Ready to put your Canadian savvy to the test? Celebrate Canada Day with 40 questions about our home and native land. Good luck, eh!
Canadiana
1. Canada is known for its abundance of lakes and rivers. What percentage of the planet’s total freshwater is found in Canada?
A) 16 per cent
B) 4 per cent
C) 30 per cent
D) 20 per cent
2. This Canadian province is home to the largest concentration of garter snakes in the world—often described as a “snake orgy.” Where are the Narcisse snake pits located?
A) Manitoba
B) Saskatchewan
C) Alberta
D) Ontario
3. While Whistler may be the hands-down best ski resort in Canada (not that we’re biased), it’s far from the first to have been built. In what town was the first Canadian ski resort built in 1917?
A) Saint-Sauveur, Que.
B) Rossland, B.C.
C) Banff, Alta.
D) Ste. Marguerite, Que.
4. What year did ‘O Canada’ become this country’s official national anthem?
A) 1880
B) 1939
C) 1980
D) 1964
5. Which of the following popular games was invented in Canada?
A) Scrabble
B) Trivial Pursuit
C) Monopoly
D) Yahtzee
6. Pique celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019. What was Canada’s first newspaper?
A) Montreal Gazette
B) Gazette officielle du Quebec
C) Ottawa Citizen
D) Halifax Gazette
7. Although its 19th annual edition was cancelled due to COVID-19, this B.C. town has been holding its annual Elvis Festival every year for nearly two decades.
A) Penticton
B) Kelowna
C) Prince Rupert
D) Duncan
8. The Canada/U.S. border runs right through the middle of this small town—more specifically, right through the middle of its library, designated by a strip of black tape. Which two towns does this library straddle?
A) Derby Line, Vt./Stanstead, Que.
B) Campobello Island, N.B./Lubec, Maine
C) Stewart, B.C./Hyder, Alaska
D) Detroit, Mich./Windsor, Ont.
9. Who is Laura Secord?
A) An Oscar-winning actress
B) A famous chocolatier
C) The first female Governor General
D) A war heroine
10. Canadians, for the most part, love dogs. While we’d recommend heading to a local shelter if you’re looking to give a furry friend a forever home, this breed of dog was named the most popular in Canada by the Canadian Kennel Club in 2019.
A) Golden retriever
B)Labrador retriever
C) French bulldog
D) German shepherd
ANSWERS:
1) D. According to the Government of Canada, less than half of this water—about seven per cent of the global supply—is “renewable.” 2) A. 3) D. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, “The first professional ski instructor in Canada, Emile Cochand, was brought to the Laurentians from Switzerland in 1911. By 1917 he had built the first Canadian ski resort, Chalet Cochand, in Ste-Marguerite, Qué.” 4) C. Although “O Canada” has served as the de facto national anthem since 1939, the song was officially proclaimed as the country’s national anthem in 1980. 5) B. The game was created in December 1979 in Montreal by Canadian Chris Haney, a photo editor for Montreal’s The Gazette, and Scott Abbott, a sports editor for The Canadian Press. After the pair found pieces of their Scrabble game missing, they decided to create their own. 6) D. 7) A. For nearly two decades, dozens of Elvis impersonators storm into the lakeside town each June to put their Elvis-impersonating skills to the test onstage. 8) A. 9) D. Laura Secord is heralded as a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812, after she walked approximately 32 kilometres out of American-occupied territory to warn British soldiers of an impending American attack. 10) B. German shepherds were named the second most popular breed, while golden retrievers rounded out the top three.
Politics
1) Which federal party failed to win a single seat in Canada’s 2019 election?
A) Bloc Québécois
B) Green Party
C) People’s Party of Canada
D) New Democratic Party
2) When Confederation occurred on July 1, 1867, which provinces made up the Dominion of Canada at that time?
A) New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada
B) Upper Canada, Lower Canada and New Brunswick
C) Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia
D) The Province of Canada, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
3) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau landed in hot water last fall after old photos surfaced of him in blackface. The scandal broke after Time Magazine published a 2001 yearbook photo from what Vancouver private school Trudeau once taught at?
A) Pear Tree Elementary
B) West Point Grey Academy
C) Crofton House School
D) St. George’s Senior School
4) Which provincial health officer was paid tribute by famed designer John Fluevog with a pair of her own custom shoes during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A) PEI’s Dr. Heather Morrison
B) B.C.’s Dr. Bonnie Henry
C) Alberta’s Dr. Deena Hinshaw
D) New Brunswick’s Dr. Jennifer Russell
5) When Victoria extended B.C.’s state of emergency on May 27 another two weeks, it became the longest state of emergency in the province’s history. What caused the second longest?
A) The Second World War
B) Vancouver Island earthquake of 1946
C) Port Alberni tsunami of 1964
D) Wildfires of 2018
6) Earlier this month, China’s envoy to Canada accused the U.S. government of using the case of a senior Chinese telecoms executive who was arrested in Vancouver on a U.S. warrant 18 months ago to create friction between China and Canada. Which telecoms executive was he referring to?
