1983 in Canada

"See also:"
1982 in Canada,
other events of 1983,
1984 in Canada and the
Timeline of Canadian history.

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Incumbents

*Monarch - Queen Elizabeth II
*Governor General - Edward Schreyer
*Prime Minister - Pierre Trudeau
*Premier of Alberta - Peter Lougheed
*Premier of British Columbia - Bill Bennett
*Premier of Manitoba - Howard Pawley
*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 - James Lee
*Premier of Quebec - René Lévesque
*Premier of Saskatchewan - Grant Devine

See 1983 Canadian incumbents for more

Events

* January 1 - The metric system of weights and measures is officially adopted by the federal government although Imperial units are still used.
* January 17 - Saskatchewan MLA Colin Thatcher resigns as Minister of Energy and Mines after several well-publicised disputes with premier Grant Devine.
* January 21 - JoAnn Thatcher, wife of Saskatchewan MLA Colin Thatcher, is murdered in her Regina home. Colin would later be convicted of the crime.
* February 1 - Pay television begins operating in Canada.
* February 15 - the Tamarack Review ceases publication
* March 4 - Bertha Wilson is appointed Canada's first female Supreme Court justice
* March 5 - Steve Podborski wins Gold at the World Cup of Skiing
* April 1 - the spending mandate by Premier Bill Bennett's government expires without a sitting of the House or the calling of an election: constitutional interregnum and crisis
* April 5 - Lieutenant-Governor David Lam summons Premier Bennett to Government House. The L-G issues emergency warrants to cover spending until a snap election.
* June 2 - Air Canada Flight 797 makes an emergency landing in Cincinnati, Ohio - a fire kills 23 of 41 passengers onboard.
* June 9 - Bill 101, protecting the French language in Quebec is ruled unconstitutional
* June 11 - Brian Mulroney replaces Joe Clark as leader of Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
* June 19 BC Place in Vancouver opens
* July 23 - Gimli Glider: Air Canada flight 143 crash-lands in Gimli, Manitoba.
* October 1 - North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization is established
* November 17 - The Western Grain Transportation Act is passed
* December 23 - Jeanne Sauvé is appointed Canada's first female Governor General
* Canada agrees to allow testing of American cruise missiles in the west
* Grey Cup - Toronto Argonauts won 18-17 over the British Columbia Lions
* Vanier Cup - Calgary Dinos won 31-21 over the Queen's Golden Gaels
* The Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station, the first Nuclear power plant in the Maritimes

Arts and literature

:New books
*"A Time for Judas" - Morley Callaghan
*"Unearthing Suite" - Margaret Atwood
*"Seagull on Yonge Street" - Bill Bissett:Awards
* See 1983 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
*Books in Canada First Novel Award: W.P. Kinsella, "Shoeless Joe"
*Gerald Lampert Award: Diana Hartog, "Matinee Light"
*Pat Lowther Award: Rhea Tregebov, "Remembering History"
*Stephen Leacock Award: Morley Torgov, "The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick"
*Vicky Metcalf Award: Claire Mackay:Film
*Graham Greene makes his film debut in "Running Brave"
*David Cronenberg's "The Dead Zone" is released
*A film is made of Farley Mowat's "Never Cry Wolf", named "Never Cry Wolf".

Births

*February 2 — Jordin Tootoo, ice hockey player
*February 9 — Keith Beavers, backstroke and medley swimmer
*March 3 — Olia Berger, judoka
*April 7 — Kyle Labine, actor
*April 28 — Dan Mangan, singer-songwriter
*May 20 — Dan Blackburn, ice hockey goalie
*June 22 — Sheena Lawrick, Olympic softball player
*July 21 — Tara Campbell, water polo player
*September 27 — Jay Bouwmeester, ice hockey player
*November 4 — Melanie Kok, rower

Deaths

* June 2 - Thomas John Bentley, politician
* June 12 - Norma Shearer, actor
* July 13 - Gabrielle Roy, author
* July 29 - Raymond Massey, actor
* Alden Nowlan, author
* Stan Rogers, musician
* Yves Theriault, author
* Graham Spry, broadcaster