1972 in Canada

"See also:"
1971 in Canada,
other events of 1972,
1973 in Canada and the
Timeline of Canadian history.

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Incumbents

* Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II
* Governor General: Roland Michener
* Prime Minister: Pierre Trudeau
* Premier of Alberta: Peter Lougheed
* Premier of British Columbia: W.A.C. Bennett then David Barrett
* Premier of Manitoba: Edward Schreyer
* Premier of New Brunswick: Richard Hatfield
* Premier of Newfoundland: Joey Smallwood then Frank Moores
* Premier of Nova Scotia: Gerald Regan
* Premier of Ontario: Bill Davis
* Premier of Prince Edward Island: Alexander B. Campbell
* Premier of Quebec: Robert Bourassa
* Premier of Saskatchewan: Allan Blakeney

Events

* January 1: Winnipeg is merged into a megacity
* January 1: Canada's ban on cigarette advertisements on film, radio, and television goes into effect
* January 1: Canada's Capital Gains Tax comes into effect
* January 18: Frank Moores becomes premier of Newfoundland, replacing Joey Smallwood, who had governed for 23 years
* February 25: The Pickering Nuclear Power Plant opens
* April 15: Canada and the United States sign the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
* May 31: The "member" level of the Order of Canada is created
* June 16: The Churchill Falls hydro-electric facility opens
* July 14: Donald Macdonald of the Canadian Labour Congress becomes the first non-European head of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
* July 21: Global Television begins broadcasting in Ontario
* August 30: Frank Calder becomes the first Native Cabinet minister in Canadian history when he is appointed to the Cabinet of British Columbia
* September 1: An arson attack on the Blue Bird Bar in Montreal kills 37
* September 12: Heritage Canada is established
* September 15: David Barrett becomes premier of British Columbia, replacing W.A.C. Bennett, who had governed for 20 years
* September 27: The sale of fire crackers is banned in Canada
* September 28: Paul Henderson scores the "goal of the century" to give Canada the win in the Summit Series, the first-ever top-level hockey showdown between Canada and the Soviet Union.
* October 30: Federal election: Pierre Trudeau's Liberals win a minority
* November 9: "Anik I", the world's first non-military communications satellite is launched.
* Government pensions are indexed to cost of living
* The Art Bank is established
* The World Hockey Association begins operations
* CityTV founded in Toronto
* The government's Parliamentary Flag Program begins

Arts and literature

: New works
* Robertson Davies: "The Manticore"
* Margaret Atwood: "Survival"
* Mordecai Richler: "Shovelling Trouble"
* John Newlove: "Lies"
* Milton Acorn: "More Poems for People"
* Donald Jack: "Exit Muttering"
* Leona Gom: "Kindling"
* Joy Fielding: "The Best of Friends"
* Farley Mowat: "A Whale for the Killing"
* Marshall McLuhan: "Culture Is Our Business": Awards
* See 1972 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
* Stephen Leacock Award: Max Braithwaite, "The Night They Stole the Mounties' Car"
* Vicky Metcalf Award: William Toye

Births

* January 1 — Shaun Majumder, actor
* January 3 — Drake Berehowsky, ice hockey player
* January 10 — Jonathan Ohayon, archer
* January 25 — Katrina Von Sass, volleyball player
* February 12 — Owen Nolan, ice hockey player
* March 13 — Sherri Field, field hockey player
* March 17 — Melissa Auf der Maur, musician
* March 22 — Elvis Stojko, figure skater
* April 2 — Graham Hood, middle-distance runner
* April 24 — Nicolas Gill, judoka
* May 5 — Devin Townsend, musician
* May 5 — Brad Bombardir, ice hockey player
* May 6 — Martin Brodeur, ice hockey goaltender
* May 30 — Lisa Michelle Merrithew, public relations consultant
* June 15 — Krista Thompson, field hockey goalkeeper
* June 17 — Steven Fletcher, politician
* June 26 — Garou, singer
* July 4 — Mike Knuble, ice hockey player
* August 1 — Tanya Reid, actor
* August 29 — Amanda Marshall, singer
* September 20 — Sergio Di Zio, actor
* September 27 — Clara Hughes, cyclist
* October 11 — Brigitte Soucy, volleyball player
* October 17 — Cameron Baerg, Olympic rower
* November 26 — Chris Osgood, ice hockey goaltender
* December 19 — Charles Lefrançois, high jumper

Deaths

* December 27: Lester B. Pearson, Prime Minister