Canadian Citizenship Test Notes From Book "Discover-Canada" (Part-1-Of-2)
Canadian Citizenship Test Notes From Book "Discover-Canada" (Part-1-Of-2)
Canadian Citizenship Test Notes From Book "Discover-Canada" (Part-1-Of-2)
INC
[2015]
[TYPE
Contents
Rights and Responsibilities ............................................................................................. 3
of Citizenship (Chapter-1): .............................................................................................. 3
HABEAS-CORPUS: ............................................................................................................................... 4
The-Constitution-Of-Canada-Was-Amended-In-1982: ..................................................................... 4
The-Equality-Of-Women-And-Men: ..................................................................................................... 4
Citizenship-Responsibilities: ................................................................................................................. 5
Defending Canada: ................................................................................................................................ 5
Indian:........................................................................................................................................... 7
PERCENTAGE-OF-THREE-TYPES-OF-ABORIGINAL-PEOPLE ............................................................ 8
Unity-In-Diversity: ..................................................................................................................................... 8
ENGLISH-AND-FRENCH: .................................................................................................................... 8
Acadians: ............................................................................................................................................. 9
Quebecers: .......................................................................................................................................... 9
DIVERSITY-IN-CANADA: ................................................................................................................... 10
BECOMING-CANADIAN(KEY): .................................................................................................................. 11
2. The Charter (of 1982) attempts to summarize fundamental freedoms while also
setting out additional rights. The most important of these include:
a. Mobility Rights Canadians can live and work anywhere they choose in
Canada, enter and leave the country freely, and apply for a passport.
b. Aboriginal Peoples Rights The rights guaranteed in the Charter will not
adversely affect any treaty or other rights or freedoms of Aboriginal peoples.
c. Official Language Rights and Minority Language Educational Rights
French and English have equal status in Parliament and throughout the
Government.
d. Multiculturalism A fundamental characteristic of the Canadian heritage and
identity. Canadians celebrate the gift of one anothers presence and work hard to
respect pluralism and live in harmony.
The-Equality-Of-Women-And-Men:
a. In Canada, men and women are equal under the law. Canadas openness and
generosity do not extend to barbaric cultural practices that tolerate spousal
b. Those guilty of these crimes are severely punished under Canadas criminal
laws.
Citizenship-Responsibilities:
In Canada, rights come with responsibilities. These include:
1. Obeying the law One of Canadas founding principles is the rule of law.
Individuals and governments are regulated by laws and not by arbitrary actions.
No person or group is above the law.
2. Taking responsibility for oneself and ones family Getting a job, taking care of
ones family and working hard in keeping with ones abilities, are important
Canadian values. Work contributes to personal dignity and self -respect, and to
Canadas prosperity.
3. Serving on a jury When called to do so, you are legally required to serve.
Serving on a jury is a privilege that makes the justice system work, as it depends
on impartial juries made up of citizens.
4. Voting in elections The right to vote comes with a responsibility to vote in
federal, provincial or territorial, and local elections.
5. Helping others in the community Millions of volunteers freely donate their time
to help others without pay helping people in need, assisting at your childs
school, volunteering at a food bank or other charity, or encouraging newcomers
to integrate. Volunteering is an excellent way to gain useful skills and develop
friends and contacts.
6. Protecting and enjoying our heritage and environment Every citizen has a role
to play in avoiding waste and pollution while protecting Canadas natural, cultural,
and architectural heritage for future generations.
Defending Canada:
1. There is no compulsory military service in Canada. However, serving in the
regular Canadian Forces (navy, army,and air force) is a noble way to contribute
to Canada and an excellent career choice (www.forces.ca).
2. You can serve in your local part-time navy, militia, or air reserves and gain
valuable experience, skills, and contacts.Young people can learn discipline,
responsibility, and skills by getting involved in the cadets (www.cadets.ca).
3. You may also serve in the Coast Guard or emergency services in your
community such as a police force or fire department. By helping to protect your
community, you follow in the footsteps of Canadians before you who made
sacrifices in the service of our country.
-----------Chapter # 1 on Discover Canada Finished here------
ABORIGINAL-PEOPLES:
1. The ancestors of Aboriginal peoples are believed to have migrated from Asia
many thousands of years ago.
