Events from the year 1957 in Canada.
Incumbents
Crown Monarch – Elizabeth II
Federal government Governor General – Vincent Massey Prime Minister – Louis St. Laurent (until June 21) then John Diefenbaker Chief Justice – Patrick Kerwin (Ontario) Parliament – 22nd (until 12 April) then 23rd (from 14 October)
Provincial governments
Lieutenant governors Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – John J. Bowlen Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – Frank Mackenzie Ross Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – John Stewart McDiarmid Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – David Laurence MacLaren Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland – Leonard Outerbridge (until December 16) then Campbell Leonard Macpherson Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – Alistair Fraser Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – Louis Orville Breithaupt (until December 30) then John Keiller MacKay Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – Thomas William Lemuel Prowse Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Gaspard Fauteux Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – William John Patterson
Premiers Premier of Alberta – Ernest Manning Premier of British Columbia – W.A.C. Bennett Premier of Manitoba – Douglas Campbell Premier of New Brunswick – Hugh John Flemming Premier of Newfoundland – Joey Smallwood Premier of Nova Scotia – Robert Stanfield Premier of Ontario – Leslie Frost Premier of Prince Edward Island – Alex Matheson Premier of Quebec – Maurice Duplessis Premier of Saskatchewan – Tommy Douglas
Territorial governments
Commissioners Commissioner of Yukon – Frederick Howard Collins Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Robert Gordon Robertson
Events January 1 – The first Canadian peacekeepers arrive in Egypt after the Suez Crisis January 17 – , Canada's third and last aircraft carrier, is commissioned March 6 – Quebec's Padlock Law is ruled unconstitutional March 20 – The seven-month-long Murdochville Strike begins March 28 – The Canada Council is established April 2 – Elvis Presley performs in Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. April 3 – Elvis Presley performs in Ottawa. April 15 - White Rock secedes from Surrey, British Columbia, following a referendum. April 27 - The SS Moyie takes her final voyage. June 10 – Federal election: John Diefenbaker's PCs win a minority, defeating Louis Saint Laurent's Liberals June 21 – John Diefenbaker becomes prime minister, replacing Louis Saint Laurent July 31 – The DEW Line begins operation August 31 – Elvis Presley performs at Empire Stadium in Vancouver. September 12 – Canada and the United States sign the NORAD agreement October 4 – The first prototype Avro Arrow is presented to the media. The rollout is completely overshadowed by the flight of Sputnik I the same day. October 12 – Foreign Minister Lester B. Pearson wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the Suez Crisis October 14: Elizabeth II opens the Canadian parliament, the first monarch to do so Thanksgiving is moved to its current date, the second Monday in October Equalization payments are established.
Sport April 16 – The Montreal Canadiens win their ninth Stanley Cup by defeating the Boston Bruins 4 games to 1. The deciding Game 5 was played at the Montreal Forum May 6 – The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Flin Flon Bombers win their only Memorial Cup by defeating the independent Ottawa-Hull Canadiens 4 games to 3. The deciding Game 7 was played at the Regina Exhibition Stadium June 14 – Édouard Carpentier (Édouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz) defeats Lou Thesz to become the 2nd Canadian NWA World Heavyweight Champion November 30 – The Hamilton Tiger-Cats win their 2nd Grey Cup by defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 32–7 in the 45th Grey Cup at Varsity Stadium in Toronto
Arts and literature
New works F. R. Scott – The Eye of the Needle: Satire, Sorties, Sundries Mordecai Richler – A Choice of Enemies W.L. Morton – Manitoba: The Birth of a Province Farley Mowat – The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Northrop Frye – Anatomy of Criticism
Awards See 1957 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards. Stephen Leacock Award: Robert Thomas Allen The Grass Is Never Greener
Television Front Page Challenge premiers on CBC
Births
January to June
January 8 - Wendy Mesley, broadcast journalist January 22 – Mike Bossy, ice hockey player (d. 2022) January 28 – Michael Baker, politician (d. 2009) February 17 – Loreena McKennitt, singer, composer, harpist and pianist February 27 – Danny Antonucci, animator, director and writer March 10 – Shannon Tweed, actress March 24 - Olivia Chow, politician and widow of Jack Layton April 20 – Bryan Illerbrun, football player (d. 2013) April 29 – Leona Dombrowsky, politician May 4 – Kathy Kreiner, alpine skier and Olympic gold medallist May 14 – Gilles Bisson, politician May 17 – Todd Hardy, leader of the Yukon New Democratic Party from 2002 to 2009 (d. 2010) June 12 Mike Bullard, comedian and broadcaster (d. 2024) Benedict Campbell, actor June 28 – Lance Nethery, ice hockey player
July to September
July 2 – Bret Hart, wrestler and actor July 6 – Ron Duguay, Canadian ice hockey player and coach July 9 – George Nagy, swimmer July 15 – Craig Martin, soccer player and coach July 22 - Michèle Dionne, wife of Jean Charest, 29th Prime Minister of Quebec July 26 – Mark Paré, National Hockey League linesman August 6 – Francesca Gagnon, singer August 11 – Tony Valeri, politician August 15 – David L. Anderson, politician August 15 - Richard Ayres, Business owner, Mechanic, Carpenter, Great Father August 16 – Mark Evans, rower and Olympic gold medallist August 16 – J. Michael Evans, rower and Olympic gold medallist August 20 – Cindy Nicholas, athlete and politician August 23 – Georges Farrah, politician August 26 – Rick Hansen, paraplegic athlete and activist for people with spinal cord injuries September 10 – Darrell Dexter, politician and 27th Premier of Nova Scotia September 23 – Sylvie Garant, model
October to December October 9 – Art Boileau, long-distance runner October 26 – Glen Murray, politician October 30 – Joseph Cordiano, politician and Minister November 12 – Andrée A. Michaud, writer November 16 – Ferg Hawke, ultra-distance runner November 18 – Kim Rudd, politician and businesswoman (d. 2024) November 20 – Sophie Lorain, actress, director and producer November 22 – Glen Clark, politician and 31st Premier of British Columbia November 30 – Colin Mochrie, comedian and actor December 4 – Rob Shick, ice hockey referee December 5 – Paul Steele, rower and Olympic gold medallist December 6 – Louis Jani, judoka December 12 – Robert Lepage, playwright, actor and film director December 31 – Sonya Biddle, actress and politician (d. 2022)
Full date unknown Daniel J. Caron, national librarian of Library and Archives Canada Robert Poulin, murderer responsible for the St. Pius X High School shooting (d. 1975) Nancy Richler, novelist
Deaths
January 16 – Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, 16th Governor General of Canada (b. 1874) August 21 – Nels Stewart, ice hockey player (b. 1902) August 26 – Joseph Tyrrell, geologist, cartographer and mining consultant (b. 1858) October 21 – Arthur Puttee, politician (b. 1868) October 31 – Martha Black, politician and the second woman elected to the House of Commons of Canada (b. 1866) December 10 – Roland Fairbairn McWilliams, politician and Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba (b. 1874) December 29 – Humphrey T. Walwyn, naval officer and Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1879)
See also 1957 in Canadian television List of Canadian films
References