See also: 1884 in Canada, other events of 1885, 1886 in Canada and the Timeline of Canadian history.

Events

• March 26 - Louis Riel and the Métis battle the North West Mounted Police at Duck Lake
• April 24 - North-West Rebellion: Battle of Fish Creek fought between Canadian forces and the Métis
• May 2 - North-West Rebellion: Battle of Cut Knife
• May 9-May 12 - North-West Rebellion: Battle of Batoche the Métis are defeated in battle
• May 28 - North-West Rebellion: Battle of Frenchman's Butte
• November 7 - The transcontinental railway is completed
• November 16 - Riel is executed in Regina, Saskatchewan
• Banff National Park, the first national park in Canada is established
• A head tax on Chinese immigrants is imposed by the federal government
• Canada outlaws the potlatch ceremony among Northwest Coast tribes. The law, often ignored, is repealed in 1951.

Births

• January 11 - Gordon Daniel Conant, Premier of Ontario
• February 4 - Cairine Wilson, Senator
• April 3 - Allan Dwan, filmmaker
• June 27 - Arthur Lismer, artist
• July 23 - Izaak Walton Killam, financier
• July 31 - Charles A. Dunning, Premier of Saskatchewan
• August 3 - Charles Hibbert Tupper, politician
• October 23 - Lawren Harris, artist
• December 5 - Ernest Cormier, architect
• December 24 - A.A. Heaps, labour leader
• Thomas B. Costain, historical novelist

Deaths

• November 16 - Louis Riel, Métis leader