All practice questions
Open a question to try it and to see the answer.
Rights and responsibilities
- In which year did the signing of Magna Carta take place in England?
- What does habeas corpus protect?
- In 1982, the Constitution of Canada was amended to add which document?
- French civil code is one source of Canadian law.
- Which of these is a freedom that Canadian law secures?
- Which right lets Canadians enter and leave Canada freely?
- The Charter’s rights are written so that they will not harm treaty rights of Aboriginal peoples.
- What is the status of French and English in Parliament and throughout the government?
- The guide calls multiculturalism what kind of part of Canadian heritage and identity?
- What do the first words of the Charter say that Canada is founded upon?
- Canadian law treats men and women as equals.
- What happens to people guilty of gender-based violence such as forced marriage in Canada?
- In Canada, one powerful group can be above the law.
- Which idea means that laws, and not arbitrary actions, regulate individuals and governments?
- Which of these is an important Canadian value linked to taking responsibility for oneself and one’s family?
- When a citizen is called to serve on a jury, the citizen can choose not to serve.
- Why does the guide say jury service matters to the justice system?
- In which elections does the guide say citizens have a responsibility to vote?
- What do millions of Canadian volunteers do?
- Citizens have a role in protecting Canada’s natural, cultural and architectural heritage.
- Canada has compulsory military service for all adult citizens.
- What can young people learn by getting involved in the cadets?
- Which of these is a way to help protect your community, according to the guide?
- New citizens repeat the Oath of Citizenship at the citizenship ceremony.
- In Canada, to whom do people profess loyalty in the Oath?
- The guide says Canada is personified by which person?
- The Oath of Citizenship refers to treaty rights and Aboriginal rights.
Who we are
- Canada is the only constitutional monarchy in North America.
- Which phrase from the 1867 British North America Act is a key phrase in Canada’s original constitutional document?
- Which three peoples does the guide call Canada’s founding peoples?
- How does the guide describe Canada’s constitutional tradition among those of the world?
- Where are the ancestors of Aboriginal peoples believed to have migrated from?
- Which king’s Royal Proclamation of 1763 first guaranteed territorial rights to Aboriginal peoples?
- Why did the federal government place many Aboriginal children in residential schools?
- In which year did Ottawa formally apologize to former residential school students?
- Which group is one of the three distinct groups of Aboriginal peoples?
- The term First Nations began to be used in the 1970s.
- What does the word Inuit mean in the Inuktitut language?
- Where do the Inuit live?
- What is the name of the dialect that the Métis speak?
- Which province is the only officially bilingual province?
- The federal government must provide services in English and French throughout Canada.
- What does the word Francophones mean in the guide?
- The Acadians are the descendants of colonists from which country?
- What name is given to the deportation of most Acadians between 1755 and 1763?
- In 2006, the House of Commons recognized that the Quebecois form a nation within a united Canada.
- Newcomers who bring hateful prejudices from conflicts abroad are accepted in Canada.
- When did black Loyalists flee from America to Canada, according to the guide?
- Which role has the state traditionally had with faith communities in Canada?
- Gay and lesbian Canadians have access to civil marriage under the law.
History
- Why did the first explorers call the native peoples “Indians”?
- What caused many Aboriginal people to die after Europeans arrived?
- The Huron-Wendat were farmers and hunters.
- Which place is a World Heritage site that holds the remains of a Viking settlement?
- What did John Cabot do in 1497?
- English settlement in Canada began soon after John Cabot’s voyage in 1497.
- For which king did Jacques Cartier claim the land?
- Jacques Cartier made only one voyage across the Atlantic.
- Who built a fortress at what is now Québec City in 1608?
- Champlain allied the French colony with the Huron and the Algonquin. Who were their enemies?
- What product from Europe’s demand drove the large fur trade in New France?
- Count Frontenac surrendered Quebec to the English in 1690.
- Which company got exclusive trading rights to the Hudson Bay watershed in 1670?
- What did the British win at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759?
- Both army commanders, Wolfe and Montcalm, were killed in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.
- What name did Great Britain give the colony after the war with France?
- Which law of 1774 allowed Catholics to hold public office?
- Which kind of law did the Quebec Act restore?
- Who led thousands of Loyalist Mohawk people into Canada?
- Where did black Nova Scotians go in 1792 to found a new colony for freed slaves?
- Which law of 1791 divided the Province of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada?
- Most settlers in Upper Canada spoke English and were Protestant.
- Which place led the way in the British Empire by moving toward abolition in 1793?
- In what year did the British Parliament abolish slavery throughout the Empire?
- Which present-day city grew from the Hudson’s Bay Company trading post at Fort Garry?
- John Graves Simcoe founded the City of York, now Toronto.
