Events from the year 2008 in Canada.

Incumbents

Crown

Federal government

* Governor General – Michaëlle Jean * Prime Minister –

Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...

* Chief Justice – Beverley McLachlin ( British Columbia) * Parliament – 39th (until 26 September) then 40th (from November 18)

Provincial governments

Lieutenant governors

* Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – Norman Kwong * Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia –

Steven Point Steven Lewis Point, (''Xwĕ lī qwĕl tĕl'') (born July 28, 1951) is a Canadian jurist and current chancellor of the University of British Columbia. He served as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 2007 to 2012. He also served ...

* Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – John Harvard * Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – Herménégilde Chiasson * Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador – Edward Roberts (until February 4) then John Crosbie *

Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia The lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia () is the viceregal representative in Nova Scotia 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 Commonwealt ...

– Mayann Francis * Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – David Onley *

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

–

Barbara Oliver Hagerman Barbara Anne Hagerman, OPEI (née Oliver; February 9, 1943 – October 6, 2016) was a Canadian music teacher and performer and was the 27th Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island. She was the second woman in the province's history to ha ...

Lieutenant Governor of Quebec The lieutenant governor of Quebec (; French (masculine): ''Lieutenant-gouverneur du Québec'', or (feminine): ''Lieutenante-gouverneure du Québec'') is the viceregal representative in Quebec of the , who operates distinctly within the province ...

– Pierre Duchesne * Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan –

Gordon Barnhart Gordon Leslie Barnhart (born January 22, 1945) is a former Clerk of the Senate of Canada and the Saskatchewan Legislature, as well as former Secretary of the University of Saskatchewan. He was the 20th Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan fr ...

Premiers

* Premier of Alberta – Ed Stelmach * Premier of British Columbia – Gordon Campbell * Premier of Manitoba – Gary Doer * Premier of New Brunswick – Shawn Graham * Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador – Danny Williams *

Premier of Nova Scotia The premier of Nova Scotia is the first minister to the lieutenant governor of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia and presides over the Executive Council of Nova Scotia. Following the Westminster system, the premier is normally the leader of ...

– Rodney MacDonald *

Premier of Ontario The premier of Ontario (french: premier ministre de l'Ontario) is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly of On ...

– Dalton McGuinty * Premier of Prince Edward Island – Robert Ghiz * Premier of Quebec – Jean Charest * Premier of Saskatchewan – Brad Wall

Territorial governments

Commissioners

* Commissioner of Yukon –

Geraldine Van Bibber Geraldine Van Bibber (born July 3, 1951) is a Canadian politician representing the Yukon electoral district of Porter Creek North as a member of the Yukon Party. She was elected as part of the 2016 Yukon election. Van Bibber served as the comm ...

* Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Tony Whitford * Commissioner of Nunavut –

Ann Meekitjuk Hanson Ann Meekitjuk Hanson (Inuktitut: ᐋᓐ ᒦᖀᑦᔩᒃ ᐦᐋᓐᓱᓐ/an miiqitjuk hansun; born May 22, 1946 in Qaktut, Northwest Territories, now Nunavut) was the third commissioner of Nunavut. She served from April 21, 2005 until April 10, 2 ...

Premiers

* Premier of the Northwest Territories – Floyd Roland * Premier of Nunavut –

Paul Okalik Paul Okalik ( iu, ᐹᓪ ᐅᑲᓕᖅ, ; born May 26, 1964) is a Canadian politician. He is the first Inuk to have been called to the Nunavut Bar. He was also the first premier of Nunavut. On November 4, 2010, he was elected Speaker of the Legi ...

(until November 14) then Eva Aariak * Premier of Yukon –

Dennis Fentie Dennis G. Fentie (November 8, 1950 – August 30, 2019) was a Canadian politician. He was the seventh premier of Yukon and leader of the Yukon Party, serving from 2002 to 2011, as well as the MLA for Watson Lake. Before entering politics, Fe ...

Events

January to March

* January 3 – In Montreal, a false bomb threat forces the closing of

Victoria Bridge Victoria Bridge may be a reference to: Bridges ;Australia * Victoria Bridge, Brisbane, a road bridge across the Brisbane River in Brisbane * Victoria Bridge, Devonport a road ridge across the Mersey River in Devonport, Tasmania * Victoria Bridge, M ...

for four and a half hours. * January 12 – A road accident near Bathurst, New Brunswick leaves eight people dead, including seven teenagers and one woman. They were all members of the Bathurst High School basketball team. * January 15 – Europol Operation Koala arrests 9 Canadians in connection to an international paedophile ring. * January 28 –

CTV CTV may refer to: Television * Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet North America and South America * CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media ** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...

's '' Canada AM'' adds a second hosting team in western Canada, expanding the program to six hours and becoming the first morning television program in North America to air live in all time zones. * February 11 – The first of three treatment facilities open in Halifax Regional Municipality a $400 million project to clean up the Halifax Harbour * February 13 – An explosion occurs at a

Taco del Mar TDM IP Holder, LLC. , doing business as Taco Del Mar, is a Denver, Colorado-based Mexican fast casual restaurant chain that specializes in coastal Mexican cuisine. The first Taco Del Mar was opened in Seattle on June 8, 1992, by brothers James a ...

on Broadway Street in Vancouver. * February 20 – A large fire in Toronto, ON destroyed several buildings on the south side of Queen Street West, between Bathurst and Portland Streets. * March – The Apple iPhone is expected to be released on Rogers Wireless service provider. * March 3 –

2008 Alberta general election The 2008 Alberta general election was held on March 3, 2008, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. It was expected to be called early because the governing Progressive Conservatives held a leadership election on December 2, 20 ...

* March 17 – Federal by-elections in Toronto Centre, Willowdale, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River and Vancouver Quadra. * March 28 – The start of the

2008 Canadian Commercial Seal Hunt Canada's 2008 annual commercial seal hunt in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and around Newfoundland, Quebec and Nova Scotia began on March 28. The hunting season lasts from mid-November to mid-May, but the hunt mainly occurs in March and April. Canada' ...

