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The Canada Day Quiz

It was overtime, Canada and the U.S. were tied 2-2...
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It was overtime, Canada and the U.S. were tied 2-2...

It wasn't supposed to be like this, but the Americans pulled their goalie in the closing minute of the game and with an extra attacker on the ice they evened up the game with just 25 seconds on the clock. It was sudden death all of a sudden, and the next goal would decide the Olympic men's gold medal hockey game.

A nation held its breath. Canada had already had a great Olympic Games by any standard, but this was the one medal that the country needed. Over 90 per cent of Canadians were following the game on television or radio, by phone and on the Internet.

Then it happened.

Sidney Crosby intercepted a clearing puck at the blue line and cycled it back up the boards to Jarome Iginla. Crosby was knocked backwards, but got to his feet and headed back to the net. There wasn't a defenceman in sight.

Iginla came up with the puck as he was being pushed to the ice and fed it onto Crosby's stick. Crosby, gliding in slow motion, trapped the puck on his stick, then loosed it between the legs of American goalie Ryan Miller.

And Canada went wild. Hosers from coast to coast leaped off their couches, loungers and bar stools, collectively spilling a million litres of beer down their authentic Team Canada jerseys, and hugged the people standing next to them.

For one brief, shining moment, everything was perfect in Canada.

No question that it was an extraordinary finish to an extraordinary Olympic Games, a roller coaster ride that won't soon be forgotten.

The Games really couldn't have started any worse, with a young Georgian luger dying during a training run at the Whistler Sliding Centre, hours before the opening ceremonies. The opening ceremonies themselves had mechanical issues, and one of four torches in B.C. Place failed to rise. The next day there were violent protests in Vancouver (an American was arrested), then various issues with transportation and fencing. On the field of play some of our medal hopefuls missed the mark, and our chances looked bleak. Other countries began to openly mock Canada's Own The Podium program, which contributed $117 million in extra funding towards Canada's winter sports associations over the previous five years.

Then. little by little, things began to change.

It all started when mogul skier Alex Bilodeau broke the curse to become the first Canadian to win a medal at home in our three Olympic Games. (Previously Canada had the dubious distinction of being the only nation never to win a gold medal at home.)

Bilodeau, both humble and impressive in the media spotlight, predicted that his was only the first of many gold medals for Canada and though it took a few days until our next win, he was right.

Our athletes started to come through in spades, the finger-pointing stopped and fans across the country began to relax and enjoy themselves. Canadian flags were hoisted a little higher, and HBC couldn't keep jackets, hats and gloves in stock.

By the time it was all over Canada had 16 gold medals - the most wins of any country in the history of the Winter Games. We also finished third in the overall medal count, our best ever Winter Games finish.

And even when they didn't win gold our athletes made us proud with some courageous performances - Justin Lamoureux in the halfpipe, Chris DelBosco in ski cross, Devon Kershaw in the men's cross-country 50 km, Erik Guay in the men's downhill and super-G, Britt Janyk in the women's downhill.

Speed skater Clara Hughes came through with a speed skating bronze medal, becoming the only athlete in history, male or female, to win multiple medals in both summer and winter Games.

And after chasing the podium in every Winter Games since 1998, everything finally went snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson's way as he raced to gold in the parallel giant slalom.

Sea to Sky athletes also had a great showing, with Maëlle Ricker shrugging off a near-disaster in the qualifier to win the women's snowboardcross and Ashleigh McIvor winning the first ever women's ski cross competition.

As the Games go, it will be a long time before Canada can top the winter of 2010, but luckily the pride should last a generation or two. What a fitting way for Canada to celebrate its 143rd birthday, from Confederation in 1967 to the most recent landmarks of 2010.

While we will always be a young country, a lot has happened in those 143 years. How much do you know about Canada?

