2001 in Canada

← 2000 1999 1998 2001 in Canada → 2002 2003 2004
Decades:	1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	History of Canada Timeline of Canadian history List of years in Canada

Events from the year2001 in Canada.

Incumbents

Main article:2001 Canadian incumbents

Estimated Canadian population:31,110,565

Crown

• Monarch–Elizabeth II

Federal government

• Governor General–Adrienne Clarkson
• Prime Minister–Jean Chrétien
• Chief Justice–Beverley McLachlin(British Columbia)
• Parliament–37th(from January 29)

Provincial governments

Lieutenant governors

• Lieutenant Governor of Alberta–Lois Hole
• Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia–Garde Gardom(until September 25) thenIona Campagnolo
• Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba–Peter Liba
• Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick–Marilyn Trenholme Counsell
• Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador–Arthur Maxwell House
• Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia–Myra Freeman
• Lieutenant Governor of Ontario–Hilary Weston
• Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island–Gilbert Clements(until May 28) thenLéonce Bernard
• Lieutenant Governor of Quebec–Lise Thibault
• Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan–Lynda Haverstock

Premiers

• Premier of Alberta–Ralph Klein
• Premier of British Columbia–Ujjal Dosanjh(until June 5) thenGordon Campbell
• Premier of Manitoba–Gary Doer
• Premier of New Brunswick–Bernard Lord
• Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador–Beaton Tulk(until February 13) thenRoger Grimes
• Premier of Nova Scotia–John Hamm
• Premier of Ontario–Mike Harris
• Premier of Prince Edward Island–Pat Binns
• Premier of Quebec–Lucien Bouchard(until March 8) thenBernard Landry
• Premier of Saskatchewan–Roy Romanow(until February 8) thenLorne Calvert

Territorial governments

Commissioners

• Commissioner of Yukon–Jack Cable
• Commissioner of Northwest Territories–Glenna Hansen
• Commissioner of Nunavut–Peter Irniq

Premiers

• Premier of the Northwest Territories–Stephen Kakfwi
• Premier of Nunavut–Paul Okalik
• Premier of Yukon–Pat Duncan

Events

January to March

• January 1 – TheOntariocities ofOttawa,HamiltonandSudburyhave their surrounding suburbs merged into their municipalities. Sudbury is the only one of the three to change its name (to Greater Sudbury).Torontohad been similarly merged in1998.
• January 17 – TheBank of Canadaunveils a new$10 billwith enhanced security features.
• January 18 –MafiaBoypleads guilty to 56 of 66 mischief charges in aMontrealcourtroom. The other 10 charges were withdrawn.
• January 27 –Lorne Calvertbecomes the leader of theSaskatchewan New Democratic Partyafter winning the fourth ballot at the party's2001leadership convention.
• January 29 –Peter Millikenis elected as the newSpeakerof theHouse of Commonsafter five rounds of voting.
• January 29 – TheToronto Stock Exchangeallowsstocksgreater than $5 in value to trade at 1¢ increments instead of at 5¢ increments.
• January 30 –Governor GeneralAdrienne Clarksonreads theSpeech from the Throneat the beginning of the37th Canadian parliament.[1]Archived2004-09-07 at theWayback Machine
• January 30 – An envelope mailed toCitizenship and Immigration MinisterElinor Caplancontaining a mysterious blue powder caused theImmigration Canadabuilding to be sealed off. AWinnipeglaboratoryon February 1 said the powder posed no health risk.
• February 2 – Canada begins banning imports ofbeefand beef products fromBrazildue to concerns ofmad cow disease.
• February 2 –Ontario Minister of FinanceErnie Evesquits to become vice-chair and senior adviser at Credit Suisse First Boston Canada.
• February 3 –Roger Grimesbecomes leader of theLiberal Party of Newfoundland and Labradorafter winning the second ballot at the party's leadership convention.
• February 5 –Prime MinisterJean Chrétienbecomes the first foreign leader to visit the newly electedPresident of the United States,George W. Bush,inWashington, D.C.
• February 8 – Lorne Calvert becomespremier of Saskatchewan,replacingRoy Romanow.
• February 13 – Roger Grimes becomespremier of Newfoundland,replacingBeaton Tulk.
• March 8 –Bernard Landrybecomespremier of Quebec,replacingLucien Bouchard.
• March 12 –2001 Alberta general election:Ralph Klein's PCs win a ninth consecutive majority.

