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The annual Canada Day quiz

Whistler What was Whistler Mountain originally called, named so by British naval surveyors in the 1860s? Alta Mountain London Mountain Whiskey Mountain Marmot Mountain Which Whistler councillor spent the most money on their 2018 election campaign—adm
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Whistler

  1. What was Whistler Mountain originally called, named so by British naval surveyors in the 1860s?
    1. Alta Mountain
    2. London Mountain
    3. Whiskey Mountain
    4. Marmot Mountain
  2. Which Whistler councillor spent the most money on their 2018 election campaign—admittedly a year of modest spending on the campaign trail—at $3,020?
    1. Ralph Forsyth
    2. Duane Jackson
    3. Jack Crompton
    4. Cathy Jewett
  3. Which Whistler bridge is frequently lit up with coloured lights to honour various causes, such as cystic fibrosis awareness, mental health, and many others?
    1. Cheakamus River suspension bridge
    2. Cloudraker Skybridge
    3. Fitzsimmons Creek bridge
    4. Village Gate bridge
  4. Whistler’s Gateway Loop project was originally estimated at a cost of $3.6 million in 2015. What did the ultimate project cost end up being?
    1. $2.2 million
    2. $5.4 million
    3. $6.7 million
    4. $8.2 million
  5. Trapper John Millar, the namesake of Millar Creek, arrived in Whistler (then Alta Lake) in the early 1900s. As rumour has it, he may have fled the U.S. because he was wanted by Texas Marshals. What crime was he reportedly wanted for?
    1. Fraud
    2. Armed Robbery
    3. Murder
    4. Arson
  6. Both Pat Montani and Keith Reynolds were named Citizen of the Year at the 2019 Whistler Excellence Awards, the first time two individuals who weren’t married shared the honour. Who was the last married couple to take home the hardware?
    1. Alex and Myrtle Philip
    2. Al and Nancy Raine
    3. Don and Isobel MacLaurin
    4. Stan and Shirley Langtry
  7. What was the name of the traditional village that was, for hundreds of years, shared by the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations near the Cheakamus River where Function Junction now sits?
    1. Chiyakmesh
    2. Spo7ez
    3. Alta Lake
    4. Skatin
  8. The Whistler Community Church is eyeing a new location in White Gold that is expected to open as early as late 2020. Where has the church met every Sunday since 1992?
    1. Maury Young Arts Centre
    2. Myrtle Philip Community School
    3. Spring Creek Community School
    4. Whistler Conference Centre
  9. Out of roughly 80 students, the 2010 Whistler Secondary School graduating class has the distinction of producing two eventual Olympians. Who are they?
    1. Simon d’Artois and Marielle Thompson
    2. Ashleigh McIvor and Mercedes Nicoll
    3. Justine Dufour-Lapointe and Jennifer Heil
    4. Jon Montgomery and Yuki Tsubota
  10. Whistler’s population jumped 21 per cent between 2011 and 2016, the most recent census. What is Whistler’s current permanent population?
    1. 8,728
    2. 9,875
    3. 11,854
    4. 13,458

 

Answers:

1) B 2) A 3) C 4) C 5) C. According to Florence Peterson’s book, First Tracks, Millar, a Polish immigrant, had travelled to Alta Lake after acquiring “two notches in his gun,” meaning he was reputed to have shot two men during his days in Texas. 6) D. Stan and Shirley Langry took home the award in 1994, two years after Don and Isobel MacLaurin, and four years after Al and Nancy Raine. 7) B. According to legend, Spo7ez was buried in a massive rockslide as punishment from the Thunderbird after members of both nations began to disrespect each other following years of peaceful co-existence. 8) B. 9) A. Freestyle skier d’Artois competed in the men’s halfpipe event at the 2018 Winter Games, while Thompson earned women’s ski-cross gold in 2014, before working her way back from injury to compete in the 2018 Winter Games. 10) C.