 

 

Canadiana Questions - We Stand on Guard...For...Thee

 

1. What's the name of the boat on the Canadian dime?

 

2. True or false: "O Canada" has only been the country's national anthem for 30 years.

 

3. True or false: Superman was created in part by a Canadian?

 

4. What is Canada's highest mountain?

 

5. True or false: Homer Simpson is Canadian.

 

6. True or false: the original "America's Sweetheart" was Canadian?

 

7. When did Canada finish Confederation?

 

8. True or false: Scalping (removing your enemy's scalp as proof of a kill) originated with white settlers.

 

9. How did Canada get its name?

 

10. Where is the North Magnetic Pole located?

 

 

Geography Questions - From Far and Wide

 

1. At 202,080 kilometres, Canada has one of the world's longest coastlines. Which oceans border the country?

 

2. Which of Canada's 10 provincial and three territorial capitals as the lowest population?

 

3. Canada's first national park was established in 1885. Which one is it?

 

4. It is no secret that Canada is big. The second largest country in the world takes up almost 10 million square kilometres. With such a large size, places operate on different time zones. How many total time zones are there in Canada?

 

5. If you are in downtown Winnipeg, you will most likely see a famous statue on top of the Manitoba Legislative Building. What is the name of the statue?

 

6. At one time, one of the roads in Canada was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the longest in the world. What road is it, and where is it located?

 

7. What town on Vancouver Island is famous for its goats?

 

8. Where in Canada would you find the towns of Sydney, Baddeck, Port Morien and Glace Bay?

 

9. How much of Canada's population lives within 160 km of the U.S. border?

 

10. If you are in Canada's "energy province," where are you?

 

 

Politics Questions - Glorious and Free

1. Which Prime Minister became famous for vomiting at an all-candidates' debate and then saying, "You see now, how sick my opponent's policies make me!"

 

2. Which Prime Minister became famous for communicating with the dead spirits of Leonardo da Vinci, his dead dogs as well as his deceased mother?

 

3. True or false: Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau curbed civil liberties across Canada through the imposition of the War Measures Act after operators with the FLQ terrorist organization kidnapped and assassinated a Quebec cabinet minister.

 

4. Which Prime Minister said this: "My little grandson is five and a half years old. Somebody showed him a picture of the Prime Minister of Canada on the front page of Newsweek . He said, "That's not like my grandpa and I know because I've slept with him several times."

 

5. True or false: Prime Minister Jean Chretien was nearly assassinated the morning he was set to fly off to Israel to attend Yitzhak Rabin's funeral.

 

6. True or false: the federal government can tap your phone if you're talking to a person of interest in a foreign country.

 

7. Who is known as the "greatest Prime Minister we never had?"

 

8. Who was Canada's only female Prime Minister?

 

9. Who is Canada's longest serving Premier?

 

10. Who is regarded as Canada's "greenest" Prime Minister?

Arts and Entertainment  - True Patriot Love

 

1. Which sculptor helped popularize Haida art worldwide?

 

2. Who is the best-selling Canadian musician of all time?

 

3. Who was the only original Saturday Night Live cast member born in Canada?

 

4. What is the best-selling book written by a Canadian?

 

5. Which companion of the Order of Canada and best-selling author taught audiences how to roll the perfect joint on network TV?

 

6. Which musician released the 1969 album "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere"?

 

7. What was David Cronenberg's first film?

 

8. Which actress/model was discovered at a BC Lions game?

 

9. Which Canadian painter (and namesake of a Whistler town councilor) was closely associated with the Group of Seven, though he was never an official member?

 

10. Name the four musical acts who have won the Polaris Music Prize since its inception in 2006?

 

11. Which actress played the "Second Becky" on Roseanne, and later played Dr. Elliot Reid on Scrubs?

 

12. Which 1950s pop icon covered "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for his 2005 covers album?

 

 

Sports Questions - We See Thee Rise

 

1. Canada missed a berth in the 2010 running of the FIFA World Cup after getting knocked out in the qualifier in 2008 (curse you Mexico!). When was the last time Canada qualified for the tournament?

 

2. While the world obsessed over soccer/football and the sound of vuvuzela's droned in our heads, most Canadians missed out another sports milestone at the Churchill Cup. What happened?

 

3. The Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club (soccer club, to most of us), is joining Major League Soccer in 2011, moving into B.C. Place with its new retractable roof. What are the other Canadian teams in MLS?

 

4. Every good Canadian should know who the Grey Cup champion is. Do you? (For a bonus point, do you remember who played the half-time show?)

 

5. It's now been 17 years since a Canadian NHL franchise has brought home the Stanley Cup, but it hardly matters with so much Canadian content in the league. Which team had more Canadian players, the Chicago Blackhawks or the Philadelphia Flyers?

