1978 in Canada

Events from the year 1978 in Canada.

Incumbents

January 12 – Via Rail Canada is established as a Crown corporation
January 24 – Cosmos 954, a Soviet satellite, breaks up over northern Canada.
June 26 – An Air Canada DC-9 overruns a runway in Toronto. Two people die.
August 4 – 41 are killed when a bus plunges into a lake near Eastman, Quebec.
September 15 – The Sudbury Strike of 1978 begins.
September 18 – Bennett Campbell becomes premier of Prince Edward Island, replacing Alexander B. Campbell
October 5 – John MacLennan Buchanan becomes premier of Nova Scotia, replacing Gerald Regan
October 16 – At midnight after a year and a half of conciliation the Canadian Union of Postal Workers goes on strike.
October 16 – Fifteen federal by-elections are held across the country. The governing Liberals lose five seats, which leads to a general election the following May.
October 17 – Parliament votes to force the postal workers back to work.
October 18 – Saskatchewan election: Allan Blakeney's NDP win a third consecutive majority. Despite accusations of marital infidelity, Colin Thatcher, who would later be involved in the murder of his ex-wife, is re-elected to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly.
December 14 – Chris Pearson becomes government leader of Yukon as responsible government is instituted

Rexdale Women's Centre is founded in Toronto.
Supreme Court of Canada declares unilingual legislatures and courts unconstitutional
Under the new immigration act homosexuals are no longer an inadmissible class

March 19 – Alberta Golden Bears win their fourth University Cup by defeating the Toronto Varsity Blues 6–5. The final game was played at Moncton Coliseum
May 13 – New Westminster Bruins win the second Memorial Cup by defeating the Peterborough Petes 7–4. The final game was played at Sudbury Community Arena
May 22 – Winnipeg Jets win their second Avco Cup by defeating the New England Whalers 4 games to 0.
May 25 – Montreal Canadiens win their 21st Stanley Cup by defeating the Boston Bruins 4 games to 2. Winchester, Ontario's Larry Robinson was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
July 15 – Commonwealth Stadium opens in Edmonton
August 3 to 12 – The Commonwealth Games are held in Edmonton
October 10 – Wayne Gretzky plays his first professional game for the Indianapolis Racers and would be traded to the Edmonton Oilers after 25 games
November 18 – Queen's Golden Gaels win their second Vanier Cup by defeating the UBC Thunderbirds 16–3 in the 14th Vanier Cup played at Varsity Stadium in Toronto
November 26 – Edmonton Eskimos win their fifth Grey Cup by defeating the Montreal Alouettes 20–13 in the 66th Grey Cup played at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. Hamilton, Ontario's Angelo Santucci was named the game's Most Valuable Canadian

April 1 - Jean-Pierre Dumont, ice hockey player
April 6 - Thomas Herschmiller, rower, Olympic silver medallist and World Champion
April 10 - Scott Roberts, voice actor
April 18 - Alexis Mazurin, comedian and radio personality
April 29 - Tyler Labine, actor
May 3 - Autumn Kelly the wife of Peter Phillips
May 12
* Aaron Abrams, actor
* Amy Sloan, actress
May 15
* Dwayne De Rosario, soccer player
* Caroline Dhavernas, actress
May 25 - Adam Gontier, singer and guitarist
June 2 - Shane Niemi, sprint athlete
June 11 - Joshua Jackson, Canadian actor
June 13 - Matt Bradley, ice hockey player
June 14 - Steve Bégin, ice hockey player
June 21 – Erica Durance, actress
June 24 – Geoff Keighley, video game journalist
June 28 - Simon Larose, tennis player

March 25 - Charles Alexander Best, politician
March 31 - Charles Best, medical scientist, co-discoverer of insulin
April 13 - Jack Chambers, artist and filmmaker
July 18 - Claude P. Dettloff, photographer
September 9 - Jack L. Warner, studio mogul
September 28 - Thane Campbell, jurist, politician and Premier of Prince Edward Island
October 23 - Joe Greene, politician