See also: 1979 in Canada, other events of 1980, 1981 in Canada and the list of 'years in Canada'.

Incumbents

• Prime Minister - Joe Clark then Pierre Trudeau
• Governor General - Edward Schreyer

• Premier of Alberta - Peter Lougheed
• Premier of British Columbia - Bill Bennett
• Premier of Manitoba - Sterling Lyon
• Premier of New Brunswick - Richard Hatfield
• Premier of Newfoundland - Brian Peckford
• Premier of Nova Scotia - John Buchanan
• Premier of Ontario - Bill Davis
• Premier of Prince Edward Island - Angus MacLean
• Premier of Quebec - René Lévesque
• Premier of Saskatchewan - Allan Blakeney

Events

• January 21 - Three Soviet embassy workers are expelled after they are accused of spying
• January 28 - Canadian ambassador to Iran, Ken Taylor, organizes the escape of American citizens from Iran
• February 18 - Federal election: Pierre Trudeau's Liberals win a majority, defeating Joe Clark's PCs
• February 29 - Jeanne Sauvé becomes first woman Speaker of the House of Commons
• March 3 - Pierre Trudeau becomes prime minister for the second time, replacing Joe Clark
• April 12 - Terry Fox begins his run across Canada in support of cancer research
• April 14 - The National Film Board wins an Oscar for its animated films
• April 22 - Canada announces it will join the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
• April 30 - Hockey player Gordie Howe finally retires
• May 20 - Quebec votes against separation in the 1980 Quebec referendum
• June 16 - George Braden becomes government leader of the Northwest Territories, as responsible government is reinstituted for the first time since 1905
• July 1 - "O Canada" becomes the official national anthem
• September 1 - Due to a return of his cancer Terry Fox curtails his run
• October 6 - The Quebec and Newfoundland governments sign the Churchill Falls hydro agreement.
• October 6 - Prime Minister Trudeau announces his plan to repatraite the Canadian constitution unilaterally
• October 28 - The National Energy Program is introduced
• November 17 - Clifford Olson rapes and kills his first victim
• Wayne Gretzky breaks Phil Esposito's record for the most points in a single NHL season with 164.

Arts and Literature

New Works

• Mordecai Richler - Joshua Then and Now

Awards

• See 1980 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
• Books in Canada First Novel Award: Clark Blaise, Lunar Attractions
• Stephen Leacock Award: Donald Jack, Me Brandy, You Cissie
• Vicky Metcalf Award: John Craig

Television

• The Royal Canadian Air Farce makes it first television special

Births

• January 1 - Eric Cyr, baseball pitcher
• February 10 - Mike Ribeiro, hockey player
• February 16 - Blair Betts, hockey player
• February 29 - Simon Gagne , hockey player
• March 21 - Deryck Whibley, singer
• March 24 - Ramzi Abid, hockey player
• March 31 - Michael Ryder, hockey player
• April 18 - Robyn Regehr, hockey player
• April 21 - Vincent Lecavalier, hockey player
• April 29 - Mathieu Biron, hockey player
• May 2 - Michael Ryder, hockey player
• May 4 - Andrew Raycroft, hockey goaltender
• July 15 - Jonathan Cheechoo, hockey player
• July 21 - Scott Frandsen, Olympic rower
• August 5 - Mark Bell, hockey player
• August 29 - Perdita Felicien, athlete
• September 9 - Felix Brillant, soccer player
• September 19 - Adrian Cann, soccer player
• October 13 - Marc-Andre Bergeron, hockey player
• October 21 - Mike Danton, hockey player
• November 4 - Erin Cumpstone, Olympic softballer
• November 9 - Ben Rutledge, Olympic rower
• November 18 - Emanuel Sandhu, figure skater
• December 2 - Adam Kreek, Olympic rower

Deaths

• March 5 - Jay Silverheels, actor
• October 17 - Richard G. Reid, Premier of Alberta
• December 31 - Marshall McLuhan, scholar