Study Notes Flashcards
Define:
Indian
Who We Are: Aboriginal Peoples
Indian, or First Nations, refers to all Aboriginal people who are not Inuit or Métis. About 65% of all the Aboriginal people are First Nations, while 30% are Métis and 4% Inuit.
- In the 1970s, the term First Nations began to be used.
- Today, about half of First Nations people live on reserve land in about 600 communities while the other half live off-reserve.
How was the North West Mounted Police (the RCMP) founded?
Canada’s History: Challenge in the West
When Canada took over the vast northwest region from the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1869, the 12,000 Métis of the Red River were not consulted. In response, Louis Riel led an armed uprising. Afterwards, Prime Minister Macdonald established the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) in 1873 to pacify the West and assist in negotiations with the Indians.
- Today, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP or “the Mounties”) are the national police force and one of Canada’s best-known symbols.
- Sir Sam Steele was great frontier hero, Mounted Policeman and soldier of the Queen.
- Gabriel Dumont was the Métis’ greatest military leader.
Define:
responsible government
Canada’s History: Responsible Government
This system of government requires that the ministers of the Crown must have the support of a majority of the elected representatives in order to govern.
- The first British North American colony to attain full responsible government was Nova Scotia in 1847-48.
- This is the system that we have today: if the government loses a confidence vote in the assembly it must resign.
What is the significance of the discovery of insulin by Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best?
Modern Canada: Great Canadian Discoveries and Inventions
The hormone insulin treats diabetes, and has saved 16 million lives worldwide.
Define:
riding or constituency
Federal Elections
Canada is divided into 308 electoral districts, also known as ridings or constituencies. An electoral district is a geographical area represented by a member of Parliament (MP). The citizens in each electoral district elect one MP who sits in the House of Commons to represent them, as well as all Canadians.
Define:
Commissioner
How Canadians Govern Themselves: Constitutional Monarchy
In the three territories, the Commissioner represents the federal government and plays a ceremonial role.
Who is:
Dr. John A. Hopps
Modern Canada: Great Canadian Discoveries and Inventions
Dr. John A. Hopps invented the first cardiac pacemaker, used today to save the lives of people with heart disorders.
Who is:
Lord Durham
Canada’s History: Rebellions of 1837-38
Lord Durham, an English reformer sent to report on the rebellions, recommended that Upper and Lower Canada be merged and given responsible government. Controversially, he also said that the quickest way for the Canadiens to achieve progress was to assimilate into English-speaking Protestant culture, demonstrating a complete lack of understanding of French Canadians.
Who is:
Mark Tewksbury
Modern Canada: Arts and Culture in Canada
Mark Tewksbury is an Olympic gold medallist and prominent activist for gay and lesbian Canadians.
How did the Aboriginal peoples live?
Canada’s History: Aboriginal Peoples
The native people lived off the land, some by hunting and gathering, others by raising crops. Warfare was common among Aboriginal groups as they competed for land, resources, and prestige.
- The Huron-Wendat of the Great Lakes region were farmers and hunters.
- The Cree and Dene of the Northwest were hunter-gatherers.
- The Sioux were nomadic, following the bison herd.
- The Inuit lived off Arctic Widlife.
- West Coast natives preserved fish by drying and smoking.
What did Canada contribute to WWII?
Canada’s History: The Second World War
- More than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in WWII.
- Canadians fought bravely and suffered losses in the unsuccessful defence of Hong Kong (1941) from attack by Imperial Japan, and in a failed raid on Nazi-controlled Dieppe on the coast of France (1942).
- Canada contributed more to the Allied air effort than any other Commonwealth country, with over 130,000 Allied air crew trained in Canada under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
- The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) saw its finest hour in the Battle of the Atlantic, protecting convoys of merchant ships against German submarines.
How did the War of 1812 break out?
Canada’s History: The War of 1812
After the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte’s fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), the Royal Navy ruled the waves. The British Empire, which included Canada, fought to resist Bonaparte’s bid to dominate Europe. This led to American resentment at British interference with their shipping. Believing it would be easy to conquer Canada, the United States launched an invasion in June 1812.