 

6. Speaking of hockey, how many Canadian players are currently in Major League Baseball?

 

7. Another year, another gutsy playoff performance by basketballer Steve Nash. What was his first year in the league and how many championships has he won?

 

8. What Canadian skier made history in 2010 as the first since Steve Podborski to win an overall World Cup globe?

 

9. Toronto didn't win its bid to host the 2008 Summer Games, but recently was awarded what international sporting event?

 

10.What off-road event is coming to Whistler in September?

 

Olympics - With Glowing Hearts

 

1. Let's start with a memory test. Name the three official Olympic mascots (mascots referring to people walking around in huge furry suits while getting mobbed by kids).

 

2. Who won Canada's first medal of the 2010 Games?

 

3. What Canadian athlete made a name for himself after strolling through Whistler Village with a pitcher of beer, then showing off his auctioneer skills to interviewers?

 

4. An Olympics wouldn't be complete without a figure-skating scandal. What were the circumstances this time?

 

5. Shaun White had already won his second consecutive gold medal but decided to up the ante on his final run anyway. What was the name of the trick he landed?

 

6. Olympic fashions stick out. What country turned heads at the curling arena with their tri-coloured argyle pants?

 

7. The Canadian women's hockey team earned their third consecutive Olympic gold medal, with all three wins against the U.S. What was the score?

 

8. What new sport added to the Olympic schedule resulted in a win and a fourth place for Canada?

 

9. What sport that wasn't included in the 2010 program spurred a human rights complaint and a discrimination lawsuit?

 

10. What sport or sports are now being considered for 2014 (aside from women's ski jumping)?

 

 

 

ANSWERS

 

Canadiana answers

 

1. The Bluenose. Built in Nova Scotia in 1921, she spent a season fishing on the Grand Banks, just off of Newfoundland, then won the International Fishermen's Trophy and held it for the next 17 years. Outside her racing life she helped hard-working Maritimers fish for cod, scallops and other kinds of seafood.

 

2. True. "O Canada" became the country's national anthem in 1980 but it has existed since 1880, though its lyrics have changed over time. Before 1980 Canada's official national anthem was "God Save the Queen," the United Kingdom's anthem. More recently, the Government of Canada looked at changing the lyrics of "O Canada" to make them more gender-neutral, specifically the words, "And all thy sons command." The government considered changing the lyrics back to "Thou dost in us command." The plan was dropped after a public outcry.

 

3. True. Superman was co-created by American Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster. The two of them created the character in 1932 and sold it to Detective Comics Inc. It first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938 and he subsequently became a fixture in movies, radio shows, television programs and lines of action figures.

 

4. Mount Logan. Located in the Yukon Territory on its border with Alaska, it reaches 5,959 metres of elevation, making it the second-highest peak in North America, second only to Mount McKinley. It was named after Sir William Edmond Logan, a geologist and founder of the Geological Survey of Canada. After the death of Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, plans were announced to rename the mountain after him but the plans were later scrapped.

 

5. Kind of true. The character of Homer Simpson is based on Homer Groening, father of Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Homer Groening was born in Saskatchewan and Matt named his famous character after him, but his mannerisms (his slovenly nature, love of donuts and beer, inability to tear himself away from the television) are largely the creation of Dan Castellaneta, his voice actor.

 

6. True. Her name is Mary Pickford and she was an actress in the silent film era. Variously known as "Little Mary" and "the girl with the curls," she co-founded the United Artists film company with fellow cinematic trailblazers such as Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith and Douglas Fairbanks. She starred in films including The Little Princess , Pollyanna and Ernst Lubitsch's Rosita .

 

7. 1949, wrapping up a process that started in 1867. The last province to join Confederation was Newfoundland and Labrador. Long a have-not province, decades of research into oil deposits off the coast have helped make it a wealthy province, with people starting to flock there seeking work drilling oil.

 

8. True. The practice is most often attributed to First Nations resisting colonialists but it's actually believed to begin with settlers in North America. One account says the practice started with the governor of the New Netherlands colony who wanted First Nations scalped as proof that they were killed.

 

9. From the Saint-Lawrence Iroquoian word "canada," which means "village" or "settlement." Inhabitants of Stadacona spoke the language. That was a 16 th century Iroquoian village near the present-day Quebec City. The word is found in the journal of explorer Jacques Cartier.