 

Canadiana

  1. What is Canada’s largest national park?
    1. Banff
    2. Wood Buffalo
    3. Jasper
    4. Nahanni
  2. What was Canada’s original capital city?
    1. Quebec City
    2. Ottawa
    3. Montreal
    4. Kingston
  3. What, or who, is Ogopogo?
    1. A sushi roll invented in Vancouver
    2. A mythical lake monster
    3. A children’s game
    4. A professional soccer player
  4. Who is on Canada’s current $10 bill?
    1. Queen Elizabth
    2. John A. MacDonald
    3. Laura Secord
    4. Viola Desmond
  5. What is Canada’s tallest mountain?
    1. Mount Tantalus
    2. Mount McKinley
    3. King Peak
    4. Mount Logan
  6. Which Canadian street has more pubs and bars per square foot than any street in North America?
    1. George Street (St. John’s, Nfld.)
    2. Granville Street (Vancouver, B.C.)
    3. Whyte Avenue (Edmonton, Alta.)
    4. Queen Street (Toronto, Ont.)
  7. What did Canada’s flag look like before we adopted the maple leaf design in 1965?
    1. Red, featuring the UK’s flag in the upper left corner and a coat of arms on the right.
    2. The Union Jack
    3. Blue, with the UK’s Flag in one corner and the French flag in the other
    4. The Fleur de Lis
  8. What is the lowest temperature ever recorded in Canada, and where?
    1. -71 degrees C, Inuvik, N.W.T.
    2. -54 degrees C, Nemiscau, Que.
    3. -58 degrees C, Labrador City, Labrador
    4. -63 degrees C, Snag, Yukon
  9. What Canadian town is home to the world’s first UFO landing pad?
    1. Vulcan, Alta.
    2. St. Paul, Alta.
    3. Dryden, Ont.
    4. North Battleford, Sask.
  10. The only region in the world that is not home to the common rat (aside from polar regions) exists in Canada. Where is it?
    1. Vancouver Island
    2. The Northwest Territories
    3. Alberta
    4. Prince Edward Island

 

Answers:

1) B. Wood Buffalo National Park, which straddles the border of Northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories, is 44,807 square kilometres in size, making it bigger than Switzerland. It is the second-largest national park in the world. 2) D. The Eastern Ontario city was the first capital of the United Province of Canada, holding the position from 1841 to 1844. The capital moved several times, to Montreal, to Toronto, to Quebec City, back to Toronto, then back to Quebec City before Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the permanent capital of the Province of Canada in 1857. 3) B. As legend tells, the Ogopogo, or Naitaka, according to the Salish First Nations, is a 12-to-15-metre long serpent that resides in Okanagan Lake. 4) D. The civil rights activist of black Nova Scotian descent is the first Canadian woman to be featured on a regularly circulating banknote. 5) D. Located in the Yukon, Mount Logan stands at 5,959 metres. 6) A 7) A. The Canadian Red Ensign, as it was called, was adopted in 1957—although there were two earlier variations used from 1868-1921, and 1921 to 1958, respectively. 8) D. The town experienced the coldest temperature ever recorded in North America in February 1947. 9) B. The landing welcome site was built as part of Canada’s centennial celebration in 1967 and features a time capsule to be opened on the 100-year anniversary of the pad’s opening. 10) C. Alberta’s 70-year war on the rodent has kept its territory free of breeding rats. Their efforts have included legislation mandating control of the pests by every person and every level of government (which was in place before rats ever entered Alberta in the first place), as well as ongoing rat patrol along the Saskatchewan border. Pet rats are also forbidden.

 

