Events from the year 1969 in Canada.
Incumbents
Crown
Monarch – Elizabeth II
Federal government
Governor General – Roland Michener
Prime Minister – Pierre Trudeau
Chief Justice – John Robert Cartwright (Ontario) Parliament – 28th
Provincial governments
Lieutenant governors
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – Grant MacEwan
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – John Robert Nicholson
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – Richard Spink Bowles
Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – Wallace Samuel Bird
Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland – Fabian O'Dea (until April 2) then Ewart John Arlington Harnum Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – Victor de Bedia Oland Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – William Ross Macdonald Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – Willibald Joseph MacDonald (until October 6) then John George MacKay Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Hugues Lapointe Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Robert Hanbidge
Premiers
Premier of Alberta – Harry Strom
Premier of British Columbia – W.A.C. Bennett
Premier of Manitoba – Walter Weir (until July 15) then Edward Schreyer
Premier of New Brunswick – Louis Robichaud
Premier of Newfoundland – Joey Smallwood
Premier of Nova Scotia – G.I. Smith
Premier of Ontario – John Robarts
Premier of Prince Edward Island – Alexander B. Campbell
Premier of Quebec – Jean-Jacques Bertrand
Premier of Saskatchewan – Ross Thatcher
Territorial governments
Commissioners
Commissioner of Yukon – James Smith
Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Stuart Milton Hodgson
Events
January 29 – February 11 – The Sir George Williams Computer Riot occurs as students occupy the computer centre of Sir George Williams University to protest alleged racism on campus February 13 – FLQ terrorists bomb the Montreal Stock Exchange February 19 – An 18-month-long strike by Quebec teachers comes to an end March 7 – Pierre-Paul Geoffroy pleads guilty to charges connected to 31 FLQ bombings April 18 – New Brunswick adopts an Official Languages Act mandating that government services be available in both English and French May 2 – Telesat Canada formed June 2 – The National Arts Centre in Ottawa opens June 27 – Parliament decriminalizes consensual homosexual sex, with some exceptions July 7 – The Official Languages Act makes French and English equal throughout the Canadian government July 15 – Edward Schreyer becomes premier of Manitoba, replacing Walter Weir August 24 – The oil tanker Manhattan becomes the first such ship to travel through the Northwest Passage September 27- The Ontario Science Centre in Toronto opens October 23 – at 8:21 am suffers the worst peacetime accident in the history of the navy during routine full-power trials when her starboard gearbox reaches an estimated temperature of 650 degrees Celsius and explodes. The explosion and the ensuing fire killed 9 crew members and injured at least 53 others.
Arts and literature
New works
Margaret Atwood - The Edible Woman
Timothy Findley - The Butterfly Plague
Robert Kroetsch - The Studhorse Man
Mordecai Richler - The Street
Milton Acorn - I've Tasted My Blood
Farley Mowat - The Boat Who Wouldn't Float
Gilles Archambault - Le tendre matin
Marshall McLuhan - Counterblast
Awards
See 1969 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards. Stephen Leacock Award: Stuart Trueman, You're Only as Old as You Act Vicky Metcalf Award: Audrey McKim
Music
Karel Ančerl replaces Seiji Ozawa as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra