Events from the year 1978 in Canada.

Incumbents

Crown

Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power i ...

–

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

Federal government

Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...

–

Jules Léger Joseph Jules Léger (April 4, 1913November 22, 1980) was a Canadian diplomat and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 21st since Canadian Confederation. Léger was born and educated in Quebec and France prior to starting a ca ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

– Pierre Trudeau * Chief Justice – Bora Laskin (

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

) *

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

– 30th

Provincial governments

Lieutenant governors

Lieutenant Governor of Alberta The lieutenant governor of Alberta () is the viceregal representative in Alberta of the . The lieutenant governor is appointed in the same manner as the other provincial viceroys in Canada and is similarly tasked with carrying out most of the m ...

–

Ralph Steinhauer Ralph Garvin Steinhauer, (June 8, 1905 – September 19, 1987) was the List of lieutenant governors of Alberta, tenth lieutenant governor of Alberta, and the first Aboriginal peoples in Canada, Aboriginal person to hold that post. Personal life ...

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia The lieutenant governor of British Columbia () is the viceregal representative of the , in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The office of lieutenant governor is an office of the Crown and serves as a representative of the monarchy in ...

– Walter Stewart Owen (until May 18) then

Henry Pybus Bell-Irving Henry Pybus "Budge" Bell-Irving, (January 21, 1913 – September 21, 2002) was the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1978 to 1983. Born in Vancouver, he was educated at Shawnigan Lake School on Vancouver Island and Loretto ...

* Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba –

Francis Lawrence Jobin Francis Lawrence "Bud" Jobin (August 14, 1914 – August 25, 1995) was a politician and the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, Canada. Jobin was born in Winnipeg, and was educated at the University of Manitoba. He moved to Flin Flon, i ...

Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick The lieutenant governor of New Brunswick (, in French: ''Lieutenant-gouverneur'' (if male) or ''Lieutenante-gouverneure'' (if female) ''du Nouveau-Brunswick'') is the viceregal representative in New Brunswick of the , who operates distinctly wit ...

–

Hédard Robichaud Hédard Joseph Robichaud (November 2, 1911 – August 16, 1999) was an Acadian-Canadian Member of Parliament, Cabinet member, Senator and the first Acadian to be Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick. Born in Shippagan, New Brunswick, the ...

Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland The lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador () is the viceregal representative in Newfoundland and Labrador of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as w ...

–

Gordon Arnaud Winter Gordon Arnaud Winter, (October 6, 1912 – August 1, 2003) was the sixth lieutenant governor of Newfoundland from 1974 to 1981. In 1974, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1989, he headed the Winter Commission, the dioces ...

* Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia –

Clarence Gosse Clarence Lloyd Gosse (October 20, 1912 – December 21, 1996) was a Canadian physician and the 25th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. Born in Spaniard's Bay, Newfoundland, he moved to Nova Scotia when he was ten. He graduated from the m ...

(until December 23) then

John Elvin Shaffner John Elvin Shaffner (March 3, 1911 – June 11, 2001) was a businessman and political figure in Nova Scotia. He served as the 26th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia from 1978 to 1984. His surname also appears as Schaffner in some sources. ...

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario The lieutenant governor of Ontario (, in French: ''Lieutenant-gouverneur'' (if male) or ''Lieutenante-gouverneure'' (if female) ''de l'Ontario'') is the viceregal representative in Ontario of the , who operates distinctly within the province bu ...

–

Pauline Mills McGibbon Pauline Mills McGibbon (21 October 1910 – 14 December 2001) served as the 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1974 to 1980. In addition to being the first woman to occupy that position, she was also the first woman to serve as a vi ...

* Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island –

Gordon Lockhart Bennett Gordon Lockhart Bennett, (October 10, 1912 – February 11, 2000) was a Canadian teacher, politician and the 21st Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island. Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, he received a Bachelor of Scienc ...