2. They were well established here long before explorers from Europe first
came to North America.
3. Diverse, vibrant First Nations cultures were rooted in religious beliefs about
their relationship to the Creator, the natural environment, and each other.
King George III, and established the basis for negotiating treaties with the
newcomers treaties that were not always fully respected.
5. From the 1800s until the 1980s, the federal government placed many
Aboriginal children in residential schools to educate and assimilate them
into mainstream Canadian culture. The schools were poorly funded and
inflicted hardship on the students; some students were physically abused.
Aboriginal languages and cultural practices were mostly prohibited. In
2008, Ottawa formally apologized to the former students.
a. Indian:
i.
Indian refers to all Aboriginal people who are not Inuit or Mtis.
ii.
In the 1970s, the term First Nations began to be used for calling
to Indians.
iii.
Today, about half of First Nations(or Indians) people live on reserve
land in about 600 communities while the other half live offreserve,mainly in urban centres.
Mathematically-We-Represent-Point-iii-As-By-FollowingEquations:
1
[ ( ) = 2 [
( ) 600 ] + 2 [
( ) , . ]];
i.
ii.
i.
b. Inuit:
The Inuit, which means the people in the Inuktitut language, live in small,
scattered communities across the Arctic. Their knowledge of the land, sea,
and wildlife enabled them to adapt to one of the harshest environments on
earth.
Inuit = The People (in Inuktitut language ).
c. Mtis:
The Mtis are a distinct(distinct = ?) people of mixed Aboriginal and European
ancestry, the majority of whom live in the Prairie provinces.
ii.
They come from both French- and English-speaking backgrounds and speak
their own dialect(dialect=), Michif.
PERCENTAGE-OF-THREE-TYPES-OF-ABORIGINAL-PEOPLE
About 65% of the Aboriginal people are First Nations(Indians), while 30% are
Mtis, and 4% Inuit.
Unity-In-Diversity:
John Buchan, the 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, was a popular Governor General of Canada
(1935-40). Immigrant groups, he said, should retain their individuality and each make
its contribution to the national character. Each could learn from the other, and while
they cherish their own special loyalties and traditions, they cherish not less that new
loyalty and tradition which springs from their union. (Canadian Club of Halifax, 1937).
The 15th Governor General is shown here in Blood (Kainai First Nation) headdress.
ENGLISH-AND-FRENCH:
1. Canadian society today stems largely from the English-speaking and Frenchspeaking Christian civilizations that were brought here from Europe by settlers.
2. English and French define the reality of day-to-day life for most people and are
the countrys official languages.
3. The federal government is required by law to provide services throughout
Canada in English and French.
The Acadians are the descendants of French colonists who began settling in
what are now the Maritime provinces in 1604.
Between 1755 and 1763 during the war between Britain and France:
i.
Between 1755 and 1763, during the war between Britain and France, more than
two-thirds of the Acadians were deported from their homeland.
Despite this ordeal, known as the Great Upheaval, the Acadians survived and
maintained their unique identity.
Today, Acadian culture is flourishing and is a lively part of French-speaking
Canada.
ii.
iii.
Quebecers:
i.
Quebecers are the people of Quebec, the vast majority French-speaking.
Most are descendants of 4,500(or 8,500) French settlers from the 1600s and
1700s and maintain a unique identity, culture, and language.
ii.
iii.
One million Anglo-Quebecers have a heritage of 250 years and form a vibrant
part of the Quebec fabric.
iv.
v.
vi.
DIVERSITY-IN-CANADA:
1. The majority of Canadians were born in this country and this has been true since
the 1800s.
2. However, Canada is often referred to as a land of immigrants because, over the
past 200 years, millions of newcomers have helped to build and defend our way
of life.
3. Today, many ethnic and religious groups live and work in peace as proud
Canadians.
4. The largest groups are the English, French, Scottish, Irish,German, Italian,
Chinese, Aboriginal, Ukrainian,Dutch, South Asian, and Scandinavian.
5. Since the 1970s, most immigrants have come from Asian countries.
Non-official languages are widely spoken in Canadian homes:
i.
ii.
RELIGION-IN-CANADA:
i.
ii.
iii.
Together, these diverse groups, sharing a common Canadian identity, make up todays
multicultural society.
