1991 in Canada

← 1990 1989 1988 1991 in Canada → 1992 1993 1994
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	History of Canada Timeline of Canadian history List of years in Canada

Events from the year1991 in Canada.

Incumbents

Main article:1991 Canadian incumbents

Crown

• Monarch–Elizabeth II

Federal government

• Governor General–Ray Hnatyshyn
• Prime Minister–Brian Mulroney
• Chief Justice–Antonio Lamer(Quebec)
• Parliament–34th

Provincial governments

Lieutenant governors

• Lieutenant Governor of Alberta–Helen Hunley(until March 11) thenGordon Towers
• Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia–David Lam
• Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba–George Johnson
• Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick–Gilbert Finn
• Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland–James McGrath(until November 5) thenFrederick Russell
• Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia–Lloyd Crouse
• Lieutenant Governor of Ontario–Lincoln Alexander(until December 11) thenHal Jackman
• Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island–Marion Reid
• Lieutenant Governor of Quebec–Martial Asselin
• Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan–Sylvia Fedoruk

Premiers

• Premier of Alberta–Don Getty
• Premier of British Columbia–Bill Vander Zalm(until April 2) thenRita Johnston(April 2 to November 5) thenMike Harcourt
• Premier of Manitoba–Gary Filmon
• Premier of New Brunswick–Frank McKenna
• Premier of Newfoundland–Clyde Wells
• Premier of Nova Scotia–Roger Bacon(until February 26) thenDonald Cameron
• Premier of Ontario–Bob Rae
• Premier of Prince Edward Island–Joe Ghiz
• Premier of Quebec–Robert Bourassa
• Premier of Saskatchewan–Grant Devine(until November 1) thenRoy Romanow

Territorial governments

Commissioners

• Commissioner of Yukon–John Kenneth McKinnon
• Commissioner of Northwest Territories–Daniel L. Norris

Premiers

• Premier of the Northwest Territories–Dennis Patterson(until November 14) thenNellie Cournoyea
• Premier of Yukon–Tony Penikett

Events

January to June

• January 1 – TheGoods and Services Taxcomes into effect.
• January 15 –Canadian Forcesbegin their participation in thePersian Gulf War.
• January 29 – The Allaire Committee releasesits reportonCanada's constitution:it recommends the transfer of many powers from the federal government to the provinces.
• January 30 –Gulf War:A CanadianCF-18 Hornetattacks and causes irreparable damage to anIraqiwarship.
• February 26 –Donald Cameronbecomes premier of Nova Scotia, replacingRoger Bacon.
• February 27 –Gulf War:Iraq agrees to a cease-fire ending the conflict.
• April 2 –Rita Johnstonbecomespremier of British Columbia,replacingBill Vander Zalm.She is the first woman premier in Canada.
• April 22 –Joe Clarkis appointedMinister responsible for Constitutional Affairs.
• May –George Erasmus,leader of theAssembly of First Nations,resigns and is succeeded byOvide Mercredi.
• May 14 – MPJohn Nunziataalleges theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police(RCMP) know who bombed theAir-India flight 182but did not have evidence needed for prosecution.
• June 11 – The Quebec sovereigntist partyBloc Québécoisis founded byLucien Bouchard.
• June 15 –Paul Bernardokidnaps, rapes, and murdersLeslie Mahaffy.
• June 19 – TheDobbie-Castonguay Commissionis created to look into changes to the constitution.

July to December

• July 3 – The process leading to theprivatizationofPetro-Canadais started.
• July 27 –Greg Welch(AUS) andSue Schlatter(CAN) win the1991 ITU Triathlon World Cup race(1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run) in Vancouver.
• August 4 –Brad Beven(AUS) andKaren Smyers(USA) win the1991 ITU Triathlon World Cup race(1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run) in Toronto.
• September 24 –Dobbie-Castonguay Commissionrecommends an elected Senate and recognizingQuebecas a distinct society.
• October 21 – The Saskatchewan election:Roy Romanow's NDP win a majority, defeatingGrant Devine's PCs.
• November 1 – Roy Romanow becomes premier of Saskatchewan, replacing Grant Devine.
• November 5 –Michael Harcourtbecomes premier of British Columbia, replacing Rita Johnston.
• November 14 –Nellie Cournoyeabecomes government leader of the Northwest Territories, replacingDennis Patterson,the firstwomanto do so, first female premier of a Canadian territory and the secondfemale premierin Canadian history afterRita JohnstonofBritish Columbia.
• November 24 – At the79th Grey CuptheToronto Argonautsdefeat theCalgary StampedersatWinnipeg Stadiumin Winnipeg.
• December 7 –A Bunch of Munschpremieres onCTV,based on the children's books byRobert Munsch.

Full date unknown

• Jean-Bertrand Aristide,the President ofHaiti,visits Canada and is warmly welcomed by the large Haitian community inMontreal,where he had studied at theUniversité de Montréal.
• Julius Alexander Isaacis named Chief Justice of theFederal Court of Canada.He becomes the first Black Chief Justice in Canada.
• David Schindlerof theUniversity of Albertawins the first internationalStockholm WaterPrize for environmental research.
• Ferguson Jenkinsbecomes the first Canadian elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame.
• Canadianpeacekeepersbegin a five-year deployment toEl Salvador.
• Canadian observers are sent toWestern Sahara.
• News media:eye weeklycreated in Toronto.