 

10. Not at the North Pole, that's for sure. The North Magnetic Pole is estimated to be located somewhere in the Queen Elizabeth Islands in the Arctic and moves gradually over time. The Earth's magnetic pull flows up towards that location, then down again through the Earth before coming out its southern pole. All compasses point to this location.

 

 

Geography answers

 

1. Three oceans border Canada: the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Arctic Ocean to the north.

 

2. Iqaluit, territorial capital of Nunavut, is the provincial and territorial capital with the lowest population, at just over 6,100 people.

 

3. Located in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, Banff National Park holds the prize for being Canada's oldest national park.

 

4. There are six primary time zones in Canada. From east to west, they are Newfoundland Time Zone, Atlantic Time Zone, Eastern Time Zone, Central Time Zone, Mountain Time Zone and the Pacific Time Zone.

 

5. The famous statue on top of the Manitoba Legislative Building is officially known as "Eternal Youth" and unofficially as The Golden Boy.

 

6. Yonge Street (pronounced "young") in Ontario used to hold the title of longest road in the world, although controversy over whether it is technically part of Highway 11 or not has recently stripped the road of that honour. Combined with Highway 11, Yonge Street stretches 1,896 kilometres  (1,178 mi) from Lake Ontario down through central and northern Ontario and down to the Minnesota border.

 

7. Coombs on Vancouver Island has developed a reputation for the family of goats that can be found grazing on the grassy roof of the town's Old Country Market.

 

8. You would find these four towns on Cape Breton, an island off the Nova Scotia.

 

9. Because the north of Canada gets very, very, very cold, about 90 per cent of Canada's population lives along the U.S. border.

 

10. You would be in Alberta. The prairie province is known as the "energy province" because it is the largest producer of coal, oil and natural gas in Canada.

Politics answers

 

1. John A. MacDonald, Canada's first Prime Minister. He was a Liberal Conservative and a well-known souse. He had a bad hangover on the day of an all-candidates debate, and as his opponent was speaking he keeled over and vomited, thereafter uttering his famous line.

 

2. William Lyon McKenzie King, Canada's longest-serving Prime Minister. A Liberal, he served multiple terms in power and held on to the position even when the opposition Conservatives won more seats in an election than his party. He was a successful but controversial politician, famous as much for guiding Canada through World War II as he was for turning away a boatload of Jews who sought asylum from Nazism in Canada.

 

3. False, according to journalist Peter C. Newman's memoirs, Here Be Dragons . Trudeau was Prime Minister during one of the tensest periods in Canadian history, the October crisis of 1970. It is widely believed that the War Measures Act, which curbed civil liberties such as the right to habeas corpus and resulted in the detentions of almost 500 Canadians without bail, was enacted after the kidnappings of British diplomat James Cross and Quebec cabinet minister Pierre Laporte. Despite the fact the crisis was only occurring in Quebec, the Act was in force across Canada and remains a contentious period in Canadian history. It was enforced before the kidnappings.

 

4. John G. Diefenbaker, as quoted in Peter C. Newman's Renegade in Power , one of the most famous books on Canadian politics.

 

5. True. Chretien grabbed a sharp piece of Inuit art to defend himself in his room at 24 Sussex after a radical sovereigntist gained access to his home with the intention of killing him. He was intercepted in another room by Aline Chretien, his wife, and later arrested.

 

6. True. Canadian Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) was given the power in Bill C-36, the Anti-Terrorism Act, to tap your phone if you were talking to someone who was the subject of an investigation related to international affairs, defence or security. The Act gives discretion to the Minister of National Defence to tap your phone if the action meets certain conditions.

 

7. Robert Stanfield, leader of the Progressive Conservative party. Perhaps known best for a photo of him fumbling a football, he finished second to Pierre Trudeau in the 1968, 1972 and 1974 elections. Whether he really was the best we never had is up to anyone's individual opinion but he was often cast as a good man who never got to sit in the nation's highest political office.

 

8. Kim Campbell. She replaced Brian Mulroney, who resigned from office at a time of deep unpopularity over a lagging economy, the failure of the Meech Lake Accord and the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (sound familiar?) She gave the Progressive Conservative Party a little bit of energy before it was trounced at the polls by Jean Chretien's Liberals, leaving the PC's with only two seats in the 1993 election.

