See also: 1969 in Canada, other events of 1970, 1971 in Canada and the list of 'years in Canada'.

Incumbents

• Prime Minister - Pierre Trudeau
• Governor General - Roland Michener

• Premier of Alberta - Harry Strom
• Premier of British Columbia - W.A.C. Bennett
• Premier of Manitoba - Edward Schreyer
• Premier of New Brunswick - Louis Robichaud then Richard Hatfield
• Premier of Newfoundland - Joey Smallwood
• Premier of Nova Scotia - George Smith then Gerald Regan
• Premier of Ontario - John Robarts
• Premier of Prince Edward Island - Alexander B. Campbell
• Premier of Quebec - Jean-Jacques Bertrand then Robert Bourassa
• Premier of Saskatchewan - W. Ross Thatcher

Events

• January 1 - The towns Fort William and Port Arthur are merged to create Thunder Bay, Ontario
• January 16 - The federal government announces plans to convert the nation to the metric system
• February 2 - Canada becomes an official observer at the Organization of American States
• February 5 - An oil tanker runs aground in Chedabucto Bay, Nova Scotia causing a major oil spill
• February 16 - Police recover the Grey Cup after it was stolen the previous December
• February 17 - The use of phosphates in laundry detergent is banned
• March 2 - Keith Spicer is appointed as the first Official Languages Commissioner
• March 7 - A total solar eclipse affects the Maritimes
• The first Artic Winter Games commence in Yellowknife
• March 20 - The Francophonie is established with Canada as a founding member
• April 5 - Bobby Orr becomes the first NHL defensemean to win the scoring title
• May 2 - Montreal is awarded the 1976 Summer Olympics
• May 12 - Robert Bourassa becomes Premier of Quebec after his Liberals defeat the Union Nationale party
• May 22 - The Vancouver Canucks join the NHL
• May 22 - The CRTC issues the first Canadian content rules for television and radio
• May 29 - The Hudson's Bay Company moves its headquarters from London to Winnipeg, Manitoba
• June 23 - The first Juno Awards for Canadian music are held
• June 26 - The federal voting age is lowered from 21 to 18
• July 5 - 109 people are killed in the crash of an Air Canada DC-8
• August 2 - Three Canadians are killed when a ferry collides with a Soviet freighter off British Columbia
• August 17 - Arthur Erickson is awarded at Expo '70 for his design of the Canadian pavilion
• October 5 - October Crisis: British Trade Commissioner James Cross is kidnaped by the FLQ
• October 10 - October Crisis: Quebec Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte is kidnapped by the FLQ
• October 16 - October Crisis: Pierre Trudeau introduces the War Measures Act to deal with the FLQ threat
• October 17 - October Crisis: The body of Pierre Laporte is found in the trunk of a car
• October 28 - Gerald Regan becomes Premier of Nova Scotia after his Liberals defeat George Smith's Conservatives
• November 6 - Police raid the hiding place of the FLQ's Chenier cell, arresting Bernard Lortie for the kidnapping and murder of Pierre Laporte.
• November 12 - Richard Hatfield becomes Premier of New Brunswick after his Conservatives defeat Louis Robichaud's Liberals
• December 3 - October Crisis: James Cross is released unharmed by the FLQ
• December 28 - October Crisis: The FLQ kidnappers of Pierre Laporte are caught
• The Royal Commission on the Status of Women reports to Parliament
• TV Ontario begins broadcasting
• INCO builds the world's tallest smokestack at Copper Cliff, Ontario
• The Pierre Laporte Bridge opens in Quebec City, at the time it is Canada's longest bridge
• The Don't Make a Wave Committee , the predecessor organization to Greenpeace, is founded in Vancouver
• The first ACTRA Awards are held

Arts and Literature

New Books

• The Collected Works of Billy the Kid - Michael Ondaatje
• S th story I to: trew adventure - Bill Bissett
• Fifth Business - Robertson Davies
• The Journals of Susanna Moodie - Margaret Atwood
• Il est par là, le soleil - Roch Carrier
• The National Dream - Pierre Berton
• La Rivière sans repos - Gabrielle Roy
• Counterblast - Marshall McLuhan

New Plays

• The Ecstasy of Rita Joe - George Ryga

Awards

• See 1970 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Stephen Leacock Award: Farley Mowat, The Boat Who Wouldn't Float
• Vicky Metcalf Award: Farley Mowat

Film

• Paul Almond's Act of the Heart opens

Births

• January 1 - Krista Sutton, actor
• February 14 - Raine Maida, singer
• February 23 - Marie-Josée Croze, actor
• February 24 - Jeff Garcia, football player
• April 11 - Trevor Linden, hockey player
• May 4 - Karla Homolka, murderer
• May 9 - Mario Dumont, Quebec politician
• May 11 - Heather Stefanson, politician
• May 12 - Mike Weir, golfer
• May 20 - Jason York, hockey player
• June 12 - Gordon Michael Woolvett, actor
• July 3 - Julie Masse, singer
• August 9 - Rod Brind'Amour, hockey player
• August 19 - James Rajotte, politician
• September 1 - Mitsou, singer
• September 2 - Mike Wolfs, Olympic sailor
• November 9 - Chris Jericho, wrestler
• November 15 - Jeffrey Adams, Paralympian
• December 15 - Michael Shanks, actor
• December 23 - Catriona LeMay Doan, Olympic gold medalist in speed skating
• December 25 - Stu Barnes, hockey player
• Maher Arar
• Lynn Coady, writer
• Sarah Harmer, singer-songwriter
• Naomi Klein, activist writer

Deaths

• January 29 - Lawren Harris, Group of Seven painter
• February 27 - Marie Dionne, one of the Dionne Quintuplets
• March 23 - Del Lord, film director
• June 12 - John Keiller MacKay, 19th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
• October 17 - Pierre Laporte, Quebec Cabinet minister
• Jacob Viner, economist