1991 in Canada: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

See also: 1990 in Canada, other events of 1991, 1992 in Canada and the list of 'years in Canada'.

Incumbents

• Prime Minister - Brian Mulroney
• Governor General - Ray Hnatyshyn

• Premier of Alberta - Don Getty
• Premier of British Columbia - Bill Vander Zalm then Rita Johnston then Michael Harcourt
• Premier of Manitoba - Gary Filmon
• Premier of New Brunswick - Frank McKenna
• Premier of Newfoundland - Clyde Wells
• Premier of Nova Scotia - Roger Bacon then Donald Cameron
• Premier of Ontario - Bob Rae
• Premier of Prince Edward Island - Joe Ghiz
• Premier of Quebec - Robert Bourassa
• Premier of Saskatchewan - Grant Devine then Roy Romanow

• January 1 - The Goods and Services Tax comes into effect
• January 15 - Canadian Forces begin their participation in the Persian Gulf War
• January 29 - The Allaire Committee releases its report on Canada's constitution - it recommends sweeping changes such as the abolition of the Senate.
• January 30 - Gulf War: A Canadian CF-18 Hornet attacks and causes irreparable damage to an Iraqi warship.
• February 9 - Donald Cameron becomes premier of Nova Scotia, replacing Roger Bacon
• February 27 - Gulf War: Iraq agrees to a cease-fire ending the conflict
• April 2 - Rita Johnston becomes premier of British Columbia, replacing Bill Vander Zalm
• April 22 - Joe Clark is appointed Minister of Constitutional Affairs
• May - George Erasmus, leader of the Assembly of First Nations, resigns and is succeeded by Ovide Mercredi
• May 14 MP John Nunziata alleges the RCMP know who bombed the Air-India flight 182 but didn't have evidence needed for prosecution.
• June 15 - Paul Bernardo kidnaps, rapes, and murders Leslie Mahaffy
• June 19 The Dobbie-Castonguay Commission is created to look into changes to the constitution.
• July 3 - The process leading to the privatization of Petro-Canada is begun
• September 24 - Dobbie-Castonguay Commission recommends an elected Senate, and recognizing Quebec as a distinct society.
• October 21 - The Saskatchewan election: Roy Romanow's NDP win a majority, defeating Grant Devine's PCs
• November 1 - Roy Romanow becomes premier of Saskatchewan, replacing Grant Devine
• November 5 - Michael Harcourt becomes premier of British Columbia, replacing Rita Johnston
• November 14 - Nellie Cournoyea becomes government leader of the Northwest Territories, replacing Dennis Patterson

• Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the President of Haiti, who was visits Canada and is warmly welcomed by the large Haitian community in Montreal, where he had studied at the University of Montreal.
• Julius Alexander Isaac is named Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada. He becomes the first Black Chief Justice in Canada
• David Schindler of the University of Alberta wins the first international Stockholm Water Prize for environmental rsearch.
• Ferguson Jenkins becomes the first Canadian ever elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
• Canadian peacekeepers begin a five year deployment to El Salvador
• Canadian observers are sent to Western Sahara

New Works

• Rohinton Mistry - Such a Long Journey
• Douglas Coupland -
• Margaret Atwood - Wilderness Tips
• Dave Duncan - Faery Lands Forlorn
• Hume Cronyn - A Terrible Liar
• Spider Robinson - Starseed

Awards

• See 1991 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Books in Canada First Novel Award: Nino Ricci, Lives of the Saints
• Gerald Lampert Award: Diana Brebner, Radiant Life Forms
• Geoffrey Bilson Award: Marianne Brandis, The Sign of the Scales
• Marian Engel Award: Joan Clark
• Pat Lowther Award: Karen Connelly, The Small Words in My Body
• Stephen Leacock Award: Howard White, Waiting in the Rain
• Trillium Book Award: Margaret Atwood, Wilderness Tips
• Vicky Metcalf Award: Brian Doyle

Film

• Atom Egoyan's The Adjuster is released
• James Cameron's is released. It is the year's highest grossing film

Music

• Trevor Pinnock becomes director of the National Arts Centre Orchesta

• Jean-Paul Mousseau, muralist
• Maryon Pearson, wife of Lester B. Pearson