1980 in Canada

Events from the year 1980 in Canada.

Crown

 * Monarch – Elizabeth II

Federal government

 * Governor General – Edward Schreyer
 * Prime Minister – Joe Clark (until March 3) then Pierre Trudeau
 * Chief Justice – Bora Laskin (Ontario)
 * Parliament – 32nd (from April 14)

Lieutenant governors

 * Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – Francis Charles Lynch-Staunton
 * Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – Henry Pybus Bell-Irving
 * Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – Francis Lawrence Jobin
 * Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – Hédard Robichaud
 * Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland – Gordon Arnaud Winter
 * Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – John Elvin Shaffner
 * Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – Pauline Mills McGibbon (until September 15) then John Black Aird
 * Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – Gordon Lockhart Bennett (until January 14) then Joseph Aubin Doiron
 * Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Jean-Pierre Côté
 * Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Irwin McIntosh

Premiers

 * Premier of Alberta – Peter Lougheed
 * Premier of British Columbia – Bill Bennett
 * Premier of Manitoba – Sterling Lyon
 * 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 – Angus MacLean
 * Premier of Quebec – René Lévesque
 * Premier of Saskatchewan – Allan Blakeney

Commissioners

 * Commissioner of Yukon – Douglas Bell
 * Commissioner of Northwest Territories – John Havelock Parker

Premiers

 * Premier of the Northwest Territories – George Braden (from June 16)
 * Premier of Yukon – Chris Pearson

January to June

 * January 21 – Three Soviet embassy workers are expelled after they are accused of spying
 * January 28 – Canadian ambassador to Iran, Ken Taylor, organizes the escape of American citizens from Iran
 * February 5 – Fort Chimo, Quebec, is renamed to Kuujjuaq.
 * February 18 – Federal election: Pierre Trudeau's Liberals win a majority, defeating Joe Clark's PCs
 * February 29 – Jeanne Sauvé becomes first woman Speaker of the House of Commons
 * March 3 – Pierre Trudeau becomes prime minister for the second time, replacing Joe Clark
 * April 12 – Terry Fox begins his Marathon of Hope run across Canada in support of cancer research
 * May 20 – Quebec votes against separation in the 1980 Quebec referendum
 * June 16 – George Braden becomes government leader of the Northwest Territories, as responsible government is reinstituted for the first time since 1905.

July to December

 * July 1 – "O Canada" becomes the official national anthem
 * July 30 – Elizabeth II augments the coat of arms of Alberta with a crest and supporters
 * August 14 – Dorothy Stratten, an actress, is raped and killed in Los Angeles by Paul Snider before he commits suicide.
 * August 16 to August 23 – First Session of the Youth Parliament of Canada/Parlement jeunesse du Canada held in the Senate chambers of the Canadian Parliament Buildings in Ottawa.
 * August 27 – The Winnipeg Tribune and the Ottawa Journal, two Canadian broadsheet newspapers, owned by Southam and Thomson newspapers are closed.
 * September 1 – Due to a return of his cancer Terry Fox curtails his run
 * September 1 – Saskatchewan and Alberta celebrate the 75th anniversaries of their establishment as provinces, culminating a summer full of festivals and special events
 * October 6 – The Quebec and Newfoundland governments sign the Churchill Falls hydro agreement.
 * October 6 – Trudeau announces his plan to patriate the Canadian constitution unilaterally
 * October 28 – The National Energy Program is introduced
 * November 17 – Clifford Olson rapes and kills his first victim

New Works

 * Mordecai Richler – Joshua Then and Now
 * Robert Munsch – The Paper Bag Princess

Awards

 * See 1980 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
 * Books in Canada First Novel Award: Clark Blaise, Lunar Attractions
 * Stephen Leacock Award: Donald Jack, Me Bandy, You Cissie
 * Vicky Metcalf Award: John Craig

Television

 * The Royal Canadian Air Farce makes it first television special

Film

 * April 14 – The National Film Board wins an Oscar for its animated films.

Sport

 * March 16 – The Alberta Golden Bears win their University Cup by defeating the Regina Cougars 7 to 3. The final game was played at the Regina Agridome
 * April 22 – Canada announces it will join the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.
 * April 30 – Hockey player Gordie Howe retires
 * May 11 – The Cornwall Royals win their second Memorial Cup by defeating the Peterborough Petes 3 to 2. The final game was played at the Keystone Centre in Brandon, Manitoba
 * May 21 – The Atlanta Flames relocate to Calgary, to become the 8th Canadian team in the NHL as the Calgary Flames
 * May 24 – Val Marie, Saskatchewan's Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders is awarded the Conn Smythe trophy
 * October 10 – Wayne Gretzky plays in his first NHL game when his Edmonton Oilers are defeated by the Chicago Black Hawks
 * November 8 – Quebec City's Rick Martel wins his first World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Championship (with Tony Garea) by defeating the Wild Samoans in Allentown, Pennsylvania
 * November 23 – The Edmonton Eskimos win their seventh (and third consecutive) Grey Cup by defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 48 to 10 in the 68th Grey Cup played at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto
 * November 29 – The Alberta Golden Bears win their third (and last to date) Vanier Cup by defeating the Ottawa Gee-Gees 40–21 in the 16th Vanier Cup played at Varsity Stadium in Toronto

Full date unknown

 * Walter Wolf Racing, first Canadian Formula One constructor, closes, its assets sold to Emerson Fittipaldi.

