2020 in Canada

Events from the year 2020 in Canada.

Incumbents

The Crown

Monarch – Elizabeth II

Federal government

Provincial governments

Lieutenant Governors

Premiers

Premier of Alberta – Jason Kenney
Premier of British Columbia – John Horgan
Premier of Manitoba – Brian Pallister
Premier of New Brunswick – Blaine Higgs
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador – Dwight Ball, then Andrew Furey
Premier of Nova Scotia – Stephen McNeil
Premier of Ontario – Doug Ford
Premier of Prince Edward Island – Dennis King
Premier of Quebec – François Legault
Premier of Saskatchewan – Scott Moe

Territorial governments

Commissioners

Premiers

Events

January

January 1 – Quebec raises its minimum cannabis age from 18 to 21, the highest minimum cannabis age in Canada.
January 5 – Canada defeats Russia 4–3 to win gold at the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
January 8 – Fifty-seven Canadians, as well as approximately 80 others ultimately travelling to Canada, are killed after Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down by Iran shortly after takeoff from Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport.
January 12 – A nuclear alert is erroneously sent out to all Ontario residents, after the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station experiences anomalies.
January 17 – January 2020 North American storm complex: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador goes into a state of emergency after 76 centimetres of snow fell during a bomb cyclone. The Canadian Armed Forces were called in to help with the cleanup.
January 20 – Start of national pipeline protests across the country.
January 25 – The country confirms its first COVID-19 case in Toronto.

February

February 8 – The Quebec CAQ government pass Bill 40. The Bill abolish's The French and English school boards and turns them into school service centres.
February 21 – Ontario teachers held a one-day province wide strike.

March

March 6 – Canada's first COVID-19 death is recorded in North Vancouver.
March 8 – Yukon permanently ends Daylight Saving Time.
March 21 – Canada closes its border with the United States to non-essential travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

April

April 18 – 19 – A series of shootings and arson attacks takes place in various Nova Scotia locations, with 23 people killed.
April 26 – A large flood hits Fort McMurray, forcing 13,000 people to evacuate.

May

May 30 – Protests across Canada begin in solidarity with Americans protesting the murder of George Floyd, and against police issues and racism in Canada.

August

August 7 – A tornado in southern Manitoba kills two and causes damage near Virden and Scarth.
August 10 – Wildfire Red Lake 49 ignites near Red Lake, Ontario which advances within 2 km of the west-end of the town, forcing the evacuation of 95 percent of the 4000 residents of the community. Though small by comparison to the Fort McMurray fire of 2016 which was 800 times the size of this fire, it is unusual in the fire's proximity to the community.
August 17 – The Canadian Football League cancels the 2020 CFL season.
August 26 – Quebec's Minister of Justice and French Language Simon Jolin-Barrette announced plans for 2021 that he will be strengthening Bill 101, the French language in the province of Quebec.

September

September 14 – New Brunswick general election is held, resulting in a Progressive Conservative majority government.
September 10 – 21 – 2020 Toronto International Film Festival.
September 20 – Yukon stops the twice yearly changing of clocks, committing to UTC−07:00. This puts solar noon around 14:00, effectively double daylight saving time year-round.
September 28 – The Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup in Edmonton after defeating the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals.

October

October 19 – 2020 Polaris Music Prize awarded.
October 21 – Trudeau minority government survives confidence vote 180 to 146, in the House of Commons.
October 24 – British Columbia general election is held, resulting in a New Democratic majority government.
October 26 – Saskatchewan general election is held, resulting in a fourth consecutive Saskatchewan Party majority government.
October 31 – Two people are killed and five injured in the Quebec City stabbing.

November

November 1 – Daylight saving time ends
November 24/25 – Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador will temporarily leave the Atlantic Bubble, due the latest wave in the pandemic.

December

December 1 – Yukon officials announce a Face masks during the [COVID-19 pandemic|mask mandate] and urges people to stay home amid a rise of cases.
December 3
*COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
**The Quebec government cancels a plan to allow Christmas gatherings of up to 10 people amid a rise of cases.
**Alberta reports 1,854 new COVID-19 cases, a single-day record.
December 7 – Prime Minister Trudeau says that the country will receive 240,000 doses of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine candidate by the end of the year.
December 30 – The 2021 Canadian Honours List is announced.

