1940 in Canada (original) (raw)

See also: 1939 in Canada, other events of 1940, 1941 in Canada and the Timeline of Canadian history.

Events

March 13 - John McNair becomes premier of New Brunswick, replacing Allison Dysart
March 21 - Alberta election: William Aberhart's Social Credit Party wins a second consecutive majority
March 26 - Federal election: Mackenzie King's Liberals win a second consecutive majority
April 3 - Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone is appointed Governor General of Canada replacing the late John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir
April 25 - Quebec woemn get the vote in provincial elections
May 28-June 30 - WWII: The Canadian navy stations seven destroyers in the English Channel these play an important role in evacuating allied troops from France
June - WWII: The Canadian troops are some of a small number of forces defending Great Britain
June 5 - Nazi, fascist, and communist groups are declared illegal in Canada and leaders and members are jailed
June 13-June 18 - WWII: A small number of Canadian troops land in Brest, France but are force to evacuate soon after
June 21 - Conscription is introduced, but only for homeland defence
July 10 - Alexander MacMillan becomes premier of Nova Scotia, replacing Angus Macdonald
August 1-September 17 - WWII: 80 Canadian pilots participate in the Battle of Britain
August 5 - Camillien Houde, the mayor of Montreal is arrest for sedition due to his anti-conscritption rhetoric
August 7 - Unemployment insurance is introduced
August 18 - The Odgensburg Agreement on continetal defence is signed with the United States
September 5: Great Britain trades most of its North American military bases to the United States in exchange for 50 destroyers
The Rowell-Sirois Report on federal-provincial relations is released
Wilbur Franks invents the g-suit at hte University of Toronto

Arts and Literature

New Works

Morley Callaghan - Just ask George

Awards

See the 1940 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.

Births

March 6 - Ken Danby, painter
July 22 - Alex Trebek, game show host
September - Harry Jerome, athlete

Deaths

February 11 - John Buchan, former Govenror General
October 10 - Berton Churchill, actor
Laura Bond, wife of Robert Laird Borden