Politics

  1. Who was the esteemed legal figure that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s staff is said to have tried to persuade Jody Wilson-Raybould to meet with to discuss the use of a deferred prosecution agreement for SNC-Lavalin?
    1. Rosalie Abella
    2. Beverley McLachlin
    3. Suzanne Côté
    4. Richard Wagner
  2. Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer has come under criticism because of his campaign manager’s ties to which group?
    1. The Freemasons
    2. The Rebel Media
    3. Greenpeace
    4. Soldiers of Odin
  3. During the spending scandal that engulfed the B.C. legislature, the clerk of the house, Craig James, was accused of inappropriately spending $1,100 on luggage. Early on, how did James rationalize the expense?
    1. Said the luggage would be available to all MLAs
    2. As a legitimate personal expense given all the travel required in his role
    3. As a job perk meant to make up for mediocre pay
    4. He didn’t
  4. In the past year, this former tech executive has become a prominent critic of the government when it comes to its relationship with Google and Facebook.
    1. Sergey Brin
    2. Bill Gates
    3. Charlie Rose
    4. Jim Balsillie
  5. When will the 2019 federal election be held?
    1. Oct. 21
    2. Sept. 29
    3. July 21
    4. Nov. 14
  6. Last year, Alberta placed a two-week moratorium on what B.C. product?
    1. Cannabis
    2. Wine
    3. Granola
    4. Cowichan sweaters
  7. Canada is in an ongoing diplomatic row with China following its arrest of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies. Wanzhou was arrested at the request of the U.S. and is facing extradition for what alleged crime?
    1. Racketeering
    2. Money laundering
    3. Violating U.S. sanctions against Iran
    4. Fraud
  8. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shocked everyone last year when he took this extraordinary step to ensure the success of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project.
    1. Publicly censured critics
    2. Decided that it’s in the public interest and overruled the courts
    3. Put on a hard hat and started working on the project himself
    4. Purchased the pipeline on behalf of the federal government.
  9. What goodie did post-secondary students find in the 2019 federal government budget?
    1. Spending that will see students pay less interest on their student loans
    2. Free tuition at all provincial colleges
    3. A stipend to help young people survive after they graduate and are underemployed in jobs they are overqualified for
    4. The federal government decided to pay out the student loans of all citizens and permanent residents
    5. The federal government set aside $1.7 billion over six years to lessen the amount of interest paid on student loans and create an interest-free grace period after one graduates and looks for work
  10. This safety item came to take on new meaning in the last year.
    1. Safety glasses
    2. Hard hat
    3. Yellow vests
    4. Ear plugs

 

Answers:

1) B. Beverley McLachlin is Canada’s former Chief Justice. 2) B. Hamish Marshall once served as director of controversial far-right political media website, The Rebel Media. 3) A. James said the luggage would be used to serve as part of a luggage pool that would be used by MLAs. In her investigation into the scandal, former Supreme Court Justice Beverley McLachlin determined that the purchase was, in fact, inappropriate. 4) D. Jim Balsillie, who served as co-CEO of Research in Motion, is now a prominent critic of the government’s digital policy—or lack thereof. “Data is not the new oil—it’s the new plutonium,” he says. 5) A 6) B. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced the ban after B.C. Premier John Horgan said the province would go to the courts to determine if B.C. had the right to implement a temporary ban on increased exports of bitumen from Alberta. 7) C 8) D. Trudeau announced the government would purchase the project for $4.5-billion from Kinder Morgan. 9) A. 10) C. France’s “Yellow Vest” protest movement crossed the Atlantic and is being embraced in parts of Canada. A disparate bunch, the protesters have cited Canada’s environmental policies, pipeline delays, and immigration policy as reasons for their protests.

 

Food for thought

  1. Some food historians believe this savoury meat pie, most popular in Quebec, can be linked to a pie originating in the 5th century that was made in a bronze pot with layers of pastry.
    1. Shepherd’s pie
    2. Chicken pot pie
    3. Tourtière
    4. Cottage pie
  2. This uniquely Canadian junk food began being produced en masse in the United States in 2015.
    1. Bugles
    2. Ketchup chips
    3. Hickory sticks
    4. All-dressed chips
  3. Which sweet treat beloved by Canadians across the country was first invented in Regina, Sask. in 1927?
    1. Butter tarts
    2. Girl Guide cookies
    3. Nanaimo bars
    4. Maple walnut ice cream
  4. This staple of Chinese restaurant menus was reportedly created in Calgary in the 1970s.
    1. Ginger beef
    2. General Tso’s chicken
    3. Chicken chow mein
    4. Egg rolls
  5. Which Canadian dessert originating in Winnipeg combines layered whip cream with caramel, nuts and sponge cake?
    1. Sugar pie
    2. Schmoo torte
    3. Battenberg cake
    4. Nanaimo bars
  6. This popular Canadian cocktail got its inspiration from the classic Italian dish, spaghetti alle vongole.
    1. Bloody Mary
    2. Caesar
    3. Rum shandy
    4. Cedar sour
  7. Considered a well-kept secret in B.C. until Vancouver chefs began championing it in the mid-2000s, these days, more than 2,500 metric tonnes of this hermaphroditic shellfish are harvested every year.
    1. Oysters
    2. Mussels
    3. Spot prawns
    4. Scallops
  8. Canada is one of the largest global producers of this fibrous crop, accounting for nearly 40-per-cent of the world’s production.
    1. Potatoes
    2. Pulses
    3. Cabbage
    4. Broccoli
  9. What non-traditional ingredients would you find in Newfoundland’s version of a poutine?
    1. Stuffing
    2. Pepperoni and mozzarella
    3. Turkey
    4. Dumplings
  10. Prairie oysters, also known as Rocky Mountain oysters south of the border, are made from what?
    1. Lamb intestine
    2. Ostrich
    3. Headcheese
    4. Bull testicles