 

9. George Murray, the Liberal Premier of Nova Scotia for 26 years from 1896 to 1923. He is followed close behind by Albertan Social Credit Premier Ernest Manning with 25 years; Ontario Premier Robert Mowat with 23 years; and Newfoundland Premier Joey Smallwood with 22 years.

 

10. Despite all the controversy about his ethical code, Brian Mulroney. He was awarded the title by Corporate Knights, an environmental magazine> He was the first world leader to sign the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and also finalized an acid-rain treaty that reduced sulphur emissions in North America, above objections from American President Ronald Reagan.

 

Arts and Entertainment answers

 

1. Bill Reid.

 

2. Celine Dion's heart will go on.

 

3. Dan Aykroyd.

 

4. Anne of Green Gables. Really.

 

5. Pierre Berton.

 

6. Neil Young.

 

7. Stereo .

 

8. Pamela Anderson.

 

9. Tom Thomson. (Incidentally, both Tom Thomson's paint.)

 

10. Final Fantasy (2006), Patrick Watson (2007), Caribou (2008) and Fucked Up (2009).

 

11. Sarah Chalke.

 

12. Paul Anka.

 

Sports answers

 

1. The last time Canada competed in a FIFA World Cup was 1986. Missing 2010 was our sixth no-show in a row. Qualifying for 2014 in Brazil starts in 2012.

 

2. The Canadian Rugby Team beat the French 'A' side for the first time ever in an international competition to advance to the finals of the Churchill Cup. Canada then went on to face England, losing by a respectable 38-18. The Rugby World Cup is in 2011.

 

3. The only current MLS franchise in Canada is the Toronto FC. Montreal botched its bid to join the league along with Vancouver in 2011, but made the cut for 2012.

 

4. The 96th Grey Cup was won by the Montreal Alouettes, defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-27. It was a strange game, with the Roughrider blowing their chance to come back after a weird "too many men on the field" call with seconds left on the clock.

 

5. There were a total of 31 Canadians playing in the 2010 Stanley Cup, with 16 out of the 26 players on the Flyers hailing from the Great White North, versus 15 out of 23 for Chicago. That's 31 out of 49 players, or 63 per cent.

 

6. The Baseball Almanac lists 31 players that are currently signed to MLB teams, the most at one time. However, some of those players are toiling in the minor leagues.

 

7. Nash was drafted by the Pheonix Suns in 1996 from Santa Clara University. (Over 30 schools declined to look at the B.C.-born guard, despite the efforts of Nash's basketball coach. Nash has since won two league MVP awards and has been selected as an all-star seven times, but to this date he has never won an NBA championship. Hardly surprising, given that he never played for the LA Lakers, which have won the title seven times in the last 11 seasons.

 

8. Erik Guay earned three medals in the last week of the season to win the overall World Cup super G title.

 

9. That would be the 2015 Pan Am Games.

 

10. The Xterra Canadian Championships - part of the international Xterra off-road marathon series - takes place on Sept. 5. Category winners can earn a spot at the Xterra World Championships in Hawaii.

 

Olympics answers

 

1. The three mascots were Sumi, Miga and Quatchi. While Mukmuk was also official, he was never blown up to mascot size.

 

2. Mogul skier Jenn Heil won the silver medal on Feb. 13, with Alex Bilodeau winning Canada's first gold two days later on Monday, Feb. 15.

 

3. Skeleton athlete Jon Montgomery should have gotten a second gold medal for that post-race performance.

 

4. Critics, including Canadian Elvis Stojko, believe that Russia's Evgeni Plushenko earned the men's gold medal instead of American Evan Lysacek. Even Russian Prime Minister Valdimir Putin cried foul, and threatened to turn it into an international incident.

 

5. That would be a double McTwist 1260 - two flips and three-and-a-half rotations.

 

6. Norway's white, grey, blue and red pants are actually golf slacks, appropriately made by Loudmouth Golf. Just $89.95 U.S. a pair.

 

7. Canada beat the U.S. 2-0 to take the win.

 

8. Ski cross! Whistler's Ashleigh McIvor is the first-ever women's ski cross Olympic champion while Chris DelBosco crashed while trying to upgrade his bronze for a silver.

 

9. Women's ski jumping is now being considered for 2014.

 

10. Ski halfpipe is being considered, as are team snowboardcross and snowboard slopestyle.

 

 

 



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