1942 in Canada

Events from the year 1942 in Canada.

← 1941 1940 1939 1942 in Canada → 1943 1944 1945
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
See also:	History of Canada Timeline of Canadian history List of years in Canada

Incumbents

Crown

• Monarch – George VI^[1]

Federal government

• Governor General – Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone^[2]
• Prime Minister – William Lyon Mackenzie King
• Chief Justice – Lyman Poore Duff (British Columbia)
• Parliament – 19th

Provincial governments

Lieutenant governors

• Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – John C. Bowen
• Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – William Culham Woodward
• Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – Roland Fairbairn McWilliams
• Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick – William George Clark
• Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – Frederick F. Mathers (until November 17) then Henry Ernest Kendall
• Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – Albert Edward Matthews
• Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island – Bradford William LePage
• Lieutenant Governor of Quebec – Eugène Fiset
• Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Archibald Peter McNab

Premiers

• Premier of Alberta – William Aberhart
• Premier of British Columbia – John Hart
• Premier of Manitoba – John Bracken
• Premier of New Brunswick – John McNair
• Premier of Nova Scotia – A.S. MacMillan
• Premier of Ontario – Mitchell Hepburn (until October 21) then Gordon Daniel Conant
• Premier of Prince Edward Island – Thane Campbell
• Premier of Quebec – Adélard Godbout
• Premier of Saskatchewan – William John Patterson

Territorial governments

Commissioners

• Controller of Yukon – George A. Jeckell
• Commissioner of Northwest Territories – Charles Camsell

Events

• January 10 – Elizabeth Monk and Suzanne Filion become the first female lawyers in Quebec
• February 10 – The German submarine U-136 torpedoes and sinks HMCS Spikenard, which had eight survivors.
• February 26 – Japanese Canadians are interned and moved further inland.
• April 27 – A national plebiscite is held on the issue of conscription. Most English-Canadians are in favour, while most French-Canadians are not.
• June 20 – The Japanese submarine I-26 shells the Estevan Point lighthouse on Vancouver Island.
• July – The Official Food Rules is published, for the first time.
• August – The National Resources Mobilization Act is repealed as a result of the April plebiscite.
• August 6 – HMCS Assiniboine sinks the German submarine U-120. Max Bernays will be awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal for his actions in the battle.
• August 19 – Dieppe Raid
• September 7 – The German submarine U-165 sinks HMCS Raccoon near Anticosti Island. All sailors aboard Racoon are killed.
• September 9 – The Canadian government establishes the Wartime Information Board, a government agency responsible for pro-conscription propaganda.
• September 11 – The German submarine U-517 sinks HMCS Charlottetown near Cap-Chat, Quebec, killing 9 out of the crew of 64.
• September 14 – The German submarine U-91 sinks HMCS Ottawa in the North Atlantic, killing 114 sailors, with 69 surviving.
• October 14 – The German submarine U-69 sinks the ferry SS Caribou in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, killing 137. Margaret Brooke will be named a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her actions during the sinking.
• October 21 – Gordon Conant becomes premier of Ontario, replacing Mitchell Hepburn
• December 12 – The Knights of Columbus Hostel fire in St John's, Newfoundland, kills 99.

Sport

• April 18 – The Toronto Maple Leafs win their fourth Stanley Cup by defeating the Detroit Red Wings 4 games to 3 after being down to the Red Wings 3–0. The deciding Game 7 was played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto
• April 20 – The Manitoba Junior Hockey League's Portage la Prairie Terriers win their only Memorial Cup by defeating the Ontario Hockey Association's Oshawa Generals 3 games to 1. The deciding Game 4 was played at Shea's Amphitheatre in Winnipeg
• December 5 – The Toronto RCAF Hurricanes win their only Grey Cup by defeating the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers 8 to 5 in the 30th Grey Cup played at Varsity Stadium in Toronto