- Mary Ann Shadd Cary was the first woman publisher in Canada.
- Which First Nations leader helped defend Canada with British soldiers in the War of 1812?
- Who turned back 4,000 American invaders at Châteauguay with 460 soldiers?
- Which building in Washington, D.C. did British forces burn in 1814?
- Why did Laura Secord walk about 30 km in 1813?
- Which Duke chose Bytown (Ottawa) as the end point of the Rideau Canal?
- In 1813, American forces burned the Parliament Buildings in York, now Toronto.
- What did Lord Durham recommend for Upper and Lower Canada?
- The rebels of 1837–38 had enough public support to succeed.
- What was the united colony called in 1840?
- Which colony was the first in British North America to gain full responsible government?
- Who became the first leader of a responsible government in the Canadas?
- Under responsible government, a government that loses a confidence vote in the assembly must resign.
- Which three places worked together from 1864 to 1867 to create a new country?
- Which two levels of government did the Fathers of Confederation create?
- On what date was the Dominion of Canada officially born?
- Which law did the British Parliament pass in 1867 to create the Dominion?
- Where did the phrase “dominion from sea to sea” come from?
- Who was the first Prime Minister of Canada?
- July 1 was called Dominion Day until 1982.
- Who led an armed uprising and seized Fort Garry in 1869–70?
- Why was Riel executed after the second rebellion in 1885?
- In what year did Prime Minister Macdonald establish the North West Mounted Police?
- Which city became the headquarters of the North West Mounted Police?
- Louis Riel won a seat in Parliament but never sat in it.
- Who drove the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway on November 7, 1885?
- What was the Head Tax that Chinese people had to pay?
- Only European workers built the Canadian Pacific Railway.
- Who was the first French-Canadian prime minister since Confederation?
- Which force did Canada form in 1914 when Britain declared war?
- Who commanded the Canadian Corps in 1918 and is called Canada’s greatest soldier?
- What happened on November 11, 1918?
- Who did Canada intern in labour camps from 1914 to 1920 as “enemy aliens”?
- Most of the more than 600,000 Canadians who served in the First World War were volunteers.
- Who founded the women’s suffrage movement in Canada?
- Who became the first woman MP in 1921?
- In what year did Quebec grant women the vote?
- In 1917, which women first received the right to vote in federal elections?
- Who wrote the poem “In Flanders Fields”?
- At the time of Confederation, all adults could vote.
- Manitoba was the first province to give women the right to vote.
- What did the British Empire become after the First World War?
- Which people were hit hardest by low grain prices and drought in the Great Depression?
- What was created in 1934 to manage the money supply and bring stability?
- Which beach did 15,000 Canadian troops capture on D-Day, June 6, 1944?
- Which country did the Canadian Army liberate in 1944–45?
- Whose invasion of Poland in 1939 began the Second World War?
- Where did Canadians fight a failed raid in 1942?
- In which battle did the Royal Canadian Navy have its finest hour?
- In what year did the Government of Canada apologize for the forced relocation of Canadians of Japanese origin?
- On what date did Japan surrender, ending the war in the Pacific?
- The Merchant Navy of Canada carried food, clothing and supplies to Britain.
Modern Canada
- In which year did Canada find oil in Alberta, starting its modern energy industry?
- Which year did Canada start the Canada and Quebec Pension Plans?
- Which level of government provides public education in Canada?
- What kind of group is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?
- Which country did the UN operation defend in the Korean War, in which Canada took part?
- What is the name of the period of rapid change in Quebec in the 1960s?
- What does the Official Languages Act of 1969 guarantee?
- What is La Francophonie, which Canada helped to found in 1970?
- In which year did Quebec voters defeat sovereignty a second time in a referendum?
- Quebec did not agree to the 1982 amendment of the Constitution.
- Which group gained the right to vote in federal and provincial elections in 1948?
- Aboriginal people got the right to vote in 1960.
- About 37,000 refugees who escaped Soviet tyranny in 1956 came to Canada from which country?
- What did the Group of Seven, founded in 1920, paint in a new style?
- Which Canadian invented basketball in 1891?
- What was the purpose of Terry Fox’s “Marathon of Hope” in 1980?
- Rick Hansen’s 1985 journey raised money for cancer research.
- Lord Grey, the Governor General, donated the Grey Cup in 1909.
- Which Canadian invented the snowmobile?
- Which Canadian invented the world system of standard time zones?
- Who sent the first wireless voice message in the world?
- The first cardiac pacemaker was invented by Dr. John A. Hopps.
- What is the Canadarm?
- Which company is known for inventing the BlackBerry?
- Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin, a hormone that treats diabetes.
Government
- Canada is a federal state and a parliamentary democracy. What is the third key fact about its government?
