There is a lot to celebrate about Canada as the nation marks its 156th birthday on July 1.
The country is the second-largest in the world and has a population of 40 million.
There are plenty of natural wonders in Canada, as well as plenty of Canadians who have made outstanding contributions in various fields.
How much do you know about Canada?
Put your knowledge to the test with these 15 questions.
Good luck.
1. In 1980, Terry Fox began a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. What was the name of this run?
a. Journey for Lives
b. Make Cancer History
c. Marathon of Hope
d. Run for the Cure
e. Terry’s Trek
2. Which Canadian province or territory has the smallest population?
a. British Columbia
b. Northwest Territories
c. Nunavut
d. Prince Edward Island
e. Yukon
3. When was the maple leaf flag adopted as the flag of Canada?
a. 1867
b. 1927
c. 1949
d. 1965
e. 1992
4. Which Metis leader was a founder of the province of Manitoba and a federal Member of Parliament in the 1870s?
a. Siera Bearchell
b. Rene Bourque
c. Gabriel Dumont
d. Theoren Fleury
e. Louis Riel
5. How many official languages are in use in Canada?
a. None
b. One
c. Two
d. Three
e. Four
6. Which Canadian prime minister had the longest term in office?
a. Brian Mulroney
b. Jean Chretien
c. Pierre Trudeau
d. Sir Charles Tupper
e. William Lyon Mackenzie King
7. Who was the primary lyricist for the band Rush?
a. Alex Lifeson
b. Geddy Lee
c. Mike Levine
d. Neal Peart
e. Rik Emmett
8. The last spike of an important Canadian railway was placed in Craigellachie, British Columbia on Nov. 7, 1885. Which railway line was completed?
a. Canadian Pacific Railway
b. Canadian National
c. Kettle Valley Railway
d. Via Rail
9. How many people in Canada are or have been landed immigrants or permanent residents?
a. 8.3 per cent
b. 11 per cent
c. 16 per cent
d. 19 per cent
e. 23 per cent
10. When was O Canada proclaimed as Canada’s national anthem?
a. 1867
b. 1881
c. 1923
d. 1965
e. 1980
11. Before the $2 coin or toonie, was introduced, Canada had a $2 bill. What was the background colour of this bill?
a. Black with white lettering and images
b. Grey
c. Lime green
d. Pink
e. Terra cotta
12. Which mountain is the highest in Canada?
a. Brave Mountain
b. Gros Morne
c. Mount Logan
d. Mount Robson
e. Riding Mountain
13. Which is the longest river in Canada?
a. Columbia River
b. Mackenzie River
c. Peace River
d. Saskatchewan River
e. Yukon River
14. Which Canadian novelist and poet is the author of the 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale?
a. Margaret Atwood
b. Hugh MacLennan
c. W.O. Mitchell
d. Lucy Maud Montgomery
e. Gabrielle Roy
15. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is Canada’s public broadcaster, with content on radio and television. When did it originate?
a. 1924
b. 1936
c. 1943
d. 1968
e. 2017
ANSWERS
1. c. The Marathon of Hope attracted national attention. The journey began April 12, 1980, in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and ended near Thunder Bay, Ont. on Sept. 1 of that year, after his cancer had returned. The run lasted 143 days and covered 5,373 kilometres.
2. c. The territory of Nunavut has a population of 36,858 people according to the 2021 census figures. The Yukon had a population of 40,232 and the Northwest Territories had a population of 41,070 during that census. Of the Canadian provinces, Prince Edward Island is the least populous with 154,331 people, while Ontario has the highest population, with 14,223,942 people. Nunavut covers the largest area of all Canadian provinces and territories, with a total area of 2,093,190 square kilometres.
3. d. The red and white maple leaf flag was adopted as Canada’s national flag on Feb. 15, 1965. The flag generated a lot of controversy when it was proposed. While the maple leaf flag has been in use since 1965, the maple leaf has been a symbol of Canada for much longer.
4. e. Louis Riel was instrumental in bringing Manitoba into Confederation. He was also elected three times as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Provencher. Riel also led two resistance movements against Canada’s federal government, in 1869 to 1870 and 1885. Siera Bearchell, of Metis descent, was Miss Universe Canada in 2016. Rene Bourque is a Metis hockey player in the National Hockey League. Theoren Fleury is a former professional hockey player. Gabriel Dumont was a prominent Metis political figure in the 19th century.
5. c. English and French are Canada’s two official languages. The Official Languages Act was adopted in 1969 and the current Official Languages Act was adopted in 1988. While there are two official languages, there are numerous other languages spoken throughout the country.
6. e. William Lyon Mackenzie King served as prime minister from 1921 to 1926, from 1926 to 1930 and from 1935 to 1948. His total time in office was 21 years, 154 days. Sir Charles Tupper served just 69 days as prime minister.
7. d. Neal Peart, a member of Rush from 1974 until 2015, wrote many of the lyrics to the band’s songs over the years. Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee were also in this band. Mike Levine and Rik Emmett were members of the Toronto-based band Triumph.
8. a. The last spike marked the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Today the railway line has more than 20,000 kilometres of track.
9. e. In 2021, 23.0 per cent of people living in Canada were or had been landed immigrants or permanent residents. This is the highest proportion on record. The previous record of 22.3 per cent was set in 1921. Close to one in five recent immigrants to Canada are from India.
10. e. O Canada was proclaimed as Canada’s national anthem on July 1, 1980. The music had been composed in 1880 and the lyrics date to 1908.
11. e. The $2 bill had a terra cotta colour. The bill was withdrawn from circulation in early 1996.
12. c. Mount Logan, in the Yukon, is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest peak in North America, after Denali in Alaska. Mount Logan has a height of 5,959 metres.
13. b. The Mackenzie River, in the Northwest Territories, is the longest river in Canada. It has a length of 4,241 kilometres.
14. a. Margaret Atwood is the author of The Handmaid’s Tale. The story is a dystopian novel about a totalitarian theocracy where women are forced to produce children for men in the ruling class. The novel has been adapted into a movie in 1990, an opera in 2000 and a television series in 2017. A sequel, The Testaments, was published in 2019.
15. b. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, or CBC, was established Nov. 2, 1936. The television service was launched Sept. 6, 1952.
