1990 in Canada.html

See also: 1989 in Canada, other events of 1990, 1991 in Canada and the list of 'years in Canada'.

1 Incumbents
2 Events
3 Arts and literature
4 Births
5 Deaths

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

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

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

Births

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