Canadian Citizenship Test Study Guide

What do you swear to when you take the Oath of Citizenship?

You pledge loyalty to the King or Queen, to abide by Canadian law, and carry out your citizenship obligations.

In Canada, the constitution, the flag and the country are not encompassed by the Sovereign.

FALSE - we profess our loyalty to a person who represents all Canadians.

In Canada, to whom do we formally pledge allegiance?

We pledge allegiance to the Sovereign (King or Queen)

What two basic requirements are tested when you write the citizenship test?

1. Knowledge of Canada and of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

2. Adequate knowledge of English or French

In which year was the Magna Carta signed?

1215 in England (also known as the Great Charter of Freedoms)

What freedoms does the Magna Carta include?

1. Freedom of conscience and religion;

2. Freedom of thought , belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of speech and of the press;

3. Freedom of peaceful assembly; and

4. Freedom of association.

What does habeas corpus from English common law mean?

It is the right to challenge unlawful detention by the state.

In which year was the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms added to the Constitution of Canada?

In 1982

The most important freedoms in the Constitution of Canada include:

1. Mobility Rights

2. Aboriginal People’s Rights

3. Official Language Rights and Minority Language Educational Rights

   1. Multiculturalism

Are men and women equal under the law in Canada?

YES. Canada’s openness and generosity do not extend to barbaric cultural practices that tolerate spousal abuse, “honour killings”, female genital mutilation, forced marriage or other gender-based violence.

List the responsibilities of Canadian citizenship.

• Obeying the law

• Taking responsibility for oneself and one’s family

• Serving on a jury

• Voting in elections

• Helping others in the community

  • Protecting and enjoying our heritage and environment

Is there compulsory military service in Canada?

No. The regular Canadian Forces consist of navy, army and air force.

When was Canada’s original constitutional document drawn up?

1867

Who are the three founding peoples of Canada?

Aboriginal, French and British

When were territorial rights first guaranteed by Royal Proclamation?

In 1763 by King George III

During which time period did the federal government place many Aboriginal children in residential schools?

From the 1800s until the 1980s. In 2008 Ottawa formally apologized to former students.

Which three distinct groups does the term Aboriginal peoples refer to?

1. Indian - all Aboriginal people who are not Inuit or Metis. In the 1970s the term First Nations began to be used.

2. The Inuit which means “the people” live in small, scattered communities across the Arctic.

3. The Metis are a distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry.

Who are the Acadians?

These are decsendants of French colonists who began settling in what are now the Maritime provinces in 1604. Between 1755 and 1763, during the war between Britain and France, more than 2/3 of the Acadians were deported from their homeland.