April to June

* April 5 – The

Quebec City Armoury The Voltigeurs de Québec Armoury, formerly ''Grande-Allée Armoury'' (french: Manège militaire Grande-Allée, or simply ''Manège militaire''), was built as a Gothic Revival drill hall for the infantry regiment ''Les Voltigeurs de Québec'' in ...

burns down. * April 19 –

Bowie Seamount Bowie Seamount is a large submarine volcano in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, located west of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada. The seamount is also known as Bowie Bank. In the Russian language, Bowie is called Гора Бауи (Gora Ba ...

on the

British Columbia Coast , settlement_type = Region of British Columbia , image_skyline = , nickname = "The Coast" , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = British ...

becomes a Marine Protected Area. * April 26 – The Toronto Transit Commission's union, the ATU Local 113 voted against a contract causing mayhem throughout the city as they gave only an hour's notice to Torontonians. Strike ended the day after when they were forced back to work through legislation. It also revived the debate as to whether the TTC is an essential service or not. * May 29 – The Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (“

Holodomor The Holodomor ( uk, Голодомо́р, Holodomor, ; derived from uk, морити голодом, lit=to kill by starvation, translit=moryty holodom, label=none), also known as the Terror-Famine or the Great Famine, was a man-made famin ...

”) Memorial Day Act is assented. * May 30 – Maxime Bernier resigned from his federal cabinet post as Minister of Foreign Affairs, after a scandal where it was discovered that he had left confidential NATO briefing documents at the home of his former girlfriend,

Julie Couillard ''My Story'' (or ''Mon histoire'') is a tell-all memoir by Canadian Julie Couillard. It was first written in French, then during summer 2008, translated into English. Both versions were published across Canada in October 2008. Couillard first ap ...

. She was a former model who had past romantic links with members of the Hells Angels. * June 11 – The federal government officially apologizes for the systematic abuses inflicted to Aboriginal children in the residential school system. * June 14 – Howard Hampton announces his resignation from the leadership of the Ontario New Democratic Party, resulting in the commencement of the

2009 Ontario New Democratic Party leadership election The 2009 Ontario New Democratic Party leadership election was held in Hamilton, from March 6 to 8, 2009 to elect a successor to Howard Hampton as leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP). On June 15, 2008, Hampton informed the party's pr ...

. * June 20 – Presidential candidate

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

speaks before the Economic Club of Toronto.

July to September

* July 1 – Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada) General Rick Hillier's term is set to end; Hillier is replaced by

Walter Natynczyk Walter John Natynczyk, ( ; born October 29, 1957) is a Canadian public servant and retired Canadian Army general who has served as Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs from 2014 to 2021. He was the President of the Canadian Space Agency from ...

. * August –

2008 Canada listeriosis outbreak The 2008 Canadian listeriosis outbreak was a widespread outbreak of listeriosis in Canada linked to cold cuts from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto, Ontario. There were 57 total confirmed cases, resulting in 23 deaths. Origin and spread Liste ...

. * August 10 – Toronto Explosions leaves 2 dead and thousands evacuate their homes. * August 28 – The governor general announces the creation of the Sacrifice Medal. * August 30 – The former Liberal MP

Blair Wilson Blair Wilson (born May 18, 1963) is a Canadian politician and formerly the member of Parliament (MP) in the 39th Canadian parliament for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country electoral district. He was elected on January 23, 2006 ...

announces he is joining the

Green Party of Canada The Green Party of Canada (french: Parti vert du Canada) is a federal political party in Canada, founded in 1983 with a focus on green politics. The Green Party is currently the fifth largest party in the House of Commons by seat count. It el ...

, becoming the party's first MLA. * September 7 –

issues the writs for the 2008 federal election. Federal by-elections which had been scheduled in Westmount—Ville-Marie, Saint-Lambert and Guelph for September 8 are pre-empted by the election call. * September 19 – A fire, later confirmed as arson by two

young offenders A young offender is a young person who has been convicted or cautioned for a criminal offense. Criminal justice systems often deal with young offenders differently from adult offenders, but different countries apply the term "young offender" ...

, destroys the historic

Sudbury Steelworkers Hall The Sudbury Steelworkers Hall was a historic labour union hall in Sudbury, Ontario, which was destroyed by a fire on September 19, 2008. History Located at 92 Frood Road in Downtown Sudbury, on the northwest corner of the intersection with Coll ...

Sudbury Sudbury may refer to: Places Australia * Sudbury Reef, Queensland Canada * Greater Sudbury, Ontario (official name; the city continues to be known simply as Sudbury for most purposes) ** Sudbury (electoral district), one of the city's federal e ...

, Ontario. * September 29 – The S&P/TSX Composite Index drops by 840.93 points, the most in eight years, in reaction to the American financial crisis.

October to December

* October 1 – French-language debate for federal party leaders * October 2 – English-language debate for federal party leaders * October 10 – 2008 British Columbia pipeline bombings: Letters were sent to local media outlets warning oil and gas companies to leave the area saying: "We will no longer negotiate with terrorists which you are as you keep endangering our families with crazy expansion of deadly gas wells in our home lands". * October 12 – 2008 British Columbia pipeline bombings: An explosion occurred on a sour gas pipeline to the east of Dawson Creek British Columbia. * October 14 – The 40th Canadian general election results in the

Conservative Party of Canada The Conservative Party of Canada (french: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main right-leaning parties, the Progressive Con ...

holding the largest number of seats in the third consecutive minority Parliament.

remains Prime Minister. * October 16 – 2008 British Columbia pipeline bombings: A second blast hit a natural gas pipeline. Workers discovered the blast site at approximately 10:00 a.m. MT off of British Columbia Highway 2. * October 20 – Stéphane Dion announces his resignation as Leader of the

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (french: Parti libéral du Canada, region=CA) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' ...