Events cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

15th Canadian Folk Music Awards
61st public duties season of the Ceremonial Guard of the Canadian Armed Forces
Anime North 2020
All bowling national championships covering both five pin and tenpin.
Animethon 2020
Calgary Expo 2020
Calgary Stampede
Canada Reads
2020 Canadian Football League season
2020 Canadian Junior Hockey League playoffs, including the 2020 Memorial Cup
Canadian National Exhibition and the Canadian International Air Show
Celebration of Light
Cirque du Soleil
Esso Cup
FIS Cross-Country World Cup Finals in Canmore
All Golf Canada national championships.
Honda Indy Toronto 2020
2020 IIHF Women's World Championship in Halifax and Truro
Labour Day parades
Montreal Comiccon 2020
Northern Lights Festival Boréal
Otafest 2020
Pacific National Exhibition 2020
Pride parades
Most Santa Claus parades
Shaw Charity Classic
Stratford Festival
2020 Toronto Caribbean Carnival
Telus Cup
Toronto Comicon 2020
Toronto Waterfront Marathon
All university sports administered by Atlantic University Sport, Canada West Universities Athletic Association, Ontario University Athletics, and U Sports
2020 Royal Winter Fair
Most school events
Juno Awards of 2020

Deaths

January

January 1
*János Aczél, mathematician
*Peter Neumann, gridiron football player
January 2
*Bill Graham, gridiron football player
*Tom Hickey, politician
January 3
*Harvey Reti, boxer
*Douglas N. Walton, academic and author
January 4
*Russell Bannock, test pilot and World War II fighter ace
*Bonnie Burstow, psychotherapist
*John R. Cunningham, medical physicist
January 5
*Peter Dyck, Manitoba politician
*Walter Learning, actor and theatre director
*John Migneault, ice hockey player
January 6 – Reva Gerstein, psychologist and educator
January 7 – Neil Peart, drummer and lyricist for Rush
January 9 – Leo Kolber, businessman and former Senator
January 10
*John Crosbie, provincial and federal politician
*Bud Fowler, gridiron football player
*Michael Posluns, journalist
January 14 – Eville Gorham, scientist
January 15 – Rocky Johnson, wrestler
January 16 – William J. Samarin, linguist
January 17
*Thérèse Dion, television personality
*Rhona Wurtele, skier
*Bobby Kay, wrestler
January 18
*John Burke, composer
*Steve Gillespie, wrestler
*Norm Hill, football player
*Roger Nicolet, engineer
*Gordon A. Smith, artist
*Jim Smith, politician
January 18 – John Gibson, ice hockey player
January 20 – Kit Hood, television editor
January 21 – Norman Amadio, jazz pianist
January 23
*Fernand Daoust, trade unionist
*Jean-Noël Tremblay, politician
January 25
*Siegfried Enns, politician
*Clifford Wiens, architect
January 26 – Louis Nirenberg, mathematician
January 29 – Alfred John Ellis, banker
January 30
*Jake MacDonald, writer
*Raymond Reierson, politician

February

February 1 – Roger Landry, businessman
February 2 – Bernard Ebbers, businessman and convicted fraudster
February 3 – John Edward Brockelbank, instrument technician and politician
February 4
*Peter Hogg, legal scholar and lawyer
*L. Jacques Ménard, businessman
*Frank Plummer, scientist
February 5
*Diane Cailhier, filmmaker and director
*Ian Cushenan, ice hockey player
February 7
*Ron Calhoun, executive
*Brian Glennie, ice hockey player
*Larry Popein, ice hockey player
February 8 – Bill Robinson, basketball player
February 11
*Maurice Byblow, politician
*Louis-Edmond Hamelin, geographer
*Timothy Porteous, administrator
February 12
*Christie Blatchford, newspaper columnist, journalist and broadcaster
*Charles Hubbard, politician
February 13 – Ralph Mercier, politician
February 14 – Masao Takahashi, judoka
February 17 – Georges Villeneuve, politician
February 19
*Pete Babando, ice hockey player
*Robert H. Lee, businessman
*Hubert B. MacNeill, physician and politician
*John Robertson, sailor
February 21
* Phil Maloney, ice hockey player and coach
* Ouida Ramón-Moliner, anaesthetist
February 22 – Mark Zanna, social psychologist
February 23 – Norene Gilletz, author and cooking instructor
February 25 – Bob Steiner, football player
February 26 – David Smith, senator
February 26 – Craig Mackay, speed skater

