1953 in Canada

Decades:	1930s ; 1940s ; 1950s ; 1960s ; 1970s ;
See also:	History of Canada ; Timeline of Canadian history ; List of years in Canada ;

Last updated October 16, 2023

Events from the year 1953 in Canada.

Incumbents

Crown

Monarch – Elizabeth II ^[1]

Federal government

Governor General – Vincent Massey ^[2]
Prime Minister – Louis St. Laurent
Chief Justice – Thibaudeau Rinfret (Quebec)
Parliament – 21st (until 13 June) then 22nd (from 12 November)

Provincial governments

Territorial governments

Commissioners

Commissioner of Yukon – Wilfred George Brown
Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Hugh Andrew Young (until November 15) then Robert Gordon Robertson

Events

January 1 – The National Library of Canada is founded.
January 9 – Marguerite Pitre becomes the thirteenth, and last, woman hanged in Canada when she is executed in Montréal.^[3]
January 27 – The Canadian Dental Association approves the use of fluoride in drinking water^[4]
May 25 – Alex Matheson becomes premier of Prince Edward Island, replacing J. Walter Jones
June 2 – Elizabeth II is crowned Queen of Canada. In Korea the Canadian Army celebrates the coronation by firing red, white, and blue smoke shells at the enemy.
July 13 – The Stratford Festival of Canada opens
July 27 – The Korean War ends. In total 314 Canadians were killed and 1211 wounded.
August 10 – Federal election: Louis Saint Laurent's Liberals win a fifth consecutive majority.
October 12 – Wilfrid Laurier Memorial unveiled
October 15 – The Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline is completed
October 25 – Canada's first privately owned television station, CKSO, broadcasts in Sudbury.
The federal Immigration Act is amended to prohibit homosexuals entry into Canada. This amendment was repealed in 1977.

Arts and literature

Awards

See 1953 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
Stephen Leacock Award: Lawrence Earl, The Battle of Baltinglass

Sport

April 16 - Montreal Canadiens won their Seventh Stanley Cup by defeating the Boston Bruins 4 games to 1. The deciding Game 5 was played at the Montreal Forum
May 6 - Ontario Hockey Association's Barrie Flyers won their Second Memorial Cup by defeating the Manitoba Junior Hockey League's St. Boniface Canadiens 4 games to 1. The deciding Game 5 was played at Wheat City Arena in Brandon, Manitoba
November 28 - Hamilton Tiger-Cats won their First Grey Cup by defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 12–6 in the 41st Grey Cup played at Toronto's Varsity Stadium

Births

January to June

January 7
- Dionne Brand, poet, novelist and non-fiction writer
- Morris Titanic, ice hockey player and coach
January 19 – Richard Legendre, tennis player and politician
January 29 – Pierre Jacob, politician
February 5 – Eric Robinson, politician
February 15
- David Chomiak, politician
- Gerald Keddy, politician
February 16 – Lanny McDonald, ice hockey player
February 17 – Borys Chambul, discus thrower
February 18 – Robbie Bachman, drummer (d. 2023)
February 20 – Gaëtan Dugas, early AIDS patient, the alleged and debunked Patient Zero for AIDS (d.1984)
March 10 – Debbie Brill, high jumper
March 13 – Stephanie Berto, track and field athlete
April 2 – Janet Nutter, diver
April 17 – Dany Laferrière, novelist and journalist
April 18 – Rick Moranis, comedian, actor and musician
May 11 – Celine Lomez, actress and singer
May 14 – Tom Cochrane, singer-songwriter and musician
May 21 - Kathleen Wynne, 25th premier of Ontario
June 23 – Raymonde April, photographer
June 23 – Albina Guarnieri, politician and Minister

July to September

July 3 – Dave Lewis, ice hockey player and coach
July 9 – Margie Gillis, dancer and choreographer
July 15 – Richard Margison, operatic tenor
July 15 – Mila Mulroney, wife of the 18th Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney
July 22 – Paul Quarrington, novelist, playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker and musician
July 25 – Barbara Haworth-Attard, children's author
July 29 – Geddy Lee, singer, bassist and keyboardist
August 11 – Greg Duhaime, middle-distance runner
August 17 – Robert Thirsk, engineer and astronaut
August 27 – Alex Lifeson, guitarist
September 16 – Nancy Huston, novelist and essayist
September 29 - Jean-Claude Lauzon, Quebec filmmaker (d. 1997)
September 30 – S. M. Stirling, science fiction and fantasy author

October to December

October 12 – Daniel Louis, film producer
October 24
- Charles Colbourn, computer scientist and mathematician
- Jim Pettie, ice hockey player (d.2019)
October 29 – Denis Potvin, ice hockey player
November 26 – Pam Barrett, politician (d.2008)
November 28 – John Majhor, radio and television host (d.2007)
December 7 – Carmen Rinke, boxer
December 13 – Bob Gainey, ice hockey player and coach
December 18 – Daniel Poliquin, novelist and translator
December 23 – Holly Dale, film and television director and film producer

Full date unknown

Patrick LaForge, president and CEO of the Edmonton Oilers

Deaths

January 2 – Gordon Daniel Conant, lawyer, politician and 12th Premier of Ontario (b.1885)
January 5 – Mitchell Hepburn, politician and 11th Premier of Ontario (b.1896)
February 16 – Norman Hipel, politician and Minister (b.1890)
March 20 – John Livingstone Brown, politician (b.1867)

May 4 – James Tompkins, priest and educator (b.1870)
September 19 – Gordon Graydon, politician (b.1897)
November 29 – Sam De Grasse, actor (b.1875)
December 26 – David Milne, painter, printmaker and writer (b.1882)

References

↑ "Queen Elizabeth II | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
↑ Lentz, Harris M. (4 February 2014). Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. Routledge. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-134-26490-2.
↑ Headsman (9 January 2010). "1953: Marguerite Pitre, the last woman hanged in Canada". ExecutedToday.com. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
↑ "Two Groups Recommend Fluoridation". Water Works Engineering. R. H. Donnelly Corporation. 106: 341. 1953.

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[1] "Queen Elizabeth II | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 4 December 2022.

[2] Lentz, Harris M. (4 February 2014). Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. Routledge. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-134-26490-2.

[3] Headsman (9 January 2010). "1953: Marguerite Pitre, the last woman hanged in Canada". ExecutedToday.com. Retrieved 25 December 2016.

[4] "Two Groups Recommend Fluoridation". Water Works Engineering. R. H. Donnelly Corporation. 106: 341. 1953.

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