2012 in Canada

Events from the year 2012 in Canada.

Incumbents

Crown

Monarch – Elizabeth II

Federal government

Provincial governments

Lieutenant governors

Premiers

Territorial governments

Commissioners

Premiers

Events

January to March

January 1 – The Quebec Sales Tax rises one percentage point to 9.5%.
January 10 – MP for Saint-Maurice—Champlain, the NDP's Lise St-Denis, crosses the floor to join the Liberal caucus.
January 29 – A guilty verdict in the trial of the Shafia family murders is returned.
February 4
* The Syrian Embassy in Ottawa is vandalized as it was sprayed with red paint.
* An imam issues a fatwa condemning honour killings and domestic violence, in reaction to the Shafia family murder guilty verdict.
February 6 – Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II's accession as Queen of Canada
February 7
* Eleven people, including 10 migrant workers from Peru, die when a passenger van crashes into a flatbed truck near Stratford, Ontario.
* Prime Minister Stephen Harper begins a four-day visit to China.
February 10 – A Red Arrow bus skids out of control and flips on its side near Redwater, Alberta. At least 28 people were injured in the incident.
February 26 – Three Via Rail employees die when a train derails near Burlington, Ontario.
March 3 – Near Montreal, a charter bus crashes killing two people and injuring 48 others.
March 5 – The federal government announces they are closing the Canadian embassy in Damascus amid the continuing violence in Syria.
March 19 – NDP candidate Craig Scott wins a federal by-election in Toronto—Danforth.
March 22 – Vaughn Solomon Schofield becomes lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan, replacing Gordon Barnhart.
March 23 – In Perth-Andover, a high spring freshet coupled with an ice jam causes a rise in water levels surpassing those in the 1987 flood. A mandatory evacuation order was issued. About 500 people were affected.
March 24 – Thomas Mulcair is elected leader of the New Democratic Party.
March 29
* Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announces the 2012 budget which includes cuts to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the reduction of over 19,000 federal jobs, and the discontinuation of the penny by the Royal Canadian Mint.
* The federal government announces they will gradually raise the age of eligibility for Old Age Security from 65 to 67 starting in 2023.

April to June

April 1 – Juno Awards in Ottawa, Ontario
April 12 – John James Grant becomes Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, replacing Mayann Francis.
April 15 – 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic
April 19
* The federal government announced they will close Kingston Penitentiary, which has housed convicted killers such as Paul Bernardo and Russell Williams.
* One hundred and fifty students are arrested in Gatineau after violent protests against Quebec's proposed tuition hikes.
April 20 – Allyson McConnell is convicted of manslaughter after drowning her two sons in the bath as revenge against their father. She is sentenced to six years in prison but serves only 15 months.
April 23
* The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta wins a majority government of 61 seats in the 2012 [Alberta general election|2012 Alberta election]. The Wildrose Party wins 17 seats to become the Official Opposition for the first time. The Liberal Party wins five seats and New Democratic Party four.
* Thunder Bay—Superior North MP Bruce Hyer leaves the NDP caucus after being disciplined for voting against the NDP's position on the gun registry.
April 24 – A sawmill in Prince George, British Columbia, explodes, killing two workers.
April 24–25 – Saskatchewan 3.0 Summit takes place.
April 28 – Seven killed in an Alberta Highway 63 crash near Fort McMurray
May 12 – Two private planes collide in midair near St. Brieux, Saskatchewan, killing five people.
May 18
* An Ontario Superior Court judge declares the 2011 federal election results in the riding of Etobicoke Centre to be "null and void", potentially triggering a by-election.
* The Quebec government passes Bill 78 which places restrictions on the ongoing protests over the forthcoming tuition hikes in the province.
May 20 – Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, arrive in Fredericton beginning a four-day royal tour across the country.
May 24 – Nearly 700 people are held in two Quebec cities in the biggest single night of mass arrests since student protests over fees began in February.
May 24/25 – International student Jun Lin is murdered in Montreal by Luka Magnotta. A video of Lin's killing and dismemberment featuring necrophilia is uploaded to the internet, Magnotta also mails his victim's hands and feet to Canadian elementary schools and federal political party offices.
May 28 – Jason Godin, at 19 years old, becomes the youngest mayor in the history of New Brunswick and Canada.
May 30 – Lee Richardson resigns as MP for Calgary Centre, to accept a job as principal secretary to Alberta Premier Alison Redford.
June 2 – A shooting at the Toronto Eaton Centre leaves one dead and seven others injured.
June 15 – A shooting at the University of Alberta in Edmonton leaves three dead.
June 16 – A stage collapses before a Radiohead concert in Toronto, killing one person and injuring three more.
June 18 – 200th anniversary of the start of War of 1812.
June 23 – A partial roof collapse at the Algo Centre Mall in Elliot Lake, Ontario, injures dozens and kills two.
June 25 – Floods across the British Columbia Interior cause hundreds of people to evacuate. One man was killed.

