Miss Canada is a beauty pageant for young women in Canada. It was founded in Hamilton in 1946. No title was awarded from 1993 through 2008. The trademark was purchased in 2009 by a Québec organization who produces the pageant under the name to this day. According to the new Miss Canada and Miss Teen Canada web site, the title was re-established with a focus on personality over physical appearance. The Miss Canada competition is Canada's oldest extant beauty pageant.
Winnifred Blair of Saint John, New Brunswick was proclaimed the first "Miss Canada" on 11 February 1923 at an earlier, unrelated competition during the Montreal Winter Carnival."This week in New Brunswick history, Feb. 8–15 (00/02/07)" . gnb.ca"Saint John New Brunswick Time Date" . new-brunswick.net The runner-up in that event was Muriel Harper of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The first broadcast of the Miss Canada pageant aired on November 10, 1963 on CTV with news anchors Peter Jennings and Baden Langton hosting. Gordon MacRae was hired to sing the first Miss Canada Pageant song. Each of the 23 contestants was escorted by a young officer of the Canadian Armed Forces. Carol Ann Balmer of Toronto won, and Lise Mercier of Quebec City was Miss Congeniality. The escorts were selected and supervised by a young Armoured Corps Officer, J. R. Digger MacDougall, who escorted the runner up, Lise Mercier.
Jennings remained as solo host until 1966 and was replaced by game show host Jim Perry, who hosted the pageant until 1990. Dominique Dufour, the winner of the Miss Canada Pageant in 1981, co-hosted with Perry from 1982 until 1990. The final pageant before its initial cancellation aired in late 1991 and was hosted by Peter Feniak and Liz Grogan.
The show was popular in the 1970s, with up to 5 million viewers, but declined in the 1980s, until it was cancelled in 1992."Farewell, Miss Canada". CBC. 3 January 1992Pageant News Bureau: Miss Canada Chronicles . pageant.com Producers of the show cited mounting production costs, as the reason for cancellation. The last winner was Miss Canada 1992 Nicole Dunsdon from British Columbia.
Between 1947 and 1962, the Miss Canada Pageant sent delegates to the Miss America pageant. No Miss Canada ever won Miss America but some placed.
The Miss Canada Pageant obtained the franchise for the Miss Universe Pageant in 1978, when that year's first runner-up, Andrea Leslie Eng, competed internationally. From 1979 to the final 1992 contest before cancellation, the winners of Miss Canada went on to compete. Miss Canada 1982, Karen Baldwin, is the only Miss Canada to also win Miss Universe. Since 2003, Canada's representative to Miss Universe has been chosen by the Miss Universe Canada pageant.
Winners
The following is a list of winners:"Miss Canada&Miss Teen Canada:MissCanada-Pasttitleholders" . Year Winner City, Province Runner-up (Second Place) 2026 Maura Jahangiri Holland Landing, Ontario Marie-Zoé Lapierre 2025 Geneviève McSween Montreal, Quebec Karyssa Chininea Alemán 2024 Tanpreet Parmar Vancouver, British Columbia Geneviève McSween 2023 Ashley Maria Borzellino Hamilton, Ontario Melyka Raby2022Marielle DavidÎle-de-Lamèque, New BrunswickMelyka Raby 2021 Madison Stewart Vancouver, British Columbia Rabiah Dhaliwal 2020 Bremiella De Guzman Surrey, British Columbia Jasmin Chahal 2019 Christine Jamieson Mission, British Columbia Marie-Hélène Mallet 2018 Maria Giorlando Windsor, Ontario Beenu Bajwa 2017 Ciara Thompson Huntsville, Ontario 2016 Anabelle Côté Sherbrooke, Quebec Karmen Brar 2015 Dominique Doucette Campbellton, New Brunswick 2014 Priya Madaan Windsor, Ontario 2013 Inès Gavran Quebec 2012 Jaclyn Miles Amherstburg, Ontario 2011 Tara Teng Vancouver, British Columbia 2010 Mélanie Paquin Gatineau, Quebec 2009 Lorie Racicot Montreal, Quebec 1992 Nicole Dunsdon Summerland, British Columbia 1991 Leslie McLaren Edmonton, Alberta 1990 Robin Lee Ouzunoff Niagara Region, Ontario Tanya Herman 1989 Juliette Powell Laurentians Region, Quebec Kari Lee Hudson 1988 Melinda Gillies London, Ontario Suzie Pilon 1987 Tina May Simpson Niagara Region, Ontario Cindy MacCallum 1986 Rene Newhouse Cranbrook, British Columbia Wynne Anita Kroontje 1985 Karen Elizabeth Tilley Calgary, Alberta Michelle Irene "Mia" Tambling 1984 Cynthia Kereluk Edmonton, Alberta Iris Hope