1990 in Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
See also: 1989 in Canada, other events of 1990, 1991 in Canada and the list of 'years in Canada'.
Contents |
[edit] Incumbents
Pte. Patrick Cloutier, a 'Van Doo' perimeter sentry, and Mohawk warrior Brad "Freddy Krueger" Larocque, a University of Saskatchewan economics student, face off during the Oka Crisis
- Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II
- Governor General: Jeanne Sauvé then Ray Hnatyshyn
- Prime Minister: Brian Mulroney
- Premier of Alberta: Don Getty
- Premier of British Columbia: Bill Vander Zalm
- Premier of Manitoba: Gary Filmon
- Premier of New Brunswick: Frank McKenna
- Premier of Newfoundland: Clyde Wells
- Premier of Nova Scotia: John Buchanan then Roger Bacon
- Premier of Ontario: David Peterson then Bob Rae
- Premier of Prince Edward Island: Joe Ghiz
- Premier of Quebec: Robert Bourassa
- Premier of Saskatchewan: Grant Devine
[edit] Events
- January 5: 1300 jobs are lost in Newfoundland when Fishery Products International decides to close three plants
- January 15: Massive cuts to VIA Rail come into effect leading to the rerouting of The Canadian and many intercity trains
- January 24: The Tories introduce legislation that would create the Goods and Services Tax (GST), a national sales tax
- January 24: Jean Charest resigns from cabinet after he was found to have spoken with a judge
- January 29: Ramon John Hnatyshyn replaces Jeanne Sauvé as governor general
- January 29: A controversial resolution is passed by the city council of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, declaring the city "English-only"
- February: The federal government announces that it will privatize Petro-Canada; the legislation to do so is introduced in October.
- February 12: A massive tire fire begins near Hagersville, Ontario. It takes 15 days to put out.
- March 6: The National Gallery of Canada acquires Barnett Newman's Voice of Fire for $1.8 million causing a storm of controversy
- March 9: Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Clyde Wells confirms he will rescind Newfoundland's approval of the Meech Lake Accord
- March 11: The Oka crisis begins
- March 15: The federal government decides that Sikhs may wear turbans while serving as Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers
- March 22: Canadian arms designer Gerald Bull is assassinated in Brussels, probably by Mossad
- May 12: The Bloc Québécois Party is formed as several MPs led by Lucien Bouchard quit the Tories and Liberals
- June 6: Stanley Charles Waters is the first elected senator
- June 12: Elijah Harper prevents Manitoba accepting the Meech Lake Accord
- June 23: Meech Lake Accord officially dead
- September 6: Bob Rae's Ontario New Democratic Party wins a surprise majority in Ontario.
- September 12: Roger Bacon becomes premier of Nova Scotia, replacing John Buchanan
- September 26: Oka crisis ends peacefully
- September 27: Brian Mulroney temporarily increases the size of the Senate to ensure passage of the GST
- October 1: Bob Rae become premier of Ontario, replacing David Peterson
- November 1: Mulroney launches the Citizen's Forum on Canada's Future to get Canadians' input on constitutional reform
- November 25: The Winnipeg Blue Bombers win the Grey Cup, defeating the Edmonton Eskimos 50 to 11.
- December 17: The GST becomes law
- Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup four games to one over the Boston Bruins. It is their fifth cup victory in seven years.
- Doug Flutie returns to Canada to play with the British Columbia Lions
- Canada Post Systems Management Limited founded
- Jean Chrétien elected leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
- Richard Taylor wins the Nobel Prize in Physics for verifying the Quark Theory
[edit] Arts and literature
- Music
- New works
- Swann by Carol Shields published
- The Evening News by Arthur Hailey
- A Tenured Professor by John Kenneth Galbraith
- TekWar by William Shatner
- Magic Casement by Dave Duncan
- Golden Fleece by Robert J. Sawyer
- Medicine River by Thomas King
- The Magic Machine: A Handbook of Computer Sorcery by Alexander Dewdney
- Whylah Falls by George Elliott Clarke
- The Wild Blue Yonder by Audrey Thomas
- L'Oursiade by Antonine Maillet
- Awards
- See 1990 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
- Books in Canada First Novel Award: Sandra Birdsell, The Missing Child
- Geoffrey Bilson Award: Kit Pearson, The Sky Is Falling
- Gerald Lampert Award: Steven Heighton, Stalin's Carnival
- Marian Engel Award: Carol Shields
- Pat Lowther Award: Patricia Young, The Mad and Beautiful Mothers
- Stephen Leacock Award: W.O. Mitchell, According to Jake and the Kid
- Trillium Book Award: Alice Munro, Friend of My Youth
- Vicky Metcalf Award: Bernice Thurman Hunter
[edit] Births
[edit] Deaths
- January 7: Bronko Nagurski, American football player
- March 22: Gerald Bull, arms expert
- April 11: Harold Ballard, owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs
- July 18: Johnny Wayne, comedian
- July 18: Gerry Boulet, Quebec rock singer (Offenbach)
- August 25: Morley Callaghan, writer
- October 30: Craig Russell, female impersonator
- November 2: Frederick Thomas Armstrong, politician
- November 7: Hugh MacLennan, writer
- November 16: Northern Dancer, racehorse

