See also: 1940 in Canada, other events of 1941, 1942 in Canada and the Timeline of Canadian history.

Events

• January 1 - The news division of CBC is founded
• March 4 - All Japanese-Canadians are registered by the government
• July 24 - Alcan workers go on strike in Arvida, Quebec
• August 12 - All Japanese Canadians are ordered to carry a registration card
• August 14 - The Atlantic Charter is signed off Halifax
• December 7 - As a result of the Pearl Harbor Attack Canada declares war on Japan. That same day Canada declares war on German allies Romania, Hungary, Finland.
• December 8 - The day after the Attack on Pearl Harbor all fishing boats owned by Japanese-Canadians are impounded by the government. Japanese language schools and newspapers are shut down.
• December 8-December 25 - A large number of unprepared Canadians are killed or taken prisoner in the Battle of Hong Kong
• December 9 - John Hart becomes Premier of British Columbia, replacing Thomas Pattullo
• The R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant is completed

Births

• January 12 – Long John Baldry, musician
• January 21 – Gary Beck, racer
• January 26 – Doug Rogers, Olympic judoka
• February 18 – David Kilgour, politician
• February 20 – Buffy Sainte-Marie, musician
• March 7 – Roger Carl Young, politician
• May 17 – Andy Boychuk, long-distance runner
• May 29 – Gilbert Barrette, politician
• June 21 – Lyman Ward, actor
• June 25 – Denys Arcand, filmmaker
• July 1 – Myron Scholes, economist
• July 22 – Ron Turcotte, jockey
• July 30 – Paul Anka, singer
• August 5 – Lenny Breau, musician
• August 6 – Hedy Fry, politician
• August 12 – Réjean Ducharme, author
• September 1 – Gwendolyn MacEwen, writer
• October 5 – Bonnie Korzeniowski, Manitoba politician
• November 9 – Tom Siddon, politician
• December 22 – James Laxer, scholar

Deaths

• June 11 - Alexander C. Rutherford, first premier of Alberta