1953 in Canada

Events

January 1 – The National Library of Canada is founded.
January 9 – Marguerite Pitre becomes the thirteenth, and last, woman hanged in Canada when she is executed in Montréal.^[3]
January 27 – The Canadian Dental Association approves the use of fluoride in drinking water^[4]
May 25 – Alex Matheson becomes premier of Prince Edward Island, replacing J. Walter Jones
June 2 – Elizabeth II is crowned Queen of Canada. In Korea the Canadian Army celebrates the coronation by firing red, white, and blue smoke shells at the enemy.
July 13 – The Stratford Festival of Canada opens
July 27 – The Korean War ends. In total 314 Canadians were killed and 1211 wounded.
August 10 – Federal election: Louis Saint Laurent's Liberals win a fifth consecutive majority.
October 12 – Wilfrid Laurier Memorial unveiled
October 15 – The Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline is completed
October 25 – Canada's first privately owned television station, CKSO, broadcasts in Sudbury.
The federal Immigration Act is amended to prohibit homosexuals entry into Canada. This amendment was repealed in 1977.

Births

January 7
- Dionne Brand, poet, novelist and non-fiction writer
- Morris Titanic, ice hockey player and coach
January 19 – Richard Legendre, tennis player and politician
January 29 – Pierre Jacob, politician
February 5 – Eric Robinson, politician
February 15
- David Chomiak, politician
- Gerald Keddy, politician
February 16 – Lanny McDonald, ice hockey player
February 17 – Borys Chambul, discus thrower
February 18 – Robbie Bachman, drummer (d. 2023)
February 20 – Gaëtan Dugas, early AIDS patient, the alleged and debunked Patient Zero for AIDS (d.1984)
March 10 – Debbie Brill, high jumper
March 13 – Stephanie Berto, track and field athlete
March 17 – Lewis Camden, politician
April 2 – Janet Nutter, diver
April 17 – Dany Laferrière, novelist and journalist
April 18 – Rick Moranis, comedian, actor and musician
May 11 – Celine Lomez, actress and singer
May 14 – Tom Cochrane, singer-songwriter and musician
May 21 - Kathleen Wynne, 25th premier of Ontario
June 23 – Raymonde April, photographer
June 23 – Albina Guarnieri, politician and Minister

July 3 – Dave Lewis, ice hockey player and coach
July 9 – Margie Gillis, dancer and choreographer
July 15 – Richard Margison, operatic tenor
July 15 – Mila Mulroney, wife of the 18th Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney
July 22 – Paul Quarrington, novelist, playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker and musician
July 25 – Barbara Haworth-Attard, children's author
July 29 – Geddy Lee, singer, bassist and keyboardist
August 11 – Greg Duhaime, middle-distance runner
August 17 – Robert Thirsk, engineer and astronaut
August 27 – Alex Lifeson, guitarist
September 16 – Nancy Huston, novelist and essayist
September 29 - Jean-Claude Lauzon, Quebec filmmaker (d. 1997)
September 30 – S. M. Stirling, science fiction and fantasy author

October 7 – Linda Griffiths, actress and playwright (d.2014)
October 12 – Daniel Louis, film producer
October 24
- Charles Colbourn, computer scientist and mathematician
- Jim Pettie, ice hockey player (d.2019)
October 29 – Denis Potvin, ice hockey player
November 7 – Lynne Naylor, designer, animator, director, and producer
November 26 – Pam Barrett, politician (d.2008)
November 28 – John Majhor, radio and television host (d.2007)
December 7 – Carmen Rinke, boxer
December 13 – Bob Gainey, ice hockey player and coach
December 18 – Daniel Poliquin, novelist and translator
December 23 – Holly Dale, film and television director and film producer

Deaths

January 2 – Gordon Daniel Conant, lawyer, politician and 12th Premier of Ontario (b.1885)
January 5 – Mitchell Hepburn, politician and 11th Premier of Ontario (b.1896)
February 16 – Norman Hipel, politician and Minister (b.1890)
March 20 – John Livingstone Brown, politician (b.1867)

Incumbents