Modern Canada(Chapter-4):
TRADE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH:
i.
ii.
INTERNATIONAL-ROLES:
i.
ii.
iii.
The Cold War began when several liberated countries of eastern Europe
became part of a Communist bloc controlled by the Soviet Union under the
dictator Josef Stalin.
Canada joined with other democratic countries of the West to form the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military alliance, and with the United
States in the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD).
Canada joined international organizations such as the United Nations (UN). It
participated in the UN operation defending South Korea in the Korean War
(1950-53), with the loss of 500 dead and 1,000 wounded. Canada has taken
part in numerous UN peacekeeping missions in places as varied as Egypt,
Cyprus, and Haiti, as well as in other international security operations such as
those in the former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan. Like Australia, New Zealand,
and other countries, Canada developed its national independence gradually
with a capacity to make significant contributions internationally
CANADA-AND-QUEBEC:
i.
ii.
French-Canadian society and culture flourished in the postwar years.Quebecexperienced an era of rapid change in the 1960s known as the Quiet Revolution.
Many Quebecers sought to separate from Canada. In 1963 Parliament established
the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism . This led to the official
languages Act(1969), which guarantees French and English services in the federal
government across Canada. In 1970, Canada helped found La-Francophonie, an
international association of French-speaking countries.
The movement for Quebec sovereignty gained strength but was defeated in a
referendum in the province in 1980. After much negotiation, in 1982 the
Constitution was amended without the agreement of Quebec. Though sovereignty
was again defeated in a second referendum in 1995, the autonomy of Quebec within
Canada remains a lively topicpart of the dynamic that continues to shape our
country.
A-MODERN-SOCIETY[or A-CHANGING-SOCIETY].:
i.
ii.
Canadians believe in the equality of men and women. Many took advantage
of expanding secondary and postsecondary educational opportunities and a
growing number of women entered the professional work force.
iii.
Most Canadians of Asian descent had in the past been denied the vote in
federal and provincial elections. In 1948 the last of these, the JapaneseCanadians, gained the right to vote. Aboriginal people were granted the vote
in 1960. Today every citizen over the age of 18 may vote.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
Old Age Security was devised as early as 1927,and the Canada and Quebec
Pension Plans since 1965.
viii.
Publicly funded education is provided by the provinces and territories.
French Canadian society and culture flourished in the postwar[Post-War=After-War]
years. Quebec experienced an era of rapid change in the 1960s known as the Quiet
Revolution. Many Quebecers sought to separate from Canada.
ix.
x.
Arts-And-Culture-In-Canada:
i.
ii.
iii.
In the visual arts, Canada is historically perhaps best known for the Group of
Seven, founded in 1920, who developed a style of painting to capture the
rugged wilderness landscapes. Emily Carr painted the forests and Aboriginal
artifacts of the West Coast. Les Automatistes of Quebec were pioneers of
modern abstract art in the 1950s, most notably Jean-Paul Riopelle. Quebecs
Louis-Philippe Hbert was a celebrated sculptor of historical figures.
Kenojuak Ashevak pioneered modern Inuit art with etchings, prints and
soapstone sculptures.
iv.
Canada has a long and respected performing arts history, with a network of
regional theatres and world-renowned performing arts companies.
v.
The films of Denys Arcand have been popular in Quebec and across the
country, and have won international awards. Other noteworthy Canadian
filmmakers include Norman Jewison and Atom Egoyan. Canadian television
has had a popular following.
vi.
Sports have flourished as all provinces and territories have produced amateur
and professional star athletes and Olympic medal winners.
vii.
viii.
ix.
One of the greatest hockey players of all time, Wayne Gretzky, played for the
Edmonton Oilers from 1979 to 1988.
x.
In 1980, Terry Fox, a British Columbian who lost his right leg to cancer at the
age of 18,began a cross-country run, the Marathon-of-Hope, to raise money
for cancer research. He became a hero to Canadians. While he did not finish
the run and ultimately lost his battle with cancer, his legacy continues through
yearly fundraising events in his name. In 1985, fellow British Columbian Rick
Hansen circled the globe in a wheelchair to raise funds for spinal cord
research.
xi.
Canadian advances in science and technology are world renowned and have
changed the way the world communicates and does business.
xii.
