Topic
Symbols
The flag, the anthem, the maple leaf and national honours.
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All 37 questions, with answers
Open a question to see its answer, why, and the official page it comes from.
1.
What is the meaning of the Remembrance Day poppy?
- ATo remember our Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II.
- BTo celebrate Confederation.
- CTo honour prime ministers who have died.
- DTo remember the sacrifice of Canadians who have served or died in wars up to the present day.Answer
Why: Each year on November 11, Canadians wear the red poppy and observe a moment of silence to honour those who have served and those who gave their lives, in all wars up to the present day.
2.
What is Canada’s best-known symbol?
- AThe beaver
- BThe maple leafAnswer
- CThe fleur-de-lys
- DThe Union Jack
Why: Maple leaves were adopted as a symbol by French-Canadians in the 1700s and have appeared on Canadian uniforms and insignia since the 1850s.
3.
In what year was the current Canadian flag raised for the first time?
- A1921
- B1867
- C1965Answer
- D1982
Why: Its red-white-red pattern comes from the flag of the Royal Military College in Kingston. Red and white have been Canada’s national colours since 1921.
4.
What does Canada’s national motto, A Mari Usque Ad Mare, mean?
- A“Peace, order and good government”
- B“Strong and free”
- C“From sea to sea”Answer
- D“Our home and native land”
Why: The coat of arms and the motto were adopted after the First World War, as an expression of national pride.
5.
When was O Canada proclaimed as the National Anthem?
- A1880
- B1965
- C1967
- D1980Answer
Why: It was first sung in Québec City in 1880. French and English Canadians sing different words to it.
6.
What is the highest honour that Canadians can receive?
- AThe Order of Canada
- BThe Victoria CrossAnswer
- CThe Stanley Cup
- DThe Clarkson Cup
Why: The Victoria Cross is awarded for the most conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy. It has been awarded to 96 Canadians since 1854.
7.
In what year did Canada start its own honours system with the Order of Canada?
- A1967, the centennial of ConfederationAnswer
- B1867, the year of Confederation
- C1982, when the Charter was entrenched
- D1927, when the Peace Tower was completed
Why: Before that, Canada used British honours for many years.
8.
Which sport is the official summer sport of Canada?
- ASoccer
- BCanadian football
- CLacrosseAnswer
- DCurling
Why: Lacrosse was first played by Aboriginal peoples. Hockey is the national winter sport; soccer has the most registered players of any game in Canada.
9.
Who donated the Stanley Cup, and when?
- ALord Stanley, the Governor General, in 1892Answer
- BLord Grey, the Governor General, in 1909
- CAdrienne Clarkson in 2005
- DSir John A. Macdonald in 1873
Why: The Grey Cup, donated by Lord Grey in 1909, is the championship of the Canadian Football League.
10.
On which coin can the beaver be seen?
- AThe one-dollar coin
- BThe ten-cent coin
- CThe twenty-five-cent coin
- DThe five-cent coinAnswer
Why: The beaver was adopted centuries ago as a symbol of the Hudson’s Bay Company and became an emblem of the St. Jean Baptiste Society in 1834.
11.
When did Parliament pass the Official Languages Act?
- A1867
- B1969Answer
- C1982
- D1995
Why: It establishes equality between French and English in Parliament and the Government of Canada, maintains and develops official language minority communities, and promotes equality of French and English in Canadian society.
12.
Adult applicants 55 years of age and over are exempted from the requirement to have adequate knowledge of English or French.
- ATrueAnswer
- BFalse
Why: Everyone else must have adequate knowledge of English or French to become a Canadian citizen.
13.
What does the Peace Tower commemorate?
- AConfederation
- BThe War of 1812
- CThe First World WarAnswer
- DThe Second World War
Why: The Peace Tower was completed in 1927. Its Memorial Chamber holds the Books of Remembrance, which record the names of those who died serving Canada.
14.
On what date is Canada Day?
- AJuly 1Answer
- BJune 24
- CNovember 11
- DApril 9
Why: June 24 is the Fête Nationale in Quebec, November 11 is Remembrance Day and April 9 is Vimy Day.
15.
What is the Union Jack in Canada?
- AThe flag of the Canadian Forces
- BCanada’s official Royal FlagAnswer
- CThe flag of the province of Ontario
- DThe former national flag, used for about 100 years
Why: The flag used as the Canadian flag for about 100 years was the Canadian Red Ensign, not the Union Jack.
16.
What is the Crown a symbol of in Canada?
- AGovernment, including Parliament, the legislatures, the courts, police services and the Canadian ForcesAnswer
- BOnly the Senate
- CThe British government in Canada
- DThe provinces but not the federal government
Why: The Crown has been a symbol of the state in Canada for 400 years.
17.
Since when have red and white been the national colours of Canada?
- ASince 1867
- BSince 1876
- CSince 1921Answer
- DSince 1965
Why: Red and white had been the colours of France and England since the Middle Ages. The flag itself was first raised in 1965.
18.
Where does the red-white-red pattern of the Canadian flag come from?
- AThe flag of the Royal Military College in KingstonAnswer
- BThe Canadian Red Ensign
- CThe Union Jack
- DThe flag of Quebec
Why: The college was founded in 1876.
19.
For roughly how long did the Canadian Red Ensign serve as Canada’s flag?
- AAbout 10 years
- BAbout 50 years
- CIt was never Canada’s flag
- DAbout 100 yearsAnswer
Why: It has been carried officially by veterans since 2005.
