Crown

• Monarch – Elizabeth II^[1]

Federal government

• Governor General – Georges Vanier^[2]
• Prime Minister – John Diefenbaker
• Chief Justice – Patrick Kerwin (Ontario)
• Parliament – 24th

Provincial governments

Territorial governments

January to June

• June 1
  • The Canadian Bank of Commerce and the Imperial Bank of Canada merge to form the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.^[3]
  • Census Day for the 1961 Census of Canada, which finds Canada has a population of 18,238,247.
• June 6 – CUSO is formed
• June 13 – The NCC study of Ottawa's new Green Belt is completed
• June 14 – James Elliott Coyne, the Governor of the Bank of Canada resigns due to disagreements with the federal government's fiscal policies

July to December

• August 3 – Tommy Douglas is elected leader of the newly formed New Democratic Party
• August 14 – 15 – The Premiers meet in Charlottetown
• August 26 – The new home for the Hockey Hall of Fame opens in Toronto, at the Canadian National Exhibition.
• October 1 – CTV, Canada's second major television network, begins broadcasting
• November 7 – Woodrow Lloyd becomes premier of Saskatchewan, replacing Tommy Douglas
• November 8 – John Robarts becomes premier of Ontario, replacing Leslie Frost
• November 17 – Saskatchewan passes a bill creating Canada's first government run health system
• December 28 – Canada's first BOMARC Missile squadron is formed

Full date unknown

• The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation becomes the New Democratic Party
• The Massey Lectures are created
• The transatlantic telephone system is officially launched with a call from Elizabeth II to Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.
• The Canadian Conference of the Arts is established.

New books

• Morley Callaghan: A Passion in Rome
• Max Aitken: Courage
• Margaret Atwood: Double Persephone
• Farley Mowat: Owls in the Family

Awards

• See 1961 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Stephen Leacock Award: Norman Ward, Mice in the Beer

January to March

Wayne Gretzky

• January 11 – Graham Welbourn, swimmer
• January 15 - Yves Pelletier, film director and actor
• January 18 – Mark Messier, ice hockey player
• January 26 – Wayne Gretzky, ice hockey player and coach
• January 27 – Tony Clement, politician and Minister
• January 28 – Normand Rochefort, ice hockey player and coach
• February 4 – Connor O'Brien, Canadian skier
• February 10 – Steve Pagendam, boxer
• February 21 – Paul Edwards, politician and lawyer
• February 23 – Silvia Ruegger, long-distance runner (died 2019)
• February 27 – Ann Peel, race walker
• February 28 - René Simard, singer
• March 16 – Todd McFarlane, cartoonist, comic book artist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur
• March 24 – Pat Turner, rower and Olympic gold medallist

April to June

• April 6 – Gene Eugene, actor, record producer, engineer, composer and musician (died 2000)
• April 10 – Barb Tarbox, anti-smoking activist (died 2003)
• April 22 – Scott D. Sampson, paleontologist, science communicator and television presenter
• May 1 – Clint Malarchuk, ice hockey player
• May 8 – Greg Thomey, comedian
• May 9 – Darren Praznik, politician
• May 10 – Randy Cunneyworth, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• June 1 – Paul Coffey, ice hockey player
• June 9 – Michael J. Fox, actor, author and voice over artist

July to September

• July 1 – Michelle Wright, singer-songwriter
• July 8 – Kelly Kryczka, synchronized swimmer
• July 17 – Blair Horn, rower and Olympic gold medallist
• July 23
  • André Ducharme, author, comedian and humorist
  • Richard Martineau, journalist
  • Rob Stewart, actor
• July 24 – Brian McMahon, coxswain and Olympic gold medallist
• July 26 – Alan Lowe, politician
• August 12 – Peter Szmidt, swimmer
• August 20 – Lizanne Bussières, long-distance runner
• August 23 – François Lapointe, racewalker
• August 25 – Dave Tippett, ice hockey player and coach
• September 12 – Mylène Farmer, singer, songwriter, actress and author
• September 16 – Jen Tolley, actress, voice actress and singer
• September 18 – Denis Lambert, boxer
• September 24
  • Nancy Garapick, swimmer and Olympic bronze medallist
  • Luc Picard, actor
• September 25 – Tracy Wilson, ice dancer
• September 27 – Randy Vancourt, composer and entertainer
• September 30 – Erica Ehm, video jockey, songwriter and actress

October to December

Floyd Roland

• October 16 - Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor Inc., Quebecor Media Inc. and Sun Media Corporation
• October 25 – Alison Webb, judoka
• November 2 – k.d. lang, singer-songwriter
• November 23 – Floyd Roland, politician and 11th Premier of the Northwest Territories
• December 8 – André Bachand, politician
• December 10 – Mark McKoy, hurdler and Olympic gold medallist
• December 11 - Michel Courtemanche, actor
• December 13 – Ranza Clark, middle-distance runner
• December 18 – Brian Orser, figure skater, double Olympic silver medallist and World Champion
• December 30
  • Douglas Coupland, novelist
  • Ben Johnson, Jamaica-born sprinter, double Olympic bronze medallist, Olympic gold medal rescinded as disqualified for doping

January to June

• May 12 - Janis Babson (born 1950)
• May 14 – Albert Sévigny, politician (born 1881)
• May 28 – Frank Boyes, politician (born 1874)
• May 29 – Gilbert Layton, businessman and politician (born 1899)
• May 31 – Walter Little, politician (born 1877)
• June 6 – William Anderson, politician and businessman (born 1905)
• June 19 – Richard Ernest William Turner, soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross (born 1871)

July to December

• July 12 – Mazo de la Roche, author (born 1879)
• July 15 – John Edward Brownlee, politician and 5th Premier of Alberta (born 1884)
• September 12 – Joseph-Arthur Bradette, politician (born 1886)
• September 16 – Percy Chapman Black, politician (born 1878)
• September 21 – William Duncan Herridge, politician and diplomat (born 1888)
• September 30 - Onésime Gagnon, politician and the 20th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (born 1888)
• October 15 – Peter Dickinson, architect (born 1925)
• October 22 – Harry Nixon, politician and 13th Premier of Ontario (born 1891)

Full date unknown

• Anne Wilkinson, poet (born 1910)