Canada Citizenship Test

What are the three founding peoples of Canada?

Aboriginal, French, and British peoples.

What does the word "Inuit" mean?

"The people" — in the Inuktitut language.

Who are the Métis?

A distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry, most of whom live in the Prairie provinces. They speak Michif.

What percentage of Aboriginal peoples are First Nations, Métis, and Inuit?

About 65% First Nations, 30% Métis, and 4% Inuit.

How many Anglophones and Francophones live in Canada?

18 million Anglophones and 7 million Francophones.

Which is the only officially bilingual province?

New Brunswick.

Who are the Acadians?

Descendants of French colonists who began settling the Maritimes in 1604. Over two-thirds were deported during the "Great Upheaval" (1755–1763).

In what year did the House of Commons recognize the Québécois as a nation within a united Canada?

2006

Name two key documents that contain our rights and freedoms.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) and the Magna Carta (1215).

What are the four fundamental freedoms Canadians enjoy?

1) Freedom of conscience and religion; 2) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression (including speech and press); 3) freedom of peaceful assembly; 4) freedom of association.

Name four important rights from the Charter.

Mobility rights, Aboriginal peoples' rights, official language rights and minority language educational rights, and multiculturalism.

What are the six responsibilities of citizenship?

1) Obeying the law; 2) taking responsibility for oneself and one's family; 3) serving on a jury; 4) voting in elections; 5) helping others in the community; 6) protecting and enjoying our heritage and environment.

What is habeas corpus?

The right to challenge unlawful detention by the state. It comes from English common law.

What is the rule of law?

Individuals and governments are regulated by laws, not arbitrary actions. No person or group is above the law.

What does "equality of women and men" mean in Canada?

Men and women are equal under the law. Practices like spousal abuse, "honour killings," forced marriage, and female genital mutilation are crimes severely punished.

When was the Magna Carta signed?

1215, in England (also called the "Great Charter of Freedoms").

When was the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms entrenched in the Constitution?

1982

Who were the first Europeans to reach Canada?

The Vikings from Iceland, about 1,000 years ago — their settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows (Newfoundland) is a World Heritage Site.

Who was John Cabot?

An Italian-born explorer who in 1497 was the first to map Canada's Atlantic shore.

Who named Canada and what does the name mean?

Jacques Cartier (voyages 1534–1542). "Canada" comes from the Iroquoian word "kanata," meaning "village."

Who founded Québec City and when?

Samuel de Champlain, in 1608.

What was the first European settlement north of Florida?

Founded by Pierre de Monts and Samuel de Champlain in 1604, first on St. Croix Island then at Port-Royal, Acadia (today Nova Scotia).

What was the Battle of the Plains of Abraham?

1759 — British defeated the French at Québec City, ending France's empire in America. Both commanders (Wolfe and Montcalm) were killed.

What was the Quebec Act of 1774?

Allowed religious freedom for Catholics, let them hold public office, restored French civil law while keeping British criminal law. A constitutional foundation of Canada.

Who were the United Empire Loyalists?

More than 40,000 people loyal to the British Crown who fled to Nova Scotia and Quebec from the American Revolution after 1776.

What did the Constitutional Act of 1791 do?

Divided the Province of Quebec into Upper Canada (Ontario, Loyalist/Protestant/English) and Lower Canada (Quebec, Catholic/French). Also granted elected legislative assemblies.

When was slavery abolished in the British Empire?

1833. The slave trade was banned in 1807. Upper Canada (led by John Graves Simcoe) moved to abolish slavery in 1793 — the first province in the Empire.

What was the Underground Railroad?

A Christian anti-slavery network that helped thousands of escaped slaves from the U.S. settle in Canada.

What was the War of 1812?

A U.S. invasion of Canada that the U.S. lost. British, Canadian and First Nations forces defended Canada. It ensured Canada would remain independent of the United States.

Who was Sir Isaac Brock?

Major-General who captured Detroit in 1812. Killed defending against an American attack at Queenston Heights.

Who was Chief Tecumseh?

Shawnee chief who led First Nations alongside the British during the War of 1812.