 

Answers:

1) C 2) D 3) B. The first Girl Guide cookies were invented by a Regina Girl Guide leader as a way to raise funds for uniforms and camping equipment. By 1929, sales were so strong that Girl Guides of Canada made the cookie the organization’s official fundraising activity. 4) A. The most widely accepted origin story for ginger beef says the dish was invented by chef George Wong at Calgary’s Silver Inn. 5) B. This gooey dessert is popular among Jewish mothers who typically bake it when their sons come of age. It has since caught on with other Winnipeggers and remains a local favourite. 6) B 7) C 8) B. The term “pulse” is reserved for legume crops harvested solely for their dry seed. Pulses grown in Canada include dry beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas. 9) D.“Newfie fries,” as they are also known, typically feature Thanksgiving-style dressing, herbs and beef gravy. Notably, the Newfoundland variety does not usually include cheese curds. 10) D.

 

Arts and Culture

  1. Which Canadian musician took home four Juno Awards this year?
    1. Celine Dion
    2. Arkells
    3. Shawn Mendes
    4. Lady Gaga
  2. Which Canadian actor recently took to Twitter to ask Ontario Premier Doug Ford to stop using his grandfather Tommy Douglas’ name as part of his “political agenda”?
    1. Kiefer Sutherland
    2. Eugene Levy
    3. Thomas Middleditch
    4. Martin Short
  3. The CBC TV show Schitt’s Creek announced this year that its sixth season would be its last. How many awards—ranging from ACTRA to MTV TV Awards—in total has the series won since it first debuted in 2015?
    1. 22
    2. 2
    3. 45
    4. 33
  4. Canadian rapper Drake made headlines this year for his, ahem, enthusiastic courtside behaviour during the NBA playoffs. What actions landed him in hot water with the NBA?
    1. Dressing up as a dinosaur
    2. Walking onto the court
    3. Rubbing Raptors’ head coach Nick Nurse’s shoulders
    4. B and C
  5. Which Canadian author won the 2018 Giller Prize? (Hint: she was supposed to take part in the Whistler Writers Festival, but had to cancel after she won due to other engagements that arose.)
    1. Margaret Atwood
    2. Esi Edugyan
    3. Eden Robinson
    4. Alice Munro
  6. Which Canadian musician’s music did Aquaman star Jason Momoa say “truly inspired” him after a show in Vancouver earlier this year?
    1. Shania Twain
    2. Robbie Robertson
    3. Joni Mitchell
    4. Colter Wall
  7. Which Canadian children’s performer(s) embarked on a farewell tour this year?
    1. Fred Penner
    2. Sharon & Bram
    3. Raffi
    4. Charlotte Diamond
  8. Before her career took off, Canadian painter Emily Carr taught art classes at the Ladies Club in Vancouver, a position she held for less than a month. Why?
    1. She left for an artist’s residency in Paris
    2. She refused to stop bringing her pet monkey, Woo, to class
    3. She grew unpopular with students on account of her frequent smoking and cussing
    4. She was unhappy with her salary
  9. Who was named this year’s Champion of Arts and Culture at the Whistler Excellence Awards?
    1. Heather Paul
    2. Cheximiya Allison Burns Joseph
    3. Ira Pettle
    4. Andrea Mueller
  10. Name the two Canadian stars who have appeared on both Degrassi: The Next Generation and Saturday Night Live.
    1. Drake and Alanis Morrissette
    2. Ryan Gosling and Avril Lavigne
    3. Justin Bieber and Rachel McAdams
    4. Michael Bublé and Neil Young