* Lieutenant Governor of Quebec –

Hugues Lapointe Hugues Lapointe (March 3, 1911 – November 13, 1982) was a Canadian lawyer, Member of Parliament and Lieutenant Governor of Quebec from 1966 to 1978. Life and career Born in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, the son of the Canadian Member of ...

(until April 27) then Jean-Pierre Côté *

Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan The lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan () is the viceregal representative in Saskatchewan of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as well as the other Commonw ...

–

George Porteous George Porteous (April 7, 1903 – February 6, 1978) was the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, Canada from 1976 to 1978. Early life George Porteous was born in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland on 7 April 1903. His family emigrated t ...

(until February 6) then

Irwin McIntosh Cameron Irwin McIntosh (July 1, 1926 – September 24, 1988) was the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan from 1978 to 1983. Born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, the son of Cameron Ross McIntosh, McIntosh was educated at the Univers ...

(from February 22)

Premiers

Premier of Alberta The premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta, and the province's head of government. The current premier is Danielle Smith, leader of the United Conservative Party, who was sworn in on October 11, 2022. The ...

–

Peter Lougheed Edgar Peter Lougheed ( ; July 26, 1928 – September 13, 2012) was a Canadian lawyer and Progressive Conservative politician who served as the tenth premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985, presiding over a period of reform and economic growth. Bo ...

Premier of British Columbia Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

–

Bill Bennett William Richards Bennett, (April 14, 1932 – December 3, 2015) was the 27th premier of British Columbia from 1975 to 1986. He was a son of Annie Elizabeth May (Richards) and former Premier, W. A. C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed ...

Premier of Manitoba The premier of Manitoba (french: premier ministre du Manitoba) is the first minister (i.e., head of government or chief executive) for the Canadian province of Manitoba—as well as the ''de facto'' President of the province's Executive Council ...

–

Sterling Lyon Sterling Rufus Lyon (January 30, 1927 – December 16, 2010) was a Canadian lawyer, cabinet minister, and the 17th premier of Manitoba from 1977 to 1981. His government introduced several fiscally-conservative measures, and was sometimes seen a ...

Premier of New Brunswick The premier of New Brunswick ( French (masculine): ''premier ministre du Nouveau-Brunswick'', or feminine: ''première ministre du Nouveau-Brunswick'') is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. T ...

–

Richard Hatfield Richard Bennett Hatfield (April 9, 1931 – April 26, 1991) was a New Brunswick politician and the longest serving premier of New Brunswick from 1970 to 1987.Richard Starr, ''Richard Hatfield, The Seventeen Year Saga,'' 1987, Early life T ...

Premier of Newfoundland The premier of Newfoundland and Labrador is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Since 1949, the premier's duties and office has been the successor to the ministerial position of the pri ...

–

Frank Moores Frank Duff Moores (February 18, 1933 – July 10, 2005) served as the second premier of Newfoundland. He served as leader of the Progressive Conservatives from 1972 until his retirement in 1979. Moores was also a successful businessman in bo ...

* Premier of Nova Scotia –

Gerald Regan Gerald Augustine Paul Regan (February 13, 1928 – November 26, 2019) was a Canadian politician (as Member of Parliament (Canada), federal MP and later as Nova Scotia House of Assembly, Nova Scotia MLA), who served as the 19th premier of Nova Sc ...

(until October 5) then John Buchanan * Premier of Ontario –

Bill Davis William Grenville Davis, (July 30, 1929 – August 8, 2021) was a Canadian politician who served as the 18th premier of Ontario from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the member of provincial Parliament for Peel in the 1959 provincia ...

Premier of Prince Edward Island The premier of Prince Edward Island is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. The current premier of Prince Edward Island is Dennis King, from the Progressive Conservative Party. See also ...

–

Alexander B. Campbell Alexander Bradshaw Campbell (born December 1, 1933) is a former politician of Prince Edward Island, Canada. He is the son of former premier Thane A. Campbell and Cecilia L. Bradshaw. He entered politics by winning a seat in the legislature th ...

