Events from the year 1939 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 ...

–

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...

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 ...

– John Buchan *

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 ...

–

William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A L ...

* Chief Justice –

Lyman Poore Duff Sir Lyman Poore Duff (7 January 1865 – 26 April 1955) was the eighth Chief Justice of Canada. He was the longest serving justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Early life and career Born in Meaford, Canada West (now Ontario) to a Con ...

(

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

) *

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 ...

– 18th

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 ...

– John C. Bowen *

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 ...

– Eric Hamber * Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba –

William Johnston Tupper William Johnston Tupper (June 29, 1862 – December 17, 1947) was a politician and office holder in Manitoba, Canada. He served as the province's 12th Lieutenant Governor from 1934 to 1940. Tupper was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the s ...

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 ...

–

Murray MacLaren Murray MacLaren (April 30, 1861 – December 24, 1942) was a Canadian politician and the 18th Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick. Born in Richibucto, New Brunswick, he was a physician before being elected to the House of Commons of Cana ...

* Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – Robert Irwin *

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 ...

–

Albert Edward Matthews Albert Edward Matthews (May 17, 1873 – December 16, 1949) was the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. Matthews was born in Lindsay, Ontario. He worked as an investment broker in Toronto and rose to the position of director of various c ...

* Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – George DesBrisay DeBlois (until September 11) then

Bradford William LePage Bradford William LePage (February 19, 1876 – December 4, 1958) was a Canadian politician and the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island. Born in Rusticoville, Prince Edward Island, LePage owned and operated a general store prior to ...

* Lieutenant Governor of Quebec –

Esioff-Léon Patenaude Esioff-Léon Patenaude, , often called E.L. Patenaude (February 12, 1875 – February 7, 1963) was a Canadian statesman who served as the 17th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec. Born in Saint-Isidore, Quebec, in 1875, he studied law at the Univ ...

(until December 30) then

Eugène Fiset Major-General Sir Marie-Joseph-Eugène Fiset, (March 15, 1874 – June 8, 1951) was a Canadian physician, military officer, Deputy Minister of Militia and Defence, Member of Parliament, the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, and the 3rd ...

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 ...

–

Archibald Peter McNab Archibald Peter "Archie" McNab (May 29, 1864 – April 29, 1945) was the sixth Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan from 1936 until 1945. He was the last lieutenant-governor of the province to live in Government House. He was born in Glengarry ...

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 ...

–

William Aberhart William Aberhart (December 30, 1878 – May 23, 1943), also known as "Bible Bill" for his outspoken Baptist views, was a Canadian politician and the seventh premier of Alberta from 1935 to his death in 1943. He was the founder and first leader ...

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 ...

–

Thomas Dufferin Pattullo Thomas Dufferin "Duff" Pattullo (January 19, 1873 – March 30, 1956) was the 22nd premier of British Columbia from 1933 to 1941. Early life and early political career Born in Woodstock, Ontario, into a family of Scottish ancestry, Pattullo ...

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 ...

–

John Bracken John Bracken (June 22, 1883 – March 18, 1969) was a Canadian agronomist and politician who was the 11th and longest-serving premier of Manitoba (1922–1943) and later the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–19 ...

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 ...

–

Allison Dysart Albert Allison Dysart (March 22, 1880 – December 8, 1962) was a New Brunswick politician, lawyer and judge. Dysart was born in Cocagne, New Brunswick and was educated at University of St. Joseph's College in Memramcook, the Ontario Agricul ...

* Premier of Nova Scotia – Angus Lewis Macdonald * Premier of Ontario –

Mitchell Hepburn Mitchell Frederick Hepburn (August 12, 1896 – January 5, 1953) was the 11th premier of Ontario, from 1934 to 1942. He was the youngest premier in Ontario history, appointed at age 37. He was the only Ontario Liberal Party leader in the 20th cent ...

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 ...

–

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 ...

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 ...