 

Answers:

1) C. Popstar Shawn Mendes picked up prizes for artist, songwriter and album of the year, plus single of the year for “In My Blood.” 2) A. The 24 star lashed out at Doug Ford and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod on June 10 for using the name of his grandfather, Tommy Douglas—who introduced North America’s first single-payer, universal healthcare system—to support the Ontario government’s agenda. 3) D 4) D 5) B. The Calgary author’s third novel, Washington Black, was awarded the 2018 Giller Prize, making her only the third writer to win the honour twice. 6) D. The hunky Hollywood star posted a video in February backstage from one of Colter Wall’s shows, adding that “It’s rare for me to find a new musician to be this stoked with.” 7) B 8) C. Although Emily Carr did adopt a pet macaque monkey later in life, years prior she was so unpopular as a teacher that students boycotted her class. 9) C 10) A. Drake was a regular cast member on Degrassi and later would appear on SNL as a host and musical guest, while Alanis Morissette made a guest appearance on the Canadian series before being a musical guest on SNL in 1995.

 

Sports

  1. The Toronto Raptors electrified the nation with their first-ever NBA Finals win. In what year did the Raptors play their first game?
    1. 1990
    2. 1992
    3. 1995
    4. 1999
  2. The Women’s World Cup, currently underway in France, was last held in Canada in 2015. Which city hosted the championship game?
    1. Edmonton
    2. Vancouver
    3. Toronto
    4. Ottawa
  3. Canada’s Stanley Cup drought extends back to 1993, when the Montreal Canadiens earned the title. Who did they beat?
    1. Los Angeles Kings
    2. Edmonton Oilers
    3. Dallas Stars
    4. Chicago Blackhawks
  4. The Toronto Blue Jays welcomed top prospect Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. into their lineup this season. Which Canadian team did his father break into the league with?
    1. Toronto Blue Jays
    2. Calgary Cannons
    3. Montreal Expos
    4. Winnipeg Goldeyes
  5. Rosie MacLennan is the only Canadian to earn gold in each of the last two Summer Olympic Games. In which sport does she compete?
    1. Table tennis
    2. Equestrian
    3. Judo
    4. Trampoline
  6. It’s been 25 years since the Canadian Football League launched its ill-fated American expansion. Which of these cities did NOT host a CFL team?
    1. Sacramento, Calif.
    2. Portland, Ore.
    3. Memphis, Tenn.
    4. Birmingham, Ala.
  7. Whistler Blackcomb’s new downhill trail will honour late mountain biking icon Stevie Smith, as it will be named after his point total from when he won the World Cup title in 2013. What was his total?
    1. 1010
    2. 1111
    3. 1199
    4. 1999
  8. Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey set the 100-metre world record (since broken) at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. What was his record time?
    1. 9.63 seconds
    2. 9.84 seconds
    3. 9.99 seconds
    4. 10.07 seconds
  9. Canadian NFLer Laurent Duvernay-Tardif of the Kansas City Chiefs graduated from McGill University in 2018. Which degree did he earn?
    1. Medicine
    2. Law
    3. Economics
    4. Engineering
  10. Teen sensation Bianca Andreescu skyrocketed up the World Tennis Association rankings to No. 24 by winning which tournament earlier this year?
    1. Wimbledon
    2. French Open
    3. Miami Open
    4. Indian Wells

 

Answers:

1) C) The Raptors defeated the New Jersey Nets 94-79 on Nov. 3, 1995 at the Toronto SkyDome. 2) B. The United States defeated Japan 5-2 at B.C. Place. 3) A 4) C 5) D 6) B 7) C 8) B 9) A 10) D


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