(until September 18) then

Bennett Campbell William Bennett Campbell, (August 27, 1943 – September 11, 2008) was a politician and the 24th premier of Prince Edward Island. Born in Montague, Prince Edward Island, Campbell was a teacher by profession before entering politics in 1970 ...

Premier of Quebec The premier of Quebec ( French: ''premier ministre du Québec'' (masculine) or ''première ministre du Québec'' (feminine)) is the head of government of the Canadian province of Quebec. The current premier of Quebec is François Legault of th ...

–

René Lévesque René Lévesque (; August 24, 1922 – November 1, 1987) was a Québécois politician and journalist who served as the 23rd premier of Quebec from 1976 to 1985. He was the first Québécois political leader since Confederation to attempt ...

Premier of Saskatchewan The premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The current premier of Saskatchewan is Scott Moe, who was sworn in as premier on February 2, 2018, after winning the 2018 Saskatc ...

–

Allan Blakeney Allan Emrys Blakeney (September 7, 1925April 16, 2011) was the tenth premier of Saskatchewan from 1971 to 1982, and leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP). Early life and career Born in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Blakeney took his ...

Territorial governments

Commissioners

Commissioner of Yukon The commissioner of Yukon (french: Commissaire du Yukon) is the representative of the Government of Canada in the Canadian federal territory of Yukon. The commissioner is appointed by the federal government and, in contrast to the governor gene ...

– Arthur MacDonald Pearson (until November 1) then Frank Fingland (interim) *

Commissioner of Northwest Territories The commissioner of the Northwest Territories (french: Commissaire des Territoires du Nord-Ouest) is the Government of Canada's representative in the Northwest Territories. Similar in certain functions to a lieutenant governor, the commissioner sw ...

–

Stuart Milton Hodgson Stuart Milton Hodgson, sometimes known as Stu, OC (April 1, 1924 – December 18, 2015) was the commissioner of the Northwest Territories (NWT) from March 2, 1967 until April 6, 1979. The first Commissioner to actually reside in the Northwest Ter ...

Premiers

Premier of Yukon The premier of Yukon is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian territory of Yukon. The post is the territory's head of government, although its powers are considerably more limited than that of a provincial premier. The office ...

– Chris Pearson (from November 20)

Events

*January 12 –

Via Rail Canada Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...

is established as a Crown corporation *January 24 – Cosmos 954, a

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioi ...

, breaks up over northern Canada. *June 26 – An

Air Canada Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by the size and passengers carried. Air Canada maintains its headquarters in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled an ...

DC-9 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas. After ...

overruns a runway in Toronto. Two people die. *August 4 – 41 are killed when a bus plunges into a lake near

Eastman, Quebec Eastman is a municipality of about 2,300 people, part of the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is ...

. *September 15 – The Sudbury Strike of 1978 begins. *September 18 –

becomes premier of

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

, replacing

*October 5 – John MacLennan Buchanan becomes premier of Nova Scotia, replacing

*October 16 – At midnight after a year and a half of conciliation the

Canadian Union of Postal Workers The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW; french: Syndicat des travailleurs et travailleuses des postes TTP}) is a public-sector trade union representing postal workers including letter carriers, rural and suburban mail carriers, postal clerk ...

goes on strike. *October 16 – Fifteen federal

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

s are held across the country. The governing Liberals lose five seats, which leads to a general election the following May. *October 17 – Parliament votes to force the postal workers back to work. *October 18 – Saskatchewan election:

's NDP win a third consecutive majority. Despite accusations of marital infidelity,

Colin Thatcher Wilbert Colin Thatcher (born August 25, 1938) is a Canadian politician who was convicted for the murder of his ex-wife, JoAnn Wilson. Early life Colin Thatcher was born in Toronto, Ontario, on August 25, 1938. His father, Saskatchewan-born Ros ...

, who would later be involved in the murder of his ex-wife, is re-elected to the

Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan is the legislative chamber of the Saskatchewan Legislature in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Bills passed by the assembly are given royal assent by the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, in the na ...

