Discover Canada Study Guide (Pages 1–30)

A comprehensive set of question-and-answer flashcards covering key concepts, events, rights, responsibilities and structures from the Discover Canada study guide pages 1–30.

In Canada, to whom do new citizens swear loyalty in the Oath of Citizenship?

The Sovereign (King or Queen), who personifies all Canadians.

What are the two basic requirements tested during the Canadian citizenship test?

Knowledge of Canada (including rights and responsibilities) and adequate knowledge of English or French.

Between what ages must applicants prove language ability to become Canadian citizens?

18 to 54 years old.

Which applicants are exempt from writing the citizenship test?

Adult applicants 55 years of age and over.

Name the four fundamental freedoms protected in Canada that trace back to Magna Carta.

Freedom of conscience and religion; freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression; freedom of peaceful assembly; freedom of association.

What is habeas corpus?

The right to challenge unlawful detention by the state.

What opening phrase of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms highlights the importance of law and faith?

"Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law."

What right allows Canadians to live and work anywhere in the country and to carry a Canadian passport?

Mobility Rights.

Which Charter provision ensures French and English have equal status in federal institutions?

Official Language Rights and Minority Language Educational Rights.

Which Charter provision states that treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis cannot be adversely affected?

Aboriginal Peoples’ Rights.

List two key responsibilities of Canadian citizens.

Obeying the law and voting in elections (other valid answers: jury duty; helping others; protecting environment; taking care of oneself and family).

Is military service compulsory in Canada?

No, but Canadians may volunteer for the regular forces, reserves, cadets, Coast Guard or emergency services.

What practices are explicitly condemned in Canada’s stance on equality of women and men?

Spousal abuse, honour killings, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, and other gender-based violence.

Canada’s political system is described by what three key facts?

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

Who are Canada’s three founding peoples?

Aboriginal, French and British.

Name the three distinct Aboriginal groups recognized in Canada today.

First Nations (Indians), Inuit and Métis.

What mixed-language dialect is traditionally spoken by many Métis?

Michif.

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

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

Which 1763 document guaranteed territorial rights and became the basis for treaty making with Aboriginal peoples?

The Royal Proclamation of 1763.

In what year did the Government of Canada formally apologize for abuse in residential schools?

2008.

Which province is officially bilingual?

New Brunswick.

What term describes the deportation of the Acadians between 1755 and 1763?

The Great Upheaval.

What 1774 act allowed religious freedom for Catholics and restored French civil law in Quebec?

The Quebec Act.

What did the Constitutional Act of 1791 create in British North America?

It divided Quebec into Upper Canada and Lower Canada and granted them elected legislative assemblies.

Which colony held the first elected assembly in what is now Canada?

Nova Scotia (Halifax) in 1758.

When did the British Empire abolish slavery throughout its territories?

1833.

What clandestine network helped thousands of slaves reach freedom in Canada?

The Underground Railroad.

What war ensured Canada would remain independent of the United States and helped define today’s border?

The War of 1812.

Which Canadian heroine warned of an American attack in 1813, aiding victory at the Battle of Beaver Dams?

Laura Secord.

What is meant by 'responsible government' in the Canadian context?

A government that must retain the confidence of the elected assembly; if it loses a confidence vote it must resign.

Which British North American colony first achieved full responsible government and in what years?

Nova Scotia in 1847-48.

On what date did the Dominion of Canada come into existence?

July 1, 1867 (now celebrated as Canada Day, formerly Dominion Day).

Who was Canada’s first Prime Minister?

Sir John A. Macdonald.

When was the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway driven, symbolizing national unity?

November 7, 1885.

For what discriminatory policy covering Chinese immigrants did Canada apologize in 2006?

The Head Tax (a race-based entry fee).

In what year was the North West Mounted Police (predecessor to the RCMP) founded?

1873.

Louis Riel is regarded by many as the father of which province?

Manitoba.

Which four provinces formed the original Confederation in 1867?

Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Which beach did Canadians capture during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944?

Juno Beach.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge was fought in which month and year?

April 1917.

In what year did most Canadian women gain the federal right to vote?

1918.

Who became Canada’s first woman Member of Parliament, and in what year?

Agnes Macphail in 1921.

Why is November 11 commemorated as Remembrance Day in Canada?

To honour Canadians who served and died in wars; the Armistice ending WWI was signed on November 11, 1918.

In what year was the Bank of Canada established to stabilize the financial system?

1934.

The Canadian government formally apologized for Japanese Canadian internment in which year?

1988.

What is the purpose of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which Canada helped found?

A military alliance formed to defend member democracies, especially during the Cold War.

Which 1969 law guarantees federal services in both French and English across Canada?

The Official Languages Act.

Canada helped establish which international organization of French-speaking countries in 1970?

La Francophonie.

Which painting group became famous for rugged Canadian wilderness landscapes starting in 1920?

The Group of Seven.

What Canadian invention is a robotic arm used in space exploration?

The Canadarm.

Who invented basketball in 1891?

Canadian James Naismith.

Who is Canada’s Head of State?

The Sovereign (King or Queen of Canada).

What is the main role of the Governor General?

To represent the Sovereign in Canada and grant royal assent to legislation.

How many federal electoral districts (ridings) does Canada currently have?

308.

What is the minimum age to vote in Canadian federal elections?

18 years old.

According to fixed-date legislation, when are general federal elections normally held?

On the third Monday in October every four years.

List the three eligibility requirements for voting in a federal election.

Be a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old on voting day, and be on the voters’ list.

What is the first step in passing a federal bill into law?

First Reading in the House of Commons, where the bill is introduced and printed.

What is the final step a bill must pass before becoming law in Canada?

Receiving royal assent from the Governor General on behalf of the Sovereign.

Give two examples of areas of responsibility for the federal government.

Defence and foreign policy (others include interprovincial trade, communications, currency, criminal law, citizenship).

Give two examples of areas of responsibility for provincial governments.

Education and health care (others include natural resources, property and civil rights, highways, municipal government).

What 1960 change extended full voting rights to another group of Canadians?

Aboriginal people gained the right to vote without losing treaty status.

Which Canadian law ensures universal access to medically necessary services?

The Canada Health Act.

Which pair of Canadians discovered insulin, saving millions of lives worldwide?

Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best.

Who are the co-founders of Research In Motion (now BlackBerry), creators of the famed smartphone?

Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie.

Which Canadian athlete’s 'Marathon of Hope' raised awareness and funds for cancer research in 1980?

Terry Fox.

What is the function of Elections Canada?

A neutral agency that manages federal elections, referendums and maintains the National Register of Electors.

What poem, written by Lt-Col John McCrae in 1915, is often recited on Remembrance Day?

"In Flanders Fields."

Which 1960s period of rapid change in Quebec politics and society is known as what?

The Quiet Revolution.

What percentage of Canadians were able to afford adequate food, shelter and clothing for the first time in 1951?

A majority (over 50%).

Name one group of refugees welcomed to Canada during the Cold War era.

Approximately 37,000 Hungarians fleeing Soviet oppression in 1956 (others: Vietnamese 'boat people' in 1970s).

Which robotic system and astronauts’ platform aboard the Space Shuttle and ISS was designed by Canada?

The Canadarm, developed by SPAR Aerospace with the National Research Council.

What year did Canada’s Constitution get amended to include the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

1982.

Which act created the Canada and Quebec Pension Plans in 1965?

Federal–provincial legislation establishing public pension plans.