Marshall McLuhan and Harold Innis were pioneer thinkers. Science and
research in Canada have won international recognition and attracted worldclass students, academics and entrepreneurs engaged in medical-research,
telecommunications and other fields.
xiii.
Since 1989, the Canadian Space Agency and Canadian astronauts have
participated in space exploration, often using the Canadian-designed and built
Canadarm.
xiv.
GREAT-CANADIAN-DISCOVERIES-AND-INVENTIONS:
Canadians have made various discoveries and inventions. Some of the most famous
are listed below.
Alexander
Graham Bell hit on the idea of the telephone at his summer house in
Canada.
Joseph-Armand Bombardier invented the snowmobile, a light-weight winter vehicle.
Sir Sandford Fleming invented the worldwide system of standard time zones.
Matthew Evans and Henry Woodward together invented the first electric light bulb
and later sold the patent to Thomas Edison who, more famously, commercialized the
light bulb.
Dr. Wilder Penfield was a pioneering brain surgeon at McGill University in Montreal,
and was known as the greatest living Canadian.
Dr. John A. Hopps invented the first cardiac-pacemaker,used today to save the
lives of people with heart disorders.
SPAR Aerospace / National Research Council invented the Canadarm, a roboticarm used in outer space.
Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie of Research in Motion (RIM) a wireless
communications company known for its most famous invention: the BlackBerry.
Want to learn more about Canadas history? Visit a museum or national historic site!
Through artifacts,works of art, stories, images and documents, museums explore the
diverse events and accomplishments that formed Canadas history. Museums can be
found in almost every city and town across Canada.National historic sites are located in
all provinces and territories and include such diverse places as
battlefields,archaeological sites, buildings and sacred spaces. To find a museum or
national historic site in your community or region, visit the websites of the Virtual
Museum of Canada and Parks Canada listed at the end of this guide.
The prosperity and diversity of our country depend on all Canadians working together to
face challenges of the future. In seeking to become a citizen, you are joining a country
that, with your active participation, will continue to grow and thrive.
Sir Frederick Banting of Toronto and Charles Best discovered insulin,a hormone
to treat diabetes that has saved 16 million lives worldwide.
------Chapter-4,Finished-here----------
How-Canadians-GovernThemselves [Chapter-5]:
There are three key facts about Canadas system of government: our country is a
federal-state, a parliamentary-democracy and a constitutional-monarchy.
[ three(3) key facts of Canadas-System-Of-Govt = federal-state + parliamentarydemocracy + constitutional-monarchy ];
Federal state:
i.
ii.
iii.
In our federal state, the federal government takes responsibility for matters of
national and international concern. These include defence, foreign policy,
interprovincial trade and communications, currency, navigation, criminal law
and citizenship.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
Every province has its own elected Legislative Assembly, like the House of
Commons in Ottawa.
viii.
Parliamentary democracy:
Cabinet ministers are responsible to the elected representatives, which means they
must retain the confidence of the House and have to resign if they are defeated in a
non-confidence vote.
Parliament has three parts: the Sovereign (Queen or King), the Senate and the
House of Commons.
[-> Parliament has three parts = Sovereign (Queen or King) + Senate + House of
Commons ];
Provincial legislatures comprise the Lieutenant Governor and the elected Assembly.
Prime Minister: In the federal government, the Prime Minister selects the Cabinet
ministers and is responsible for the operations and policy of the government.
Senators:=> Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the
Prime Minister and serve until age 75.
bills: => Both the House of Commons and the Senate consider and review bills
(proposals for new laws). No bill can become law in Canada until it has been passed by
both chambers and has received royal assent, granted by the Governor General on
behalf of the Sovereign.
Living in a democracy, Canadian citizens have the right and the responsibility to
participate in making decisions that affect them. It is important for Canadians
aged 18 or more to participate in their democracy by voting in federal, provincial
or territorial and municipal elections.
Constitutional-Monarchy:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
Premier : In each ten(10) province of Canada, the Premier has a role similar
to that of the Prime Minister in the federal government, Example => just as
the Lieutenant Governor has a role similar to that of the Governor General.
xi.
Federal-Elections (Chapter-6):
i.
Canadians vote in elections for the people they want to represent them in the
House of Commons.
ii.