Births

 * January 1 – Mark Nichols, curler
 * January 19 – Luke Macfarlane, actor and musician
 * January 20 – Philippe Gagnon, Paralympic swimmer
 * January 21 – Kevin McKenna, footballer
 * January 22 – Amy Cotton, judoka
 * January 28 – Nathan Marsters, ice hockey player (d. 2009)
 * February 6 – Kim Poirier, actress
 * February 9
 * Liam Cormier, musician
 * Michelle Currie, skater
 * February 10 – Mike Ribeiro, ice hockey player
 * February 14 – Michelle Rempel, Conservative MP
 * February 16 – Blair Betts, ice hockey player
 * February 17 – Zachary Bennett, actor and musician
 * February 21
 * Brad Fast, ice hockey player
 * Yannick Lupien, swimmer
 * February 23 – Yvonne Tousek, artistic gymnast
 * February 29 – Simon Gagné, ice hockey player
 * March 1 – Manmeet Bhullar, lawyer and politician (d. 2015)
 * March 2 – Julia Chantrey, actress
 * March 13 – Malindi Elmore, middle-distance athlete
 * March 14 – Jessica Mulroney, fashion stylist
 * March 21 – Deryck Whibley, guitarist, lead vocalist, songwriter and producer
 * March 24 – Ramzi Abid, ice hockey player
 * March 31 – Michael Ryder, ice hockey player
 * April 6 – Bardish Chagger, politician
 * April 10 – Sean Avery, ice hockey player
 * April 17 – Alaina Huffman, film and television actress
 * April 19
 * Mayko Nguyen, actress
 * Robyn Regehr, ice hockey player
 * April 21 – Vincent Lecavalier, ice hockey player
 * April 29 – Mathieu Biron, ice hockey player
 * May 1 – Robin Randall, water polo player
 * May 4 – Andrew Raycroft, ice hockey player
 * May 5 – Noah Miller, water polo player
 * May 8 – Benny Yau, entertainer
 * May 22 – Angela Whyte, hurdler
 * May 26 – Richard Green, soldier killed in Afghanistan (d. 2002)
 * May 29 – Valérie Hould-Marchand, synchronized swimmer
 * June 5 – Mike Fisher, ice hockey player
 * June 24 – Liane Balaban, actress
 * July 2 – Thomas Marks, water polo player
 * July 11 – Tyson Kidd, wrestler
 * July 15 – Jonathan Cheechoo, ice hockey player
 * July 16 – Matt Peck, field hockey player
 * July 21 – Scott Frandsen, rower and Olympic silver medallist
 * July 27 – Paul Larmand, basketball player
 * August 3 – Dominic Moore, ice hockey player
 * August 5 – Mark Bell, ice hockey player
 * August 9 – Charlie David, actor
 * August 21 – Jon Lajoie, comedian
 * August 24 – Tanya Hunks, swimmer
 * August 28 – Carly Pope, actress
 * August 29 – Perdita Felicien, hurdler
 * September 2 – Dany Sabourin, French Canadian ice hockey goaltender and coach
 * September 5 – Kevin Simm, singer (Liberty X)
 * September 9 – Félix Brillant, soccer player
 * September 17 – Brent McMahon, triathlete
 * September 19 – Adrian Cann, soccer player
 * September 26 – Kerry DuWors, violinist, chamber musician and educator
 * September 29 – Dallas Green, singer-songwriter
 * October 3 – Daniel DeSanto, film, television and voice actor
 * October 13 – Marc-André Bergeron, ice hockey player
 * October 14 – Mike Munday, volleyball player
 * October 21 – Mike Danton, ice hockey player
 * November 4 – Erin Cumpstone, softball player
 * November 9
 * Dominique Maltais, snowboarder and Olympic bronze medallist
 * Ben Rutledge, rower, Olympic gold medallist and World Champion
 * November 12 – Ryan Gosling, actor, musician, and producer
 * November 16 – Carol Huynh, freestyle wrestler and Olympic gold medallist
 * November 18
 * Dustin Kensrue, singer
 * Emanuel Sandhu, figure skater
 * November 23 – Tracy Latimer, murder victim (d. 1993)
 * December 1 – Joel A. Sutherland, author
 * December 2 – Adam Kreek, rower, Olympic gold medallist and World Champion
 * December 9 – Ryder Hesjedal, cyclist

Full date unknown

 * Kent Abbott, rock musician (Grade) (d. 2013)

January to July

 * January 1 – Ernest Cormier, engineer and architect (b. 1885)
 * March 5 – Jay Silverheels, actor (b. 1912)
 * May 17 – Harold Connolly, journalist, newspaper editor, politician and Premier of Nova Scotia (b. 1901)
 * July 23 – Sarto Fournier, politician and mayor of Montreal (b. 1903)

August to December

 * August 14
 * Dorothy Stratten, model, actress and murder victim (b. 1960)
 * Paul Snider, murder (b. 1951)
 * September 25 – Antonio Talbot, politician (b. 1900)
 * October 17 – Richard Gavin Reid, politician and 7th Premier of Alberta (b. 1879)
 * October 27 – Judy LaMarsh, politician and Minister, lawyer, author and broadcaster (b. 1924)
 * November 4 – Elsie MacGill, the world's first female aircraft designer (b. 1905)
 * November 18 – Conn Smythe, ice hockey manager and owner (b. 1895)
 * November 21 – A. J. M. Smith, poet (b. 1902)
 * November 22 – Jules Léger, diplomat and Governor General of Canada (b. 1913)
 * December 7 – W. L. Morton, historian (b. 1908)
 * December 9 – Dorise Nielson, politician (b. 1902)
 * December 12 – Jean Lesage, lawyer, politician and Premier of Quebec (b. 1912)
 * December 22 – Ethel Wilson, novelist and short story writer (b. 1888)
 * December 31 – Marshall McLuhan, educator, philosopher, and scholar (b. 1911)

Full date unknown

 * Ray Lawson, 17th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (b. 1886)