Incumbents Prime Minister - Pierre Trudeau Governor General - Jules Léger Premier of Alberta - Peter Lougheed Premier of British Columbia - W.R. Bennett Premier of Manitoba - Sterling Lyon and then Edward Schreyer Premier of New Brunswick - Richard Hatfield Premier of Newfoundland - Frank Moores Premier of Nova Scotia - Gerald Regan Premier of Ontario - Bill Davis Premier of Prince Edward Island - Alexander Campbell Premier of Quebec - René Lévesque Premier of Saskatchewan - Alan Blakeney Events January 1 - Canada's nautical limit is extended to 200 miles. February 6 - René Lévesque is embroiled in scandal after he hits and kills a homeless man while driving in a car with a woman who is not his wife. February 27 - Royal Canadian Mounted Police raid Keith Richards' Toronto hotel suite while he is sleeping and seize 22 grams of heroin, 5 grams of cocaine and narcotics paraphernalia. February 28 - Canadian passenger rail services are amalgamated into VIA Rail. April 7 - The Toronto Blue Jays play their first game, defeating the Chicago White Sox. April 11 - The final report of the Berger Comission rules that the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline should be delayed for at least ten years. May 5 - Willy Adams becomes the first Inuit to enter parliament when he is appointed to the Senate. June 9 - Ontario election: Bill Davis's PCs win a second consecutive minority. August 26 - Bill 101 is passed by the Parti Québécois. October 18 - The House of Commons is televised for the first time. November 24 - Sterling Lyon becomes premier of Manitoba, replacing Edward Schreyer. Canadian road signs are swtiched to the metric system. The Eaton Centre opens in Toronto. Prime Minister Trudeau divorces his wife Margaret Sinclair. Arts and Literature New Works Margaret Atwood - Dancing Girls Elizabeth Smart - A Bonus Timothy Findley - The Wars Irving Layton - The Covenant Roch Carrier - Il n'ya pas de pays sans grand-père Gabrielle Roy - Ces Enfants de ma vie Morley Callaghan - Close to the Sun Again Antonine Maillet - La Veuve enragée Mordecai Richler - Home Sweet Home Marshall McLuhan - City as Classroom: Understanding Language and Media Awards See 1977 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards. Books in Canada First Novel Award: Michael Ondaatje, Coming Through Slaughter Stephen Leacock Award: Ray Guy, That Far Greater Bay Vicky Metcalf Award: James Houston Births February 11 - Stephanie Richardson, swimmer Deaths January 24 - Jack Bush, painter November 3 - William Korelek, artist November 5 - Guy Lombardo, bandleader November 25 - Tommy Prince, WWII hero
