1997 in Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
See also: 1996 in Canada, other events of 1997, 1998 in Canada and the list of 'years in Canada'.
[edit] Incumbents
Monarch - Queen Elizabeth II Governor General - Roméo LeBlanc Prime Minister - Jean Chrétien Premier of Alberta - Ralph Klein Premier of British Columbia - Glen Clark Premier of Manitoba - Gary Filmon Premier of New Brunswick - Frank McKenna then Raymond Frenette Premier of Newfoundland - Brian Tobin Premier of Nova Scotia - John Savage then Russell MacLellan Premier of Ontario - Mike Harris Premier of Prince Edward Island - Pat Binns Premier of Quebec - Lucien Bouchard Premier of Saskatchewan - Roy Romanow
[edit] Events
January 4 - The federal government makes it much harder to obtain unemployment insurance. February 7 - Lennox Lewis becomes heavyweight boxing champion . February 7 - Sarah McLachlan marries Ashwin Sood. February 14 - Newsprint giants Abitibi-Price and Stone-Consolidated announce they are merging. March 6 - A new rigorous anti tobacco advertising law is passed March 11 - Alberta election: Ralph Klein's PCs win an eighth consecutive majority. March 15 - Gilles Duceppe is elected leader of the Bloc Québécois. March 19 - Bre-X geologist Michael de Guzman jumps or is pushed from a helicopter in Indonesia. March 21 - Nova Scotia Premier John Savage announces his resignation. April 22 - Massive flooding of the Red River in Manitoba leads to a state of emergency. May 31 - Confederation Bridge opens. June 2 - Federal election: Jean Chrétien's Liberals win a second consecutive majority, the Reform Party becomes the Official Opposition. June 18 - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) introduces a television rating system. July 2 - The Somalia Inquiry is disbanded prematurely. July 9 - Danielle House forced to give up her Miss Canada International title after pleading guilty to assault. July 18 - Russell MacLellan becomes the new Premier of Nova Scotia. July 30 - Phil Fontaine elected head of the Assembly of First Nations. August 7 - Bjarni Tryggvason flies aboard the Space Shuttle. September 2 - Newfoundlanders vote to do away with their religion based school systems. September 3 - One is killed in a Saskatchewan train derailment. September 25 - Chris Jericho is inducted into the Canadian Wrestling Hall Of Fame. October 1 - Michel Bastarache is appointed to the Supreme Court. October 2 - Canada recalls its ambassador to Israel after Mossad uses forged Canadian passports. October 7 - An out-of-court settlement is reached between Brian Mulroney and the federal government regarding the Airbus affair. October 13 - Raymond Frenette becomes premier of New Brunswick, replacing Frank McKenna. October 13 - 43 are killed in Canada's worst ever traffic accident as a tour bus falls off a cliff. October 17 - CTV Newsnet begins broadcasting. October 26 - Formula One: Jacques Villeneuve becomes the first Canadian to capture a world racing title. October 27-November 10 - A teachers strike hits Ontario. November 3 - Canada destroys the last land mines in its arsenal. November 9 - The scandal-racked Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative Party is mothballed. November 14 - Fourteen year old Reena Virk is beaten to death by classmates in Victoria, BC. November 16 - The Toronto Argonauts win the Grey Cup. November 17 - The Hibernia oil project pumps its first barrel of oil. November 21-November 25 - The APEC summit is held in Vancouver. Controversy arises when Royal Canadian Mounted Police use force and pepper spray to remove protesters. The Calgary Declaration from the premiers, except Lucien Bouchard. A second Sacred Assembly is held but issues no proclamation.
[edit] Arts and literature
- New Books
Timothy Findley - You Went Away
- Awards
Giller Prize for Canadian Fiction: Mordecai Richler - Barney's Version See 1997 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards. Books in Canada First Novel Award: Anne Michaels, Fugitive Pieces Geoffrey Bilson Award: Janet McNaughton, To Dance at the Palais Royale Gerald Lampert Award: Marilyn Dumont, A Really Good Brown Girl Marian Engel Award: Katherine Govier Pat Lowther Award: Marilyn Bowering, Autobiography Stephen Leacock Award: Arthur Black, Black in the Saddle Again Trillium Book Award English: Dionne Brand, Land to Light On Trillium Book Award French: Roger Levac, Petite Crapaude! Vicky Metcalf Award: Tim Wynne-Jones
- Film
Atom Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter is released, it is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director
- Television
The Arrow, a mini-series about the Avro Arrow shows plays to great popularity and acclaim and the CBC
- Music
Oscar Peterson receives a Grammy for life time achievement.
[edit] Deaths
January 1 - Hagood Hardy, pop/jazz pianist, composer, charity spokesperson January 12 - Frank Angelo, co-founder of MAC cosmetics January 12 - Charles Huggins, scientist, Nobel prize winner January 13 - Kate Buckman, bridge expert January 17 - W. A. Kardash, Manitoba politician January 22 - Jack Cole, Coles bookstore founder January 26 - Norman Fawcett, politician February 2 - Ian Ross, created major tourist attraction February 4 - Peter McCain, president of McCain Foods Limited February 20 - Lois Marshall, soprano February 25 - Francis Joubin, discovered one of world's largest uranium deposits March 2 - J. Carson Mark, influential in creation of hydrogen bomb March 12 - Jim Bowes, newspaper mogul March 14 - Ivan Romanoff, conductor March 25 - Hugh Horner, Alberta politician April 6 - Jack Kent Cooke, sports and newspaper entrepreneur April 8 - Albert Malouf, judge April 11 - Muriel Furguson, lawyer, Senate's first woman Speaker April 28 - Andrew Sarlos, investment counsellor, multimillionaire May 1 - Fernand Dumont, Quebec sovereigntist, author May 14 - Jane Musset, fashion reporter June 6 - Ron Collister, TV and radio journalist, talk-show host June 9 - Stanley Knowles, CCF MP June 22 - Gérard Pelletier, politician June 22 - Larry Grossman, Ontario politician June 29 - Art Solomon, spiritualist leader, author July 8 - Charles Tayler, journalist, horse breeder July 30 - Robert Bryce, civil servant August 10 - Marie-Soleil Tougas, Quebec actress and TV host August 20 - Léon Dion, Quebec political scientist August 24 - Hardial Bains, Communist Party leader September 2 - Hart Massey, architect September 12 - Judith Merril, science fiction writer, anthologist September 29 - Val Clery, writer, editor, broadcaster October 8 - James Ferguson, musician October 12 - Rodrigue Bourdages, politician November 7 - Clyde Gilmour, CBC radio host November 11 - Arthur Davies, publisher and president of Kingston Whig-Standard, author November 14 - Jack Pickersgill, politician November 20 - Ronald Martland, jurist November 24 - Czeslaw Brzozowicz, engineer November 24 - John Sopinka, Supreme Court justice November 27 - Yves Prévost, Quebec politician December 7 - George Gardiner, businessman, ceramics collector December 13 - Catherine Keachie, magazine lobbyist December 24 - Pierre Péladeau, newspaper editor Pierre Granche, sculptor
