1961 in Canada

Events from the year 1961 in Canada.

Incumbents

June 1
* The Canadian Bank of Commerce and the Imperial Bank of Canada merge to form the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.
* Census Day for the 1961 Census of Canada, which finds Canada has a population of 18,238,247.
June 6 – CUSO is formed
June 13 – The NCC study of Ottawa's new Green Belt is completed
June 14 – James Elliott Coyne, the Governor of the Bank of Canada resigns due to disagreements with the federal government's fiscal policies

August 3 – Tommy Douglas is elected leader of the newly formed New Democratic Party
August 14 – 15 – The Premiers meet in Charlottetown
August 26 – The new home for the Hockey Hall of Fame opens in Toronto, at the Canadian National Exhibition.
October 1 – CTV, Canada's second major television network, begins broadcasting
November 7 – Woodrow Lloyd becomes premier of Saskatchewan, replacing Tommy Douglas
November 8 – John Robarts becomes premier of Ontario, replacing Leslie Frost
November 17 – Saskatchewan passes a bill creating Canada's first government run health system
December 28 – Canada's first BOMARC Missile squadron is formed

See 1961 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
Stephen Leacock Award: Norman Ward, ''Mice in the Beer''

January 11 – Graham Welbourn, swimmer
January 15 - Yves Pelletier, film director and actor
January 18 – Mark Messier, ice hockey player
January 26 – Wayne Gretzky, ice hockey player and coach
January 27 – Tony Clement, politician and Minister
January 28 – Normand Rochefort, ice hockey player and coach
February 4 – Connor O'Brien, Canadian skier
February 10 – Steve Pagendam, boxer
February 21 – Paul Edwards, politician and lawyer
February 23 – Silvia Ruegger, long-distance runner
February 27 – Ann Peel, race walker
February 28 - René Simard, singer
March 16 – Todd McFarlane, cartoonist, comic book artist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur
March 24 – Pat Turner, rower and Olympic gold medallist

April 6 – Gene Eugene, actor, record producer, engineer, composer and musician
April 10 – Barb Tarbox, anti-smoking activist
April 22 – Scott D. Sampson, paleontologist, science communicator and television presenter
May 1 – Clint Malarchuk, ice hockey player
May 8 – Greg Thomey, comedian
May 9 – Darren Praznik, politician
May 10 – Randy Cunneyworth, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
June 1 – Paul Coffey, ice hockey player
June 9 – Michael J. Fox, actor, author and voice over artist

October 16 - Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor Inc., Quebecor Media Inc. and Sun Media Corporation
October 25 – Alison Webb, judoka
November 2 – k.d. lang, singer-songwriter
November 23 – Floyd Roland, politician and 11th Premier of the Northwest Territories
December 8 – André Bachand, politician
December 10 – Mark McKoy, hurdler and Olympic gold medallist
December 11 - Michel Courtemanche, actor
December 13 – Ranza Clark, middle-distance runner
December 18 – Brian Orser, figure skater, double Olympic silver medallist and World Champion
December 30
* Douglas Coupland, novelist
* Ben Johnson, Jamaica-born sprinter, double Olympic bronze medallist, Olympic gold medal rescinded as disqualified for doping

July 12 – Mazo de la Roche, author
July 15 – John Edward Brownlee, politician and 5th Premier of Alberta
September 12 – Joseph-Arthur Bradette, politician
September 16 – Percy Chapman Black, politician
September 21 – William Duncan Herridge, politician and diplomat
September 30 - Onésime Gagnon, politician and the 20th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
October 15 – Peter Dickinson, architect
October 22 – Harry Nixon, politician and 13th Premier of Ontario