–

Maurice Duplessis Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis (; April 20, 1890 – September 7, 1959), was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 16th premier of Quebec. A conservative, nationalist, anti-Communist, anti-unionist and fervent Catholic, he and hi ...

(until November 9) then

Adélard Godbout Joseph-Adélard Godbout (September 24, 1892 – September 18, 1956) was a Canadian agronomist and politician. He served as the 15th premier of Quebec briefly in 1936, and again from 1939 to 1944. He served as leader of the Parti Libéral du Qu ...

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 ...

–

William John Patterson William John Patterson (May 13, 1886 – June 10, 1976) was a Liberal politician and the sixth premier of Saskatchewan from 1935 to 1944. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 1921 election. He succeeded Jame ...

Territorial governments

Commissioners

* Controller of Yukon – George A. Jeckell *

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 ...

– Charles Camsell

Events

*May 17 – King

and Queen Elizabeth begin their royal tour of Canada, eventually visiting every province and Newfoundland. *September 3 – The Department of Labour establishes the

Wartime Prices and Trade Board The Wartime Prices and Trade Board is a former Canadian government agency, established on September 3, 1939, by the Mackenzie King government, under the authority of the ''War Measures Act'', in the Department of Labour responsible for price con ...

to control

inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reduct ...

*September 7 –

Mackenzie King calls for a

special session In a legislature, a special session (also extraordinary session) is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year (often delayed by confli ...

, to discuss a declaration of war versus

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. The session lasts until September 13. *September 10 –

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

: Canada declares war on Germany, one week after the United Kingdom does so *September 11 –

: Canada establishes a

High Commission of Canada in Australia The High Commission of Canada in Australia is the List of diplomatic missions of Canada, diplomatic mission of Canada to Australia. It is located on Commonwealth Avenue, near State Circle, in the Australian capital city of Canberra. In addition ...

. Australia reciprocates the next day. *September 16 –

: The

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...

escorts the first of many transatlantic convoys *September 28 –

: Air training facilities are set up in Canada to train pilots from Britain and the rest of the Commonwealth. *October 25 – The Quebec election is won by the Liberals under Joseph-Adélard Godbout. *December 17 –

: The

1st Canadian Infantry Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ''1re Division du Canada'' ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short ...

lands in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

en route to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The division is accompanied by a team of announcers and technicians, who set up

Radio Canada The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government ...

's overseas service. *November 9 –

becomes premier of Quebec for the second time, replacing

Year-long

*Canada expands its international presence by establishing High Commissions in Australia,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

Sport

*February 12 – The

Trail Smoke Eaters The Trail Smoke Eaters are a junior A ice hockey team from Trail, British Columbia, Canada. They are a part of the British Columbia Hockey League. History The Smoke Eaters (aka ''Smokies'') have existed as both junior and senior teams since the ...

win the 1939 Ice Hockey World Championships for Canada. *April 16 – 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 ...

win their second Stanley Cup (and last until 1970) by defeating the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

4 games to 1. *April 17 – The Ontario Hockey Association's Oshawa Generals win their first

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 Edmonton Junior Hockey League's Edmonton Athletic Club Roamers 3 games to 1. The deciding Game 4 was played at

Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was initially constructed in 1931 as an arena to host ice hockey games, though it has sinc ...

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 ...

. *December 9 – The

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...

win their second Grey Cup by defeating the Ottawa Rough Riders 8 to 7 in the

27th Grey Cup The 27th Grey Cup was played on December 9, 1939, before 11,738 fans at Lansdowne Park at Ottawa. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers com ...

played in

Lansdowne Park Lansdowne Park is a urban park, historic sports, exhibition and entertainment facility in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, owned by the City of Ottawa. It is located on Bank Street adjacent to the Rideau Canal in The Glebe neighbourhood of central Ot ...

in Ottawa.

Births

January to March

*January 3 -

Bobby Hull Robert Marvin Hull OC (born January 3, 1939) is a Canadian former ice hockey player who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blonde hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot the puck at very high veloc ...

