1970 in Canada
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See also: 1969 in Canada, other events of 1970, 1971 in Canada and the list of 'years in Canada'.
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Incumbents
- Premier of Alberta - Harry Strom
- Premier of British Columbia - W.A.C. Bennett
- Premier of Manitoba - Edward Schreyer
- Premier of New Brunswick - Louis Robichaud then Richard Hatfield
- Premier of Newfoundland - Joey Smallwood
- Premier of Nova Scotia - George Smith then Gerald Regan
- Premier of Ontario - John Robarts
- Premier of Prince Edward Island - Alexander B. Campbell
- Premier of Quebec - Jean-Jacques Bertrand then Robert Bourassa
- Premier of Saskatchewan - W. Ross Thatcher
Events
- January 1 - The towns Fort William and Port Arthur are merged to create Thunder Bay, Ontario
- January 16 - The federal government announces plans to convert the nation to the metric system
- February 2 - Canada becomes an official observer at the Organization of American States
- February 5 - An oil tanker runs aground in Chedabucto Bay, Nova Scotia causing a major oil spill
- February 16 - Police recover the Grey Cup after it was stolen the previous December
- February 17 - The use of phosphates in laundry detergent is banned
- March 2 - Keith Spicer is appointed as the first Official Languages Commissioner
- March 7 - A total solar eclipse affects the Maritimes
- The first Artic Winter Games commence in Yellowknife
- March 20 - The Francophonie is established with Canada as a founding member
- April 5 - Bobby Orr becomes the first NHL defensemean to win the scoring title
- May 2 - Montreal is awarded the 1976 Summer Olympics
- May 12 - Robert Bourassa becomes Premier of Quebec after his Liberals defeat the Union Nationale party
- May 22 - The Vancouver Canucks join the NHL
- May 22 - The CRTC issues the first Canadian content rules for television and radio
- May 29 - The Hudson's Bay Company moves its headquarters from London to Winnipeg, Manitoba
- June 23 - The first Juno Awards for Canadian music are held
- June 26 - The federal voting age is lowered from 21 to 18
- July 5 - 109 people are killed in the crash of an Air Canada DC-8
- August 2 - Three Canadians are killed when a ferry collides with a Soviet freighter off British Columbia
- August 17 - Arthur Erickson is awarded at Expo '70 for his design of the Canadian pavilion
- October 5 - October Crisis: British Trade Commissioner James Cross is kidnaped by the FLQ
- October 10 - October Crisis: Quebec Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte is kidnapped by the FLQ
- October 16 - October Crisis: Pierre Trudeau introduces the War Measures Act to deal with the FLQ threat
- October 17 - October Crisis: The body of Pierre Laporte is found in the trunk of a car
- October 28 - Gerald Regan becomes Premier of Nova Scotia after his Liberals defeat George Smith's Conservatives
- November 6 - Police raid the hiding place of the FLQ's Chenier cell, arresting Bernard Lortie for the kidnapping and murder of Pierre Laporte.
- November 12 - Richard Hatfield becomes Premier of New Brunswick after his Conservatives defeat Louis Robichaud's Liberals
- December 3 - October Crisis: James Cross is released unharmed by the FLQ
- December 28 - October Crisis: The FLQ kidnappers of Pierre Laporte are caught
- The Royal Commission on the Status of Women reports to Parliament
- TV Ontario begins broadcasting
- INCO builds the world's tallest smokestack at Copper Cliff, Ontario
- The Pierre Laporte Bridge opens in Quebec City, at the time it is Canada's longest bridge
- The Don't Make a Wave Committee, the predecessor organization to Greenpeace, is founded in Vancouver
- The first ACTRA Awards are held
Arts and Literature
- New Books
- The Collected Works of Billy the Kid - Michael Ondaatje
- S th story I to: trew adventure - Bill Bissett
- Fifth Business - Robertson Davies
- The Journals of Susanna Moodie - Margaret Atwood
- Il est par là, le soleil - Roch Carrier
- The National Dream - Pierre Berton
- La Rivière sans repos - Gabrielle Roy
- Counterblast - Marshall McLuhan
- New Plays
- The Ecstasy of Rita Joe - George Ryga
- Awards
- See 1970 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
- Stephen Leacock Award: Farley Mowat, The Boat Who Wouldn't Float
- Vicky Metcalf Award: Farley Mowat
- Film
- Paul Almond's Act of the Heart opens
Births
- January 1 - Krista Sutton, actor
- February 14 - Raine Maida, singer
- February 23 - Marie-Josée Croze, actor
- February 24 - Jeff Garcia, football player
- April 11 - Trevor Linden, hockey player
- May 4 - Karla Homolka, murderer
- May 9 - Mario Dumont, Quebec politician
- May 11 - Heather Stefanson, politician
- May 12 - Mike Weir, golfer
- May 20 - Jason York, hockey player
- June 12 - Gordon Michael Woolvett, actor
- July 3 - Julie Masse, singer
- August 9 - Rod Brind'Amour, hockey player
- August 19 - James Rajotte, politician
- September 1 - Mitsou, singer
- September 2 - Mike Wolfs, Olympic sailor
- November 9 - Chris Jericho, wrestler
- November 15 - Jeffrey Adams, Paralympian
- December 15 - Michael Shanks, actor
- December 23 - Catriona LeMay Doan, Olympic gold medalist in speed skating
- December 25 - Stu Barnes, hockey player
- Maher Arar
- Lynn Coady, writer
- Sarah Harmer, singer-songwriter
- Naomi Klein, activist writer
Deaths
- January 29 - Lawren Harris, Group of Seven painter
- February 27 - Marie Dionne, one of the Dionne Quintuplets
- March 23 - Del Lord, film director
- June 12 - John Keiller MacKay, 19th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
- October 17 - Pierre Laporte, Quebec Cabinet minister
- Jacob Viner, economist