, effective upon the selection of his successor in May 2009. * October 22 – Economic crisis of 2008: The Loonie drops below $ .80US for the first time since mid-2005. * October 31 – 2008 British Columbia pipeline bombings: A third bomb detonated at a natural gas wellhead in the region of Dawson Creek * November 14 – Eva Aariak is selected as the new Premier of Nunavut at the Nunavut Leadership Forum in Iqaluit. * December 1 –

2008 Canadian parliamentary dispute 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number ...

: The

and the

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * t ...

sign an agreement to form a

coalition government A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...

with the support of the

Bloc Québécois The Bloc Québécois (BQ; , "Québécois people, Quebecer Voting bloc, Bloc") is a list of federal political parties in Canada, federal political party in Canada devoted to Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty movement, Que ...

if they are successful in ousting the Conservative

minority government A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and Cabinet (government), cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or Coalition government, coalition of parties do ...

in a confidence vote. * December 4 – The

40th Canadian Parliament The 40th Canadian Parliament was in session from November 18, 2008 to March 26, 2011. It was the last Parliament of the longest-running minority government in Canadian history that began with the previous Parliament. The membership of its House ...

prorogued A legislative session is the period of time in which a legislature, in both parliamentary and presidential systems, is convened for purpose of lawmaking, usually being one of two or more smaller divisions of the entire time between two elections ...

preventing the Liberal- NDP from ousting the Conservative

as planned. * December 8 –

2008 Quebec general election The 2008 Quebec general election was held in the Canada, Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec on December 8, 2008. The Quebec Liberal Party, under incumbent Premier Jean Charest, was re-elected with a majority governm ...

* December 10 – Michael Ignatieff becomes the interim leader of the Liberal Party, succeeding Stéphane Dion. He is expected to be ratified as permanent leader at the May 2009 Liberal leadership convention. * December 28 – Two avalanches occur near Fernie killing 8 people and injuring 3 others.

Date not known

*'' Has God Forsaken Africa?'', a Canadian 2008 documentary film is released. *

Mirella Amato Mirella Amato is a trilingual beer consultant, beer sommelier, and author based in Toronto, Ontario, a foremost specialist on Beer in Canada. She was the first woman in Canada to become a Certified Cicerone and, in 2012, became the first non-US re ...

, trilingual beer consultant, beer sommelier, and author founds Beerology company.

Arts and literature

* December 8 – Marc Mayer is appointed director of the National Gallery of Canada."Mayer confirmed as gallery director"
''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', December 8, 2008.

Film

* March 3 –

28th Genie Awards The 28th Genie Awards were held on March 3, 2008 to honour films released in 2007. The ceremony was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The show was broadcast on E! and Independent Film Channel and hosted by ...

Literature

Music

* April 6 – Juno Awards of 2008

Television

Sport

* January 16 – January 20 –

2008 Canadian Figure Skating Championships The 2008 Canadian Figure Skating Championships took place from January 16 through 20th, 2008 at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, British Columbia. They were the figure skating competition which determine the national champions of Cana ...

** Men's medalists –

Patrick Chan Patrick Lewis Wai–Kuan Chan (born December 31, 1990) is a Canadian former competitive figure skater. He is a 2018 Olympic gold medallist in the team event, 2014 Olympic silver medallist in the men's and team events, a three–time World ch ...

, gold; Jeffrey Buttle, silver; Shawn Sawyer, bronze. ** Women's medalists – Joannie Rochette, gold;

Mira Leung Mira Leung (born March 28, 1989) is a Canadian former competitive figure skater. She is the 2004 Nebelhorn Trophy bronze medallist and a three-time Canadian national silver medallist (2006–2008). Leung placed 12th at the 2006 Winter Olympics ...

, silver;

Cynthia Phaneuf Cynthia Phaneuf (born January 16, 1988) is a Canadian former competitive figure skater. She is the 2004 Four Continents silver medallist, 2004 Skate Canada International champion, 2004 Skate America silver medallist, a two-time (2004, 2011) Ca ...

, bronze. ** Pairs' medalists – Anabelle Langlois / Cody Hay, gold; Jessica Dubé /

Bryce Davison Bryce Davison (born January 29, 1986, in Walnut Creek, California) is an American-Canadian former competitive pair skater. With former partner Jessica Dubé, he is a three-time (2007, 2009, 2010) Canadian national champion, the 2008 World bron ...

, silver; Meagan Duhamel /

Craig Buntin Craig Buntin (born May 27, 1980) is a Canadian former pair skater. He is the co-founder and CEO of Sportlogiq, an AI-powered sports analytics company based in Montreal, Quebec. With former partner Meagan Duhamel, he is the 2009 Canadian silver m ...

, bronze. ** Dance medalists – Tessa Virtue /

Scott Moir Scott Patrick Moir OLY ( ; born September 2, 1987) is a Canadian retired ice dancer and coach. With ice dance partner Tessa Virtue, he is the 2010 and 2018 Olympic champion, the 2014 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World champion (2010, ...

, gold; Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje, silver;

Allie Hann-McCurdy Allie Hann-McCurdy (born May 23, 1987) is a Canadian former ice dancer. McCurdy began skating at age eight and was a singles skater until age 12 when she switched to ice dancing. In 2003, she teamed up with Michael Coreno, with whom she was the 2 ...

Michael Coreno Michael Coreno (born August 31, 1984 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian ice dancer. Coreno began skating at age seven. In 2003, he teamed up with Allie Hann-McCurdy, with whom he was 2010 Four Continents silver medallist and 2008 Canadian bronz ...

, bronze. * February 11 – February 17 –

2008 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships The 2008 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships was an international figure skating competition in the 2007–08 season. It was held at the Seongsa Ice Rink in Goyang, South Korea on February 11–17. Medals were awarded in the discipline ...