Who was Laura Secord?

A pioneer wife and mother who walked 30 km in 1813 to warn the British of a planned American attack, contributing to victory at the Battle of Beaver Dams.

Who was Charles de Salaberry?

Lieutenant-Colonel who, with 460 mostly French-Canadian soldiers, turned back 4,000 American invaders at Ch√¢teauguay in 1813.

What were the Rebellions of 1837–38?

Armed uprisings in Upper and Lower Canada demanding faster progress toward democracy. They were defeated by British troops and Canadian volunteers.

What is "responsible government"?

A system in which the ministers of the Crown must have the support of a majority of the elected representatives in order to govern. Today, if the government loses a confidence vote, it must resign.

Who was Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine?

A champion of French language rights who in 1849 became the first head of a responsible government in Canada.

Where and when was the first British North American colony to gain responsible government?

Nova Scotia, in 1847–48.

What does "Confederation" mean?

On July 1, 1867, the British Parliament passed the British North America Act, creating the Dominion of Canada from Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

Who were the Fathers of Confederation?

Representatives of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada who worked from 1864–1867 to establish Canada. They included Macdonald, Cartier, Tilley, Taché, and others.

Who suggested the name "Dominion of Canada"?

Sir Leonard Tilley of New Brunswick, inspired by Psalm 72: "dominion from sea to sea."

Who was Canada's first Prime Minister?

Sir John Alexander Macdonald — became PM in 1867. Born January 11, 1815. His portrait is on the $10 bill.

Who was Sir George-Étienne Cartier?

The key architect of Confederation from Quebec; close ally of Macdonald.

In what order did provinces/territories join Canada?

1867: ON, QC, NS, NB; 1870: MB, NWT; 1871: BC; 1873: PEI; 1898: Yukon; 1905: AB, SK; 1949: Newfoundland and Labrador; 1999: Nunavut.

Who was Louis Riel?

Métis leader who led the Red River Resistance of 1869 and a second rebellion in 1885 (executed). Seen by many as a hero, defender of Métis rights, and father of Manitoba.

What was the NWMP?

The North-West Mounted Police, established by Macdonald in 1873 to pacify the West. It is the forerunner of today's RCMP.

What did the Canadian Pacific Railway symbolize?

Unity — a railway from sea to sea. The last spike was driven on November 7, 1885, by Donald Smith (Lord Strathcona). Built with both European and Chinese labour.

Who was Sir Wilfrid Laurier?

Canada's first French-Canadian Prime Minister since Confederation. His portrait is on the $5 bill.

What was the significance of the discovery of insulin?

Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin, a hormone to treat diabetes that has saved 16 million lives worldwide.

What happened at Vimy Ridge?

Canadian Corps captured Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917, with 10,000 casualties. Often described as the "birth of a nation." April 9 is Vimy Day.

How many Canadians served and died in the First World War?

Over 600,000 served (out of a population of 8 million); 60,000 were killed and 170,000 wounded.

Who was Canada's greatest soldier of WWI?

General Sir Arthur Currie, who commanded the Canadian Corps.

Who wrote "In Flanders Fields"?

Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian medical officer, in 1915.

When and where did Canadian women first win the right to vote?

Manitoba was the first province to grant women the vote, in 1916. Most women got the federal vote in 1918. Quebec granted the provincial vote in 1940.

Who was the first woman MP in Canada?

Agnes Macphail, in 1921.

Who founded the women's suffrage movement in Canada?

Dr. Emily Stowe, the first Canadian woman to practise medicine in Canada.

What is Remembrance Day?

November 11. Canadians wear the red poppy at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to honour Canadians who have served or died in wars to the present day.

What is the meaning of the Remembrance Day poppy?

To remember the sacrifice of Canadians who have served or died in wars up to the present day.

What is D-Day?

June 6, 1944 — 15,000 Canadians stormed and captured Juno Beach during the Allied invasion of Normandy. About 1 in 10 Allied soldiers on D-Day was Canadian.

How many Canadians served and died in WWII?

More than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served (out of 11.5 million); 44,000 were killed.

When did Canada apologize for the Japanese-Canadian internment?

