1983 in Canada
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| Years in Canada: | 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 |
| Centuries: | 19th century · 20th century · 21st century |
| Decades: | 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s |
| Years: | 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 |
| Part of a series on the |
| History of Canada |
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Events from the year 1983 in Canada.
Incumbents
Crown
- Head of state (monarch) – Queen Elizabeth II (consort – Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh)
Federal government
- Governor general – Edward Schreyer (viceregal consort – Lily Schreyer)
- Prime minister – Pierre Trudeau
Provincial governments
Lieutenant governors
- Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – Francis Charles Lynch-Staunton
- Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – Henry Pybus Bell-Irving (until July 15) then Robert Gordon Rogers
- Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – Pearl McGonigal
- Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – George Stanley
- Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland – William Anthony Paddon
- Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – John Elvin Shaffner
- Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – John Black Aird
- Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – Joseph Aubin Doiron
- Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Jean-Pierre Côté
- Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Irwin McIntosh (until July 6) then Frederick Johnson
Premiers
- Premier of Alberta – Peter Lougheed
- Premier of British Columbia – Bill Bennett
- Premier of Manitoba – Howard Pawley
- Premier of New Brunswick – Richard Hatfield
- Premier of Newfoundland – Brian Peckford
- Premier of Nova Scotia – John Buchanan
- Premier of Ontario – Bill Davis
- Premier of Prince Edward Island – James Lee
- Premier of Quebec – René Lévesque
- Premier of Saskatchewan – Grant Devine
Territorial governments
Commissioners
Premiers
Events
- January 1 - The metric system of weights and measures is officially adopted by the federal government although Imperial units are still used.
- January 17 - Saskatchewan MLA Colin Thatcher resigns as Minister of Energy and Mines after several well-publicised disputes with premier Grant Devine.
- January 21 - JoAnn Thatcher, ex-wife of Saskatchewan MLA Colin Thatcher, is murdered in her Regina home. Colin would later be convicted of the crime.
- February 1 - Pay television begins operating in Canada.
- February 15 - The Tamarack Review ceases publication
- April 1 - The spending mandate by Premier Bill Bennett's government expires without a sitting of the House or the calling of an election: constitutional interregnum and crisis
- April 5 - Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Henry Pybus Bell-Irving summons Premier Bennett to Government House. The L-G issues emergency warrants to cover spending until a snap election.
- June 2 - Air Canada Flight 797 makes an emergency landing in Cincinnati, Ohio - a fire kills 23 of 41 passengers on board.
- June 9 - Bill 101, protecting the French language in Quebec is ruled unconstitutional
- June 11 - Brian Mulroney replaces Joe Clark as leader of Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
- June 19 - BC Place in Vancouver opens
- July 23 - Gimli Glider: Air Canada flight 143 makes an emergency landing in Gimli, Manitoba.
- October 1 - North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization is established
- November 17 - The Western Grain Transportation Act is passed
- December 23 - Jeanne Sauvé is appointed Canada's first female Governor General
Full date unknown
- Canada agrees to allow testing of American cruise missiles in the west
- The Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station, the first Nuclear power plant in the Maritimes
Arts and literature
New books
- A Time for Judas - Morley Callaghan
- Unearthing Suite - Margaret Atwood
- Seagull on Yonge Street - Bill Bissett
Awards
- See 1983 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
- Books in Canada First Novel Award: W.P. Kinsella, Shoeless Joe
- Gerald Lampert Award: Diana Hartog, Matinee Light
- Pat Lowther Award: Rhea Tregebov, Remembering History
- Stephen Leacock Award: Morley Torgov, The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick
- Vicky Metcalf Award: Claire Mackay
Film
- Graham Greene makes his film debut in Running Brave
- David Cronenberg's The Dead Zone is released
- A film is made of Farley Mowat's Never Cry Wolf, named Never Cry Wolf.
Sport
- March 5 - Steve Podborski wins Gold at the World Cup of Skiing.
- October 1 - Soccer Bowl '83 is played in Vancouver's BC Place Stadium before 53,326 fans. Tulsa defeats Toronto, 2–0 to win the North American Soccer League title.
- Grey Cup - Toronto Argonauts won 18-17 over the BC Lions
- Vanier Cup - Calgary Dinos won 31-21 over the Queen's Golden Gaels
Births
January to June
- January 3 - Joe Bartoch, swimmer
- February 2 - Jordin Tootoo, ice hockey player
- February 6 - Myron Wolf Child, youth activist, public speaker and politician (d.2007)
- February 9 - Keith Beavers, swimmer
- February 14 - Sasha Andrews, soccer player
- March 3
- Olia Berger, judoka
- Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon, synchronized swimmer
- March 10 - Reena Virk, murder victim (d.1997)
- April 7 - Kyle Labine, actor
- April 12 - Anthony Sedlak, chef, and the host of Food Network Canada's The Main (d.2012)
- April 28 - Dan Mangan, singer-songwriter
- May 20 - Dan Blackburn, ice hockey player
- June 6 - Lyndie Greenwood, Canadian actress
- June 22 - Sheena Lawrick, softball player
- June 26 - Jessika Dubuc, synchronized swimmer
July to December
- July 6
- Leo Carroll, volleyball player
- Christine Firkins, Canadian actress
- July 21 - Tara Campbell, water polo player
- August 18 - Chuck Bishop
- September 10 - Joey Votto, baseball player
- September 27 - Jay Bouwmeester, ice hockey player
- November 4 - Melanie Kok, rower
- December 24 - Daniel Stein, water polo player
Deaths
January to June
- January 21 - JoAnn Wilson, murder victim (b.1939)
- March 16 - Fred Rose, politician and trade union organizer (b.1907)
- May 1 - George Hodgson, swimmer and double Olympic gold medalist (b.1893)
- May 10 - Leonard Marsh, social scientist and professor (b.1906)
- May 25 - Jean Rougeau, professional wrestler and bodyguard of Québec Premier René Lévesque (b.1929)
- June 2 -
- Thomas John Bentley, politician (b.1891)
- Stan Rogers, folk musician and songwriter (b.1949)
- June 12 - Norma Shearer, Academy Award–winning actress (b.1902)
- June 27 - Alden Nowlan, poet, novelist, playwright and journalist (b.1933)
July to December
- July 11 - Ross Macdonald, novelist (b.1915)
- July 13 - Gabrielle Roy, author (b.1909)
- July 29 - Raymond Massey, actor (b.1896)
- September 21 - Andrew Brewin, lawyer and politician (b.1907)
- October 20 - Yves Thériault, author (b.1915)
- November 24 - Graham Spry, broadcasting pioneer, business executive, diplomat and socialist (b.1900)
- December 2 - Fifi D'Orsay, actress (b.1904)