** Jeffrey Buttle wins the silver medal in the men's singles division. ** Tessa Virtue and

win the gold medal in ice dance. ** Joannie Rochette win the silver medal in the woman's singles division. * March 17 – March 23 –

2008 World Figure Skating Championships The 2008 World Figure Skating Championships was a senior international figure skating competition in the 2007–08 figure skating season. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. T ...

** March 19 – Jessica Dubé/

win the bronze medal in pairs. ** March 21 – Tessa Virtue/

win the silver medal in ice dancing. ** March 22 – Jeffrey Buttle win the gold medal and became world champion in men's singles. * March 22 – March 30 – The

2008 World Women's Curling Championship The 2008 World Women's Curling Championship (branded as 2008 Ford World Women's Curling Championship for sponsorship reasons) was held from March 22 to March 30, 2008 at the Wesbild Centre in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. This championship ...

is held at the Wesbild Centre in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. Jennifer Jones' rink from Canada won the gold medal and became world champions. * April 4 – April 14 – The

2008 World Men's Curling Championship The 2008 World Men's Curling Championship was held from April 4–13, 2008 at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota in the USA. The 12-team tournament took place in the 11,643 seat hockey arena on the grounds of the University of North ...

is held at Ralph Engelstad Arena in

Grand Forks, North Dakota Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...

. Kevin Martin's rink from Canada won the gold medal and became world champions. * April 30 –

2008 CFL Draft The 2008 CFL Draft took place on Wednesday, April 30, 2008, live at 12:00 PM ET on TSN.ca. A total of 48 players were chosen from among 752 eligible players from Canadian Universities across the country, as well as Canadian players playing in the ...

: Moose Jaw native and

Saskatchewan Huskies The University of Saskatchewan began in 1907 and has operated teams that compete with others since 1911. The term Huskie Athletics is defined as those student athletes from the University of Saskatchewan that compete in elite interuniversity ...

Canadian football player

Dylan Barker Dylan Barker is a retired professional Canadian football player who played four seasons for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was the first overall pick in the 2008 CFL Draft The 2008 CFL Draft took place on Wednesday, April 30, 2008, live at 12:00 PM ...

is chosen first overall by the

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...

. *May 25 – The

Spokane Chiefs The Spokane Chiefs are a major junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League based out of Spokane, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Spokane Arena. Their uniforms are similar to those of the NHL's Montreal Canadi ...

win their second Memorial Cup by defeating the Kitchener Rangers 4 to 1. The entire tournament was played at the

Kitchener Memorial Auditorium The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex (also known as The Aud) is a multi-use municipally-owned facility in Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. The complex is located on East Avenue, near the Ottawa Street interchange on the Cones ...

* July 19 – August 3 – 2008 Rogers Cup

Canada Masters The Canadian Open (french: Tournoi de tennis du Canada), also known as the Canada Masters, and currently branded as the National Bank Open presented by Rogers for sponsorship reasons, is an annual tennis tournament held in Ontario and Quebec. T ...

Tennis Tournament: Men's event held in Toronto, women's event held in Montreal. * September 10 – Jeffrey Buttle retires from competitive figure skating. *September 19 – Laval, Quebec's El Generico (Sami Zayn) and

Marieville, Quebec Marieville is a city in the Canadian province of Quebec. It is located within the Rouville Regional County Municipality in the Montérégie region about east of Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2011 Census was 10,094. History In 1708, S ...

's Kevin Steen win their first

ROH Tag Team Championship The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, ...

by defeating at the Boston University for

Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...

's Driven 2008 *November 22 – The Laval Rouge et Or win their fifth Vanier Cup by defeating the Western Ontario Mustangs 44 to 21 in the

44th Vanier Cup The 44th Vanier Cup was played on November 22, 2008, at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario, and decided the CIS Football champion for the 2008 season. The Laval Rouge et Or dominated the Western Mustangs to win the championship 44-21, en rout ...

played at Ivor Wynne Stadium in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

*November 23 – The Calgary Stampeders win their sixth

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

by defeating the Montreal Alouettes 22 to 14 in the 96th Grey Cup played at Olympic Stadium at Montreal. Niagara Falls, Ontario's

Sandro DeAngelis Sandro DeAngelis (born May 1, 1981) is a former professional gridiron football placekicker. He last played during the 2013 season for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He had also played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, ...

was awarded the game's

Most Outstanding Canadian The Most Outstanding Canadian Award is annually awarded to the best Canadian player in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Lew Hayman Trophy winner from the East Division, and the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy winner ...

Deaths

January

* January 1 – Stefanie Rengel, age 14, is stabbed to death. David Bashaw, 17, and Melissa Todorovic, 15, were both tried as adults. Convicted of first-degree murder, they received life sentences. * January 3 –

Milt Dunnell Milton William Ryan Dunnell (December 24, 1905 – January 3, 2008) was a Canadian sportswriter, known chiefly for his work at the ''Toronto Star''. Early life Dunnell was born in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada on December 24, 1905 and attended ...

, sportswriter (born

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...

) * January 4 – Mort Garson, electronic musician (born

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

) * January 5 – John Ashley,

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...

in the National Hockey League (born

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

) * January 10 – Allan McEachern, lawyer, judge and university chancellor (born

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of V ...

) * January 11 –

Murray Cohl Murray "Dusty" Cohl, (February 21, 1929 – January 11, 2008) was a Canadian film producer and co-founder of Toronto International Film Festival and Canada's Walk of Fame. Murray Cohl was born in Toronto, Ontario to Karl and Lillian Cohl in ...

, film producer, co-founder of the Toronto Film Festival and Canada's Walk of Fame (born

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

) * January 19 – Don Wittman, sportscaster (born

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

) Your View: Remembering Don Wittman
* January 20 – Talivaldis Kenins, composer (born

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...