, ice hockey player *January 11 - Anne Heggtveit, alpine skier and Olympic gold medalist *January 14 - Martha Gibson, actress *January 19 -

Grant Notley Walter Grant Notley (January 19, 1939 – October 19, 1984) was a Canadian politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1971 to 1984 and also served as leader of the Alberta NDP from 1968 to 1984. Early life Notl ...

, politician (d.

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

) *February 3 -

Ovid Jackson Ovid L. Jackson, (born February 3, 1939, New Amsterdam, Berbice, Guyana) is a Canadians, Canadian politician. He represented the federal riding of Bruce—Grey and Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound in the House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons fo ...

, politician *February 10 -

Adrienne Clarkson Adrienne Louise Clarkson (; ; born February 10, 1939) is a Hong Kong-born Canadian journalist who served from 1999 to 2005 as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation. Clarkson arrived in Canada with her family in 19 ...

, journalist and 26th

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...

*March 1 -

Marlene Catterall Marlene Catterall (born March 1, 1939) is a former Canadian politician. Catterall was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada in the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Ottawa West—Nepean from 1997 to 2005 and previously repre ...

, politician *March 5 -

Peter Woodcock David Michael Krueger (March 5, 1939 – March 5, 2010), best known by his birth name, Peter Woodcock, was a Canadian serial killer, child rapist and diagnosed psychopath. He gained notoriety for the murders of three young children in Toronto in ...

, serial killer and child rapist (d. 2010) *March 8 - Lynn Seymour, ballerina (d.

2023 Events Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ** Croatia will adopt the eu ...

) *March 17 - Bill Graham, politician (d.

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

) *March 20 - Brian Mulroney, politician and 18th

Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the confidence of a majority the elected House of Commons; as su ...

*March 26 - Patrick Lane, poet (d.

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

)

April to June

*April 14 -

Ian Binnie William Ian Corneil Binnie (born April 14, 1939) is a former puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, serving from January 8, 1998 to October 27, 2011. Of the justices appointed to the Supreme Court in recent years, he is one of the few app ...

, jurist and

puisne justice A puisne judge or puisne justice (; from french: puisné or ; , 'since, later' + , 'born', i.e. 'junior') is a dated term for an ordinary judge or a judge of lesser rank of a particular court. Use The term is used almost exclusively in common law ...

on the Supreme Court of Canada *April 20 -

Wayson Choy Wayson Choy (崔維新 Pinyin: Cuī Wéixīn ; Jyutping: Ceoi1 Wai4-san1) (April 20, 1939 – April 28, 2019) was a Canadian novelist.

, writer (d.

) *April 24 -

Dan Hays Daniel Phillip Hays (April 24, 1939) is a Canadian politician born in Calgary, Alberta. He was Speaker of the Senate of Canada from 2001 to 2006, when he became Leader of the Government (Liberal) in the Senate. Hays was the Leader of the ...

, politician *April 24 -

Ernst Zündel Ernst Christof Friedrich Zündel (; 24 April 1939 – 5 August 2017) was a German neo-Nazi publisher and pamphleteer of Holocaust denial literature.

, German-born neo-Nazi, Holocaust denier and pamphleteer (d.

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

) *May 7 -

Sidney Altman Sidney Altman (May 7, 1939 – April 5, 2022) was a Canadian-American molecular biologist, who was the Sterling Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Chemistry at Yale University. In 1989, he shared the Nobel Prize in ...

, molecular biologist, joint 1989

Nobel Prize in Chemistry ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...

laureate (d.

) *May 11 -

Ken Epp Marvin Kenneth Epp (May 11, 1939 – February 20, 2022) was a Canadian politician. Epp was a member of the Conservative Party of Canada in the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Edmonton—Sherwood Park since its creation ...

, politician (d.

) *May 16 -

Roger Soloman Roger Allan Francis Soloman (May 16, 1939April 14, 2021) was a Canadian provincial politician and educator on Prince Edward Island. He served as member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island (MLA) from 1993 to 1996, representing 1s ...