March

March 1 – William MacEachern, politician
March 2
*René Coicou, politician
*William Johnson, author
*Laird Stirling, politician
March 3 – Réginald Bélair, politician
March 4
*Serge Deslières, politician and teacher
*Jean Payne, politician
March 6
*Norm Fieldgate, football player
*Henri Richard, ice hockey player
March 7
*Earl Pomerantz, screenwriter
*Laura Smith, singer-songwriter
March 9 – John Havelock Parker, politician
March 11 – Ken King, ice hockey player
March 13 – Dorothy Maclean, educator and writer
March 14 – Galen Head, ice hockey player
March 15 – Phil Olsen, athlete
March 18 – Wray Downes, jazz pianist
March 19 – Herbert Marx, politician
March 20 – Claude Bennett, politician
March 23
*JR Shaw, businessman
*Giles Walker, film director
March 30
*Joe Clark, businessman
*Tim Petros, football player

April

April 4
*Barry Allen, musician
*Marguerite Lescop, writer
April 5 – Shirley Douglas, actress and activist
April 6
*John Dossetor, physician
*Jean Little, author, primarily of children's fiction
April 7
*Peter Cory, Supreme Court of Canada judge
*Ghyslain Tremblay, actor and comedian
April 8
*John Hughes, ice hockey player
*Pat Stapleton, ice hockey player
April 9
*Jim Conacher, ice hockey player
*Mark Golden, historian
*Ho Kam Ming, martial artist
*Jean-Pierre St-Louis, cinematographer
April 10
*Marke Raines, politician
*Tom Webster, ice hockey player and coach
April 11
*Colby Cave, ice hockey player
*Paul Haddad, actor
April 12
*Claude Beauchamp, journalist and political activist
*Bill Langille, farmer and politician,
April 16 – Kenneth Gilbert, musician
April 18 – Allan Gotlieb, public servant and Ambassador
April 19
*Aileen Carroll, politician
*Claude Lafortune, television presenter
April 20 – Hezakiah Oshutapik, politician

May

May 2
*Morris Belzberg, Canadian-born American businessman and sports team owner
*Jim Henderson, politician, Ontario MLA
May 3
*Selma Barkham, maritime historian
*Paul Cholakis, football player
*Eugene Kostyra, politician, Manitoba MLA
May 4
*Michael Lucas, Czechoslovak-born Canadian political activist
*Lorne Munroe, Canadian-born American cellist
May 5 – George Henderson, politician, member of the House of Commons
May 6 – Nahum Rabinovitch, Canadian-born Israeli Orthodox rabbi and posek, head of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe
May 7
*Joyce Davidson, television presenter
*Sylvia Ostry, economist
May 8 – Nancy Morin, goalball player
May 10 – Martin Pasko, Canadian-born American comic book writer and screenwriter
May 11
*Doug McKay, ice hockey player
*Jean Nichol, singer
May 12 – Renée Claude, actress and singer
May 13
*Gérard Dionne, Roman Catholic prelate and former Bishop of Edmundston
*Daren Zenner, Canadian-American boxer
May 15
*Denny DeMarchi, multi-instrumentalist
*John Palmer, theatre and film director
May 16
*Cliff Eyland, painter and writer
*Monique Mercure, actress
May 18
*Rae Johnson, painter
*Michelle Rossignol, actress
*Craig Welch, animator
May 19
*Ravi Zacharias, Indian-born Canadian-American Christian apologist
May 20 – Wilbur MacDonald, politician and former MP
May 21
*Merlin Nunn, judge and former chief justice of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court
*Douglas Tyndall Wright, engineer and academic administrator, former President of the University of Waterloo
May 22
*André Cartier, actor
*Denise Cronenberg, costume designer
May 25
*Francis Dufour, politician and former Quebec MNA
*Louise Feltham, politician
*Marv Luster, American Hall of Fame CFL football player
May 26
*Floyd Hillman, ice hockey player
*Cliff Pennington, ice hockey player
*Houdini, rapper
May 27
*Wally Gacek, ice hockey player
*Regis Korchinski-Paquet
*Arthur L. Thurlow, politician and judge, former Nova Scotia MLA
May 28 – Reed Scowen, politician
May 30
*Michel Gauthier, politician, former Leader of the Opposition, MP, and Quebec MNA
*Edward O. Phillips, writer

