See also: 1950 in Canada, other events of 1951, 1952 in Canada and the list of 'years in Canada'.

Incumbents

• Monarch - King George VI
• Governor General - Earl Alexander of Tunis
• Prime Minister - Louis Saint Laurent
• Premier of Alberta - Ernest Manning
• Premier of British Columbia - Byron Johnson
• Premier of Manitoba - Douglas Campbell
• Premier of New Brunswick - John McNair
• Premier of Newfoundland - Joey Smallwood
• Premier of Nova Scotia - Angus Macdonald
• Premier of Ontario - Leslie Frost
• Premier of Prince Edward Island - J. Walter Jones
• Premier of Quebec - Maurice Duplessis
• Premier of Saskatchewan - Tommy Douglas

Events

• April 22-25 - Korean War: In the Battle of Kapyong, the Canadians hold off the Chinese.
• June 1 - The Massey Report into Canadian culture is released
• July 10 - A formal peace agreement between Canada and Germany is signed
• October 20 - Philip Duke of Edinburgh and The Princess Elizabeth Duchess of Edinburgh attend an Edmonton Eskimos home game.
• October 27 - The cobalt bomb cancer therapy is first tested in London, Ontario
• November 12 - The National Ballet of Canada gives its first performance
• November 22 - Ontario general election, 1951: Leslie Frost's PCs win a third consecutive majority
• December 12 - The St. Lawrence Seaway Authority is established
• Canada's immigration rate rises. Population is 14 009 429.
• The Indian Act of Canada is revised to limit coverage of Aboriginal people, excluding Aboriginal women who married non-Aboriginal men.
• Louis St. Laurent moves into 24 Sussex Drive, the new official residence of the Prime Minister
• Labatt Blue is introduced

Arts and culture

New books

• Morley Callaghan - The Loved and the Lost
• Harold Innis - The Bias of Communication

Literary awards

• See 1951 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Stephen Leacock Award: Eric Nicol, The Roving I

Births

• January 3 - Claude Bachand, politician
• January 17 - Carol Marguerite Anderson, choreographer
• January 21 - W. Yvon Dumont, Manitoba politician
• February 22 - Elaine Tanner, swimmer
• March 25 - Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Native politician
• March 28 - Karen Kain, dancer
• March 31 - Lawrence O'Brien, politician
• April 5 - Guy Vanderhaeghe, author
• April 18 - Pierre Pettigrew, politician
• May 2 - Andrew Barron, ice speed skater
• May 7 - Janina Fialkowska, pianist
• May 9 - Christopher Dewdney, author
• June 2 - Larry Robinson, ice hockey player
• June 19 - Bill Blaikie, politician
• July 4 - Beverly Boys, diver
• July 5 - Penny Werthner, track and field athlete
• July 27 - Shawn Murphy, politician
• August 3 - Marcel Dionne, ice hockey player
• August 10 - Judy Wasylycia-Leis, politician
• August 17 - Robert Joy, author
• September 14 - Elizabeth Carruthers, diver
• September 19 - Daniel Lanois, musician
• September 20 - Guy Lafleur, ice hockey player
• October 9 - Joseph Tascona, Ontario politician
• October 11 - Jim Carr, Manitoba politician
• October 27 - Roger Fortin, boxer
• October 29 - Camille Huard, boxer
• October 31 - Doug Bennett, politician
• November 10 - Marlene Jennings, politician
• December 6 - Tomson Highway, author
• December 22 - Charles de Lint, author
• Robert Hilles, poet
• Lesley Choyce, author
• Susan Musgrave, poet
• Robert Priest, poet

Deaths

• January 3 - Richard Langton Baker, politician
• February 27 - Leland Payson Bancroft, politician
• April 4 - Al Christie, film director
• Edna Brower, wife of John Diefenbaker