, politician (d.

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

) *May 26 - Gerry McAlpine, politician *June 5 -

Joe Clark Charles Joseph Clark (born June 5, 1939) is a Canadian statesman, businessman, writer, and politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980. Despite his relative inexperience, Clark rose quickly in federal polit ...

, journalist, politician, statesman, businessman, professor and 16th

*June 23 -

Jack MacIsaac John A. "Jack" MacIsaac (born June 23, 1939) is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Pictou Centre in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1977 to 1993. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova S ...

, politician

July to September

*July 12 - David Bazay, television journalist (d. 2005) *July 19 - Ray Turnbull, curler (d.

) *July 25 -

Catherine Callbeck Catherine Sophia Callbeck (born July 25, 1939) is a Canadian retired politician and the current and ninth Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island. She was the 28th premier of Prince Edward Island from 1993 to 1996, the third fema ...

, politician and 30th

*August 12 -

Roy Romanow Roy John Romanow (born August 12, 1939) is a Canadian politician and the 12th premier of Saskatchewan from 1991 to 2001. Early life Romanow was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to Tekla and Michael Romanow, who were Ukrainian immigrants from Or ...

, politician and 12th

*August 15 -

Hardial Bains Hardial Bains ( pa, ਹਰਦਿਆਲ ਬੈਂਸ; 15 August 1939 – 24 August 1997) was an Indo-Canadian microbiology lecturer, but was primarily known as the founder of a series of left-wing movements and parties foremost of which was th ...

, founder and leader of Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) (d.

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

) *August 21 - JoAnn Wilson, murder victim (d.

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

) *August 23 -

Isabel Bassett Isabel Bassett (born August 23, 1939) is a Canadian broadcaster and former politician. From 1999 until 2005 she was the chair and CEO of TVOntario/ TFO, Ontario's provincial public television network. She has been a controversial figure at time ...

, broadcaster and politician *August 31 - Dennis Lee, poet and children's writer *September 1 -

Jake Epp Arthur Jacob "Jake" Epp, (born September 1, 1939) is a Canadian executive and former politician. Life and career Born into a Mennonite family in Manitoba, Epp was a high school history teacher in Steinbach, Manitoba before entering politics. J ...

, politician *September 2 -

Henry Mintzberg Henry Mintzberg (born September 2, 1939) is a Canadian academic and author on business and management. He is currently the Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at the Desautels Faculty of Management of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, ...

, academic and author on business and management *September 4 -

Jim Penner Jim Penner (September 4, 1939 – January 17, 2004) was a businessman and politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Manitoba legislature from 1999 to 2003. Penner was born in Rosthern, Saskatchewan and moved to Steinbach, Manitoba St ...

, businessman and politician (d. 2004) *September 10 – Jim Pappin, ice hockey player (d.

) *September 11 –

Lyse Richer Lyse Richer (born September 11, 1939) is a Canadian administrator and teacher of music. She taught piano at both the École de musique Vincent-d'Indy and the Université de Montréal. Richer later took on administrative roles in the management of ...

, administrator and music teacher *September 30 -

Len Cariou Leonard Joseph Cariou (; born September 30, 1939) is a Canadian actor and stage director, best known for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the original cast of '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'', for which he won the Tony Award ...

, actor

October to December

*October 5 -

Marie-Claire Blais Marie-Claire Blais (5 October 1939 – 30 November 2021) was a Canadian writer, novelist, poet, and playwright from the province of Québec. In a career spanning seventy years, she wrote novels, plays, collections of poetry and fiction, newsp ...

, novelist, poet and playwright (d.

) *November 6 - Joyce Fairbairn, Senator and first woman to serve as Leader of the Government in the Senate (d.