) * January 21 –

Pam Barrett Pamela T. Barrett (November 26, 1953 – January 21, 2008) was a Canadian politician who sat in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta as a member of the New Democratic Party. Early political career Barrett started working for the Alberta New Demo ...

, politician (born

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...

) * January 22 –

Mike Cacic Michael Nicholas Cacic (January 4, 1937 – January 22, 2008) was a former defensive lineman who played 10 years in the Canadian Football League for the British Columbia Lions from 1957 to 1967. Michael Nicholas Cacic was born in Vancouver to Cr ...

football player A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

for BC Lions (born

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Fe ...

)

February

* February 2 – Barry Morse, actor (born

1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...

) * February 15 – Willie P. Bennett, folk music singer-songwriter (born

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

) * February 16 –

Harry Flemming Harry Flemming (1933 – 16 February 2008) was a Nova Scotian journalist focused on politics. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 1968 Canadian federal election. Born in Boston, Flemming was raised in Tr ...

, journalist (born

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

) * February 17 **

Bill Juzda William Juzda (October 29, 1920 – February 17, 2008) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He played with the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1940 and 1952 ...

, ice hockey player (born

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

) **

Val Ross Valerie Jacqueline Candida "Val" Ross (17 October 1950 – 17 February 2008) was a Canadian writer and winner of the 2004 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian children's non-fiction. She was also a journalist for the newspaper ''The Globe and Mail'', a ...

, writer and journalist (born

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...

) * February 18 –

Mickey Renaud The Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy is an award in the Ontario Hockey League which is given to one team captain every year. The award was introduced on February 4, 2009, at the 2009 OHL All-Star Classic hosted at the WFCU Centre in Windsor. The a ...

, junior ice hockey center (born

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

) * February 23 –

Denis Lazure Denis Lazure (October 12, 1925 – February 23, 2008) was a Canadian psychiatrist and politician. Lazure was a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec (MNA) from 1976 to 1984 and from 1989 to 1996. He is the father of actress Gabrielle La ...

, politician (born

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

) * February 28 –

Milt Harradence Asa Milton "Milt" Harradence (1922 – February 28, 2008)Komarnicki, Jamie, March 2, 2008 ''Edmonton Journal'' was a Canadian criminal lawyer, pilot, politician and judge of the Court of Appeal of Alberta. Early life Harradence was born in Bl ...

, lawyer, pilot, politician and judge (born

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

) * February 29 – Ralph Hansch, Olympic ice hockey player (born

)

March

* March 2 – Jeff Healey, jazz and blues-rock guitarist and vocalist (born

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

) * March 8 –

Donald C. MacDonald Donald Cameron MacDonald (December 7, 1913 – March 8, 2008) was a Canadian politician. Referred to in the media as the "best premier Ontario never had," he represented the provincial riding of York South in the Legislative Assembly of O ...

, politician (born

1913 Events January * January 5 – First Balkan War: Battle of Lemnos (1913), Battle of Lemnos – Greek admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis forces the Turkish fleet to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, from which it will not ven ...

) * March 9 – Simon Reisman, civil servant and chief negotiator of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement (born

) * March 11 –

J. I. Albrecht J. I. Albrecht (February 15, 1931 – March 11, 2008) was an American-Canadian executive who worked in college and professional sports for 53 years, notably as a general manager and several key director spots in the CFL. He also worked in NFL, NCA ...

, manager and director in the

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(born

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 15 –

Ken Reardon Kenneth Joseph Reardon (April 1, 1921 – March 15, 2008) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966. Ken is the brot ...

, ice hockey defenceman ( Montreal Canadiens)(born

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

) * March 18 – Geoffrey Pearson, diplomat (born

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

) * March 21 – George Gross,

sports journalist Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...

, founding sports editor of the ''

Toronto Sun The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Postmedia Place i ...

'' (born

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

) * March 24 –

Sherri Wood Sherri Wood (1979 – March 24, 2008) was a Canadian journalist for the ''Toronto Sun''. An Etobicoke, Ontario native, Wood worked for the Sun since 2004 as an entertainment reporter and critic. She also had a weekly spot on Canoe Live, SUN TV' ...

, journalist (''

'') (born

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

) * March 28 –

Lorne Ferguson Lorne Ferguson (May 26, 1930 — March 28, 2008) was a Canadian ice hockey left winger who played 422 games in the National Hockey League. Born in Palmerston, Ontario, he played for the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and Chicago Black Hawks ...

, ice hockey player (born

)

April

* April 1 –

Jake Warren Jack Hamilton (Jake) Warren, OC (April 10, 1921 – April 1, 2008) was a diplomat, civil servant and banker. Jake Warren began his career with External Affairs in 1945 after serving in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II, but served i ...

, diplomat,

Canadian Ambassador to the United States This is a list of ambassadors of Canada to the United States, formally titled as ''Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America for Her isMajesty's Government in Canada''. Originally, Canada's top diplomatic represe ...

(b. 1921) * April 10 –

Francis Coleman Francis Coleman (12 January 192410 April 2008) was a conductor and television producer and director. Early life and education Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Coleman began working in an office at the age of fourteen while studying music at ...

, conductor, television producer and director (born

) * April 22 –

Ed Chynoweth Edward Chynoweth (December 14, 1941 – April 22, 2008) was a Canadian ice hockey executive. He served as president of the Western Hockey League and the Canadian Hockey League for over 20 years each. He was also a league director, team own ...

, president of the Western Hockey League (1972–1995) and CHL (1975–1995) (born

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...

) * April 23 **

Martha Kostuch Martha Kostuch (July 8, 1949, Moose Lake, Minnesota, United States — April 23, 2008, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada) was a Canadian veterinarian and an award-winning environmentalist. In her veterinary work, she identified reproductive and ...

