1948 in Canada

Crown • Monarch – George VI Federal government • Governor General – the Viscount Alexander of Tunis • Prime Minister – William Lyon Mackenzie King (until November 15) then Louis St. Laurent • Chief Justice – Thibaudeau Rinfret (Quebec) • Parliament – 20th Provincial governments Lieutenant governors • Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – John C. Bowen • Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – Charles Arthur Banks • Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – Roland Fairbairn McWilliams • Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – David Laurence MacLaren • Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – John Alexander Douglas McCurdy • Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – Ray Lawson • Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – Joseph Alphonsus Bernard • Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Eugène Fiset • Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Reginald John Marsden Parker (until March 23) then John Michael Uhrich (from March 24) Premiers • Premier of Alberta – Ernest Manning • Premier of British Columbia – Boss Johnson • Premier of Manitoba – Stuart Garson (until November 13) then Douglas Campbell • Premier of New Brunswick – John McNair • Premier of Nova Scotia – Angus Macdonald • Premier of Ontario – George A. Drew (until October 19) then Thomas Laird Kennedy • Premier of Prince Edward Island – J. Walter Jones • Premier of Quebec – Maurice Duplessis • Premier of Saskatchewan – Tommy Douglas Territorial governments Commissioners • Commissioner of Yukon – John Edward Gibben • Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Hugh Llewellyn Keenleyside ==Events==

• June 7 – Ontario election: George Drew's PCs win a second consecutive majority • June 24 – Saskatchewan election: Tommy Douglas's Co-operative Commonwealth Federation wins a second consecutive majority • July 22 – A second runoff referendum is held in the 1948 Newfoundland referendums; confederation with Canada is approved, leading to the eventual union between Canada and the Dominion of Newfoundland in March 1949. • August 17 – Alberta election: Ernest Manning's Social Credit Party wins a fourth consecutive majority • September 6 – The oil well Atlantic No. 3 (near Devon, Alberta), which had been running wild since March 21, catches fire. Smoke affects the atmosphere for hundreds of kilometres until the blaze is put out in November by a team led by Myron M. Kinley and Red Adair. • October 19 – Thomas Kennedy becomes premier of Ontario, replacing George Drew • November 13 – Douglas Campbell becomes premier of Manitoba, replacing Stuart Garson • November 15 – Louis Saint Laurent becomes prime minister, replacing Mackenzie King ==Arts and literature==

Awards • See 1948 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards. • Stephen Leacock Award: Paul Hiebert, Sarah Binks == Sport ==

• February 2 – Barbara Ann Scott becomes the first Canadian to win the figure skating gold medal at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland • April 14 – The Toronto Maple Leafs win their seventh Stanley Cup by defeating the Detroit Red Wings 4 games to 0. • April 30 – The Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League's Port Arthur West End Bruins win their only Memorial Cup by defeating the Ontario Hockey Association's Barrie Flyers 4 games to 0. All games were played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto • November 27 – The undefeated Calgary Stampeders win their first Grey Cup by defeating the Ottawa Rough Riders 12 to 7 in the 36th Grey Cup played at Varsity Stadium in Toronto. This Cup is notable for the Stampeders' fans making a party out of the game and launching the Grey Cup festival that precedes the championship game. ==Births==

January to March • January 10 – Craig Russell, female impersonator (d. 1990) • January 12 – Gordon Campbell, politician and 34th Premier of British Columbia • January 13 – Pat O'Brien, politician • January 15 – Andy Jones, comedian, writer, actor and director • January 16 – Cliff Thorburn, snooker player, former world number one • January 19 – Frank McKenna, businessman, politician, 27th Premier of New Brunswick and diplomat • January 25 – Sarkis Assadourian, politician • January 29 – Marc Singer, actor • February 11 – Shaughnessy Cohen, politician (d. 1998) • February 13 – Allan Legere, serial killer, rapist, and arsonist (d. 2026) • February 21 – Chuck Cadman, politician (d. 2005) • March 14 • Pierre Granche, sculptor (d. 1997) • Maria Minna, politician • March 20 – Bobby Orr, ice hockey player • March 31 – Gary Doer, politician and 20th Premier of Manitoba April to June • April 14 – Claude Vivier, composer (d. 1983 in France) • April 16 – Reg Alcock, politician, minister, MP for Winnipeg South (1993–2006); President of the Treasury Board (2003–2006) (d. 2011) • April 17 – Wilf Wedmann, high jumper (d. 2021) • April 20 – Rémy Trudel, academic and politician • May 11 – John Plohman, politician • May 16 – Clif Evans, politician • May 24 – Lorna Crozier, poet and essayist • June 4 • Margaret Gibson, novelist and short story writer (d. 2006) • Sandra Post, golfer, first Canadian to play on the LPGA Tour • June 5 – Bill Smart, middle-distance runner and judge • June 7 – Welwyn Wilton Katz, children's author • June 23 – Myles Goodwyn, musician (d. 2023) • June 29 – Leo Burke, wrestler (d. 2024) July to September • July 4 – Katherine Govier, novelist • July 8 – Raffi, children's entertainer, music producer, author and entrepreneur • August 2 – Bob Rae, politician and 21st Premier of Ontario • August 5 – Don Scott, politician • August 14 – John Edzerza, Yukon MLA (d. 2011) • August 31 – Marie-Lynn Hammond, folk singer-songwriter, broadcaster and playwright • September 8 – Stephen Owen, politician (d. 2023) • September 10 – Margaret Trudeau, wife of the late Pierre Trudeau, the 15th Prime Minister of Canada • September 19 – James McCrae, politician • September 21 – Bernard Jean, oboist, conductor, and music educator • September 24 – Phil Hartman, actor, comedian, screenwriter and graphic artist (d. 1998) October to December • October 8 – Pat Binns, politician, 30th Premier of Prince Edward Island and diplomat • October 9 – Brad Woodside, politician, Mayor of Fredericton, New Brunswick • October 17 – Margot Kidder, actress (d. 2018) • November 5 – Mike Neary, rower • November 24 – Spider Robinson, science fiction author • November 27 – David Branch, ice hockey administrator (d. 2026) • December 7 – Jay Dahlgren, javelin thrower • December 30 • Rick Casson, politician • Pierre Blais, jurist, politician and Minister • December 31 – René Robert, ice hockey player (d. 2021) Full date unknown • Marc Lortie, diplomat ==Deaths==

• March 14 – Ernest Frederick Armstrong, politician (b. 1878) • March 28 – John Duncan MacLean, teacher, physician, politician and Premier of British Columbia (b. 1873) • May 20 – George Beurling, most successful Canadian fighter pilot of World War II (b. 1921) • May 21 – James Ralston, lawyer, soldier, politician and Minister (b. 1881) Full date unknown • Margaret C. MacDonald, nurse (b. 1873) ==See also==