April to June

• April 18 - Online only media rabble.ca is founded with well known media critic and feminist activist Judy Rebick as publisher.
• April 20 –Summit of the Americasis held inQuebec Cityto discuss theFTAA;the city, which has been divided by a high fence around much of the downtown core, also hosts thePeople's Summitand is wracked by theQuebec City protests.
• May 4 – Chrétien's longtime Chief of Staff,Jean Pelletier,is made the head ofVia Rail.
• May 14 –Video lottery terminal referendum in New Brunswick.
• May 16 –British Columbia election:Gordon Campbell'sBC Liberalswin a landslide victory over PremierUjjal Dosanjh'sNDP.
• May 18 –Conrad Blackrenounces his Canadian citizenship.
• May 23 –Federal Ethics Commissionerreleases a report which clearsAlfonso Gaglianoof any wrongdoing in thesponsorship scandal.
• June 5 –Gordon Campbellbecomespremier of British Columbia,replacingUjjal Dosanjh.

July to December

• July –Canadabecomes the first country in the world to legalizemedical marijuana.
• July 17 – Infighting in theCanadian Allianceforces out leaderStockwell Day.
• August 24 –Conrad BlacksellsThe National PosttoIzzy Asper'sCanWest.
• August 24 –René Lévesque Bustunveiled.
• August 28 – The US Governors ofNew Englandagree with theQuebecandAtlantic Canadianpremiersto theClimate Change Action Plan 2001.
• September 7 -Documentary Channelsigns on.
• September 11 – Canada's border with theUnited Statesis on high alert in the aftermath of theterrorist attacks in the United States.Canadian government initiates both "Operation Support"and"Operation Yellow Ribbon."
• September 14 – Three days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, while the rest of the world sees the memorial service for the victims at theWashington National Cathedral,Canadians see the similar service onParliament Hill—the largest single vigil ever seen in the nation's capital.
• October 7 – the2001 Attack on Afghanistanbegins. Canadian fighter pilots and ground troops are involved in the war.
• November 17 –VancouverresidentAaron Websteris killed in what many believe to be agay bashingattack.
• December 12 – The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary arrests Dr. Shirley Turner inSt. John'son suspicion ofmurdering her boyfriend Andrew BagbyinPennsylvania.However, Justice Gale Welsh releases Turner deeming her not a threat to society, despite the murder charges.

Full date unknown

• Canadian Coalition for Global Health Researchis founded.
• Chris Hadfieldbecomes the first Canadian to perform aspacewalk.
• CTVpurchasesThe Globe and Mail.
• Jean Drapeau Statueunveiled.

Arts and literature

• March 4 –Bruce Cockburnis inducted into theCanadian Music Hall of Fame.

New literature

• Discipline of Power:Jeffrey Simpson
• Dolce Agonia:Nancy Huston
• Eunoia:Christian Bök
• Life of Pi:Yann Martel
• Shadows:Timothy Findley
• Stanley Park:Timothy Taylor
• The Stone Carvers:Jane Urquhart

Literary awards

• Alistair MacLeod'sNo Great Mischiefwins the lucrativeInternational Dublin Literary Award
• Giller Prize for Canadian Fiction:Richard B. Wright:Clara Callan
• See2001 Governor General's Awardsfor a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Books in Canada First Novel Award:Michael Redhill,Martin Sloane
• Geoffrey Bilson Award:Sharon McKay,Charlie Wilcox
• Gerald Lampert Award:Anne Simpson,Light Falls Through You
• Griffin Poetry Prize:Anne Carson,Men in the Off Hours
• Marian Engel Award:Elizabeth Hay
• Matt Cohen Prize:Mavis Gallant
• Norma Fleck Award:Gena K. Gorrell,Heart and Soul: The Story of Florence Nightingale
• Pat Lowther Award:Sharon Thesen,A Pair of Scissors
• Stephen Leacock Award:Stuart McLean,Vinyl Café Unplugged
• Trillium Book AwardEnglish:Richard B. Wright,Clara Callan
• Trillium Book AwardFrench:Michèle Matteau,Cognac et Porto
• Vicky Metcalf Award:Linda Granfield

New music

• All Killer No Filler:Sum 41
• Back to the Mansion:April Wine
• Pretty Together:Sloan
• Silver Side Up:Nickelback
• Ten New Songs:Leonard Cohen

Film

• Atanarjuat: The Fast Runnerwins theGolden Reelfor Best First Feature atCannes

Television

• Rick MercerleavesThis Hour Has 22 Minutes,then is replaced byColin Mochrie
• Kevin Newmananchors Global Television Network's national newscast,Global National,beginning days before 9/11.