, environmentalist (born

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

) ** Don Gillis, (born

) * April 24 –

Harry Geris Harry Geris (November 22, 1947 – April 24, 2008) was a Canadian Olympic wrestler who represented Canada in the 1968, 1972, and 1976 Olympics, 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and 1975 Pan American Games. Early life Geris was bo ...

, Olympic wrestler (born

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...

) * April 26 – Henry Brant,

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

-winning composer (born

) * April 30 –

Allan Sparrow Allan Sparrow (1944 – April 30, 2008) was a Canadian political activist and long standing city councillor in Toronto. He was instrumental in stopping the Spadina Expressway, setting up civilian oversight of the Toronto Police, promoting cyclin ...

, activist and Toronto city councillor (1974–1980) (born

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

)

May

* May 3 –

Charles Caccia Charles L. Caccia, (April 28, 1930 – May 3, 2008) was a Canadian politician. Caccia was a Liberal member of the House of Commons of Canada. He represented the Toronto riding of Davenport between 1968 and 2004. Background Caccia was born ...

, politician (born

) * May 9 –

Arthur Kroeger Arthur Kroeger, (September 7, 1932 – May 9, 2008) was a Canadian academic and civil servant, who was referred to as the "dean of deputy ministers". Born on a farm in Naco, Alberta (now a ghost town), Kroeger was descended from Mennonite ...

, civil servant (1958–1992), academic and

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of Carleton University (1993–2002) (born

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

) * May 11 –

John Rutsey John Howard Rutsey (July 23, 1952 – May 11, 2008) was a Canadian musician best known as a founding member and original drummer of Rush (band), Rush. He performed on the band's 1974 Rush (Rush album), debut album, but left shortly after its rel ...

, drummer (

Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

) (born

) * May 17 **

Joyce Trimmer Joyce Trimmer (November 10, 1927 – May 17, 2008) was a Canadian politician. She was the first woman mayor of Scarborough, Ontario. Born in London, England, Trimmer emigrated to Toronto with her husband Douglas in 1954, where they settled ...

, politician and first female mayor of Scarborough, Ontario (born

) **

D. Aubrey Moodie Douglas Aubrey Moodie (22 July 1908 – 17 May 2008) was Mayor#Canada, reeve of Nepean Township, Ontario from 1954 to 1969 and was known as the "Father of Nepean". He was born in Bells Corners, Nepean Township, Ontario. He was a descendant of ...

, politician (born

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

) * May 19 –

Jack Duffy Jack Duffy (September 27, 1926 – May 19, 2008) was a Canadian singer, comedian and actor. Life and career Born in Montreal, Duffy grew up in Toronto, dropping out of Central Technical School to become a singer. At age 19, he was hired as a st ...

, actor and comedian (born

) * May 20 –

Cy Leonard Cy Leonard (1926 – May 20, 2008) was a Canadian entertainer who was the first ventriloquist to perform on Canadian television. He also appeared on ''The Adventures of Tugboat Annie'', the first Canadian-made situation comedy. He made several g ...

, ventriloquist (born

) * May 29 – Luc Bourdon, ice hockey player (born

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

)

June

* June 2 –

Sheela Basrur Sheela Basrur, (October 17, 1956 – June 2, 2008) was a Canadian physician and Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health and Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Health. She resigned from these positions late in 2006 to undergo treatment for cance ...

, medical doctor and Chief Medical Officer of Health in Ontario (born

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

) * June 3 –

Pat Egan Martin Joseph "Pat" Egan (April 25, 1918 – June 3, 2008) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman, most notably for the Boston Bruins and New York Americans of the National Hockey League. He went on to coach the Springfield Indians of the Ameri ...

, ice hockey defenceman (born

) * June 4 – Jack Byrne (politician), member of Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, mayor of LB-MC-OC (1986–1993) (born

) * June 6 –

Edwin Tchorzewski Edwin Laurence Tchorzewski (April 22, 1943 – June 6, 2008) was a Canadian politician, former Saskatchewan finance minister and member of the Legislative Assembly for 25 years.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 – ...

) * June 8 – Charles-Noël Barbès, politician and lawyer (born

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

) * June 11 **

James Reaney James Crerar Reaney, (September 1, 1926 – June 11, 2008) was a Canadian poet, playwright, librettist, and professor, "whose works transform small-town Ontario life into the realm of dream and symbol." Reaney won Canada's highest literary a ...

, poet, playwright and literary critic (born

) ** Brian Budd, soccer player (born

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

) * June 15 –

Ray Getliffe Raymond Getliffe (April 3, 1914 – June 15, 2008) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. Born in Galt, Ontario (now Cambridge, Ont ...

, ice hockey player (born

) * June 20 – Bea Firth, politician (born

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

) * June 21 –

William Vince William D. "Bill" Vince (November 23, 1963 – June 21, 2008) was a Canadian producer. His credits include producing ''Air Bud'' (1997), ''Dead Heat'' (2002), ''Saved!'' (2004), and '' Capote'' (2005) (for which he shared an Academy Award nomin ...

, film producer, Academy Award nominee (born

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

) * June 25 – Bill Robinson, ice hockey player (born

) * June 30 –

Arthur Ryan Smith Captain Arthur Ryan Smith Jr. OC AOE DFC (May 16, 1919 – June 30, 2008) was a Canadian oilfield worker, fighter pilot, executive business man, philanthropist, magazine editor, advertising executive and politician on the municipal, provincia ...

, serviceman, politician and Order of Canada recipient (born

)

July

* July 3 –

Oliver Schroer Oliver Schroer (June 18, 1956 – July 3, 2008) was a Canadian fiddler, composer, and music producer. Early life Oliver Schroer grew up in Vandeleur, Ontario, a small farming community near Markdale in rural Grey County. He attended Grey Highl ...

, fiddler, composer and music producer (born

) * July 6 –

Bob Ackles Robert Ackles (September 16, 1938 – July 6, 2008) was a Canadian Football League executive for the BC Lions. He also was a former American football executive in the National Football League. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall o ...

