and English equal throughout the Canadian government
• July 15 – Edward Schreyer becomes premier of Manitoba, replacing Walter Weir
• August 24 – The oil tanker Manhattan becomes the first such ship to travel through the Northwest Passage

Arts and Literature

New Works

• Margaret Atwood – The Edible Woman
• Timothy Findley – The Butterfly Plague
• Robert Kroetsch – The Stud Horse Man
• Mordecai Richler – The Street
• Milton Acorn – I've Tasted My Blood
• Farley Mowat – The Boat Who Wouldn't Float
• Gilles Archambault – Le tendre matin
• Marshall McLuhan – Counterblast

Awards

• See 1969 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Stephen Leacock Award: Stuart Trueman, You're Only as Old as You Act
• Vicky Metcalf Award: Audrey McKim

Music

• Karel Ancerl replaces Seiji Ozawa as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Births

• January 29 – Brendan Shanahan, hockey player
• April 3 – Lance Evers, wrestler
• June 12 – Kelvin Goertzen, politician
• July 7 – Joe Sakic, hockey player
• July 7 – Cree Summer, actor
• July 23 – Andrew Cassels, hockey player
• July 24 – Rick Fox, basketball player
• August 15 – Mark Heese, Olympic athlete
• August 19 – Matthew Perry, actor
• August 28 – Pierre Turgeon, hockey player
• September 23 – Donald Audette, hockey player
• October 8 – Dylan Neal, actor
• October 17 – Rick Mercer, comedian
• November 1 – Tie Domi, hockey player
• December 10 – Rob Blake, hockey player
• December 15 – Chantal Petitclerc, wheelchair athlete
• December 22 – Myriam Bédard, Olympian

Deaths

• March 18 – John Bracken, Premier of Manitoba, Tory leader
• November 14 – Fanny "Bobbie" Rosenfeld, track-and-field athlete