) *November 18 - Margaret Atwood, author, poet, critic, feminist and social campaigner *November 23 - Bill Bissett, poet *November 30 -

Louis LeBel Louis LeBel (born November 30, 1939) is a former puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. He served on the Court from 2000 to 2014. LeBel was born in Quebec City. He is the son of lawyer Paul LeBel, Q.C. He went to school at the Collèg ...

, jurist and

on the Supreme Court of Canada *December 2 -

Francis Fox Francis Fox (born December 2, 1939) is a former member of the Senate of Canada, Canadian Cabinet minister, and Principal Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, and thus was a senior aide to Prime Minister Paul Martin. He also worked as ...

, politician, minister and senator *December 21 -

Lloyd Axworthy Lloyd Norman Axworthy (born December 21, 1939) is a Canadian politician, elder statesman and academic. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Following his retirement from parliament ...

, politician and minister *December 24 -

James Bartleman James Karl Bartleman (born 24 December 1939) is a former Canadian diplomat and author who served as the 27th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 2002 to 2007. Bartleman grew up in the Muskoka town of Port Carling, and he is a member of the ...

, diplomat, author and 27th

Full date unknown

* Michael Estok, poet (d.

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...

) * Michael Overs, businessman, founder and owner of Pizza Pizza Limited (d. 2010) * Tony Parsons, journalist and television news anchor *

Robin Spry Robin Spry (October 25, 1939 – March 28, 2005) was a Canadian film director and television producer and screenwriter. Spry was perhaps best known for his documentary films '' Action: The October Crisis of 1970'' and '' Reaction: A Portrait of ...

, filmmaker and television producer (d. 2005)

Deaths

*January 24 -

Alfred Edmond Bourgeois Alfred Edmond Bourgeois (October 26, 1872 – January 24, 1939) was a Canadian Liberal Party politician who represented the riding of Kent. He ran in the Kent by-election in 1923 and 1930 Events January * January 15 – The Mo ...

, politician (b.

1872 Events January–March * January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years. * February 2 – The government of the United Kingdom buys a number of forts on ...

) *March 7 - Sir Joseph Flavelle, businessman (b.

1858 Events January–March * January – ** Benito Juárez (1806–1872) becomes Liberal President of Mexico. At the same time, conservatives install Félix María Zuloaga (1813–1898) as president. ** William I of Prussia becomes regen ...

) *March 8 -

Henry Pellatt Major-General Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, CVO (January 6, 1859 – March 8, 1939) was a Canadian financier and soldier. He is notable for his role in bringing hydro-electricity to Toronto for the first time, and also for his large château in Toron ...

, financier and soldier (b.

1859 Events January–March * January 21 – José Mariano Salas (1797–1867) becomes Conservative interim President of Mexico. * January 24 ( O. S.) – Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexandru Ioan Cuza (Romania since 1866, final ...

) *May 6 - Edward S. Rogers, Sr., inventor and radio pioneer (b.

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

) *July 12 - Fernand Rinfret, politician (b. 1883) *August 21 - Francis Patrick O'Connor, businessman, politician and philanthropist (b. 1885) *November 12 -

Norman Bethune Henry Norman Bethune (; March 4, 1890 – November 12, 1939; zh, t=亨利·諾爾曼·白求恩, p=Hēnglì Nuò'ěrmàn Báiqiú'ēn) was a Canadian thoracic surgeon, early advocate of socialized medicine, and member of the Communist Party ...

, physician and medical innovator (b. 1890) *November 28 -

James Naismith James Naismith (; November 6, 1861November 28, 1939) was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, best known as the inventor of the game of basketball. After moving to the United States, he wrote ...

, sports coach and innovator, inventor of basketball (b.

1861 Statistically, this year is considered the end of the whale oil industry and (in replacement) the beginning of the petroleum oil industry. Events January–March * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico City. ** The first stea ...

) *December 22 - Herbert James Palmer, politician and 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", ...

(b. 1851) *December 27 – Napoléon Turcot, politician (b.