, executive for the

's BC Lions (born

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

) * July 14 –

Lawrence Ytzhak Braithwaite Lawrence Christopher Patrick (aka Ytzhak) Braithwaite (March 17, 1963 – July 14, 2008) was a Canadian novelist, spoken-word artist, dub poet, essayist, digital drummer and short fiction writer. Born in Montreal, Quebec, he has been called "o ...

, novelist, spoken word artist, dub poet, essayist and musician (born

) * July 16 –

Peanuts O'Flaherty John Benedict "Peanuts" O'Flaherty (April 10, 1918 — July 16, 2008) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 21 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Americans and Brooklyn Americans. He was born in Toronto, Ont ...

, ice hockey player (born

) * July 21 – Sidney Craig, entrepreneur and thoroughbred horse owner, co-founder of

Jenny Craig, Inc. Jenny Craig, Inc., often known simply as Jenny Craig, is an American weight loss, weight management, and nutrition company. The company has more than 700 weight management centers in Australia, the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. The pro ...

(born

) * July 22 –

Helen Gardiner Helen Elsie Elizabeth Gardiner (née McMinn) (July 18, 1938 – July 22, 2008) was a Canadian philanthropist and co-founder of the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto, Ontario. Biography Helen Gardiner was born in 1938 in the Northern minin ...

, philanthropist and co-founder of the

Gardiner Museum The George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art (commonly shortened to the Gardiner Museum) is a ceramics museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is situated within University of Toronto's St. George campus, in downtown Toronto. The museum b ...

(born

) * July 23 –

N. Robin Crossby N. Robin Crossby (May 18, 1954 – July 23, 2008) was the creator of the Hârn fantasy setting and the HârnMaster role-playing game system, as well as dozens of other related works describing the world of Hârn. Early life N. Robin Crossby was ...

, game designer, creator of

Hârn Hârn is a campaign setting for fantasy role-playing games, designed by N. Robin Crossby and published by Columbia Games since 1983. In 1998 Crossby founded Kelestia Productions (KP), an electronic publishing e-company. KP and CGI now independe ...

role-playing system (born

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

) * July 25 – Joseph Gérard Lauri P. Landry, businessman,

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

(1996–1997) (born

) * July 27 –

Fenwick Lansdowne James Fenwick Lansdowne, (August 8, 1937 – July 27, 2008) was a self-taught Canadian wildlife artist.A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, volumes 1-8 by Colin S. MacDonald, and volume 9 (online only), by Anne Newlands and Judith Parker Nationa ...

, wildlife artist (born

) * July 30 **

Leif Pettersen Leif Pettersen (December 23, 1950 – July 30, 2008) was a receiver who played eight seasons in the Canadian Football League for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was born in Toronto, Ontario. After playing college ...

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

and sportscaster (born

) ** Tim McLean,

homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...

victim (born

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

) **

Vittorio Fiorucci Vittorio Fiorucci (1932 – July 30, 2008) was an Italian Canadian poster artist from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Fiorucci was born on 2 November 1932, in Zara, Italy. During World War Two when Zara was about to be captured by Yugoslavia, Fiorucci ...

graphic artist A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography, or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, p ...

(born

)

August

* August 2 – Geoffrey Ballard, businessman and

fuel cell A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requ ...

scientist, founder of Ballard Power Systems (born

) * August 5 –

Daniel L. Norris Daniel L. Norris (August 30, 1935 – August 5, 2008) was the commissioner of the Northwest Territories from October 2, 1989, until September 30, 1994. Norris was born in 1935 near Inuvik and was raised in Aklavik. Norris died on August 5, 2 ...

commissioner of the 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 s ...

(1989–1994) (born

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...

) * August 6 – Reg Whitehouse,

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player ( Saskatchewan Roughriders) (born

) * August 10 – Lee Clark, politician, MP for Brandon—Souris (1983–1993) (born

) * August 12 – Gilles Bilodeau, National Hockey League and World Hockey Association player (born

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

) * August 28 –

Michel Vastel Michel Vastel (20 May 1940 – 28 August 2008) was a Québécois journalist and columnist for '' Le Journal de Montréal'' and other medias. He was born in Saint-Pierre-de-Cormeilles, Eure, France and immigrated to Canada in 1970. Vastel ...

, journalist and columnist (born

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

) * August 30 **

Eldon Rathburn Eldon Davis Rathburn (21 April 1916 – 31 August 2008) was a Canadian film composer who scored over 250 films during his thirty-year tenure as a staff composer at the National Film Board of Canada. Known as "the dean of Canadian film composers",< ...

, composer (born

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * ...

) ** Killer Kowalski, professional wrestler (born

)

September

* September 1 –

Thomas J. Bata Tomáš Jan Baťa, (; anglicised to Thomas J. Bata; September 17, 1914 – September 1, 2008), also known as Thomas Bata Jr. and Tomáš Baťa ml., was a Czech-Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He ran the Bata Shoe Company from the 1940s ...

, businessman (born

) * September 4 ** Jerome Weber, abbot of St. Peter-Muenster of Saskatchewan (born

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". *January 1 ...

) ** Erik Nielsen, deputy prime minister (1984–1986), brother of Leslie Nielsen (born

) ** Erik Nielsen, politician (born

) * September 6 – Allan Lawrence, politician and Minister (born

) * September 7 –

Larry Shaben Lawrence "Larry" Ralph Shaben (March 20, 1935 – September 6, 2008) was a Canadian politician of Lebanese descent and the first Muslim Cabinet Minister in Canada. He was also one of the first Muslims to be elected to higher office in North ...

, politician, member of Legislative Assembly of Alberta (1975–1989) (born

) * September 9 –

Richard Monette Richard Jean Monette CM, DHum, LLD (June 19, 1944 – September 9, 2008), was a Canadian actor and director, best known for his 14-season tenure as the longest-serving artistic director of the Stratford Festival of Canada from 1994 to 2007. Ear ...