. *December 14 – Chris Pearson becomes government leader of

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

as responsible government is instituted

Full date unknown

* Rexdale Women's Centre is founded in Toronto. * Supreme Court of Canada declares unilingual

legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...

s and

courts A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accorda ...

unconstitutional Constitutionality is said to be the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution; "Webster On Line" the status of a law, a procedure, or an act's accordance with the laws or set forth in the applicable constitution. When l ...

*Under the new immigration act

homosexuals Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...

are no longer an inadmissible class

Arts and literature

New works

* Margaret Atwood: ''Up in the Tree'' *

Mordecai Richler Mordecai Richler (January 27, 1931 – July 3, 2001) was a Canadian writer. His best known works are '' The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1959) and '' Barney's Version'' (1997). His 1970 novel '' St. Urbain's Horseman'' and 1989 novel ...

: ''The Great Comic Book Heroes and Other Essays'' * John Newlove: ''The Fat Man: Selected Poems (1962–1972)'' * John Gray and

Eric Peterson Eric Neal Peterson (born October 2, 1946) is a Canadian stage, television, and film actor, known for his roles in three major Canadian series – '' Street Legal'' (1987–1994), '' Corner Gas'' (2004–2009), and '' This is Wonderland'' ...

: ''

Billy Bishop Goes to War ''Billy Bishop Goes to War'' is a Canadian musical, written by John MacLachlan Gray in collaboration with the actor Eric Peterson. One of the most widely produced plays in Canadian theatre, the two-man play dramatizes the life of Canadian World ...

'' * Henry Beissel: ''Goya''

Awards

Alice Munro Alice Ann Munro (; ; born 10 July 1931) is a Canadian short story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. Munro's work has been described as revolutionizing the architecture of short stories, especially in its tendency to move f ...

's '' Who Do You Think You Are?'' is nominated for the Booker Prize *See

1979 Governor General's Awards Each winner of the 1979 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council, Canada Council for the Arts. The 1979 awards were the first for which a shortlist of finalists was released ...

for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards. * Stephen Leacock Award: Ernest Buckler, ''Whirligig'' * Vicky Metcalf Award: Lyn Cook

Sport

*March 19 –

Alberta Golden Bears The Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas are the sports teams that represent the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Alberta athletics teams have won a total of 93 national championships, including 79 U Sports sanctioned sports, making ...

win their fourth

University Cup The David Johnston University Cup is a national collegiate sports award, presented annually to the champion of a season-ending tournament played by U Sports men's ice hockey teams in Canada. The UQTR Patriotes are the current champions for the 2 ...

by defeating the

Toronto Varsity Blues The Toronto Varsity Blues is the intercollegiate sports program at the University of Toronto. Its 43 athletic teams regularly participate in competitions held by Ontario University Athletics and U Sports. The Varsity Blues traces its founding to ...

6–5. The final game was played at

Moncton Coliseum The Moncton Coliseum (french: Colisée de Moncton) is an event venue and former ice hockey arena in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Atlantic Canada's largest trade show facility, the Coliseum has over of exhibition space and a drawing power of 1.4 ...

*May 13 –

New Westminster Bruins The New Westminster Bruins were a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. There were two franchises that carried this name: * 1971–1981 (formerly the Estevan Bruins, now the Kamloops Blazers) * 1983–1988 (formerly the Nan ...

win the second (consecutive)

Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...

by defeating the

Peterborough Petes The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played at the Peterborough Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league. ...

7–4. The final game was played at Sudbury Community Arena *May 22 –

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...

win their second

Avco Cup The Avco World Trophy, also known as the Avco Cup, is the playoff championship trophy of the defunct World Hockey Association ( 1972–1979). The trophy's naming rights were sold to the former Avco Corporation (a name originally derived from "Avia ...

by defeating the

New England Whalers New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

4 games to 0. *May 25 –

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

win their 21st (third consecutive) Stanley Cup by defeating the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

4 games to 2. Winchester, Ontario's

Larry Robinson Larry Clark Robinson (born June 2, 1951) is a Canadian former ice hockey coach, executive and player. His coaching career includes head coaching positions with the New Jersey Devils (which he held on two occasions), as well as the Los Angeles Ki ...

was awarded the

Conn Smythe Trophy The Conn Smythe Trophy (french: Trophée Conn Smythe) is awarded annually to the most valuable player (MVP) of his team during the National Hockey League's (NHL) Stanley Cup playoffs. It is named after Conn Smythe, the longtime owner, general ma ...