A) China Telecom chairman Chang Xiaobing
B) UTStarcom CEO Tim Ti
C) ZUK Mobile founder Alex Chén Y
D) Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou
7) President Donald Trump did Canada-U.S. relations no favour during the COVID-19 pandemic when he:
A) Suggested stationing U.S. troops at the border
B) Criticized Trudeau’s hair
C) Ordered U.S. company 3M to stop shipment of millions of N95 respirators to Canada
D) A and C
8) Which Canadian province was the first to offer universal healthcare in 1947?
A) Ontario
B) British Columbia
C) Saskatchewan
D) Nova Scotia
9) NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was ejected from the House of Commons in June for calling Bloc Québécois MP Alain Therrien a racist for not supporting an NDP motion to do what?
A) Signal support for the Black Lives Matter movement
B) Increase infrastructural funding to vulnerable First Nations communities
C) Tackle systemic racism in the RCMP
D) Create a task force on race and inequality
10) After a significant and costly diplomatic push, Canada lost its bid for a coveted seat on the United Nations Security Council earlier this month. Which nations won the two available temporary seats instead?
A) India and Malaysia
B) Norway and Ireland
C) Australia and Kenya
D) Brazil and Hungary
ANSWERS:
1) C. 2) A. 3) B. 4) B. 5) D. 6) D. After landing in Vancouver in late 2018, Wanzhou was arrested on a U.S. extradition request in connection with the alleged defrauding of multiple financial institutions in breach of U.S. sanctions against Iran. 7) D. 8) C. Saskatchewan made hospital visits universal in 1947, then expanded this program to include regular doctor visits in 1962. 9) C. Singh stood by his comments after being kicked out of the House, saying that, despite several recent police-involved incidents of violence towards people of colour, there have not been any changes to federal policing in Canada. 10) B. With 130 and 128 votes respectively, Norway and Ireland won the two available seats. Canada earned 108 votes.
Food for thought...
1) The fiddlehead fern is the one of the only native Canadian plants that has achieved commercial success as a vegetable. What time of year are fiddleheads best picked?
A) Early March to early April
B) Late April to early June
C) Late October to late November
D) Late August to early October
2) Tim Hortons finally put this increasingly popular ingredient on its menus this month.
A) Beyond Beef
B) Gluten-free bread
C) Quinoa
D) Almond milk
3) Canadians love this junk food product, launched in 1937 in both Canada and the U.S., so much that they consume 55 per cent more of it per year than American consumers.
A) Campbell’s Tomato Soup
B) Kraft Dinner
C) Ruffles All-Dressed chips
D) Hershey’s Bridge Mixture
4) Despite its name, it was actually a Greek immigrant to Canada who invented this dish.
A) California roll
B) Philadelphia roll
C) Hawaiian pizza
D) New England clam chowder
5) What has been the fastest growing segment of new users on Skip the Dishes, one of Canada’s largest food delivery apps, since the pandemic began in March?
A) 18-29 years old
B) 30-39 years old
C) 40-49 years old
D) 65 and up
6) Canadian farmers are facing a significant surplus of potatoes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. About two-thirds of the 4.8 million tonnes of potatoes grown last year were intended to end up at processing plants, where they would be turned into what?
A) Instant mashed potatoes
B) French fries, hash browns and other frozen potato restaurant products
C) Vodka
D) Potato chips
7) True of False: Canada does not have any Michelin starred restaurants?
8) Where is peameal bacon said to have originated?
A) Toronto
B) Montreal
C) Halifax
D) Hamilton
9) Which of these Cadbury candy bars originated in Canada?
A) Dairy Milk B) Mr. Big C) Crispy Crunch D) Caramilk
10) This successful Vancouver restaurateur was consulted on developing the revamped menus of Steeps and Christine’s, Whistler Blackcomb’s mountain-top restaurants.
A) David Hawksworth
B) Vikram Vij
C) Hilary Prince
D) Umberto Menghi
ANSWERS:
1) B. 2) D. 3) B. 4) C. Hoping to draw customers to his Chatham, Ont. pizzeria, Greek immigrant Sam Panopoulos started adding pineapple to his pies in 1962. 5) D. Canadian retirees make up the fastest growing demographic on the app, which might help explain why Skip the Dishes has reported that 5 p.m. is the new “rush hour” for orders. 6) B. 7) True. 8) A. Toronto’s William Davies Company, one of Canada’s earliest and largest meat packers, is usually credited with creating this blue-collar breakfast dish, which originally involved rolling wet cured pork loin in crushed yellow peas. These days, cornmeal is typically used in its place. 9) D. While there are similar bars sold under different names in other countries, Caramilk bars are only produced at Toronto’s Gladstone Chocolate Factory. 10) A. Hawksworth is now in his fifth year hosting a popular pop-up lunch series at Steeps, and along with helping transform WB’s on-mountain culinary offerings, has worked with the ski resort to train chefs at his eponymous Vancouver restaurant.
Arts and Culture
1. The Audain Art Museum hosted a special exhibit that ran until January this year highlighting three years of one artist’s life. Who was that Canadian artist?