June

June 1
*Silver Donald Cameron, journalist and author
*Garth Dawley, journalist
June 2
*Yvon Lamarre, politician
*Muriel Kent Roy, demographer
June 3 – Gary Potts, Temagami First Nation chief
June 4 – Walt Elliot, politician
June 5 – Andrée Champagne, actress
June 6 – Jean-Marc Chaput, author and public speaker
June 7 – Hubert Gagnon, actor and voice dubber
June 10
*Joan Ferner, women's rights advocate
*Paul Owen, cricketer
*Stuart Lyon Smith, politician
*Eppie Wietzes, Dutch-born racing driver
June 11
*Roy Little Chief, First Nations rights activist, politician, and Chief of the Siksika Nation
*Cy Strulovitch, Olympic basketball player
June 12 – Werner Volkmer, documentary filmmaker
June 15
*Winston Backus, politician
*Phil Takahashi, Olympic judoka
June 17
*Victor Feldbrill, conductor and violinist
*Hugh Fraser, musician
June 19
*Thomas Brzustowski, engineer and academic
*Ralph Haas, engineer and academic
*Regan Russell, animal rights activist
June 21 – Anthony J. Naldrett, geologist
June 24 – David MacLennan, biochemist
June 26
*Ed Conroy, politician
*Madeleine Juneau, museologist
*Don Seymour, jockey
June 27 – Bob Warner, ice hockey player
June 28 – Bill McFarlane, gridiron football player
June 29
*James Douglas Henderson, politician
*Gene Lakusiak, gridiron football player
June 30 – John Metras, gridiron football player

July

July 3
*Neil Erland Byers, politician
*Len Cunning, ice hockey player
July 5
*Bill Barlow, politician
*Nick Cordero, actor
*Aubert Pallascio, actor
July 6 – Deborah Zamble, chemist
July 7
*George Boyd, playwright and news anchor
*Yves Lever, film historian and academic
July 9 – Bob Sabourin, ice hockey player
July 10
*Robert Curtis Clark, politician
*Genevieve Westcott, journalist and television presenter
July 11 – Rich Priske, bassist
July 12 – Ignat Kaneff, construction executive and philanthropist
July 13 – Daniel David Moses, poet and playwright
July 16
*Ken Chinn, punk rock vocalist
*Roger Côté, ice hockey player
*Ted Gerela, gridiron football player
*Marie-Christine Lévesque, author
July 17 – J. I. Packer, evangelical theologian
July 18
*Ray Hannigan, ice hockey player
*Hubert Kitchen, politician
July 19
*David Cliche, politician
*Louis Dicaire, Roman Catholic prelate
*Jack McIlhargey, ice hockey player and coach
July 20
*Doug Rogers, judoka
*Harry Smith ice hockey player
July 24 – Claude Beausoleil, writer and poet
July 25
*Eddie Shack, ice hockey player
*Richard L. Weldon, politician
July 26
*Jim Abbott, politician
*Brian Chewter, Olympic cyclist
*Robert Smith, actor
July 27
*Bernard Cleary, politician
*Doug Taylor, historian, professor, author, and connoisseur of movie theatres
July 28 – John Loxley, economist
July 29 – David Ramsay, politician

August

August 1 – Douglas Wiseman, politician
August 3
*Ralph Klassen, ice hockey player
*Sean Martin, cartoonist
August 4 – Brent Carver, actor
August 7
*Tim Irwin, sailor
*Mike Yaschuk, ice hockey player
August 8
*Salome Bey, blues singer
*Adam Comrie, ice hockey player
August 9 – Robert Fischer, politician
August 11 – Marcel Adams, real estate investor
August 13
*Michel Dumont, actor
*Irene Piotrowski, track and field athlete
*Lorraine Thomson, dancer and television host
August 14 – Joe Norton, politician
August 15
*Richard Gwyn, writer
*Francis O'Brien, politician
*Lefty Reid, museum curator
August 16 – Cathy Smith
August 18
*Joseph Gosnell, Nisga'a indigenous leader
*Dale Hawerchuk, ice hockey player
*Rick Pugliese, water polo player
August 19
*Cora Etter, politician
*Allan Fotheringham, journalist
August 21 – Chris Kooy, association football player
August 22 – Jean-Marie Brochu, Roman Catholic priest and founder of Le Noël du Bonheur
August 23
*Peter Borwein, mathematician
*Bill Burega, ice hockey player
August 24
*Nancy Guptill, politician
*P. B. Waite, historian
August 25 – Tommy Joe Coffey, gridiron football player
August 26 – Gaston Roberge, priest and film historian
August 30
*Ralph Ferguson, politician
*Jacques Galipeau, actor
August 31 – Norm Spencer, voice actor