*July 15 –

Commonwealth Stadium Commonwealth Stadium is an open-air, multipurpose stadium located in the McCauley neighbourhood of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It has a seating capacity of 56,302, making it the largest open-air stadium in Canada. Primarily used for Canadian fo ...

opens in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

*August 3 to 12 – The

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

are held in Edmonton *October 10 –

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...

plays his first professional game for the

Indianapolis Racers The Indianapolis Racers were a major league hockey team in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1974 to 1978. They competed in four full seasons before folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square Arena. They are ...

and would be traded to the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

after 25 games *November 18 – Queen's Golden Gaels win their second

Vanier Cup The Vanier Cup (french: Coupe Vanier) is the championship of Canadian university football. It is organized by U Sports football and is currently played between the winners of the Uteck Bowl and the Mitchell Bowl. It is named after Georges Vanier ...

by defeating the

UBC Thunderbirds The UBC Thunderbirds are the athletic teams that represent the University of British Columbia in the University Endowment Lands just outside the city limits of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In Canadian intercollegiate competition, the Thu ...

16–3 in the

14th Vanier Cup The 14th Vanier Cup was played on November 18, 1978, at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, Ontario, and decided the CIAU football champion for the 1978 season. The Queen's Golden Gaels won their second championship by defeating the UBC Thunderbirds by a ...

played at

Varsity Stadium Varsity Stadium is an outdoor collegiate football stadium located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the Toronto Varsity Blues, the athletic teams of the University of Toronto. Athletic events have been hosted on the site since 1898; the ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

*November 26 – Edmonton Eskimos win their fifth Grey Cup by defeating the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Canad ...

20–13 in the

66th Grey Cup The 66th Grey Cup was played on November 26, 1978, before 54,695 fans at Exhibition Stadium at Toronto. The Edmonton Eskimos defeated the Montreal Alouettes in a close game, 20–13. Box Score First Quarter Edmonton - FG – Dave Cutler 37 y ...

played at

Exhibition Stadium Canadian National Exhibition Stadium (commonly known as Exhibition Stadium or CNE Stadium) was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally built for Canadian National E ...

in Toronto.

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a Canada 2016 Census, population of 569,353, and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington, ...

Angelo Santucci Angelo Santucci (born February 5, 1951) is a former Canadian football running back for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Edmonton Eskimos and Ottawa Rough Riders from 1975 to 1984. Santucci played university football for the St. Mary's Huskies starting ...

was named the game's Most Valuable Canadian

Births

January to March

*January 1 - Jean-Pierre Dumont, ice hockey player *January 3 -

Daryn Jones Daryn Jones (born January 3, 1978 in Victoria, British Columbia) is a Canadian comedian and television personality. Career He began his career in stand-up comedy clubs at the age of 17, receiving formal training in a private training school. H ...

, comedian and television and radio personality *January 6 - Nikki Einfeld, operatic soprano and actress *January 24 – Mark Hildreth, actor *January 25 –

Gordie Dwyer Gordon Rick Dwyer (born January 25, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played five seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens. He last served as ...

, ice hockey player and coach *January 27 - Pete Laforest, Canadian-American baseball player and manager *February 20 - Andrea Moody, swimmer *February 26 - Kyle Hamilton, rower, Olympic gold medallist and World Champion *March 9 -

Chris Phillips Chris Phillips (born March 9, 1978) is a Canadian businessman and former professional ice hockey player. Phillips was a member of the Ottawa Senators for his entire career, which began with the 1997–98 season and ended with the 2015–16 seaso ...

