Canada Facts
When is Canada's birthday?
July 1st
Who is John A. Macdonald?
He was Canada's first Prime Minister and an important figure of Canadian Confederation. He was one of the "Fathers of Confederation".
What is Confederation?
When a group of people or colonies form an alliance, it is called a confederation, allowing each member to govern itself but agreeing to work together for common causes.
What does CPR stand for?
Canadian Pacific Railway
Who was left out of Confederation?
First Nations and Metis people
What year did Canada become a country?
1867
Where was John Alexander Macdonald from?
Scotland! He came to the colony of Canada with his family from Scotland in 1820.
Why is Canada bilingual?
George Cartier, John A Macdonald and their followers agreed that the new country should have both French and English as its official languages. This means that both language could be used in the Parliament of Canada and in federal courts.
What would building the railway allow the colonies to do? (HINT: there are 3 things)
1. move troops in times of war
2. move trade goods between the colonies
3. take settlers to the Interior Plains and to British Columbia.
What were some of the effects of Confederation of the First Nations and Metis people? (HINT: Name 3 things)
1. They were not considered citizens of the new country of Canada
2. They were forced onto reservations
3. They were not allowed to vote.
Who were the Canadiens?
The French speaking settlers of the colony called Canada.
Who is George Cartier?
How were the colonies divided?
How did the railway positively affect people? (HINT: 4 things)
1. Tourism became a new industry, especially in the Rocky Mountains.
2. Farm products from the Prairies could now be sent east.
3. The Prairies and British Columbia were now linked to the rest of Canada
4. Towns and cities along its route grew bigger
How did the First Nations take action against Confederation?
First Nations representatives worked together to fight for the rights of their peoples. By 1960, First Nations people were allowed to vote in both federal and provincial elections.
Before the railway was made, what was it referred to as?
The impossible dream of John A. Macdonald. A railway of this size has never been built before. It was with great determination and hard work that the project got completed.
What was John A. Macdonald's solution for the colonies to join?
Build a railway to joining them together.
Why was it difficult for the colonies to trade with each other?
Each colony had different money and rules, and even weighed and measured things differently.
What negative impacts did the railway cause? (HINT: 3 things)
1. Places became ghost towns because the railways did not pass through them
2. The bison in the Prairies were nearly all killed.
3. Some people's ways of life were destroyed forever.
How did building the railway change the way of life for First Nations and Metis people?
1. It destroyed the bison herds on which they depended on.
2. the railway brought more settlers into their area whose ways of life were very different. First Nations and Metis people were forced onto reverse and the government gave their land to the new settlers.
Which 3 colonies join together to form the Dominion of Canada?
1. New Brunswick
2. Nova Scotia
3. Canada (East (Quebec) and West (Ontario))
What did George Cartier want to protect for his people? (HINT: there are 4 things)
1. language
2. religion
3. culture
4. identity
Of the French speaking settlers
After confederation, what were the province's government in charge of? (HINT: 3 things)
Each province's government would be in charge of its schools, hospitals, and communities.
Who were the workers of the railway?
Primarily Chinese workers built the railway. They worked in dangerous conditions for very little pay.
Which group fought for First Nations rights in the new country of Canada?
the Assembly of First Nations