Births

January to March

• January 12 - Hilary Weston, businessperson and 26th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
• January 16 - René Angélil, husband and manager of Céline Dion
• January 19 - John Reynolds, politician
• February 5 - Tim Sale, politician
• February 19 - Norm Sterling, politician
• February 20 - Phil Esposito, ice hockey player
• February 22 - Gerard Jennissen, politician
• March 3 - Menaka Thakka, dancer

April to June

• April 8 - Harold Gilleshammer, politician
• April 10 - Nick Auf der Maur, journalist and politician (died 1998)
• April 21 - Pierre Lorrain, Canadian lawyer and politician (died 2004)
• April 22 - Sandra Birdsell, novelist and short story writer
• April 26 - Sharon Carstairs, politician and Senator
• May 1 - Becky Barrett, politician
• May 3 - Earl McRae, journalist (Ottawa Sun) (died 2011)
• May 8 - Pierre Morency, Canadian poet and playwright
• May 29 - Larry Mavety, ice hockey player and coach (died 2020)
• June 9 - John Gerretsen, politician
• June 10 - Preston Manning, politician
• June 15 - Ian Greenberg, media businessman (died 2022)
• June 21 - Jeannette Corbiere Lavell, Native rights advocate
• June 25 - Michel Tremblay, novelist and playwright

July to September

• July 1 - Geneviève Bujold, actress
• July 4 - Len Harapiak, politician
• July 11 - Terry Carisse, singer, guitarist, and songwriter (died 2005)
• July 11 - Nancy Zerg, poet
• July 22 - Anita Neville, politician
• July 24 - Gloria George, Native leader
• August 1 - Michael Martchenko, illustrator
• August 10 - Jim Downey, politician
• August 18 - Jim Abbott, politician
• August 24 - Gary Filmon, politician and 19th Premier of Manitoba
• August 24 - Tony Hunt, artist
• August 25 - Ivan Koloff, pro wrestler
• August 30 - Rick Salutin, novelist, playwright and critic
• September 4 - George Baker, politician and Senator
• September 13 - Michael Breaugh, politician (died 2019)
• September 13 - Michel Côté, businessman and politician
• September 20 - Gérald Tremblay, businessman and politician, 41st Mayor of Montreal

October to December

Ralph Klein

• October 10 - Roy Miki, poet and scholar
• October 11 - Dianne Brushett, politician
• November 1 - Ralph Klein, politician and 12th Premier of Alberta (died 2013)
• November 8 - Lise Watier, businesswoman
• November 19 - Jim Ernst, politician
• November 20 - Raymond Bonin, politician
• December 1 - Charlie Penson, politician
• December 19 - John Godfrey, educator, journalist and politician
• December 21 - Oliver Bowen, engineer
• December 30 - Matt Cohen, writer (died 1999)

Full date unknown

• Yves Lever, film critic and historian
• Dermot O'Reilly, musician, producer and songwriter (died 2007)
• Jay Roberts, football player, lung cancer (died 2010)

Deaths

• January 16 - Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, 10th Governor General of Canada (born 1850)
• January 30 - Frederick W. A. G. Haultain, politician and 1st Premier of the Northwest Territories (born 1857)
• February 4 - Louis-Adolphe Paquet, theologian (born 1859)
• March 11 - Raoul Dandurand, politician (born 1861)
• March 15 - Edgar Nelson Rhodes, politician, Minister and Premier of Nova Scotia (born 1877)
• March 21 - J. S. Woodsworth, politician (born 1874)
• April 24 - Lucy Maud Montgomery, author (born 1874)^[3]
• May 18 - Herménégilde Boulay, politician (born 1861)
• June 17 - Charles Fitzpatrick, lawyer, politician and 5th Chief Justice of Canada (born 1853)
• October 6 - Ella Cora Hind, journalist and women's rights activist (born 1861)
• December 26 - Frank Dawson Adams, geologist (born 1859)

See also

• List of Canadian films

Historical documents

Canadian Press reporter's landing craft "under intense Nazi fire" from boats, planes and infantry at Dieppe^[4]