Who is:
Sir George-Étienne Cartier
Canada’s History: Canada’s First Prime Minister
Sir George-Étienne Cartier was the key architect of Confederation from Quebec. A railway lawyer, Montrealer, close ally of Macdonald and patriotic Canadien, Cartier led Quebec into Confederation and helped negotiate the entry of the Northwest Territories, Manitoba and British Columbia into Canada.
Who invented the Canadarm?
Modern Canada: Great Canadian Discoveries and Inventions
SPAR Aerospace and the National Research Council invented the Canadarm, a robotic arm used in outer space.
Define:
Habeas corpus
Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship
The right to challenge unlawful detention by the state, and comes from English common law.
What is the:
Constitutional Act of 1791
Canada’s History: The Beginnings of Democracy
The Constitutional Act of 1791 divided the Province of Quebec into Upper Canada (later Ontario), which was mainly Loyalist, Protestant, and English-speaking, and Lower Canada (later Quebec), which was heavily Catholic and French-speaking.
- It also granted to the Canadas legislative assemblies elected by the people.
- The name Canada also became official at this time and has been used ever since.
- The Atlantic colonies and the two Canadas were known collectively as British North America.
What does it mean to say that Canada is a constitutional monarchy?
How Canadians Govern Themselves: Constitutional Monarchy
As 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. The Sovereign is a part of Parliament, playing an important, non-partisan role as the focus of citizenship and allegiance, most visibly during royal visits to Canada.
How was English introduced in Canada?
Who We Are: English and French
The basic way of life in English-speaking areas was established by hundreds of thousands of English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish settlers, soldiers, and migrants from the 1600s to the 20th century.
- Generations of pioneers and builders of British origins invested and endured hardship in laying the foundations of our country.
- This helps explain why Anglophones (English speakesr) are generally referred to as English Canadians.
Who is:
Sir Sandford Fleming
Modern Canada: Great Canadian Discoveries and Inventions
Sir Sandford Fleming invented the worldwide system of standard time zones.
Define:
House of Commons
How Canadians Govern Themselves: Parliamentary Democracy
The House of Commons is the representative chamber, made up of members of Parliament elected by the people, traditionally every four years.
- Both the House of Commons and the Senate consider and review bills (proposals for new laws).
- No bill can become law in Canada until it has been passed by both chambers and has received royal assent, granted by the Governor General on behalf of the Sovereign.
Who is:
Sir Leonard Tilley
Canada’s History: Confederation
Sir Leonard Tilley was an elected official and Father of Confederation from New Brunswick. He suggested the term Dominion of Canada in 1864.
- He was inspired by Psalm 72 in the Bible which refers to “dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth.”
- This phrase embodied the vision of building a powerful, united, wealthy and free country that spanned a continent.
Who is:
John Buchan
Who We Are: Aboriginal Peoples
John Buchan was a popular Kainai First Nations Governor General of Canada (1935-40). He advocated for diversity and for everyone to embrace and learn from cultures other than their own.
Who is:
The Duke of Wellington
Canada’s History: The War of 1812
The Duke of Wellington sent some of his best soldiers to defend Canada in 1814. He then chose Bytown (Ottawa) as the endpoint of the Rideau Canal, part of a network of forts to prevent the US from invading Canada again. Wellington, who defeated Napoleon in 1815, therefore played a direct role in founding the nation capital.
What are the three branches of government?
How Canadians Govern Themselves: Constitutional Monarchy
Executive, Legislative, and Judicial
Define:
Canadiens
Canada’s History: The Province of Québec
Following the Battle of the Planes of Abraham, Great Britain renamed the colony the “Province of Quebec.” The French-speaking Catholic people, known as habitants or Canadiens, strove to preserve their way of life in the English-speaking, Protestant-ruled British Empire.
Define:
Anglo-Quebecers
Who We Are: English and French
Anglo-Quebecers are the English speaking people of Quebec. One million Anglo-Quebecers have a heritage of 250 years and form a vibrant part of the Quebec fabric.
Which international organizations does Canada participate in?
Modern Canada: International Engagement
- During the Cold War, Canada joined with other democratic countries of the West to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military alliance, and with the United States in the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD).
