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Facts that change

Some things the study guide states are no longer true, and some depend on where you live. Neither kind is used in a scored question here — instead, both readings are shown side by side, with the date we last checked.

Why these are separate

A question keyed to the guide’s text would teach you something false. One keyed to today’s reality would contradict the guide the test is drawn from. And a question about your own riding has no single answer. So these are facts to check, not questions to score.

What to do about it

Learn the role rather than the name — what the Sovereign does, what a member of Parliament does. Then check the current name before your test using the links here.

Who is Canada’s Sovereign?

Government

The official guide says

The Canadian Symbols chapter still reads as it did years ago: it says Queen Elizabeth II has been Queen of Canada since 1952 and writes about her Diamond Jubilee — 60 years as Sovereign — in the present tense.

As at September 19, 2026

The same guide contradicts itself. Its Oath of Citizenship chapter has been rewritten, and the oath you will actually swear is to His Majesty King Charles the Third, King of Canada. The oath is the official wording, so that is the one to trust.

How to check it yourself

Open the Oath of Citizenship chapter and read the words you will say at the ceremony.

Check on canada.ca

Who is the Governor General?

Government

The official guide says

A photo caption in the guide names David Johnston as the 28th Governor General since Confederation. The guide also explains the role: the Sovereign appoints the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister, usually for five years.

As at September 19, 2026

Several people have held the office since that caption was written. This site does not print a name here, because whoever we named would be wrong soon enough — look it up instead. What the test can fairly ask is the role, not the name.

How to check it yourself

The Governor General’s official site names the current officeholder on its front page.

Check on canada.ca

Who is the Prime Minister?

Government

The official guide says

The guide never names a Prime Minister as current. Its study pages leave a blank for you to fill in — “The Head of Government, the Prime Minister, is…” — which is the guide telling you this is something to look up rather than memorise from it.

As at September 19, 2026

The Prime Minister changes with elections and party leadership. Check the official page shortly before your test.

How to check it yourself

The Prime Minister of Canada’s official site names the current officeholder.

Check on canada.ca

How many federal electoral districts are there?

Government

The official guide says

The guide says Canada is divided into 308 electoral districts, also called ridings or constituencies.

As at September 19, 2026

That number is no longer current: the map is redrawn after each census, and seats have been added since the guide was written. Elections Canada publishes the current count. What has not changed is the rule worth learning — one member of Parliament is elected per electoral district.

How to check it yourself

Elections Canada publishes the current list of electoral districts.

Check on canada.ca

What is Canada’s population?

Geography

The official guide says

The guide says Canada has a population of about 34 million people.

As at September 19, 2026

The population has grown well past that figure. Statistics Canada publishes the current estimate, which changes continuously.

How to check it yourself

Statistics Canada publishes the current population estimate.

Check on canada.ca

How many countries are in the Commonwealth?

Government

The official guide says

The guide says that as Head of the Commonwealth, the Sovereign links Canada to 53 other nations.

As at September 19, 2026

Membership has changed since then. Learn what the Commonwealth is rather than the count.

How to check it yourself

Canada’s official pages on international relations describe its Commonwealth membership.

Check on canada.ca

Is Canada in the G8 or the G7?

Economy

The official guide says

The guide says Canada is part of the G8 group of leading industrialized countries, listing Russia among the members.

As at September 19, 2026

The group now meets without Russia and is referred to as the G7. The durable fact is that Canada belongs to the group of leading industrialized economies.

How to check it yourself

Canada’s official international pages describe its current membership of the group.

Check on canada.ca

Is NAFTA still Canada’s trade agreement with the U.S. and Mexico?

Economy

The official guide says

The guide says Canada enacted free trade with the United States in 1988 and that Mexico became a partner in 1994 in the broader North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

As at September 19, 2026

NAFTA has been replaced by a newer Canada–United States–Mexico agreement. The dates in the guide are history and remain correct as history; the name of the agreement in force today is not.

How to check it yourself

Global Affairs Canada publishes the trade agreements currently in force.

Check on canada.ca

Is it the Court of Queen’s Bench or the Court of King’s Bench?

Laws

The official guide says

The guide says that in most provinces there is an appeal court and a trial court, sometimes called the Court of Queen’s Bench or the Supreme Court.

As at September 19, 2026

The name follows the Sovereign’s title, so courts with this name are renamed when the Sovereign changes. The structure the guide describes — an appeal court and a trial court in most provinces — is what matters and has not changed.

How to check it yourself

Your province’s courts publish their own current names.

Check on canada.ca

Who is my member of Parliament, and what is my riding?

GovernmentDepends on where you live

The official guide says

The guide asks this as a study question and leaves blanks for you to fill in: “My Member of Parliament (MP) in Ottawa is…” and “My federal electoral district is called…”.

As at September 19, 2026

There is no single answer — it depends on your address, and it changes at every election. Look up your own before the test; this is one the test really can ask.

How to check it yourself

The House of Commons website finds your MP and riding from your postal code.

Check on canada.ca

What is the capital of my province or territory?

GeographyDepends on where you live

The official guide says

The guide tells you directly: you should know the capital of your province or territory as well as that of Canada.

As at September 19, 2026

Unlike the others on this page, this one has a fixed answer — it just depends on where you live. The full list of provinces, territories and capitals is in the geography chapter of this site, and those are scored questions here.

How to check it yourself

See the provinces and capitals table in the geography chapter.