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P:CA

Saturday, February 8, 2025

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Introduction

Flag and Arms of Canada

Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's second-largest country by total area, with the world's longest coastline. Its border with the United States is the world's longest international land border. The country is characterized by a wide range of both meteorologic and geological regions. With a population of just over 41 million people, it has widely varying population densities, with the majority residing in urban areas and large areas of the country being sparsely populated. Canada's capital is Ottawa and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy in the Westminster tradition. The country's head of government is the prime minister, who holds office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the elected House of Commons and is appointed by the governor general, representing the monarch of Canada, the ceremonial head of state. The country is a Commonwealth realm and is officially bilingual (English and French) in the federal jurisdiction. It is very highly ranked in international measurements of government transparency, quality of life, economic competitiveness, innovation, education and human rights. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration. Canada's long and complex relationship with the United States has had a significant impact on its history, economy, and culture.

A developed country, Canada has a high nominal per capita income globally and its advanced economy ranks among the largest in the world by nominal GDP, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks. Recognized as a middle power, Canada's strong support for multilateralism and internationalism has been closely related to its foreign relations policies of peacekeeping and aid for developing countries. Canada is part of multiple international organizations and forums. (Full article...)

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Henry St. John (later Lord Bolingbroke) organized the expedition
portrait by Charles Jervas

The Quebec expedition, or the Walker expedition to Quebec, was a British attempt to attack Quebec in 1711 in Queen Anne's War, the North American theatre of the War of Spanish Succession. It failed when seven transports and one storeship were wrecked and some 850 soldiers drowned in one of the worst naval disasters in British history. (Full article...)

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Fox in 2020

Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American activist and retired actor. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom Family Ties (1982–1989) and Marty McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990). Fox went on to star in films such as Teen Wolf (1985), The Secret of My Success (1987), Casualties of War (1989), Doc Hollywood (1991), and The Frighteners (1996). He returned to television on the ABC sitcom Spin City in the lead role of Mike Flaherty (1996–2000). (Full article...)

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See also: historically significant biographies

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Panoramic view of Vancouver

Credit: Mfield (Matthew Field)

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A claimed sighting of Mussie from 2010

In Canadian folklore, Mussie is a creature said to live in Muskrat Lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is variously described, for example, as a walrus or as a three-eyed Loch Ness Monster-like creature.The legend of Mussie likely began around 1916, though legend claims that Canadian pioneer Samuel de Champlain wrote about it in the early seventeenth century. Mussie has become a part of the local culture and a fixture in the local tourism industry. (Full article...)

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English language version of the Charter

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (French: Charte canadienne des droits et libertés), often simply referred to as the Charter in Canada, is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, forming the first part of the Constitution Act, 1982. The Charter guarantees certain political rights to Canadian citizens and guarantees the civil rights of everyone in Canada. It is designed to unify Canadians around a set of principles that embody those rights. The Charter was proclaimed in force by Queen Elizabeth II of Canada on April 17, 1982, as part of the Constitution Act, 1982. (Full article...)

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University of Saskatchewan Centennial Lily by plant breeder Donna Hay.
Credit: SriMesh

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Current events

February 3, 2025 – Second Trump tariffs: 2025 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico; Canada–United States relations; Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces Ontario will end contracts with the Starlink program unless the United States lifts its tariffs on Canada. (BBC News); Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces that U.S. tariffs would be delayed by at least 30 days, following a call with United States President Donald Trump. (DW)
February 1, 2025 – Second Trump tariffs: Canada–United States relations, Mexico–United States relations, 2025 United States–Canada–Mexico trade war; United States President Donald Trump signs an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico. (NBC News)

Past Canadian events

Did you know - show another

... that the inaugural Canadian Premier League match led to the suspension of both team captains?
... that Gil Kim played professional baseball in the Netherlands, China, Australia, Spain, and Venezuela, scouted in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and coaches in Canada?
... that Sheila Egoff, Canada's first professor of children's literature, returned to her library work immediately after retirement?
... that Canadian football player Nicholas Dheilly tied his team's single-game sack record in his debut?
... that research conducted in 2020 found that squirrels are "nearly ubiquitous" on college campuses in the United States and Canada?
... that Rod Zaine scored his high school's championship-winning single in Canadian football before playing in the National Hockey League?
... that a Sunday afternoon phone call to Ken Battle laid the foundations for the Canadian Child Benefit program?

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The Grey Cup is the championship of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team. The trophy is named after Albert Grey, the Governor General of Canada from 1904 until 1911. He donated the trophy to the Canadian Rugby Union in 1909 to recognize the top amateur rugby football team in Canada. By this time Canadian football had become markedly different from the rugby football from which it developed. Although it was originally intended to be awarded only to amateur teams (like the Stanley Cup), over time, the Grey Cup became the property of the Canadian Football League as it evolved into a professional football league. Amateur teams ceased competing for the Cup by 1954; since 1965, the top amateur teams, playing in U Sports, have competed for the Vanier Cup. (Full article...)