1940 in Canada

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Events from the year 1940 in Canada.

Events

January to June

• March 13 - David Boon 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 women get the vote in provincial elections
• May 28-June 30 - World War II: The Canadian navy stations seven destroyers in the English Channel; these play an important role in evacuating Allied troops from France
• June - World War II: Canadian troops are some of a small number of forces defending Britain
• June 5 - Nazi, fascist, and communist groups are declared illegal in Canada and leaders and members are jailed
• June 10 - World War II: Canada declares war against Italy
• June 13-June 18 - World War II: A small number of Canadian troops land in Brest, France but are forced to evacuate soon after
• June 21 - The National Resources Mobilization Act is passed; conscription is introduced, but only for homeland defence

July to December

• July 10 – Alexander MacMillan becomes premier of Nova Scotia, replacing Angus Macdonald
• August 1–September 17 – World War II: 80 Canadian pilots participate in the Battle of Britain
• August 5 – Camillien Houde, the mayor of Montreal is arrested for sedition due to his anti-conscription rhetoric
• August 7 – Unemployment insurance is introduced
• August 13 – The Canadian Armoured Corps is established
• August 18 – The Odgensburg Agreement on continental defence is signed with the United States
• September 5: United Kingdom trades most of its North American military bases to the United States in exchange for 50 destroyers

Full date unknown

• The Icefields Parkway in the Canadian Rockies is completed.
• The Rowell-Sirois Commission report on federal-provincial relations is released
• Wilbur Franks invents the g-suit at the 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

January to March

• January 1 - Clifford Olson, serial killer (d.2011)
• January 10 - Guy Chevrette, politician
• January 28 - Valery Fabrikant, professor of mechanical engineering and murderer responsible for the Concordia University massacre on August 24, 1992
• February 16 - Don Bertoia, middle distance runner
• March 6 - Ken Danby, artist (d.2007)
• March 22 - Dave Keon, ice hockey player

April to June

• April 18 - Robert N. Kucey, author
• May 8 - Irwin Cotler, politician and Minister
• May 10 - Peter M. Liba, journalist and Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba (d.2007)
• May 20 - Otto Jelinek, figure skater, businessman and politician
• June 6 - Brian Ransom, politician
• June 14 - Mark Assad, politician
• June 25 - Louise Dacquay, politician

July to September

Alex Trebek, March 2007

• July 11 - Yvon Charbonneau, politician
• July 15 - Glen Findlay, politician
• July 22 - Alex Trebek, television personality and game show host
• July 27 - Harvie Andre, engineer, businessman, politician and Minister
• July 28 - Mario Sergio, politician
• August 7 - Sally McCallum, track and field athlete
• September 6 - Brian Smith, ice hockey player and sportscaster (d.1995)
• September 9 - Larry Lund, ice hockey player
• September 11 - Gerry Phillips, politician
• September 20 - Doug Young, politician and Minister
• September 30
  • Harry Jerome, track and field runner (d.1982)
  • Dewey Martin, rock drummer (d.2009)

October to December

• October 11 - David McFadden, poet, fiction writer and travel writer
• October 19 - Bill Gairdner, track and field athlete
• October 29 - Galen Weston, businessman
• November 20 - George Swede, poet and children's writer
• November 29 - Denny Doherty, singer and songwiter (d.2007)
• December 20 - Ed Helwer, politician
• December 29 - George Puce, discus thrower

Full date unknown

• Stan Hagen, politician (d.2009)

John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir

Deaths

January to June

• February 11 - John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, novelist, politician and 15th Governor General of Canada (b.1875)
• March 3 - Joseph Ovide Brouillard, politician and businessman (b.1859)
• March 26 - Richard Squires, politician and Prime Minister of Newfoundland (b.1880)
• April 25 - John Hampden Burnham, politician and lawyer (b.1860)
• May 2 - James Bowman, politician (b.1861)
• June 10 - Norman McLeod Rogers, lawyer, politician and Minister (b.1894)

July to September

• September 2 - Maude Abbott, physician (b.1869)
• September 7 - Laura Borden, wife of Robert Borden, 8th Prime Minister of Canada (b.1862)
• October 9 - Wilfred Grenfell, medical missionary (b.1865)
• October 10 - Berton Churchill, actor (b.1876)
• December 5 - Wilfred Lucas, actor, film director and screenwriter (b.1871)

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