- Canada joined international organizations such as the United Nations (UN). It participated in the UN operation defending South Korea in the Korean War (1950–53), and in peacekeeping missions.
Who is:
Count Frontenac
Canada’s History: Struggle for a Continent
Count Frotenac refused to surrender Quebec to the English in 1690, saying: “My only reply will be from the mouths of my cannons!”
Who is:
Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine
Canada’s History: Responsible Government
Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine, a champion of French language rights, became the first head of a responsible government (similar to a prime minister) in Canada in 1849.
- Reformers such as Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine and Robert Baldwin, in parallel with Joseph Howe in Nova Scotia, worked with British governors toward responsible government.
Who is:
Paul Henderson
Modern Canada: Arts and Culture in Canada
In 1972, Paul Henderson scored the winning goal for Canada in the Canada-Soviet Summit Series. This goal is often referred to as “the goal heard around the world” and is still remembered today as an important event in both sports and cultural history.
What were:
residential schools
Who We Are: Aboriginal Peoples
From the 1800s until the 1980s, the federal government placed many Aboriginal children in residential schools to educate and assimilate them into mainstream Canadian culture.
- The schools were poorly funded and inflicted hardship on the students; some were physically abused.
- Aboriginal languages and cultural practices were prohinited.
- In 2008, Ottawa formally apologized to those affected.
What is the highest honour that Canadians can receive?
Canadian Symbols
The Victoria Cross (V.C.) is the highest honour available to Canadians and is awarded for the most conspicuous bravery, a daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.
Who is:
Mary Ann Shadd Cary
Canada’s History: Abolition of Slavery
Mary Ann Shadd Cary was an outspoken activist in the movement to abolish slavery in the US. In 1853 she became the first woman publisher in Canada, helping to found and edit The Provincial Freeman, a weekly newspaper dedicated to anti-slavery, black immigration to Canada, temperance, and upholding British rule.
Who is:
Agnes Macphail
Canada’s History: Women Get the Vote
In 1921 Agnes Macphail, a farmer and teacher, became the first woman MP.
What are the three main types of industries that support Canada’s economy?
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Service industries, which include transportation, education, health care, construction, banking, communications, retail services, tourism and government.
- More than 75% of working Canadians now have jobs in service industries.
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Manufacturing industries, which make products to sell in Canada and around the world, including paper, high technology equipment, aerospace technology, automobiles, machinery, food, clothing and many other goods.
- Our largest international trading partner is the United States.
- Natural resources industries, which include forestry, fishing, agriculture, mining and energy.
Who is:
Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe
Canada’s History: Abolition of Slavery
In 1793, Upper Canada, led by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe, a Loyalist military officer, became the first province in the Empire to move toward abolition of slavery. He was Upper Canada’s first Lieutenant Governor and founder of the city of York (Toronto).
How did Canada become a country?
Canada’s History: Confederation
From 1864-67, the Fathers of Confederation (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Province of Canada, and England) worked together to establish a new country. They established the federal and provincial government; each province would elect its own legislature and have control over education and health.
- The old Province of Canada was split into two new provinces: Ontario and Quebec, which, together with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, formed the new country called the Dominion of Canada.
- The British Parliament passed the British North America Act in 1867.
- Until 1982, July 1 was celebrated as “Dominion Day” to commemorate the day that Canada became a self-governing Dominion.
What are the three key facts about Canada’s system of goverment?
How Canadians Govern Themselves
Our country is a federal state, a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy.
- There are federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments in Canada.
- Every province has its own elected Legislative Assembly, like the House of Commons in Ottawa.
- The three northern territories, which have small populations, do not have the status of provinces, but their governments and assemblies carry out many of the same functions.
Who is:
Joseph-Armand Bombardier
Modern Canada: Great Canadian Discoveries and Inventions
Joseph-Armand Bombardier invented the snowmobile, a light-weight winter vehicle.
Who is:
Phil Edwards
Canada’s History: Between the Wars
Phil Edwards was a Canadian track and field champion. Born in British Guiana, he won bronze medals for Canada in the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics, then graduated from McGill University Medical School. He served as a captain in the Canadian Army during WWII and, as a Montreal doctor, became an expert in tropical diseases.
Canada’s System of Government
