See also: 1958 in Canada, other events of 1959, 1960 in Canada and the Timeline of Canadian history.

Incumbents

• Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II
• Governor General: Georges Vanier
• Prime Minister: John Diefenbaker
• Premier of Alberta: Ernest Manning
• Premier of British Columbia: W.A.C. Bennett
• Premier of Manitoba: Duff Roblin
• Premier of New Brunswick: Hugh John Flemming
• Premier of Newfoundland: Joey Smallwood
• Premier of Nova Scotia: Robert Stanfield
• Premier of Ontario: Leslie Frost
• Premier of Prince Edward Island: Alex Matheson then Walter Shaw
• Premier of Quebec: Maurice Duplessis then Paul Sauvé
• Premier of Saskatchewan: Tommy Douglas

Events

• February 20: Avro Arrow project is terminated
• April 1: The St. Lawrence Seaway opens
• June 11: Ontario general election, 1959: Leslie Frost's PCs win a fifth consecutive majority
• June 18: Alberta general election, 1959: Ernest Manning's Social Credit Party wins a seventh consecutive majority
• June 20: The Escuminac Disaster results in 35 fishermen drowned or missing and 22 fishing boats sunk.
• September 7: Maurice Duplessis, Premier of Quebec, dies in office
• September 11: Paul Sauvé becomes premier of Quebec
• September 15: Georges Vanier is sworn in as Governor General replacing Vincent Massey. He is the first French Canadian Governor General.
• September 16: Walter Shaw becomes premier of Prince Edward Island, replacing Alex Matheson
• November 1: Jacques Plante becomes the first goalie to wear a protective face mask
• November 18: Canadian content rules are introduced for television
• December 2: York University is founded
• National Energy Board of Canada is created
• Farm Credit Corporation established

Arts and literature

New books

• Mordecai Richler: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
• Hugh MacLennan: The Watch That Ends the Night
• Farley Mowat: Grey Seas Under
• Max Aitken: Friends
• Gordon R. Dickson: Dorsai!

Awards

• See 1959 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.

Births

• January 1: Sharon Bayes, field hockey goalkeeper
• January 3: Dwight Duncan, politician
• January 8: Bill Sawchuk, swimmer
• January 11: Rob Ramage, ice hockey player
• April 6: Jim Rondeau, politician
• April 13: Genevieve Brunet, Canadian female cyclist
• April 15: Kevin Lowe, ice hockey player
• April 20: Stephen Harper, politician
• April 22: Ryan Stiles, comedian
• April 30: Paul Gross, actor
• May 14: Rick Vaive, ice hockey player
• May 17: David Andres, politician
• June 4: Rex Barnes, politician
• June 12: Scott Thompson, comedian
• June 28: Brad Fraser, playwright
• July 16: Joanna MacGregor, politician
• August 29: Chris Hadfield, astronaut
• September 29: Robert Thibault, politician
• October 14: Dominic Agostino, politician
• November 5: Bryan Adams, singer
• November 17: Guy André, politician
• November 22: Geoff Regan, politician

Deaths

• January 26: Barbara Hanley, Canada's first female mayor
• February 11: Harry James Barber, politician
• June 3: Filip Konowal, WWI Victoria Cross recipient
• September 7: Maurice Duplessis, Premier of Quebec