Events January 14 - a free trade agreement with Israel is announced January 15 - the Corel Centre opens in Ottawa January 25 - Jean Chrétien launches a major cabinet shuffle. Pierre Pettigrew and Stephan Dion are brought in, despite not having seats. January 26 - Brian Tobin becomes premier of Newfoundland, replacing Clyde Wells January 29 - Lucien Bouchard becomes premier of Quebec, replacing Jacques Parizeau February 7 - Bob Rae, former premier of Ontario leaves politics February 14 - Mr. Dressup does his last show February 15 - Chrétien throttles a protester in Ottawa, launching a small controversy over the "Shawinigan handshake" February 17 - Michel Gauthier is elected new leader of the Bloc Québécois February 22 - Glen Clark becomes premier of British Columbia, replacing Michael Harcourt February 22 - Brian Tobin leads the Newfoundland Liberal Party to victory in the 1996 Newfoundland election February 27 - the Los Angeles Kings trade Wayne Gretzky to the St. Louis Blues March 6 - the federal budget continues the assault on the deficit March 26 - the ANIK E-1 satellite malfunctions March 27 - the Quebec budget proposes sweeping cuts to government funding April 3 - all members of the Canadian Forces are ordered to spend the entire day searching for documents that may aid the Somalia inquiry April 5 - a gunman in B.C. kills nine relatives and then himself April 11 - the Ontario government announce a 15 per cent reduction in the civil service April 22 - John Nunziata is expelled from the Liberal caucus for voting against the budget April 23 - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland agree to replace their provincial sales taxes and the GST with a Harmonized Sales Tax. May 7 - the Ontario government cuts provincial income taxes by 30 per cent May 10 - Jan Brown resigns from the Reform Party May 19 - Marc Garneau flies on a second space mission May 24 - Conrad Black's Hollinger takes over the Southam newspaper chain May 28 - The British Columbia NDP wins a surprise re-election May 29 - Six Taiwanese sailors are charged with the murder of three Romanian stowaways aboard the Maersk Dubai June 10 - the Quebec government reintroduces the "Language Police" June 17 - Sheila Copps, who had resigned over the GST, wins back her Hamilton–Wentworth seat in a by-election June 20 - Robert Thirsk flies aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia June 24 - a riot in Quebec City causes a million dollars in damage July 1 - the Winnipeg Jets leave Canada and become the Phoenix Coyotes July 7-July 11 - a major AIDS conference is held in Vancouver July 19 - the Atlanta Olympics open, Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey wins the 100-metre dash July 20-July 21 - floods in Quebec kill ten July 25 - Coach House Press closes July 26 - Gretzky signs with the New York Rangers August 8 - former Prime Minister Kim Campbell is named consul general to Los Angeles August 8 - Jean-Louis Roux appointed Lieutenant Governor of Quebec August 29 - former B.C. Premier W. A. C. Bennett is found guilty of insider trading October 4 - Defence Minister David Collonette resigns October 10 - Keith Milligan becomes premier of Prince Edward Island, replacing Catherine Callbeck October 19 - Piers McDonald becomes government leader of Yukon, replacing John Ostashek November 5 - Jean-Louis Roux forced to resign as Lieutenant Governor of Quebec when pictures of him at Nazi rallies in the 1930s are published November 27 - Pat Binns becomes premier of Prince Edward Island, replacing Keith Milligan December 16 - Chrétien formally apologizes for lying about the GST Karen Kain becomes the first Canadian to win the Cartier Lifetime Achievement Award General Jean Boyle resigns over Somalia Inquiry controversy Dalton McGuinty is elected leader of the Ontario Liberal Party Canada sends over a thousand troops to take part in IFOR Arts and literature New books John Ralston Saul - The Unconscious Civilization Nancy Huston - Slow Emergencies Pierre Berton - Farewell to the Twentieth Century Elisabeth Harvor - Let Me Be the One Yann Martel - Self Timothy Findley - You Went Away Di Brandt - Dancing Naked: Narrative Strategies for Writing Across Centuries Douglas Coupland - Polaroids from the Dead Awards Giller Prize for Canadian Fiction: Margaret Atwood - Alias Grace See 1996 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards. Books in Canada First Novel Award: Keath Fraser, Popular Anatomy Gerald Lampert Award: Maureen Hynes, Rough Skin Marian Engel Award: Barbara Gowdy Pat Lowther Award: Lorna Crozier, Everything Arrives at the Light Stephen Leacock Award: Marsha Boulton, Letters from the Country Trillium Book Award English: Anne Michaels, Fugitive Pieces Trillium Book Award French: Nancy Vickers, Le Pied de Sappho and Alain Bernard Marchand, Tintin au pays de la ferveur Vicky Metcalf Award: Margaret Buffie New Music Barenaked Ladies - Born on a Pirate Ship Bruce Cockburn - The Charity of Night Births Deaths January 26 - Sally Gribble, founder of MADD Canada January 26 - Yvonne Housser, painter January 27 - Brian Kelleher, journalist January 31 - Beth Amos, actress February 2 - Phyliss Marshall, actor February 7 - Barbara Hamilton, actor February 7 - Lucien Maynard, leader of Alberta francophones February 9 - Henri Masson, painter February 19 - Ernest C. Manning former Premier of Alberta February 21 - Gordon Armstrong, playwright February 29 - Robert O'Driscoll, scholar March 28 - Edith Fowke, ethnologist April 23 - Jean Allard former Chief of the Defence Staff May 11 - Hilda Grant, author May 22 - Robert Christie, actor June 11 - George Hees, Cabinet Minister July 1 - Harold Greenberg, businessman July 5 - Fred Davis, moderator of Front Page Challenge July 5 - Bob Southam, newspaper publisher July 17 - Susan Cole, puppeteer July 18 - Robert Needham, journalist July 20 - Ronald Buick, scientist July 22 - Carl Goldenberg, Senator August 1 - Patrick O'Callaghan, newspaper publicist August 10 - Walter MacNutt, organist August 21 - Mary Earley, Native rights campaigner September 22 - Ludmilla Chiriaeff, ballet dancer September 23 - Joe Borowski, anti-abortion activist October 2 - Robert Bourassa former Premier of Quebec