1867 Events January–March * January 1 – The Covington–Cincinnati Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, in the United States, becoming the longest single-span bridge in the world. It was renamed a ...

)

Full date unknown

* Constance Piers, journalist, poet and editor (b.

1866 Events January–March * January 1 ** Fisk University, a historically black university, is established in Nashville, Tennessee. ** The last issue of the abolitionist magazine '' The Liberator'' is published. * January 6 – Ottoman t ...

)

Historical documents

With crisis in Europe, MP suggests Canada follow up on Statute of Westminster by declaring neutrality and following America-oriented defence policy Labour Day finds fighters and nurses enlisting for overseas service and

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...

rushing its wartime planning Editorial says Canada and Commonwealth are "one and indivisible, ndpledged unwaveringly to the support of the

Mother Country A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethn ...

" Before declaring war, PM King asks Commons for "authority for effective cooperation by Canada at the side of Britain" MP J.S. Woodsworth interrogates "cooperation," unspoken government policy, and whether Canada is already in war "We cannot be at peace while the head of this Empire is at war" - Sen.

Arthur Meighen Arthur Meighen (; June 16, 1874 – August 5, 1960) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Canada from 1920 to 1921 and from June to September 1926. He led the Conservative Party from 1920 to 1926 and fro ...

insists Canada enter European conflict Canada's declaration of war against German Reich Editorial says PM King, in choosing home defence over expeditionary force, is not giving "definite leadership" Regimen for Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry's transport ship includes lectures, training and organized games Enlisted man's 1939 surprises: Poland's fall weeks after

invasion An invasion is a Offensive (military), military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitics, geopolitical Legal entity, entity aggressively enter territory (country subdivision), territory owned by another such entity, gen ...

, and Christmas invitation given on his first day in England Editorial says " equality of sacrifice," essential to war effort, must include fairness in agricultural costs, prices and margins British meals depend on Canada for breakfast porridge and (with other wheat exporters) bread, and cheese, tinned soup, and

suet Suet is the raw, hard fat of beef, lamb or mutton found around the loins and kidneys. Suet has a melting point of between 45 °C and 50 °C (113 °F and 122 °F) and congelation between 37 °C and 40 °C (98.6& ...

in pudding at

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...

MP A.A. Heaps advocates joining other countries in welcoming refugees from persecution Mentioning uranium ore in Canada and German-occupied Czechoslovakia, Einstein urges President Roosevelt to back atomic energy research "Only a mile from home" - Eleven-year-old student Andrew Gordon from Gordon's reserve residential school dies of exposure walking home Supreme Court finds tavern, in absence of specific law, has "freedom of commerce" to not serve Black man Law professor comments on Quebec's Padlock Law allowing police to seal premises and arrest occupants deemed "communistic"

Private intelligence agency A private intelligence agency (PIA) is a private sector (non-governmental) or quasi-non-government organization devoted to the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information, through the evaluation of public sources (OSINT or Open Source IN ...

offers to spy on corporation's workers to detect "plots, plans and unrest" Mao's appreciation of

- "We must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from him" Poster: "Time Is Life" depicts Bethune riding a galloping horse King

- "It is my earnest hope that my present visit may give my Canadian people a deeper conception of their unity as a nation." Woman records her excitement over 1939 royal tour of George VI and Elizabeth in her diary Film of royal tour's stops in Calgary, Banff, Vancouver and Victoria CBC chairman tells House committee move into

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

will not come soon because of its current technical and financial limitations Course in

interior decoration Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordin ...

includes hands-on stitching, glazing, block-printing, weaving, lettering, etc., etc. Photo: children work on their art projects in Arthur Lismer's children's art classes in Toronto Calling "more friendly relations" essential to world progress,

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

's advertisement pledges friendship in its serviceThe Bank of Toronto
"Friendly Relations"
The Western Farm Leader, Vol. 4, No. 18 (Calgary, September 15, 1939), pg. 2. Accessed 22 June 2020

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1939 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 ...

1939 in North America