- In 1867, which law defined the responsibilities of the federal and provincial governments?
- Which matter is the responsibility of the federal government?
- Which matter is the responsibility of the provinces?
- Which two matters do the federal government and the provinces share?
- Criminal law is a federal responsibility in Canada.
- What does every province have, similar to the House of Commons in Ottawa?
- The three northern territories have the same status as the provinces.
- A Cabinet minister must resign if the House of Commons defeats the government in a non-confidence vote.
- How many parts does the federal Parliament have?
- Who selects the Cabinet ministers in the federal government?
- Senators serve until what age?
- What must happen before a bill can become law in Canada?
- Who grants royal assent on behalf of the Sovereign?
- What happens to a bill at First Reading?
- At which stage do committee members study a bill clause by clause?
- The Senate does not review bills.
- Who is Canada’s Head of State?
- The Governor General is the head of government and directs the governing of the country.
- Who appoints the Governor General?
- Who appoints a Lieutenant Governor in a province?
- Which three branches of government work together in Canada?
- In a province, who has a role similar to the Prime Minister’s role in the federal government?
- A Commissioner represents the federal government in each of the three territories. The role is ceremonial.
Elections
- What is another name for a member of the House of Commons?
- Under the law, on which day are federal elections held every four years?
- Who may ask the Governor General to call an election earlier than the usual date?
- What is another name for an electoral district?
- How many MPs do the citizens of one electoral district elect?
- A Canadian citizen who is 18 years old may run as a candidate in a federal election.
- Which person becomes the MP for an electoral district?
- In a federal election, you may also cast a ballot in a federal referendum if you meet the voting conditions.
- Which agency of Parliament produces the voters’ lists used in federal elections?
- What does Elections Canada mail to each elector after an election is called?
- Which service can you ask for by calling the number on the voter information card?
- You can be added to the voters’ list on election day.
- Your employer has the right to insist that you tell them how you voted.
- What does the right to a secret ballot mean?
- Who counts the ballots right after the polling stations close?
- Who usually invites the leader of the party with the most seats to form the government?
- A party that holds at least half of the seats in the House of Commons forms a majority government.
- What is the name for a government whose party holds less than half of the seats in the House of Commons?
- What must the Prime Minister and the party in power keep to run the government?
- A House of Commons vote on the budget is a matter of confidence.
- What usually follows when most MPs vote against a major government decision?
- Who chooses the ministers of the Crown?
- Who is responsible for running the federal government departments?
- Only Cabinet members may question the decisions of the Cabinet.
- What is the role of opposition parties?
- Which opposition party is called the Official Opposition?
- What should you do if you did not receive a voter information card?
- What can you do if you cannot or do not wish to vote on election day?
- What should you bring to the polling station on election day?
- How do you mark your ballot?
- What does the poll official tear off before you deposit your ballot in the ballot box?
- What are laws passed by a municipal council called?
- Which service are municipalities normally responsible for?
- Provincial and territorial elections follow exactly the same rules as federal elections.
- Who has major responsibilities for housing and schools on First Nations reserves?
Justice
- What does the presumption of innocence mean in a criminal case?
- What is due process?
- What does the blindfolded Lady Justice symbolize?
- Who makes the written laws that guide people in Canadian society?
- Who settles disputes under the law in Canada?
- The law in Canada applies to judges, politicians and the police.
- Which court is the highest court in Canada?
- Which court deals with matters concerning the federal government?
- What kind of case does a small claims court hear?
- Provincial courts hear the most serious offences in the country.
- You can ask the police for help if someone has stolen something from you.
- In which provinces are there provincial police forces?
- Which police force enforces federal laws throughout Canada?
- The RCMP serves as the provincial police in Ontario and Quebec.
- What can you do if you are worried about how the police acted?
- Lawyers cannot act for you in court.
- What help can you find if you cannot pay for a lawyer?
- What essential role do prisons have?
- Why does Canada have laws, according to the guide?
- Which idea is part of the heritage of Canada’s legal system?
Symbols
- Which symbol stands for government, including Parliament, the courts and the police?
- In which year did Canada become a constitutional monarchy in its own right?
- In which year was the new Canadian flag raised for the first time?
- The red-white-red pattern of the Canadian flag comes from the flag of which institution?
- Red and white had been the colours of which two countries since the Middle Ages?
- The Union Jack is the official Royal Flag of Canada.
- Provinces and territories in Canada have their own flags.
- Which symbol is Canada’s best-known symbol?
- Which group adopted maple leaves as a symbol in the 1700s?
- Which symbol was used by French royalty for more than a thousand years?
- In which year did Quebec adopt its own flag, based on the Cross and the fleur-de-lys?
- What does the Canadian motto A Mari Usque Ad Mare mean in English?