Sport

• January 31 –George N. Gillett Jr.buys 80% of theMontreal Canadiensand 100% of theMolson CentreinMontrealforUS$275 million.
• February 3 –Catriona Le May Doanwins gold in the 500 m and 1000 mspeed skatingraces inHeerenveen,Netherlands.
• April 18 – TheVancouver Grizzliesplay their final game as Canadian-based team, winning over the Golden State Warriors 95–81. The teammoved to Memphislater in 2001.
• May 27 -Red Deer Rebelswon their FirstMemorial Cupby defeatingVal-d'Or Foreurs6 to 5. The Tournament was played atAgridomeinRegina, Saskatchewan
• June 9 -Burnaby, British Columbia'sJoe Sakicof theColorado Avalancheis awarded theConn Smythe Trophy
• November 25 –Calgary Stampederswon their FifthGrey Cupby defeating theWinnipeg Blue Bombers27 to 19 in the89th Grey Cupplayed atOlympic StadiuminMontreal
• December 1 -Saint Mary's Huskieswon their SecondVanier Cupby defeating theManitoba Bisonsby a score of 42–16 in the37th Vanier Cupplayed atSkydomeinToronto

Births

• March 6 –Aryana Engineer,actress
• March 9 –Jeon So-mi,singer, member ofI.O.I
• May 8 –Jordyn Huitema,soccer player
• May 12 –John Paul Ruttan,actor
• May 26 –Megan Charpentier,actress
• July 8 –Riele Downs,child actress
• July 22 –Alisha Newton,actress
• October 5 –Dalila Bela,actress
• October 8 –Percy Hynes White,Canadian actor
• October 9 –Kyla Leibel,swimmer
• October 11 –Alexis Lafrenière,ice hockey player
• October 17 –Jake Beale,actor
• November 7 –Amybeth McNulty,actress

Deaths

January to March

• January 13 –Michael Cuccione,child actor and activist (born1985)
• January 18 –Al Waxman,actor and director (born1935)
• January 31 –Gordon R. Dickson,science fiction author (born1923)
• February 5 –David Iftody,politician (born1956)
• February 28 –Gildas Molgat,politician (born1927)
• March 23
  • Louis Dudek,poet, literary critic and publisher (born1918)
  • David McTaggart,environmentalist (born1932)
• March 28 –Moe Koffman,flautist and saxophonist, cancer (born1928)

April to June

• April 2 –Charles Daudelin,sculptor and painter (born1920)
• April 16 –Horace Gwynne,boxer and Olympic gold medalist (born1913)
• May 5 –Aba Bayefsky,artist and teacher (born1923)
• June –Gordon Donaldson,author and journalist (b.1926)
• June 3 –Maurice Breton,politician and lawyer (born1909)
• June 7 –Charles Templeton,cartoonist, evangelist, agnostic, politician, newspaper editor, inventor, broadcaster and author (born1915)
• June 19 –William Austin Forsyth,politician (born (1917)
• June 23 – Yvonne Dionne, one of theDionne quintuplets(born1934)

July to December

• July 3 –Mordecai Richler,author, screenwriter and essayist (born1931)
• July 24 –Georges Dor,author, composer, playwright, singer, poet, translator and theatrical producer and director (born1931)
• August 9 –Kimberly Rogers,Sudburywoman whose suicide while underhouse arrestfor a disputedwelfare fraudconviction led to a major scandal and inquest (b. c1961)
• September 18 –Ernie Coombs,children's entertainer Mr. Dressup (born1927)
• November 19 –Marcelle Ferron,painter and stained glass artist (born1924)
• November 24 –Donald McPherson,figure skater (born1945)
• December 14 –Pauline Mills McGibbon,politician and 22ndLieutenant-Governor of Ontario(born1910)

Full date unknown

• Gordon Donaldson,author and journalist (born1926)

See also

• 2001 in Canadian television
• List of Canadian films of 2001