See also: 1989 in Canada,
other events of 1990,
1991 in Canada and the
list of 'years in Canada'.
Incumbents
thumb perimeter sentry, and Mohawk warrior Brad "Freddy Krueger" Larocque, a University of Saskatchewan economics student, face off]]
*Monarch - Queen Elizabeth II
*Governor General - Jeanne Sauvé then Ray Hnatyshyn
*Prime Minister - Brian Mulroney
*Premier of Alberta - Don Getty
*Premier of British Columbia - Bill Vander Zalm
*Premier of Manitoba - Gary Filmon
*Premier of New Brunswick - Frank McKenna
*Premier of Newfoundland - Clyde Wells
*Premier of Nova Scotia - John Buchanan then Roger Bacon
*Premier of Ontario - David Peterson then Bob Rae
*Premier of Prince Edward Island - Joe Ghiz
*Premier of Quebec - Robert Bourassa
*Premier of Saskatchewan - Grant Devine
Events
*January 5 - 1300 jobs are lost in
Newfoundland when Fishery Products International decides to close three plants
*January 15 - Massive cuts to VIA Rail come into effect leading to the rerouting of
The Canadian and many intercity trains
*January 24 - The Tories introduce legislation that would create the GST, a national sales tax
*January 24 - Jean Charest resigns from cabinet after he was found to have spoken with a judge
*January 29 - Ramon John Hnatyshyn replaces Jeanne Sauvé as Governor General
*February - The federal government announces that it will privatize
Petro-Canada; the legislation to do so is introduced in October.
*February 12 - A massive tire fire begins near Hagersville, Ontario. It takes 15 days to put out.
*March 6 - The National Gallery of Canada acquires Barnett Newman's
Voice of Fire for $1.8 million causing a storm of controversy
*March 9 - Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Clyde Wells confirms he will rescind Newfoundland's approval of the Meech Lake Accord
*March 11 - The Oka crisis begins
*March 15 - The federal government decides that
Sikhs may wear turbans while serving as RCMP officers
*March 22 - Canadian arms designer Gerald Bull is assassinated in
Brussels, probably by
Mossad*May 12 The Bloc Québécois Party is formed as several MPs led by Lucien Bouchard quit the Tories and Liberals
*June 12 - Elijah Harper prevents
Manitoba accepting the Meech Lake Accord
*June 23 - Meech Lake Accord officially dead
*September 6 - Bob Rae's NDP wins a surprise majority in
Ontario.
*September 12 - Roger Bacon becomes premier of Nova Scotia, replacing John Buchanan
*September 26 - Oka crisis ends peacefully
*September 27 - Brian Mulroney temporarily increases the size of the Senate to ensure passage of the GST
*October 1 - Bob Rae become premier of Ontario, replacing David Peterson
*November 1 - Mulroney launches the Citizen's Forum on Canada's Future to get Canadians' input on constitutional reform
*December 17 - The GST becomes law
*Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup four games to one over the Boston Bruins. It is their fifth cup in seven years.
*Doug Flutie returns to Canada to play with the British Columbia Lions
*Canada Post Systems Management Limited founded
*Jean Chrétien elected leader of the opposition Liberals
*Richard Taylor wins the Nobel Prize in Physics for verifying the Quark Theory
Arts and literature
:New Works
*
Swann by Carol Shields published
*
The Evening News by Arthur Hailey
*
A Tenured Professor by John Kenneth Galbraith
*
TekWar by William Shatner
*
Magic Casement by Dave Duncan
*
Golden Fleece by Robert J. Sawyer
*
Medicine River by Thomas King
*
The Magic Machine: A Handbook of Computer Sorcery by Alexander Dewdney
*
Whylah Falls by George Elliott Clarke
*
The Wild Blue Yonder by Audrey Thomas
*
L'Oursiade by Antonine Maillet
:Awards
* See 1990 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
*Books in Canada First Novel Award: Sandra Birdsell,
The Missing Child*Geoffrey Bilson Award: Kit Pearson,
The Sky Is Falling*Gerald Lampert Award: Steven Heighton,
Stalin's Carnival *Marian Engel Award: Carol Shields
*Pat Lowther Award: Patricia Young,
The Mad and Beautiful Mothers*Stephen Leacock Award: W.O. Mitchell,
According to Jake and the Kid*Trillium Book Award: Alice Munro,
Friend of My Youth *Vicky Metcalf Award: Bernice Thurman Hunter
Births
Deaths
*January 7 - Bronko Nagurski, American football player
*March 22 - Gerald Bull, arms expert
*April 11 - Harold Ballard, owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs
*July 18 - Johnny Wayne, comedian
*July 18 - Gerry Boulet, Quebec rock singer (Offenbach)
*August 25 - Morley Callaghan, writer
*October 30 - Craig Russell, female impersonator
*November 7 - Hugh MacLennan, writer
*November 16 - Northern Dancer, racehorse
*Robert Markle, painter
*