A) Jeff Wall
B) Thom Thomson
C) Bill Reid
D) Emily Carr
2. Canadian indie-pop star Grimes welcomed a baby boy into the world this year alongside partner and tech billionaire Elon Musk. What was that baby’s unusual name?
A) X Æ A-12
B) Grimes Jr.
C) Grelon
D) X AE A-XII
3. A long-time Whistler photography contest called Deep Winter was put on hold this year. What’s the name of the photography event that quickly came together to take its place?
A) Winter Photo Frenzy
B) Uprising
C) Icy Shots
D) Snap It Up
4. Which iconic Canadian album celebrated its 25th anniversary this year with an anniversary deluxe edition? (Hint: it also became a rock musical written by Diablo Cody in 2018.)
A) Ashley MacIsaac, Hi™ How Are You Today?
B) Annie Lennox, Medusa
C) Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill
D) Much Dance Mix ‘95
5. Like most award ceremonies this year, the Juno Awards were postponed. However, the winners will be announced in a virtual ceremony on June 29. Which of the following performers is NOT nominated for Artist of the Year?
A) Bryan Adams
B) The Weeknd
C) Jessie Reyez
D) Tory Lanez
6. Which Canadian music legend officially became an American citizen this year, after 54 years of living south of the border?
A) Neil Young
B) Raffi
C) Joni Mitchell
D) Robbie Robertson
7. Which blockbuster hockey movie was, pre-COVID-19, shooting a reboot in Vancouver?
A) The Mighty Ducks
B) Mystery, Alaska
C) Miracle
D) Slap Shot
8. Spurred by the mass demonstrations against the police killing of George Floyd, books about race have seen a spike in sales. How much of an increase in sales did best-selling Canadian Author Desmond Cole’s book, The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power, see in the week ending May 31?
A) 20 per cent
B) 50 per cent
C) 135 per cent
D) 172 per cent
9. Which Canadian TV show ended this year after a five-year run?
A) Workin’ Moms
B) Schitt’s Creek
C) This Hour Has 22 Minutes
D) Letterkenny
10. Which massive Canadian music festival moved to a drive-in format for this year and how many cars will it accommodate?
A) Winnipeg Folk Festival, 320
B) Ottawa Bluesfest, 500
C) Dawson City Music Festival, 150
D) Vancouver International Jazz Festival, 450
ANSWERS:
1) D. 2) D. The baby was originally named X Æ A-12, but it had to be changed to X AE A-XII to adhere to California law. 3) B. 4) C. 5) B. 6)A. 7) A. 8) D. 9) B. 10) B.
Sports
1. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers snapped the longest current Grey Cup drought, winning the club’s first championship since 1990, when they beat Hamilton last November. Which team has now gone the longest without a title?
A) Montreal Alouettes
B) B.C. Lions
C) Ottawa RedBlacks
D) Hamilton Tiger-Cats
2. Burnaby’s Christine Sinclair broke the all-time record for international soccer goals scored with her 185th career tally against St. Kitts and Nevis in January. Which American previously held the record?
A) Brandi Chastain
B) Mia Hamm
C) Abby Wambach
D) Sydney Leroux
3. Which Toronto Raptor made “The Shot” against the Philadelphia 76ers during the team’s 2019 NBA Championship run?
A) Kawhi Leonard
B) Kyle Lowry
C) Norman Powell
D) Serge Ibaka
4. Whistler’s Gabby Flynn was golden at her sport’s World Age Group Championships in Japan in December. In which sport does she compete?
A) Racquetball
B) Gymnastics
C) Swimming
D) Rock climbing
5. What have Super Bowl champion Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser both been doing during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A) Playing inspiring music on a livestream
B) Working as doctors in hospitals
C) Creating their own lines of colouring books
D) Filming cooking demonstrations
6. How many players on the 2019 Toronto Blue Jays were the sons of MLB Hall of Famers?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
7. Canadians Kia Nurse and Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe were teammates on which WNBA team in 2019?
A) Minnesota Lynx
B) Seattle Storm
C) Atlanta Dream
D) New York Liberty
8. Which Canadian most recently won an FIS Alpine World Cup ski race?
A) Dustin Cook
B) Marie-Michele Gagnon
C) Manny Osborne-Paradis
D) Erin Mielzynski
9. Which major did Bianca Andreescu win last September to become the first Canadian to capture a Grand Slam singles title?
A) U.S. Open
B) Wimbledon
C) French Open
D) Australian Open
10. Brooke Henderson set the record for wins by a Canadian professional golfer when she won her ninth LPGA tournament in June 2019. How old was Henderson when she set the record?
A) 21
B) 25
C) 28
D) 32
ANSWERS:
1) D. Hamilton hasn’t won since 1999. 2) C. 3) A. 4) B. 5) B. 6) A. Cavan Biggio (son of Craig) and Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. both have Hall of Fame dads. Bo Bichette’s father, Dante, was a four-time All-Star, but has not been enshrined. 7) D. 8) B. Gagnon won the Alpine combined in Soldeu, Andorra in February 2016. 9) A. 10) A.
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