July to September

July 1 – Celebrations of the 145th anniversary of Confederation.
July 3 – The of Nova Scotia ends.
July 12 – Johnsons Landing, British Columbia, is hit by a landslide. Four people were missing.
July 16 –
* The Danzig Street shooting at a suburban block party leaves 2 dead and 24 injured in Toronto's worst mass shooting.
* 57 Barrie residents are evacuated for a week while explosives are removed from the suburban home of a confessed murderer.
July 31 – Bev Oda resigns as Minister for International Cooperation and as MP for Durham.
August 31 – Citing health, Denise Savoie resigns as MP for Victoria.
September 4 –
*The win a minority government in the 2012 Quebec general election, with the Quebec Liberal Party coming in a close second.
* A 2012 [Montreal shooting|shooting takes place] during Premier-Designate Pauline Marois's victory speech at the rally, killing one man and injuring another.
September 6 – 60th anniversary of CBC Television.
September 7 – The government, saying Iran is a "threat to global peace", closes the Canadian embassy in Iran and gives Iranian diplomats five days to leave Canada.
September 19 – Pauline Marois is sworn in as premier of Quebec, following a general election, becoming Quebec's first female premier, and the first time in Canada that five provinces or territories have simultaneously had female premiers.
September 21 – A state funeral is held for former premier of Alberta Peter Lougheed, at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary.
September 24 – An outbreak of E. coli causes at least four illnesses in Alberta, a massive beef recall, and the temporary shutdown of XL Foods in Brooks, Alberta.
September 26 – A controversial motion to re-open the abortion debate is defeated in the House of Commons, with members voting 203–91 against it.

October to December

October 2 – A wildfire strikes Vita, Manitoba, destroying at least four houses and one bridge.
October 10 – Suicide of Amanda Todd.
October 18 – The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission rejects BCE's bid to take over Astral Media, citing that the deal would have given the company too much market power.
October 25
* Eight children are injured when a van crashes into a classroom in St. Paul, Alberta. One of the children died in hospital the next day.
* Wawa, Ontario, declares a state of emergency after severe flooding washes out several roadways in the municipality, including sections of both Highway 17 and Highway 101.
* The Supreme Court upholds the election result in Etobicoke Centre, with Conservative MP Ted Opitz keeping his seat.
October 26 – 20th anniversary of the referendum of Charlottetown Accord.
October 27 – A 7.7-magnitude earthquake strikes off the coast of Moresby Island. A small tsunami occurred not long after the quake.
November 2 – Judith Guichon becomes Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, replacing Steven Point.
November 5 – Gérald Tremblay resigns as mayor of Montreal, following allegations of corruption within the city government at the provincial Charbonneau commission.
November 8 – An explosion in Sherbrooke kills two people and injures almost 20 more.
November 9 – Gilles Vaillancourt, the mayor of Laval, Quebec, since 1989, resigns following allegations of corruption within Laval's city government at the provincial Charbonneau commission.
November 16 – Michael Applebaum is selected as the new Mayor of Montreal in a council vote, winning 31 votes to 29 for challenger Richard Deschamps.
November 23 – Alexandre Duplessis is selected as the new mayor of Laval, Quebec, in a council vote, winning 15 to three over challenger Jacques St-Jean.
November 26 – Three federal by-elections. The Conservatives won Calgary Centre and Durham, and the New Democratics won in Victoria.
December 3 – Health Canada suspended the licence of Chemi Pharmaceutical Inc., after finding falsified test results, during a health inspection.

Arts and literature

Art

May 29 – Jim Unger, creator of the widely syndicated Herman, dies at home in Saanich.

Television

New channels launched were Sportsnews, ABC Spark, Explora, and Nat Geo Wild; leaving the air waves were Dusk, and Fox Sports World Canada. Scheduled to launch are Cartoon Network and a regional news channel operated by Global BC.
New series include Total Drama: Revenge of the Island, Mr. D, Arctic Air, The L.A. Complex, Les Bleus de Ramville, Undercover Boss Canada, Canada's Got Talent, Saving Hope, Over the Rainbow, The Bachelor Canada.

Literature

Will Ferguson wins the Scotiabank Giller Prize for 419.