1988. The Government of Canada apologized for WWII wrongs and compensated the victims.

When was the Bank of Canada created?

1934 — to manage the money supply and bring stability to the financial system.

When was oil discovered in Alberta?

1947 — beginning Canada's modern energy industry.

What military alliances did Canada join after WWII?

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and NORAD (North American Aerospace Defence Command).

When was the Korean War?

1950–1953. Canada took part as a UN operation defending South Korea. 500 Canadians died.

What was the Quiet Revolution?

A period of rapid change in Quebec in the 1960s when many sought to separate from Canada.

What was the Official Languages Act?

Passed in 1969. It guarantees French and English services in the federal government across Canada.

When were the two Quebec sovereignty referendums?

1980 and 1995. Sovereignty was defeated both times.

When did Japanese-Canadians and Aboriginal peoples get the right to vote federally?

Japanese-Canadians in 1948; Aboriginal peoples in 1960.

Who was Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven?

The Group of Seven (founded 1920) developed a style of painting to capture Canada's rugged wilderness. Tom Thomson painted "The Jack Pine."

Who invented basketball?

Canadian James Naismith, in 1891.

What did Alexander Graham Bell invent?

The telephone — conceived at his summer house in Canada.

What did Joseph-Armand Bombardier invent?

The snowmobile.

What did Sir Sandford Fleming invent?

The worldwide system of standard time zones.

What did Reginald Fessenden contribute to?

The invention of radio — he sent the first wireless voice message.

What did Dr. John A. Hopps invent?

The first cardiac pacemaker.

Who was Terry Fox?

A British Columbian who lost his right leg to cancer at 18 and in 1980 began the "Marathon of Hope" cross-country run to raise money for cancer research.

What are the three key facts about Canada's system of government?

Canada is a federal state, a parliamentary democracy, and a constitutional monarchy.

What does it mean that Canada is a constitutional monarchy?

Canada's Head of State is a hereditary Sovereign (Queen or King) who reigns in accordance with the Constitution (the rule of law).

What are the three parts of Parliament?

The Sovereign (Queen or King), the Senate, and the House of Commons.

What are the three branches of government?

Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.

What is the difference between the role of the Queen and the Prime Minister?

The Queen (or King) is Head of State — symbolic and non-partisan. The Prime Minister is Head of Government and actually directs governing.

Who represents the Sovereign in Canada?

The Governor General — appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister, usually for five years.

Who represents the Sovereign in each province?

The Lieutenant Governor — appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister, usually for five years.

Who represents the federal government in each territory?

The Commissioner — plays a ceremonial role.

What are the three levels of government in Canada?

Federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal.

What are some federal responsibilities?

National defence, foreign policy, citizenship, criminal law, currency, interprovincial trade, navigation, and policing.

What are some provincial responsibilities?

Education, health care, natural resources, highways, property and civil rights, and municipal government.

What responsibilities are shared between federal and provincial governments?

Agriculture, immigration, and the environment.

What does a municipal government do?

Passes by-laws affecting only the local community. Responsible for streets, garbage and snow removal, firefighting, ambulance, recreation, public transit, and local health/social services.

Who heads a municipal government?

A mayor (or reeve) and councillors or aldermen.

How are Senators chosen?

Appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister; they serve until age 75.

How are members of Parliament (MPs) chosen?

They are elected by voters in their local constituency (riding).

How often are federal elections held?

Every four years, on the third Monday in October following the most recent general election. The PM may ask the Governor General to call an earlier election.

How many federal electoral districts (ridings) are there?

308

Who is eligible to vote in a Canadian federal election?

A Canadian citizen who is at least 18 years old on voting day and on the voters' list.

What is a majority government?

When the party in power holds at least half the seats in the House of Commons.

What is a minority government?

When the party in power holds less than half the seats in the House of Commons.

What are the three major federal political parties?

The Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party (NDP), and the Liberal Party.

What is Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition?

The opposition party with the most members in the House of Commons. Its role is to peacefully oppose or improve government proposals.

What is the secret ballot?

No one can watch you vote and no one (family, employer, union) has the right to insist you tell them how you voted.