, ice hockey player

April to June

*April 6 - Thomas Herschmiller, rower, Olympic silver medallist and World Champion *April 18 -

Alexis Mazurin Alexis Mazurin (April 18, 1978 – October 20, 2005) was a Canadian comedian and radio personality, best known as one of the original hosts of ''CBC Radio 3''. Born in Fort St. John, British Columbia, Mazurin grew up in Penticton, and later st ...

, comedian and radio personality (d. 2005) *April 26 -

Tyler Labine Tyler Sean Labine (born April 29, 1978) is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He is best known for starring in the television series ''Breaker High'', '' Invasion'', ''Reaper'', '' Deadbeat'' and as Dr. Iggy Frome, head of psychiatry, in the ...

, actor *May 3 -

Autumn Kelly Autumn Patricia Phillips (née Kelly; born May 3, 1978) is the Canadian-born former wife of Peter Phillips, who is the son of Anne, Princess Royal and the eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. After grad ...

the wife of

Peter Phillips Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (born 15 November 1977) is a British businessman and the son of Anne, Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips. He is the eldest nephew of King Charles III, and 17th in the line of succession to the British throne. ...

*May 12 **

Aaron Abrams Aaron Abrams (born 12 May 1978) is a Canadian actor and writer, who has worked in both film and television. Born in Toronto, Abrams has appeared as a regular on several series, including Hannibal, Blindspot, '' The State Within'', '' Slings a ...

, actor **

Amy Sloan Amy Kathleen Sloan is a Canadian-American actress. She was born in Gladstone, Manitoba, raised in Whitehorse, Yukon and graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada The National Theatre School of Canada (NTS, french: École nationale ...

, actress *May 15 -

Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne Anthony De Rosario OOnt (born May 15, 1978) is a Canadian former professional soccer player, who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. De Rosario last played for the Mississauga MetroStars of the Major Arena Soccer League. ...

, soccer player *May 15 -

Caroline Dhavernas Caroline Dhavernas (; born May 15, 1978) is a Canadian actress. She is best known in the United States for her collaborations with Bryan Fuller. She played Jaye Tyler in the Fox comedy-drama series '' Wonderfalls'', and Alana Bloom in the NBC ps ...

, actress *June 2 -

Shane Niemi Shane Niemi (born June 2, 1978, in Kamloops, British Columbia is a retired Canadian sprints athlete. As a 17 year old he took the bronze medal in the 400 metres at the 1995 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships behind Obea Moore's then ...

, sprint athlete *June 13 -

Matt Bradley Matthew William Bradley (born June 13, 1978) is a Canadian professional ice hockey scout and former player. He currently is a scout for the Washington Capitals. Bradley played in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh ...

, ice hockey player *June 14 - Steve Bégin, ice hockey player *June 28 -

Simon Larose Simon Larose (born June 28, 1978) is a former professional tennis player. He was Canada's top-ranked singles player for some months during 2003 and 2004. Larose retired from the tour shortly after being banned for two years for substance abuse. ...

, tennis player

July to December

*July 4 - Marie Luc Arpin, water polo player *July 11 -

Kathleen Edwards Kathleen Edwards (born July 11, 1978
) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. Her 2002 debut album, ''

A. J. Cook Andrea Joy Cook (born July 22, 1978) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau on the CBS crime drama ''Criminal Minds'' (2005–2020, 2022). Cook has also appeared in ''The Virgin ...

, actress *August 4 -

Karine Legault Karine Legault (born August 4, 1978) is a former freestyle swimmer who competed for Canada at the 2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal ...

, swimmer *August 24 – Derek Morris, ice hockey player *August 28 –

Karine Turcotte Karine Turcotte (born 28 August 1978) is a Canadian weightlifter. Turcotte competed at the 2002 Commonwealth Games where she won silver medals in the 48kg snatch, 48kg clean and jerk and 48kg total events. She also competed at the 2001 World We ...

