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P:CA

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

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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. It is a sparsely inhabited country of 40 million people, the vast majority residing south of the 55th parallel in urban areas. 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 "called upon" by the governor general, representing the monarch of Canada, the 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 gender equality. 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. (Full article...)

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British and Canadian forces attacking Arnold's column in the Sault-au-Matelot, Charles William Jefferys

The Battle of Quebec (French: Bataille de Québec) was fought on December 31, 1775, between American Continental Army forces and the British defenders of Quebec City early in the American Revolutionary War. The battle was the first major defeat of the war for the Americans, and it came with heavy losses. General Richard Montgomery was killed, Benedict Arnold was wounded, and Daniel Morgan and more than 400 men were taken prisoner. The city's garrison, a motley assortment of regular troops and militia led by Quebec's provincial governor, General Guy Carleton, suffered a small number of casualties. (Full article...)

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Plante with the Quebec Citadelles in 1948

Joseph Jacques Omer Plante (French pronunciation: [ʒɑk plɑ̃t]; January 17, 1929 – February 27, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947 to 1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey. He played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1953 to 1963; during his tenure, the team won the Stanley Cup six times, including five consecutive wins. In 2017 Plante was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history. (Full article...)

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Quebec City from Lévis at twilight

Credit: S23678 (Martin St-Amant)

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At Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge

The Canada goose (Branta canadensis), sometimes called Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is occasionally found during migration across the Atlantic in northern Europe. It has been introduced to France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; often found on or close to fresh water, the Canada goose is also common in brackish marshes, estuaries, and lagoons. (Full article...)

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The military history of Canada comprises hundreds of years of armed actions in the territory encompassing modern Canada, and interventions by the Canadian military in conflicts and peacekeeping worldwide. For thousands of years, the area that would become Canada was the site of sporadic intertribal conflicts among Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the 17th and 18th centuries, Canada was the site of four major colonial wars and two additional wars in Nova Scotia and Acadia between New France and British America; the conflicts spanned almost seventy years, as each allied with various First Nation groups. (Full article...)

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Parliament buildings of Canada
Credit: Crop by Jeff3000, original image by Matthew Samuel Spurrell

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Current events

February 28, 2024 –: The Canadian government releases its report into the high-profile firings of two scientists from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 2021, stating that the pair worked closely and covertly with the Chinese government. (National Post)
February 14, 2024 – Russia–United States relations, Russia and weapons of mass destruction: The U.S. holds emergency talks with allies, including Canada and the United Kingdom, on the Russian nuclear threat. (CBC)
January 30, 2024 – Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal: One former and four current National Hockey League players who took part in the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships are charged with sexual assault in London, Ontario, Canada in connection with the 2018 investigation. (CBC)
January 27, 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: The United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Italy, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany suspend humanitarian aid to UNRWA over allegations that some UNRWA staff members were involved in the Hamas-led attack on Israel. (BBC News) (CBS News)
January 24, 2024 – Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal: Five players who took part in the 2018 World Junior Championship have reportedly been told to surrender to the police in London, Ontario, Canada to face sexual assault charges. (TSN)
January 23, 2024 –: A small passenger plane carrying workers to Rio Tinto Alcan's Diavik Diamond Mine, in Canada's Northwest Territories, crashes in the town of Fort Smith, killing six people and wounding another. (CBS News)

Past Canadian events

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... that Mennonites and Lutherans both think Canada should recognize the Stoney Knoll First Nation?
... that a radio station in Alberta fell afoul of Canadian content guidelines because new songs by Anne Murray were not Canadian enough?
... that three generations of a Muslim family were killed in London, Canada, last month?
... that after Norman Dawe died, he was described as "a victim of [ice] hockey because he worked too hard for it"?
... that Irene Parlby was one of The Famous Five, a group of women in Canada who fought for the right of women to be considered "persons"?
... that in 2019, the Canadian government's Translation Bureau began providing translation services in Dene, East Cree, Plains Cree, and Mohawk?
... that the success of the children's poetry book Alligator Pie led to the author, Dennis Lee, being named "Canada's Father Goose"?

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Canada's national parks are protected areas under the Canada National Parks Act, owned by the Government of Canada and administered for the benefit, education, and enjoyment of the people of Canada and its future generations. National parks are administered by Parks Canada, a Crown agency operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The goal of the national parks system is to set aside lands representing the country's 39 distinct natural regions described in the National Parks System Plan, primarily to protect the ecological integrity of the land, and secondarily to allow the public to explore, learn about and enjoy Canada's natural spaces. (Full article...)