See also: 1987 in Canada, other events of 1988, 1989 in Canada and the list of 'years in Canada'.
Incumbents
Events
- January 28 – Canada's abortion laws are repealed by the Supreme Court.
- February 13 – The XV Olympic Winter Games open in Calgary.
- March 19 – Jacques Parizeau becomes leader of the Parti Québécois
- May – HMCS Halifax, the first Halifax class frigate is launched in Saint John, New Brunswick
- May 9 – Gary Filmon becomes premier of Manitoba, replacing Howard Pawley
- May 21 – The new National Gallery of Canada building opens in Ottawa
- June 4 – The Canadian Heraldic Authority is established, with a mandate to grant armourial bearings to worthy Canadians and Canadian corporations. It is the first heraldic authority in the Commonwealth of Nations outside the United Kingdom.
- July – The 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics take place in Sudbury, Ontario
- July 21 – The War Measures Act is replaced by the Emergencies Act
- August 9: Wayne Gretzky is traded to the Los Angeles Kings by the Edmonton Oilers with Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gélinas, the Los Angeles Kings 1989 First Round Draft Pick (later acquired by New Jersey Devils, who selected Jason Miller), 1991 (Martin Rucinsky), and 1993 (Nick Stajduhar) Entry Drafts and cash
- September 1 – Several new cable channels sign-on: YTV, VisionTV, Family, WeatherNow!, MétéoMédia, TV5 Quebec Canada
- September 22 – Prime Minister Brian Mulroney officially apologizes for the WWII internment of Japanese Canadians
- September 26 – Sprinter Ben Johnson is stripped of his Olympic gold medal and world record when he tests positive for steroids.
- November 21 – In the federal election, Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative Party wins a second majority government in an election fought over the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement.
- December 15 – The Supreme Court rules that the Quebec Charter of the French Language is unconstitutional
- December 21 – The Quebec government reinstates the language laws using the notwithstanding clause
- Svend Robinson becomes Canada's first Member of Parliament to come out as homosexual.
- Maher Arar immigrates to Canada
- David Lam becomes Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia
- CHUM Limited buys the CHUM-City Building at the corner of Queen and John streets in Toronto as their headquarters.
- Conrad Black gains control of The Spectator
- Figure skater Kurt Browning completes the first ever quadruple toe loop in competition
Arts and literature
New works
Awards
Television
Births
Deaths
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