Naumenko 1983 Jodi Yvonne Rutledge Manitoba Lilianne Pelchat 1982 Karen Dianne Baldwin London, Ontario Renee Louise McLoughlin 1981 Dominique Dufour Laval, Quebec Donna Rupert 1980 Terry MacKay Calgary, Alberta Marie Laurin 1979 Heidi Quiring Manitoba Johanne Turenne 1978 Catherine Swing Toronto, Ontario Andrea Leslie Eng 1977 Yvonne Foster Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Louise Josée Mondoux 1976 Sylvia McGuire Nova Scotia Mary-Lu Zahalan 1975 Terry Lynne Meyer Edmonton, Alberta Manni Mary Fink 1974 Blair Lancaster Burlington, Ontario Line Renaud 1973 Gillian Regehr Victoria, British Columbia Kim Jeffries 1972 Donna Mary Sawicky Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario Patricia Alison Bain 1971 Caroline Amelia Commisso Thunder Bay, Ontario Betty Ann Hopner 1970 Julie Maloney Ottawa/Hull, Ontario/Quebec 1969 Marie-France Beaulieu Montreal, Quebec 1968 Carol McKinnon Prince Edward Island Merrilyn Gann 1967 Barbara Kelly Vancouver, British Columbia 1966 Diane Landry Winnipeg, Manitoba 1965 Linda Douma Victoria, British Columbia 1964 Carol Ann Balmer Toronto, Ontario 1962–63 Helena "Nina" Holden* Victoria, British Columbia 1961 Iris Thurlwell Toronto, Ontario 1960 Rosemary Catherine Keenan Rothesay, New Brunswick 1959 Danica d'Hondt Vancouver, British Columbia 1958 Joan May Fitzpatrick Windsor, Ontario 1957 Dorothy Moreau Montreal, Quebec 1956 Miss Canada title is post-dated 1955 Dalyce Smith Whitehorse, Yukon Territory 1954 Barbara Joan Markham Cornwall, Ontario 1953 Kathleen Archibald Kelowna, British Columbia 1952 Marilyn Reddick Toronto, Ontario 1951 Marjorie Kelly Courtland, Ontario 1950 Margaret Bradford London, Ontario 1949 Margaret Lynn Munn Vancouver, British Columbia 1948 Betty Jean Ferguson Halifax, Nova Scotia 1947 Margaret Marshall Toronto, Ontario 1946 Marion Saver North York, Ontario Connie-Gail Feller won the Miss Canada 1962 title and competed at Miss America, however was dethroned on 20 September 1961.
Miss Canada at International Pageants
Miss Canada at Miss Universe
Miss Canada at Miss America and Canadian representatives at Miss America
This is a list of women that represented Canada at the Miss America pageant. Canada sent representatives in 1922, 1945, and from 1946 to 1963. In 1922 and 1945, the delegates that were sent competed as their local titles. From 1946 to 1963, the winner of Miss Canada represented Canada at Miss America.
YearMiss Canada AmericaLocal TitleMiss America TalentPlacement at Miss AmericaSpecial Awards at Miss AmericaNotes colspan=7 1963 Helena “Nina” Marie Holden Miss Victoria (BC) Unplaced 1962 Connie-Gail Feller Miss Ottawa (ON) Unplaced 1961 Iris Elaine Thurlwell Miss Northtown, Toronto (ON) Vocal Unplaced Non-Finalist Talent Award (Best Popular Singer) 1960 Rosemary Catherine Keenan Miss Fredericton (NB) Top 10 1959 Danica d'Hondt Miss Vancouver Centennial Unplaced 1958 Joan May Fitzpatrick Miss Windsor (ON) Unplaced 1957 Dorothy Germaine Moreau Miss Montreal (QC) Top 10 1956 Dalyce Gail Smith Miss Whitehorse (YT) Unplaced 1955 Barbara Joan Markham Miss Cornwall (ON) Unplaced 1954 Kathleen "Kathy" Ann Archibald Miss Kelowna (BC) Unplaced 1953 Marilyn Delores Reddick Miss Agincourt (ON) Unplaced 1952 Marjorie Alma Kelly Miss Courtland (ON) Unplaced Special Non-Finalist Talent Scholarship ($1,000) 1951 Margaret Eleanore Bradford Miss Windsor (ON) Unplaced colspan=7 1949 Margaret Lynn Munn Miss Vancouver (BC) Classical Vocal Top 15 Preliminary Talent Award 1948 Betty Jean Ferguson Miss Halifax (NS) Unplaced 1947 Margaret Marshall Miss Toronto (ON) 2nd Runner-Up Preliminary Swimsuit Award 1946 Marion Saver Miss Stayner (ON) Unplaced 1945 Georgina Elizabeth Patterson Miss Northern British Columbia (BC) Unplaced Miss Congeniality Competed under local title at Miss America colspan=7 1922 Marie Gauthier Miss Montreal (QC) Unplaced Multiple Canadian representativesContestants competed under local title at Miss America Marjorie Smith Miss Toronto (ON) Unplaced colspan=7
Hosts Jaclyn Miles, a former Miss Canada: 2016-2025
Jim Perry: 1967-1991
Peter Jennings: 1963-1966
See also Miss Earth Canada Miss Universe Canada Miss World Canada Miss Dominion of Canada Miss Canada International Miss Universe Miss America
References
External links British Pathe newsreel of Miss Canada 1948