Official study details objectives, heroism and failures of combined commando raid on Dieppe, France^[5]

Canadian soldier in Dieppe raid describes prisoner-of-war camp life in Germany^[6]

Painting: portrait of Indigenous soldier Lloyd George Moore, Royal Canadian Artillery^[7]

"Considerable excitement and tension" - HMCS Oakville rams U-boat while on convoy duty in Caribbean Sea^[8]

Pubnico, Nova Scotia children salvage flour, cigarettes and candy bars from torpedoed freighters in harbour^[9]

"Blasted from a cosy state room to a cold, icy water" - Survivors' tales of torpedoed Sydney–to–Port-aux-Basques ferry Caribou^[10]

Illustration: U.S. Coast Guard rescues Canadian fliers from Greenland ice shelf^[11]

To maintain status quo with Vichy France, Allies manoeuvre to get Free French forces off St. Pierre and Miquelon^[12]

Minister of Finance says Canadians not working for themselves or their families, but for victory^[13]

In U.S. government profile of Allies, Canada noted for contributions like 2 billion pounds of food and "54% of everyone's income"^[14]

"Has Canada fully mobilized her material resources [and] man and woman power to wage total war?" - Opposition Leader's 7-point plan^[15]

Federal agriculture minister James Gardiner lists supports and goals for producers, and praises farm men, women and children^[16]

PM King broadcasts enhanced plan of men's, women's and youth's service to achieve "total effort for total war"^[17]

Women's Land Army members work on farms and socialize with Canadian soldiers in Sussex, England^[18]

In House of Commons debate, Minister of National Defence J.L. Ralston addresses total war policy and conscription^[19]

"The most sacred understanding" - PM King asks voters for release from pledge of no conscription for overseas military service^[20]

Canadians vote "yes" in conscription plebiscite by large majorities in 8 provinces, with strong "no" in Quebec^[21]

"A systemic policy of annihilation" - Zionist congress of Switzerland reports millions of Jews killed^[22]

"Defensive measures of the racial brotherhood" - "Final Solution" should include sterilization of "half-Jews"^[23]

Eviction from coastal British Columbia creates many social problems for people of Japanese origin^[24]

Letter writer calls places Japanese Canadians are sent "pleasant" and "scenic," and calls canyon with snow slides "the only safe place" to put them^[25]

Young interned Japanese Canadians seek pen pals to "sling some ink our way"^[26]

Japanese Canadian George Tanaka experiences feeling of freedom in Toronto, along with both sympathy and racism^[27]

Canadian diplomat in Washington strongly suspects U.S. government is eavesdropping on his communications^[28]

Drills and training part of Manitoba's Air Raid Precaution campaign, though federal government calls it unnecessary^[29]

As part of Victory Bonds campaign, Winnipeg stages "If Day" mock German invasion including arrest of premier and mayor^[30]

Film: newsreel report on If Day in Winnipeg^[31]

"Death and Destruction!" - Victory Bonds promotion page shows Hamilton, Ont. after bomber attack^[32]

Hamilton hydro commission prohibits commercial and decorative lighting, and dims street lights to 60%^[33]

"Environments created by war foster dangerous inclinations and tendencies" - PM King urges temperance as part of war effort^[34]

"Prophet of a new idea" - Journalist Bruce Hutchison's tribute to late CCF leader and co-founder J.S. Woodsworth^[35]

"There is work for everyone" - Whitehorse, Yukon transformed by industrial development^[36]

Wife of U.S. Army general enjoys settling in Whitehorse (Note: "squaw" and rape mentioned)^[37]

Brief film of Alberta oil sands being quarried and refined^[38]

After three decades and 1.6 billion feet of lumber cut, Fort Frances, Ont. mill closes with banquet and dance for employees^[39]

Future Netherlands queen Juliana's Ottawa maternity suite declared outside Canadian jurisdiction for birth of her third child^[40]

Science fiction magazine is one of group of "truly All-Canadian magazines, conceived, edited and written in Canada by Canadians"^[41]