Tag: Canadiana
Aboriginals: Canada’s founding peoples
The history of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada begins much earlier than any other group living here — and is far more complex. When European settlers arrived in what would become Canada in the early 16th Century, the number of aboriginal people ranged from an estimated low of 350,000 to as high as two million. By […]
Celebrating Asian heritage
Many Canadians today see our diverse population as a source of pride and strength — for good reason. More than one in five Canadians were born elsewhere. That is the highest percentage of immigrants in the G7 group of large industrialized nations. Asia (including people born in the Middle East) has provided the greatest number […]
Blacks in Canada: A complicated history
As we mark Black History Month in Canada in February, it’s worth reflecting on the legacy of our country’s black community and the prejudice its members have faced. On the plus side, Canada — even before it formally became a country — took progressive steps to end discrimination ahead of some other countries. In 1793, […]
Terry Fox: Role model and inspiration
In a country that frowns upon self-promotion, Canadians prefer modest heroes. This is true even when a hero’s fame lives on long after him, touches millions of people beyond the country’s borders and when his accomplishment has resulted in almost $700 million being raised for an important cause. Terry Fox was 22 years old in […]
Aboriginals’ fight for the franchise
Imagine that your family has lived on the same land for generations. Over time, others arrive, take residence and establish a government whose rules now apply to you. But they do not include you in consultations — in fact, they specifically exclude you. This was the situation facing Aboriginal Peoples in Canada for much of […]
The costs of war on women
Measured against many countries, Canada has been fortunate when it comes to war. Unlike other nations founded in violence, our 1867 Confederation was peaceful. Since then, the fighting we have engaged in has been almost entirely on foreign soil. Unlike, for example, many European countries, our buildings and landscapes are untouched by bombs and battles. […]
Happy birthday, Sir John A.
Canada is known more for stability than for any sense of mischief or scandal. That makes it all the more surprising that the man considered most responsible for Canada’s birth as a nation was a fast-talking, crudely mannered heavy drinker with lifelong bad behaviour, but big accomplishments. As we mark the 200th anniversary of Sir […]
Canadian citizenship: What it takes
Think fast — test your knowledge about Canada. Can you name two responsibilities of citizenship? What qualifications are necessary to vote in a federal election? What addition was made to the Constitution of Canada in 1982? The answers, in order, are: obeying the law and voting in elections; being a Canadian citizen at least 18 […]
The day the circuses came to town
When the steamship Queen Victoria sailed into Charlottetown Harbour on Sept. 1, 1864, she was the last to arrive at the party, bringing the delegation from the Province of Canada to one of the most significant events in Canada’s history. One would expect that the ship’s arrival would have been cause for a certain amount […]
O! Canada
We often say a particularly mature young person is “not as old as he or she seems.” Canada, on the other hand, is not, by several important measures, nearly as young as it is often thought to be. Every July, we celebrate Canada Day, marking the confederation of the British North American provinces into Canada […]
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