, actor and director (born

) * September 10 –

Gérald Beaudoin Gérald A. Beaudoin (April 15, 1929 – September 10, 2008) was a Canadian lawyer and Senator. Born in Montreal, Quebec, he received a B.A., an LL.L and an M.A. from the Université de Montréal. He was called to the Quebec Bar in 1954. ...

, lawyer and

(1988–2004) (born

) * September 11 – Bennett Campbell, (1988–2004) (born

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 – ...

) * September 13 –

James W. Snow James Wilfred Snow (July 12, 1929 – September 13, 2008) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1985 who represented the GTA ridings of Halto ...

, politician, member of

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

(1967–1985) (born

) * September 15 – Marion Dewar, politician, mayor of Ottawa (1978–1985) (born

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

) * September 18 –

Peter Kastner Peter Kastner (1 October 1943 – 18 September 2008) was a Canadian-born actor who achieved prominence as a disaffected youth in movies of the 1960s. Life and career Kastner was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Rose and Martin Kastner. His ...

, actor (born

) * September 23 –

Brock McElheran Brock McElheran (6 January 1918 – 23 September 2008) was a conductor and professor at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and a published author. Early life and education McElheran was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the son of Robert and Ire ...

, conductor and composer (born

) * September 25 –

Ralph Sazio Ralph Joseph Sazio (July 22, 1922 – September 25, 2008) was a football player, assistant coach, head coach general manager and team president for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He also served as president of the Toronto Argonauts. He is a member of ...

coach (

) (born

) * September 28 –

Anna-Marie Globenski Anna-Marie Globenski (July 2, 1929 – September 28, 2008) was a Canadian pianist and teacher who taught at the École de musique Vincent-d'Indy from 1960 to 1963 and Université Laval for 30 years. She was an accompanist for the Conservatoire d ...

, pianist and teacher (born

)

October

* October 4 –

Saul Laskin Saul Laskin (15 May 1918 – 4 October 2008) was a Canadian politician. He was the first mayor of the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Born in Fort William, Ontario, he was the younger brother of jurist Bora Laskin. He was educated in Fort Willia ...

, politician and 1 Mayor of Thunder Bay (born

) * October 9 – Milan Kymlicka, arranger, composer and conductor (born

) * October 11 –

Nelson Symonds Nelson Symonds (September 24, 1933 – October 11, 2008) was a Canadian jazz guitarist born in Upper Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia. Biography After pursuing the banjo at a young age, Symonds switched to the guitar. He gained his first performance ...

jazz guitar Jazz guitar may refer to either a type of electric guitar or a guitar playing style in jazz, using electric amplification to increase the volume of acoustic guitars. In the early 1930s, jazz musicians sought to amplify their sound to be hear ...

ist (born

) * October 12 – Leo Major, soldier (born

) * October 17 – Ben Weider, bodybuilding promoter and

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

scholar (born

) * October 18 –

Charley Fox Charles William Fox, DFC and Bar, CD (b. February 26, 1920, Guelph, Ontario; d.October 18, 2008, Tillsonburg, Ontario) was a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II. He attended Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute. ...

, pilot credited with strafing

Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...

's car (born

) * October 27 **

Louis Secco Louis John Secco (January 18, 1927 – October 27, 2008) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He was a member of the Edmonton Mercurys that won a gold medal at the 1952 Winter Olympics The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic ...

, Olympic gold medal-winning (

) ice hockey player (born

) **

Charles Dubin Charles Leonard Dubin (April 4, 1921October 27, 2008) was a Canadian lawyer and former Chief Justice of Ontario. He led the Dubin inquiry into the use of steroids by athletes. Early life Charles Leonard Dubin was born on April 4, 1921, in Ham ...

, lawyer and former Chief Justice of Ontario (born

)

November

* November 1 –

Oscar Lathlin Oscar Lathlin (May 20, 1947 – November 1, 2008) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada, and was a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Gary Doer. Biography Life and career Lathlin was born and raised at the Opaskwayak ...

, politician (born

) * November 2 – Jim Koleff, hockey player and coach (born

) * November 5 – Norm Marshall, broadcaster (born

) * November 12 – George Morrison, ice hockey player (born

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

) * November 17 ** Pete Newell, basketball coach (born

) ** Debby oldest living

polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear specie ...

, third-oldest known bear (born

) * November 24 ** Ray Perrault, politician (born

) ** Kenny MacLean, bassist ( Platinum Blonde) (born

) ** Bep Guidolin, ice hockey player and coach (born

) * November 24 – Tom Burgess, baseball player and coach (born

) * November 27 – William Landymore, naval officer (born

) * November 30 – Pit Martin, ice hockey player (born

)

December

* December 1 – Betty Goodwin, artist (born

) * December 2 – Edward Samuel Rogers, businessman, CEO of Rogers Communications and owner of the Toronto Blue Jays (born

) * December 9 – Brenda Leipsic, politician (born

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...

) * December 14 – Hank Goldup, ice hockey player (born

) * December 15 – Mike Blum,

player ( Toronto Argonauts,

) (born

) * December 16 – Joe Krol,

( Toronto Argonauts) (born

) * December 21 – James Fulton, politician, Member of Parliament for Skeena (1979–1993) (born

) * December 24 – Gordon Fairweather, politician, Member of Parliament for Royal, New Brunswick (1962–1977) (born

)

References

{{North America topic, 2008 in 2000s in Canada Years of the 21st century in Canada

Incumbents

Crown

Federal government

Provincial governments

Lieutenant governors

Premiers

Territorial governments

Commissioners

Premiers

Events

January to March

April to June

July to September

October to December

Date not known

Arts and literature

Film

Literature

Music

Television

Sport

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

See also

References