September

September 1
*Moose Lallo, ice hockey player
*James A. Taylor, politician
September 2 – Stephen M. Drance, ophthalmologist
September 4
*Vince Agro, politician and novelist
*Bryan Anderson, politician
*Lucille Starr, singer
September 10 – Terry Buckle, Canadian Anglican prelate, Archbishop of Yukon
September 12 – Aline Chrétien, spouse of former prime minister
September 17 – Harvey Hodder, politician
September 19
*Al Langlois, ice hockey player
*John Turner, politician and 17th Prime Minister of Canada
September 20 – Marian Packham, biochemist
September 21 – Bob Nevin, ice hockey player
September 23
*John Gray, journalist and author
*Brenda Robertson, politician
September 25 – George Sayliss, ice hockey player
September 26 – Suzanne Tremblay, politician
September 28 – Joyce Echaquan, Atikamekw woman

October

October 1
*Gord Brooks, ice hockey player
*Glen Despins, curler
October 2 – Alan Abraham, politician and Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
October 4 – Louis Fortier, biologist and oceanographer
October 8
*Helmut Giesbrecht, politician
*Geoff Peddle, Canadian Anglican prelate and Bishop of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador
October 10 – Stanley Schumacher, politician
October 12 – Ezra Schabas, musician and educator
October 13
*Dean Bandiera, gridiron football player
*Percy Schmeiser, farmer and politician
October 14 – William Keir Carr, military officer and Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force
October 19 – Louise Renaud, painter and dancer
October 20 – James Randi, magician and skeptic
October 23 – R. M. Vaughan, writer
October 26
*David Braley, politician
*Peter Cardew, architect
*Jacques Godin, actor
*Joey Moss, dressing room attendant
October 27 – Don Mazankowski, politician and the 4th Prime Minister of Canada">Prime Minister of Canada">Prime Minister of Canada
October 28 – Robert Wells, politician
October 28 – Margaret Birch, politician
October 31 – Michel Auger, journalist

November

November 2 – Max Ward, aviator
November 3
*Anne Covell, sprinter
*Georges Massicotte, politician
November 5 – Robert Peterson, politician
November 6
*Ray Daviault, baseball player
*Jim Neilson, ice hockey player
November 8
*Howie Meeker, ice hockey player and sports announcer
*Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy!
November 9 – Lê Dinh, songwriter
November 11
*Michel Mongeau, actor
*Reg Morelli, ice hockey player
*Faye Urban, tennis player
November 11 – Pierre Mercier, politician
November 13 – Max Gros-Louis, politician and businessman
November 16
*Rick Fraser, ice hockey player
*David Hemblen, actor
*Bill Morgan, producer
November 18
*Claire Boudreau, genealogist and historian
*Kirby Morrow, actor
November 20
*Patricia Beatty, choreographer and dancer
*Ken Schinkel, ice hockey player and coach
November 23 – Christian Mistral, novelist, poet, and songwriter
November 24 – Fred Sasakamoose, ice hockey player
November 25 – Marc-André Bédard, politician
November 27 – Lou Nistico, ice hockey player

December

December 1 – Sol Tolchinsky, basketball player
December 2
*Jean René Allard, politician
*Pat Patterson, wrestler
December 3
*Bill Fitsell, sports journalist and historian
*André Gagnon, composer and conductor
*William King, politician
December 4
*Goldie Hershon, activist
*Larry Mavety, ice hockey player
December 5 – Ron Irwin, politician and diplomat
December 6 – Neil Armstrong, ice hockey referee
December 7
*Joseph Arvay, lawyer
*Sheila A. Hellstrom, military officer
December 10 – Cal Hockley, ice hockey player
December 12
*Ronald James Baker, academic administrator
*Claude Castonguay, politician and educator
*Alfonso Gagliano, politician
December 13
*Pierre Lacroix, ice hockey player
*Barry Sonshine, Olympic equestrian
December 12 – Alpha Boucher, actor
December 15
*Awesome Again, racehorse
*Jim Gorst, politician
December 16 – John Martin Crawford, serial killer
December 17
*Lorraine Monk, photographer
*Bill Sveinson, politician and poker player
December 18
*Charlie Brooker, ice hockey player
*Joan Dougherty, politician
December 19 – Leo Panitch, political scientist
December 23 – Joel Yanofsky, writer
December 26 – Derek Aucoin, baseball player
December 27 – Ed Finn, politician and trade unionist,
December 28 – Wilma Pelly, actress
December 29 – Elaine McCoy, politician

2020 in Canada

Incumbents

The Crown

Federal government

Provincial governments

Lieutenant Governors

Premiers

Territorial governments

Commissioners

Premiers

Events

January

February

March

April

May

August

September

October

November

December

Events cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Country overviews