In each election, voters may re-elect the same members of the House of
Commons or choose new ones.
iii.
Mathematically :
[Members of the House of Commons = members of Parliament or MPs ];
Key-> The Prime Minister may ask the Governor General to call an earlier election.
ELECTORAL-DISTRICTS:
a. Canada is divided into 308 electoral districts, also known as ridings or
constituencies.
b. An electoral district is a geographical area represented by a member of
Parliament (MP).
c. The citizens in each electoral district elect one MP who sits in the House of
Commons to represent them, as well as all Canadians.
{ electoral districts = ridings = constituencies };
-Canadian citizens who are 18 years old or older may run in a federal election.
CANDIDATES:
The people who run for office are called candidates. There can be many candidates in
an electoral district.
How-The-MPs-Are-Selected-For-There-Particular-Electoral-District:
The people in each electoral district vote for the candidate and political party of their
choice. The candidate who receives the most votes becomes the MP for that electoral
district.
Voting:
One of the privileges of Canadian citizenship is the right to vote.
You are eligible to vote in a federal election or cast a ballot in a federal referendum if
you are:
a Canadian citizen; and
at least 18 years old on voting day; and
on the voters list.
THE-VOTERs-LISTs:
Question: Who developed or Produced the Voters-List?
Answer:
i.
The voters lists used during federal elections and referendums, voters lists
are produced from the National Register of Electors by a neutral agency of
Parliament called Elections Canada.
OR
Voter-Lists are produced by Elections-Canada.
ii.
---- Once an election has been called, Elections Canada mails a voter information
card to each elector whose name is in the National Register of Electors.
The card lists when and where you vote and the number to call if you require an
interpreter or other special services.
Even if you choose not to be listed in the National Register of Electors OR do not
receive a voter information card, you can still be added to the voters list at any
time, including on election day.
To vote either on election day or at advance polls, go to the polling station listed
on your voter information card. (See voting procedures).
SECRET-BALLOT
i.
ii.
You may choose to discuss how you voted with others, but no one,
including family members, your employer or union representative, has
the right to insist that you tell them how you voted.
iii.
---
AFTER-AN-ELECTION
How-The-Government-Is-Formed-After-An-Election:
After an election, the leader of the political party with the most seats in
the House of Commons is invited by the Governor General to form the
GOVERNMENT.
After being appointed by the Governor General, the leader of this party
becomes the Prime Minister.
-----
Majority-Government-In-The-House-Of-Commons:
If the party in power holds at least half of the seats in the House of
Commons, this is called a majority government.
Minority-Government-In-The-House-Of-Commons:
If the party in power holds less than half of the seats in the House of
Commons, this is called a minority government.
---
How-Long-The-Elected-Party-will-Run-The-Government-WithInThe-Four(4)-Year-After-The-Most-Recent-Federal-Election:
The Prime Minister and the party in power run the government as long as
they have the support or confidence of the majority of the MPs in the
parliament.
At-What-Reason-The-Prime-Minister-Asking-The-Governor-General-ToCall-An-Election:
i.
ii.
How-The-Prime-Minister-Chooses-The-Ministers-Of-The-Crown-AndWhat-Is-The-Role-Of-Cabinet-Ministers-And-Prime-Minister-AndWhat-Is-The-Relationship-Between-Cabinet-Minister-And-PrimeMinister-And-What-Is-Cabinet:
i.
The Prime Minister chooses the ministers of the Crown, most of them
from among members of the House of Commons.
ii.
iii.
Mathematically-We-Can-Represent-The-Cabinet-As-Follows:
[ = "Prime Minister" + "Cabinet ministers" ];
(=)
The-Types-Of-Opposition-Partys:
The other parties that are not in power are known as opposition parties.
1. Official Opposition or Her Majestys Loyal Opposition
The opposition party with the most members of the House of Commons is
the Official Opposition or Her Majestys Loyal Opposition.
2. The role of opposition parties:
The role of opposition parties is to peacefully oppose or try to improve
government proposals.
Four(4)-Major-Political-Parties-Currently-Represented-In-The-House-OfCommons:
There are four major political parties currently represented in the House of
Commons: the Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party,Bloc-Quebecois,
and the Liberal Party.