1979 in Canada

Events

January 17 - Edward Richard Schreyer replaces Jules LÃÂÃÂ©ger as Governor General
February - The first Winterlude is held in Ottawa
March 14 - Alberta election: Peter Lougheed's PCs win a third consecutive majority
March 26 - Brian Peckford becomes premier of Newfoundland, replacing Frank Moores
May 3 - Angus MacLean becomes premier of Prince Edward Island, replacing Bennett Campbell
May 22 - Canadians go to the polls in the 1979 Canadian election. They defeat Pierre Trudeau's Liberals and elect Joe Clark's Tories, but only with a minority
June 4 - Joe Clark becomes Canada's sixteenth, and youngest ever, prime minister
June 22 - The World Hockey Association folds. Four teams the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, and Hartford Whalers surive and move to the NHL
September 5 - Canada's first gold bullion coin goes on sale
November 10 - a train carrying chemicals derails in Mississauga, Ontario and hundreds of thousands have to be evacuated
December 13 - Supreme Court declares Quebec and Manitoba's provincial legislatures to be unconstitutional because of their use of only one language.
December 13- The governonet is defeated on a non-confidence motion and Prime Minister Clark calls an election
December 31 - A fire a Le Club Opemiska in Chaplais, Quebec kills 42 at a New Year's Eve party
Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup defeating the New York Rangers 4 games to 1.
Chris Haney and Scott Abbott invent Trivial Pursuit
Petro-Canada buys U.S.-controlled Pacific Petroleums

Awards

Antonine Maillet wins the French Prix Goncourt for her novel PÃÂÃÂ©lagie-la-Charette
See 1979 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
Stephen Leacock Award: Sondra Gotlieb, True Confessions
Vicky Metcalf Award: Cliff Faulknor

Television