Events from the year 1939 in Canada.
Incumbents Crown Monarch – George VI
Federal government Governor General – John Buchan Prime Minister – William Lyon Mackenzie King Chief Justice – Lyman Poore Duff (British Columbia) Parliament – 18th
Provincial governments
Lieutenant governors Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – John C. Bowen Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – Eric Hamber Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – William Johnston Tupper Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – Murray MacLaren Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – Robert Irwin Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – Albert Edward Matthews Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – George DesBrisay DeBlois (until September 11) then Bradford William LePage Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Esioff-Léon Patenaude (until December 30) then Eugène Fiset Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Archibald Peter McNab
Premiers Premier of Alberta – William Aberhart Premier of British Columbia – Thomas Dufferin Pattullo Premier of Manitoba – John Bracken Premier of New Brunswick – Allison Dysart Premier of Nova Scotia – Angus Lewis Macdonald Premier of Ontario – Mitchell Hepburn Premier of Prince Edward Island – Thane Campbell Premier of Quebec – Maurice Duplessis (until November 9) then Adélard Godbout Premier of Saskatchewan – William John Patterson
Territorial governments Commissioners Controller of Yukon – George A. Jeckell Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Charles Camsell
Events May 17 – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth begin their royal tour of Canada, eventually visiting every province and Newfoundland. September 3 – The Department of Labour establishes the Wartime Prices and Trade Board to control inflation. September 7 – Prime Minister Mackenzie King calls for a special session of Parliament, to discuss a declaration of war versus Nazi Germany. The session lasts until September 13. September 10 – World War II: Canada declares war on Germany, one week after the United Kingdom does so. September 11 – World War II: Canada establishes a High Commission of Canada in Australia. Australia reciprocates the next day. September 16 – World War II: The Royal Canadian Navy escorts the first of many transatlantic convoys. September 28 – World War II: Air training facilities are set up in Canada to train pilots from Britain and the rest of the Empire. October 25 – The Quebec election is won by the Liberals under Joseph-Adélard Godbout. December 17 – World War II: The 1st Canadian Infantry Division lands in Scotland en route to England. The division is accompanied by a team of announcers and technicians, who set up Radio Canada's overseas service. November 9 – Adélard Godbout becomes premier of Quebec for the second time, replacing Maurice Duplessis.
Year-long Canada expands its international presence by establishing High Commissions in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa.
Sport February 12 – The Trail Smoke Eaters win the 1939 Ice Hockey World Championships for Canada. April 16 – The Boston Bruins win their second Stanley Cup (and last until 1970) by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 games to 1. April 17 – The Ontario Hockey Association's Oshawa Generals win their first Memorial Cup by defeating the Edmonton Junior Hockey League's Edmonton Athletic Club Roamers 3 games to 1. The deciding Game 4 was played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. December 9 – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers win their second Grey Cup by defeating the Ottawa Rough Riders 8 to 7 in the 27th Grey Cup played in Lansdowne Park in Ottawa.
Births
January to March January 3 - Bobby Hull, ice hockey player (d. 2023) January 11 - Anne Heggtveit, alpine skier and Olympic gold medalist.
January 14 - Martha Gibson, actress January 19 - Grant Notley, politician (d. 1984) February 3 - Ovid Jackson, politician February 10 - Adrienne Clarkson, journalist and 26th Governor General of Canada March 1 - Marlene Catterall, politician March 5 - Peter Woodcock, serial killer and child rapist (d. 2010) March 8 - Lynn Seymour, ballerina (d. 2023) March 17 - Bill Graham, politician (d. 2022) March 20 - Brian Mulroney, politician and 18th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2024) March 26 - Patrick Lane, poet (d. 2019)
April to June
April 14 - Ian Binnie, jurist and puisne justice on the Supreme Court of Canada April 20 - Wayson Choy, writer (d. 2019) April 24 - Dan Hays, politician April 24 - Ernst Zündel, German-born neo-Nazi, Holocaust denier and pamphleteer (d. 2017) May 7 - Sidney Altman, molecular biologist, joint 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate (d. 2022) May 11 - Ken Epp, politician (d. 2022) May 16 - Roger Soloman, politician (d. 2021) May 26 - Gerry McAlpine, politician June 5 - Joe Clark, journalist, politician, statesman, businessman, professor and 16th Prime Minister of Canada. June 23 - Jack MacIsaac, politician
July to September July 12 - David Bazay, television journalist (d. 2005) July 19 - Ray Turnbull, curler (d. 2017) July 25 - Catherine Callbeck, politician and 30th Premier of Prince Edward Island August 12 - Roy Romanow, politician and 12th Premier of Saskatchewan August 15 Hardial Bains, founder and leader of Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) (d. 1997) Derek Holmes, ice hockey player (d. 2025) August 23 - Isabel Bassett, broadcaster and politician August 31 - Dennis Lee, poet and children's writer September 1 - Jake Epp, politician September 2 - Henry Mintzberg, academic and author on business and management September 4 - Jim Penner, businessman and politician (d. 2004) September 10 – Jim Pappin, ice hockey player (d. 2022) September 11 – Lyse Richer, administrator and music teacher September 30 - Len Cariou, actor
October to December October 5 - Marie-Claire Blais, novelist, poet and playwright (d. 2021) November 6 - Joyce Fairbairn, Senator and first woman to serve as Leader of the Government in the Senate (d. 2022) November 18 - Margaret Atwood, author, poet, critic, feminist and social campaigner November 23 - Bill Bissett, poet November 30 - Louis LeBel, jurist and puisne justice on the Supreme Court of Canada December 2 - Francis Fox, politician, minister and senator December 21 - Lloyd Axworthy, politician and minister December 24 - James Bartleman, diplomat, author and 27th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
Full date unknown Michael Estok, poet (d. 1989) Michael Overs, businessman, founder and owner of Pizza Pizza Limited (d. 2010) Tony Parsons, journalist and television news anchor Robin Spry, filmmaker and television producer (d. 2005)
Deaths
January 24 - Alfred Edmond Bourgeois, politician (b. 1872) March 7 - Sir Joseph Flavelle, businessman (b. 1858) March 8 - Henry Pellatt, financier and soldier (b. 1859) May 6 - Edward S. Rogers, Sr., inventor and radio pioneer (b. 1900) July 12 - Fernand Rinfret, politician (b. 1883) July 30 - Sir Charles Blair Gordon, industrialist and banker, president of the Bank of Montreal (b. 1867) August 21 - Francis Patrick O'Connor, businessman, politician and philanthropist (b. 1885) November 12 - Norman Bethune, physician and medical innovator (b. 1890) November 28 - James Naismith, sports coach and innovator, inventor of basketball (b. 1861) December 22 - Herbert James Palmer, politician and Premier of Prince Edward Island (b. 1851) December 27 – Napoléon Turcot, politician (b. 1867)
Full date unknown Constance Piers, journalist, poet and editor (b. 1866)Constance Piers
See also List of Canadian films
References