1972 in Canada

See also: 1971 in Canada, other events of 1972, 1973 in Canada and the Timeline of Canadian history.

Incumbents

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

• Premier of Alberta – Peter Lougheed
• Premier of British Columbia – W.A.C. Bennett then David Barrett
• Premier of Manitoba – Edward Schreyer
• Premier of New Brunswick – Richard Hatfield
• Premier of Newfoundland – Joey Smallwood 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

Events

• 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 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 21 – Global Television moves into 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
• September 28 – "... right in front, they score, Henderson has scored for Canada ..."--Foster Hewitt are the words as Canada wins the 1972 Summit Series
• 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.
• Government pensions are indexed to cost of living
• The Art Bank is established
• The World Hockey Association begins operations
• CityTV founded in Toronto

Arts and Literature

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

Births

• January 1 – Shaun Majumder, actor
• January 3 – Drake Berehowsky, hockey player
• February 12 – Owen Nolan, hockey player
• March 17 – Melissa Auf der Maur, musician
• March 22 – Elvis Stojko, figure skater
• May 5 – Devin Townsend, musician
• May 5 – Brad Bombardir, hockey player
• May 6 – Martin Brodeur, hockey goaltender
• May 16 – Martin Brodeur, hockey player
• May 30 – Lisa Michelle Merrithew, public relations consultant
• June 17 – Steven Fletcher, politician
• June 26 – Garou, singer
• July 4 – Mike Knuble, hockey player
• August 1 – Tanya Reid, actor
• August 29 – Amanda Marshall, singer
• September 27 – Clara Hughes, cyclist
• October 17 – Cameron Baerg, Olympic rower
• November 26 – Chris Osgood, hockey goaltender

Deaths

• December 27 – Lester B. Pearson, Prime Minister