Sport

January 2–5: 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships relegation round and finals – Calgary, Alberta
January 16–22: 2012 Canadian Figure Skating Championships – Moncton, New Brunswick
February 1–5: 2012 Molson Canadian Men's Provincial Curling Championship – Saint John, New Brunswick
February 19–26: 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts – Red Deer, Alberta
March 3–11: 2012 Tim Hortons Brier – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
May 27: The Shawinigan Cataractes win their first Memorial Cup by defeating the London Knights 2 to 1. The tournament was played at Centre Bionest in Shawinigan, Quebec
June 10: 2012 Canadian Grand Prix – Montreal, Quebec
July 22: 2012 [Edmonton Indy] – Edmonton, Alberta
July 27–August 12: Canada at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, UK
August 19–September 9: Canada at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, UK
September 16: Members of the National Hockey League Players' Association are locked out by the owners of the league's franchises
November 23: The Laval Rouge et Or win their seventh Vanier Cup by defeating the McMaster Marauders 37 to 14 in the 48th Vanier Cup played at Rogers Centre in Toronto
November 25: The Toronto Argonauts win their 16th Grey Cup by defeating the Calgary Stampeders in the 100th Grey Cup played at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Courtice, Ontario's Ricky Foley was named the game's Most Outstanding Canadian

Deaths in 2012">:Category:2012 deaths">Deaths in 2012

January">Deaths in January 2012">January

January 2 -
*Ian Bargh, British-born jazz pianist
*Gordon Hirabayashi, American-born civil rights activist.
January 3 – Josef Škvorecký, Czech-born writer and publisher, cancer
January 4 – Rod Robbie, architect
January 5 – Thelma Forbes, former Manitoba MLA
January 9 –
*Louis Boekhout, Dutch-born painter
*Ron Caron, sports administrator
*Larry Solway, actor and radio broadcaster
January 10 – Jean Pigott, former Member of Parliament
January 11 – Edgar Kaiser, businessman
January 15 – Richard Bader, chemist
January 17 – Colin Campbell, Roman Catholic bishop of Antigonish
January 18 – Theo Dimson, artist
January 19 – Sarah Burke, freestyle skier
January 20 – Margaret Renwick, former Ontario MPP
January 21 – John D. Lowry, film restorer
January 22 – Clarence Tillenius, artist and conservationist
January 25 – Andrew MacNaughtan, photographer and music video director
January 27 – Tom Campbell, former mayor of Vancouver
January 28 – Don Starkell, writer
January 30 –
* Don Blenkarn, former Member of Parliament
* Klaus Goldschlag, ambassador

February">Deaths in February 2012">February

February 2 – Joyce Barkhouse, writer
February 5 – Blaine MacDonald, editorial cartoonist
February 6 -
* Peter Breck, American-born actor.
* Colleen Thibaudeau, poet and short-story writer
* David Winter, academic.
February 8 -
* Laurent Desjardins, politician
* Gunther Plaut, rabbi
February 9 – Fred Dickson, lawyer and Senator
February 10 – Ed Harrison, ice hockey player.
February 11 –
* Trent Frayne, sportswriter
* John Sperry, Anglican Bishop of the Arctic.
February 15 – Doug McNichol, Canadian Football League player
February 16 –
* Gary Carter, American baseball player.
* Warren Hudson, Canadian Football League player.
* Ethel Stark, violinist and conductor.
February 18 – Cal Murphy, CFL manager and coach
February 21 – Pierre Juneau, film and broadcast executive.
February 24 – István Anhalt, Hungarian-born composer.
February 28 – Jim Green, American-born politician and activist.

March">Deaths in March 2012">March

March 7 – Dave Hrechkosy, hockey player
March 9 – Herb Carnegie, hockey player
March 10 -
*Tony Silipo, politician, Ontario Minister of Education and MPP for Dovercourt
*Nik Zoricic, ski cross racer,
March 11 – Tom Manastersky, football player and hockey player
March 12 – Madeleine Parent, union leader and women's rights activist
March 16 – Ray Gariepy, ice hockey player.
March 17 – René Fontaine, politician, Minister of Northern Development.
March 22 -
* Joe Blanchard, American-born player of Canadian football, professional wrestler and promoter
* Ron Stewart, hockey player
March 25 – Bob DeCourcy, hockey player
March 27 – Marc Gervais, Jesuit, writer, and film professor.
March 28 -
* Leonard Braithwaite, lawyer and politician.
* William Sampson, author.
March 30 – Janet Anderson Perkin, baseball player and curler.