20.
In what year is the fleur-de-lys said to have been adopted by the French king?
- A496Answer
- B1534
- C1608
- D1948
Why: It became the symbol of French royalty for more than a thousand years. Quebec adopted its own flag, based on the Cross and the fleur-de-lys, in 1948.
21.
What happened to the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings?
- AIt was bombed during the Second World War
- BIt was destroyed by an accidental fire in 1916 and rebuilt in 1922Answer
- CIt was moved from Kingston to Ottawa
- DIt has never been rebuilt
Why: The Library is the only part of the original building remaining. The buildings were first completed in the 1860s.
22.
What does the Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower contain?
- AThe original Constitution of Canada
- BThe Stanley Cup
- CThe Books of RemembranceAnswer
- DThe Great Seal of Canada
Why: They record the names of those who died serving Canada in wars or while on duty.
23.
When was ice hockey developed in Canada?
- AIn the 1600s
- BIn the 1800sAnswer
- CIn the 1920s
- DIn the 1950s
Why: Hockey is Canada’s most popular spectator sport and is considered the national winter sport.
24.
What is the Clarkson Cup awarded for?
- AMen’s professional hockey
- BCanadian football
- CCurling
- DWomen’s hockeyAnswer
Why: It was established in 2005 by Adrienne Clarkson, the 26th Governor General and the first of Asian origin. The men’s championship cup is the Stanley Cup.
25.
Which game has the most registered players in Canada?
- ASoccerAnswer
- BIce hockey
- CCanadian football
- DLacrosse
Why: Registered players is a different measure from popularity: hockey is the most popular spectator sport and the national winter sport, Canadian football is the second most popular sport, and lacrosse is the official summer sport.
26.
The beaver was first adopted centuries ago as a symbol of what?
- AThe Canadian Pacific Railway
- BThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- CThe Hudson’s Bay CompanyAnswer
- DThe Province of Quebec
Why: It later became an emblem of the St. Jean Baptiste Society in 1834, and appears on the five-cent coin and on the coats of arms of Saskatchewan and Alberta.
27.
What appears on Canada’s coat of arms?
- AOnly the maple leaf
- BThe flags of the ten provinces
- CA beaver and a moose
- DSymbols of England, France, Scotland and Ireland, as well as red maple leavesAnswer
Why: The arms can be seen today on dollar bills, government documents and public buildings.
28.
On what date is Sir John A. Macdonald Day?
- AJuly 1
- BJanuary 11Answer
- CNovember 20
- DApril 9
Why: November 20 is Sir Wilfrid Laurier Day, April 9 is Vimy Day and July 1 is Canada Day. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, was born on January 11, 1815.
29.
Which popular ice game was introduced by Scottish pioneers?
- ALacrosse
- BIce hockey
- CCurlingAnswer
Why: Lacrosse, an ancient sport first played by Aboriginals, is the official summer sport. Ice hockey was developed in Canada in the 1800s.
30.
What is the Royal Anthem of Canada?
- A“O Canada”
- B“God Save the King (or Queen)”Answer
- C“In Flanders Fields”
Why: It can be played or sung on any occasion when Canadians wish to honour the Sovereign. “O Canada” is the National Anthem, and “In Flanders Fields” is a poem often recited on Remembrance Day.
31.
Since when has Canada been a constitutional monarchy in its own right?
- ASince the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759
- BSince the Constitutional Act of 1791
- CSince Confederation in 1867, during Queen Victoria’s reignAnswer
- DSince the new flag was raised in 1965
Why: The guide adds that the Crown has been a symbol of the state in Canada for 400 years.
32.
Which style of architecture, popular in the time of Queen Victoria, do the Parliament Buildings embody?
- AGothic RevivalAnswer
- BFrench Second Empire
- CNeoclassical
Why: The towers, arches, sculptures and stained glass also embody French, English and Aboriginal traditions. The Quebec National Assembly is built in the French Second Empire style.
33.
Since when have Canada’s soldiers used the maple leaf?
- ASince the 1750s
- BSince the 1850sAnswer
- CSince the 1920s
- DSince the 1960s
Why: Soldiers of the First World War wore a maple leaf cap badge.
34.
Until 1982, what was July 1 celebrated as?
- AVictoria Day
- BDominion DayAnswer
- CVimy Day
Why: It commemorated the day that Canada became a self-governing Dominion. Today it is officially known as Canada Day.
35.
What is celebrated in Quebec on June 24?
- ACanada Day
- BVictoria Day
- CSir Wilfrid Laurier Day
- DThe Fête Nationale, the Feast of St. John the BaptistAnswer
Why: Canada Day is July 1, Victoria Day is the Monday preceding May 25, and Sir Wilfrid Laurier Day is November 20.
36.
When is Thanksgiving Day in Canada?
- AThe first Monday of September
- BThe second Monday of OctoberAnswer
- CNovember 11
- DThe Monday preceding May 25
Why: The first Monday of September is Labour Day, November 11 is Remembrance Day, and the Monday preceding May 25 is Victoria Day.
37.
The Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, established by Parliament in 1963, led to what?
- AThe Quebec Act
- BThe Official Languages Act (1969), which guarantees French and English services in the federal government across CanadaAnswer
- CThe creation of Nunavut
Why: The Quebec Act dates from 1774 and Nunavut was established in 1999. The Official Languages Act aims, among other things, to establish equality between French and English in Parliament and the Government of Canada.