Red Bull's Max Verstappen joins the Briton on the front row of Sunday's race, with championship leader Oscar Piastri on the second row.
Russell heads the grid at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve for the second consecutive year as he pipped reigning world champion Verstappen by 0.160s.
Kimi Antonelli in the other Mercedes will start alongside Piastri on the second row, ahead of Lewis Hamilton for Ferrari and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.
Lando Norris, who trails his McLaren teammate Piastri by 10 points in the drivers' championship, is on the fourth row with Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari.
Verstappen's teammate Yuki Tsunoda qualified in 11th but was hit with a 10-place grid penalty for impeding Russell under a red flag in third practice.