April">Deaths in April 2012">April

April 3 -
* Lorne Benson, football player.
* Michael Bzdel, Ukrainian Catholic hierarch, Metropolitan of Winnipeg.
April 7 – Harold Robert Steacy, mineralogist.
April 9 -
* Wiebo Ludwig, environmental activist.
* Barry Cahill, actor.
April 11 – Roger Caron, author, prison escape artist, and bank robber, infection.
April 12 – Robert Kennedy, publisher.
April 13 – Irving Barber, forester and philanthropist.
April 14 -
* Emile Bouchard, hockey player .
* Tom Farrell, politician.
* C. Miller Fisher, neurologist.
* Jonathan Frid, actor.
April 16 – Randy Starkman, sports journalist.
April 18 – René Lépine, real estate developer.
April 19 – Jacques Martin, Paralympian, gold medalist.
April 21 – Jerry Toppazzini, ice hockey player.
April 23 -
* Billy Bryans, musician and record producer.
* Raymond Thorsteinsson, geologist.
* Flo Whyard, politician, Mayor of Whitehorse, Yukon territorial minister, editor of the Whitehorse Star.
April 26 – Ted Newall, businessman.
April 27 – Allen Tough, scientist, complications of multiple system atrophy.
April 28 – Al Ecuyer, American-born football player.

May">Deaths in May 2012">May

May 1 – James Kinley, engineer and industrialist, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.
May 2 – James Marker, American-born businessman and inventor of Cheezies.
May 8 – William Aquin Carew, Roman Catholic prelate, Apostolic Nuncio to Japan.
May 12 -
* Paul Cyr, ice hockey player.
* Neil McKenty, radio talk-show host and author.
May 18 – Paul O'Sullivan, comedian and actor.
May 26 – Hans Schmidt, professional wrestler.
May 27 – Jan de Vries, army veteran.
May 28 – Jim Unger, English-born cartoonist.

June">Deaths in June 2012">June

June 4 – Bernard Jean, lawyer and politician, member and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick.
June 8 – Pat Mahoney, businessman, politician, and judge, MP for Calgary South, General Manager of the Calgary Stampeders.
June 11 – Ann Rutherford, actress.
June 17 – Nathan Divinsky, mathematician, author, and chess master.
June 22 – Fernie Flaman, ice hockey player and Hall of Fame member.
June 25 – Lucella MacLean, baseball player.

July">Deaths in July 2012">July

July 6 -
* Bill Norrie, politician and educator, Mayor of Winnipeg, Chancellor of the University of Manitoba, respiratory failure.
* Anthony Sedlak, chef, and the host of Food Network Canada's The Main.
July 7 – Ralph Raymond Loffmark, politician.
July 8 – Dick Fowler, Mayor of St. Albert, MLA.

September">Deaths in September 2012">September

September 13 – Peter Lougheed, former Premier of Alberta,
September 23 – Sam Sniderman, founder of the Sam the Record Man chain
September 24 – Bruno Bobak, artist
September 26 – Sylvia Fedoruk, scientist, curler and Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
September 30 – Barbara Ann Scott, figure skater and Olympic gold medalist

October">Deaths in October 2012">October

October 10 – Amanda Todd, cyberbullying victim
October 12 – James Coyne, Governor Bank of Canada
October 19
* Lincoln Alexander, politician, MP for Hamilton West, Minister of Labour, and the first black Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
* Raymond Dumais, Roman Catholic ex-prelate, Bishop of Gaspé
October 25 – Aude, writer

November">Deaths in November 2012">November

November 3 – Henri Audet, founder of Cogeco media and communications company, originally a cable system
November 4 – Errol Black, academic and politician
November 5 – Bob Kaplan, politician, oversaw creation of CSIS, Solicitor General, MP for Don Valley and York Centre
November 9
* Helen Mussallem, nurse
* Jim Sinclair, non-status Indian aboriginal activist and politician
November 12 – Michel Hrynchyshyn, Ukrainian Catholic hierarch, Apostolic Exarch in France, Benelux and Switzerland
November 14 – Lucien Laferte, ski jumper
November 17 – Arnaud Maggs, artist and photographer
November 21 – Nick Discepola, Italian-born politician, MP for Vaudreuil and Vaudreuil-Soulanges
November 23 – John Kemeny, Hungarian-born film producer
November 24 – Shawn Little, politician
November 27
* Gilbert Clements, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
* Pat Connolly, sports broadcaster

December">Deaths in December 2012">December

December 2 – Tom Hendry, playwright, founder of Manitoba Theatre Centre
December 14 – Hazel McIsaac, politician, Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly member for St. George's
December 16 – Laurier LaPierre, broadcaster and politician, Senator from Ontario
December 18 – Camil Samson, politician, MNA for Rouyn-Noranda
December 19 – Douglas Leiterman, producer and journalist
December 20
* Eagle Keys, American-born CFL football player and coach
* Albert Renaud, ice hockey player
December 22 – Willy Blok Hanson, Javanese-born dancer
December 25 – Lynn Watters, Olympic sailor
December 26 – Rebecca Tarbotton, environmental activist, director of Rainforest Action Network
December 31
*Jovette Marchessault, writer and artist
*John Sheardown, diplomat