- Which countries have symbols in the Canadian coat of arms, along with red maple leaves?
- Which style of architecture, popular in Queen Victoria’s time, do the Parliament Buildings show?
- What destroyed the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings in 1916?
- The Peace Tower was built in memory of the Second World War.
- Which Parliament Buildings room has the Books of Remembrance?
- Which sport is considered to be Canada’s national winter sport?
- Who donated the Stanley Cup in 1892?
- Canadians developed ice hockey during the 1800s.
- Lacrosse is the official winter sport of Canada.
- The beaver was adopted as a symbol of which organization centuries ago?
- On which Canadian coin can you see the beaver?
- Which two languages are Canada’s official languages?
- Canada’s Official Languages Act dates from 1969.
- In which year was O Canada proclaimed as the National Anthem?
- O Canada was first sung in Québec City.
- On which occasion can the Royal Anthem of Canada be played or sung?
- Canada started its own honours system with the Order of Canada in 1867.
- Which honour is the highest available to Canadians?
- Who was the first Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross?
- Who was the first black man to be awarded the Victoria Cross?
- Victoria Day falls on the Monday before which date?
- On which day is Thanksgiving Day?
- On what date is the Fête Nationale in Quebec?
Economy
- What does the guide say is the engine of economic growth in Canada?
- In 1988, Canada enacted free trade with which country?
- Which country became a partner in the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994?
- Canada could keep its standard of living without trading with other nations.
- Which type of industry gives jobs in transportation, education, health care and banking?
- Tourism is one of the areas where service industries provide jobs.
- Which type of industry makes products to sell in Canada and around the world?
- Which product is named in the guide as a manufactured product?
- Which country is Canada's largest international trading partner?
- Which activity is part of the natural resources industries?
- Energy is one of the natural resources industries.
- Natural resources have played no part in the history of Canada.
- In many areas of Canada, the economy still depends on what?
- Canada and the United States have the biggest bilateral trading relationship in the world.
- Canada exports energy products and forestry products.
- How is the border between Canada and the United States traditionally known?
- Where is the Peace Arch, which shows the close ties of Canada and the United States?
- Which words are written on the Peace Arch?
- The Peace Arch stands for the close ties and common interests of Canada and the United States.
Regions
- How many distinct regions does the guide say Canada has?
- Which one of these is a region of Canada?
- Only one country on earth is larger than Canada.
- Which ocean lies to the north of Canada?
- Who chose Ottawa as the capital of Canada?
- In which year did Queen Victoria choose Ottawa as the capital of Canada?
- What is the use of the Rideau Canal in Ottawa in winter?
- Canada is made up of ten provinces and three territories.
- Only the provinces have a capital city. The territories do not.
- What is the capital city of Newfoundland and Labrador?
- What is the capital city of Prince Edward Island?
- What is the capital city of Nova Scotia?
- What is the capital city of New Brunswick?
- What is the capital city of Quebec?
- What is the capital city of Ontario?
- What is the capital city of Manitoba?
- What is the capital city of Saskatchewan?
- What is the capital city of Alberta?
- What is the capital city of British Columbia?
- What is the capital city of Nunavut?
- What is the capital city of the Northwest Territories?
- What is the capital city of Yukon?
- Which province is the most easterly point in North America and has its own time zone?
- Which is the smallest province in Canada?
- What is the name of the bridge that links Prince Edward Island to the mainland?
- The story Anne of Green Gables is set in Prince Edward Island.
- The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world. In which province is it?
- Which Canadian province is officially bilingual?
- The United Empire Loyalists founded New Brunswick.
- Which region is called the industrial and manufacturing heartland of Canada?
- What is La Francophonie, which gives recognition to Quebec arts and food?
- Which is the largest freshwater lake in the world, according to the guide?
- Which of the Great Lakes lies in the U.S.A. only?
- Which region of Ontario is known for vineyards, wines and fruit crops?
- Ontario has the largest French-speaking population outside of Quebec.
- Which three provinces are the Prairie Provinces?
- The Prairie region is mostly dry, with cold winters and hot summers.
- Which famous street intersection is in Winnipeg?
- Which province was once known as the breadbasket of the world and the wheat province?
- Where is the training academy of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police?
- After whom was the province of Alberta named?
- The Badlands of Alberta hold some of the world's richest deposits of what?
- Which port is the gateway of Canada to the Asia-Pacific?
- Warm airstreams from the Pacific Ocean give the British Columbia coast a temperate climate.
- What nickname does the guide give to the North?
- Trees grow on the tundra of the North.
- What event brought thousands of miners to Yukon in the 1890s?
- In which territory is Mount Logan, the highest mountain in Canada?
- What does the name Nunavut mean in Inuktitut?
- What do the Canadian Rangers do in the North?