Arts and literature

New works

• Rohinton Mistry:Such a Long Journey
• Douglas Coupland:Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture
• Margaret Atwood:Wilderness Tips
• Dave Duncan:Faery Lands Forlorn
• Hume Cronyn:A Terrible Liar
• Spider Robinson:Starseed

Awards

• See1991 Governor General's Awardsfor a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Books in Canada First Novel Award:Nino Ricci,Lives of the Saints
• Gerald Lampert Award:Diana Brebner,Radiant Life Forms
• Geoffrey Bilson Award:Marianne Brandis,The Sign of the Scales
• Marian Engel Award:Joan Clark
• Pat Lowther Award:Karen Connelly,The Small Words in My Body
• Stephen Leacock Award:Howard White,Waiting in the Rain
• Trillium Book Award:Margaret Atwood,Wilderness Tips
• Vicky Metcalf Award:Brian Doyle

Film

• Atom Egoyan'sThe Adjusteris released
• James Cameron'sTerminator 2: Judgment Dayis released. It is the year's highest-grossing film

Music

• Trevor Pinnockbecomes director of theNational Arts Centre Orchestra

Sport

• May 19 –Spokane Chiefswin their firstMemorial Cupby defeating theDrummondville Voltigeurs5 to 1. The final game was played atColisée de QuébecinQuebec City, Quebec
• May 25 –Montreal, Quebec's Mario Lemieux of thePittsburgh Penguinsis awarded theConn Smythe Trophy
• November 24 –Toronto Argonautswin their twelfthGrey Cupby defeating theCalgary Stampedersin the79th Grey Cupplayed atWinnipeg StadiuminWinnipeg.Toronto'sDave Sapunjiswas awarded the game'sMost Valuable Canadianin a losing effort
• November 30 –Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawkswin their firstVanier Cupby defeating theMount Allison Mounties25 to 18 in the27th Vanier Cup

Births

• January 13 –Kyle Clifford,ice hockey player
• January 16 –Matt Duchene,hockey player
• January 18 –Britt McKillip,actress and musician
• January 21 –Brittany Tiplady,actress
• January 25 –Jared Cowen,ice hockey player
• January 28 –Calum Worthy,actor
• February 12
  • Tanaya Beatty,actress
  • Ryan Kavanagh,ice hockey defenceman
• March 10 –Landon Liboiron,actor
• March 13 –Tristan Thompson,basketball player
• March 14
  • Rhiannon Fish,actress
  • Greta Onieogou,actress
• April 7 –Michelle Monkhouse,fashion model (died2011)
• April 19 –Kelly Olynyk,basketball player
• April 22 –Aqsa Parvez,murder victim (died2007)
• May 8 –Ethan Gage,soccer player
• May 10 –Jordan Francis,singer, dancer, actor, and choreographer
• May 11 –Johnathon Robert Madden,murder victim (died2003)
• May 17 -Abigail Raye,field hockey player
• May 29 –Jesse Camacho,actor
• May 31 –Pierre-Luc Dusseault,politician
• June 19 –Hilary Bell,swimmer
• June 29 –Tajja Isen,actress
• July 13 –Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes,ski jumper
• July 20 –Andrew Shaw,ice hockey player
• July 24 –Emily Bett Rickards,actress
• August 6 –Kacey Rohl,actress
• August 18 –Richard Harmon,actor
• August 22 –Brayden Schenn,ice hockey player
• August 23 –Jennifer Abel,diver
• September 2 –Emma Lunder,biathlete
• September 8 –Nicole Dollanganger,singer-songwriter
• September 16 –Alexandra Paul,ice dancer (died2023)
• October 30 –Aliza Vellani,television actress
• October 31 –Patricia Obee,rower
• November 10 –Genevieve Buechner,actress
• November 13 –Devon Bostick,actor
• November 14
  • Miriam Brouwer,cyclist
  • Taylor Hall,ice hockey player
• November 25 –Disguised Toast,Taiwanese-Canadian video game streamer, YouTuber, and Internet personality
• November 28 –Ian Beharry,pair skater
• December 12 –Daniel Magder,actor
• December 17 –Léo Bureau-Blouin,politician

Deaths

January to June

• January 1 –Larry Condon,politician (born1936)
• January 23 –Northrop Frye,literary critic and literary theorist (born1912)
• February 7 –Jean-Paul Mousseau,artist (born1927)
• February 11 –Pete Parker,radio announcer (born1895)
• February 20 –Eugene Forsey,politician and constitutional expert (born1904)
• April 26 –Richard Hatfield,politician and 26thPremier of New Brunswick(born1931)
• May 9 –Loran Ellis Baker,politician (born1905)
• June 11 –David Croll,politician (born1900)
• June 16 –Leslie Mahaffy,murder victim (born1976)

July to December

• July 8 –Gordon Stewart Anderson,writer (born1958)
• July 10 –Grace MacInnis,politician and feminist (born1905)
• August 6 –Roland Michener,lawyer, politician diplomat and Governor-General of Canada (born1900)
• August 22 –Colleen Dewhurst,actress (born1924)
• August 31 –Cliff Lumsdon,world champion marathon swimmer (born1931)
• September 12 –Albert Bruce Matthews,commander of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division during the Second World War (born1909)
• September 25 –Stanley Waters,Senator (born1920)
• October 2 –Hazen Argue,politician (born1921)
• October 26 –Sherry Hawco,artistic gymnast (born1964)

• November 13 –Paul-Émile Léger,Cardinalof theRoman Catholic Church(born1904)
• December 17 –Armand Frappier,physician and microbiologist (born1904)

See also

• 1991 in Canadian television
• List of Canadian films of 1991