, weightlifter *September 1 -

Joe Stankevicius Joe J Stankevicius (born September 1, 1978 in Dundas, Ontario) is a Canadian rower. He won the gold medal at both the 2003 and 2002 world championships for Canada's men's eight team in Milan, Italy and Seville, Spain , image_flag = ...

, rower and World Champion *September 5 -

Laura Bertram Laura Maureen Bertram (born 5 September 1978Laura Bertram's bio
at www.northernstars.ca/

, actress *September 6 - Amy Agulay, field hockey player *September 7 -

Matt Cooke Matthew David Cooke (born September 7, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played sixteen seasons and 1046 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). Cooke won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the ...

, ice hockey player *September 7 -

Devon Sawa Devon Edward Sawa (born September 7, 1978) is a Canadian actor. Sawa began acting when he was a teenager and appeared in several films in the 1990s including '' Little Giants'', ''Casper'', '' Now and Then'', '' Wild America'', ''Idle Hands'', a ...

, actor *September 17 - ** Shawn Horcoff, ice hockey player **

Nick Cordero Nicholas Eduardo Alberto Cordero (September 17, 1978 – July 5, 2020) was a Canadian actor and singer. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as Cheech in the 2014 Broadway musical ''Bullets Over ...

, actor and singer *September 20 -

Jason Bay Jason Raymond Bay (born September 20, 1978) is a Canadian-American former professional baseball left fielder. Bay played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Seattle Marin ...

, baseball player *September 21 -

Paulo Costanzo Paulo Costanzo (born September 21, 1978) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for playing Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill (Ax) in the TV series '' Animorphs'', the roles of Rubin Carver in the comedy film ''Road Trip'', Alexander Cabot in '' Josie a ...

, actor *September 22 - Steve Moore, ice hockey player *October 17 -

Erin Karpluk Erin Karpluk (born ) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her portrayal of Erica Strange on the CBC Television series ''Being Erica'' from 2009 to 2011. Early life Karpluk was born in Jasper, Alberta to a mother who was a high-school princ ...

, actress *November 2 -

Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired deb ...

, singer-songwriter, record producer and actress *November 16 -

Steve Omischl Steve Omischl (born November 16, 1978) is a Canadian freestyle skier. Career Omischl was born in North Bay, Ontario. Omischl competes in aerials, and made his World Cup debut in December 1999, finishing with a silver medal at an event in Black ...

, freestyle skier *November 17 -

Rachel McAdams Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978) is a Canadian actress. After graduating from a theatre degree program at York University in 2001, she worked in Canadian television and film productions, such as the drama film ''Perfect Pie'' (200 ...

, actress *December 23 -

Esthero Esthero ( ; born Jenny-Bea Englishman on December 23, 1978 in Stratford, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who lives in Los Angeles, California. The name ''Esthero'' refers both to the singer and formerly to the two-person team of hersel ...

, singer-songwriter

Deaths

*March 25 - Charles Alexander Best, politician (b.

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

) *March 31 - Charles Best, medical scientist, co-discoverer of insulin (b.

1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...

) *April 13 - Jack Chambers, artist and filmmaker (b.

) *July 18 - Claude P. Dettloff, photographer (b.

) *September 9 -

Jack L. Warner Jack Leonard Warner (born Jacob Warner; August 2, 1892 – September 9, 1978) was a Canadian-American film executive, who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Warner's career spanned some ...

, studio mogul (b.

1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies fo ...

) *September 28 -

Thane Campbell Thane Alexander Campbell, (July 7, 1895 – September 28, 1978) was a Prince Edward Island politician and jurist, who served as the 19th premier of Prince Edward Island from 1936 to 1943. Early life Born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island ...

, jurist, politician and

(b.

1895 Events January–March * January 5 – Dreyfus affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his army rank, and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. * January 12 – The National Trust for Places of Histor ...

) *October 23 -

Joe Greene Charles Edward Greene (born September 24, 1946), better known as "Mean" Joe Greene, is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1969 to 1 ...

, politician (b. 1920)

Full date unknown

* Carl Ray, artist (b.

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1978 In Canada Years of the 20th century in Canada

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

1978 in North America