The Canadian Shield

The Canadian (or Precambrian) Shield is the heart of Canada . Its harsh and rocky landscape of about 4.8 billion square kilometers covers much of Canada and parts of northern United States. It is rich in mineral deposits that were discovered by railroad engineers who had to blast through the thick rock to lay tracks. That rock is among the oldest in the world. Parts of the Canadian Shield rock are about 4600 million years old. In addition to the rich mineral resources, the vast softwood forests of the southern part of the shield are essential to Canada ’s pulp and paper industry. The Canadian Shield is important to the Canadian economy and its importance is capital to Canadian identity.



For more information:
http://talmud.epsb.ca/regions/north/lz/csi/csi.html
http://freespace.virgin.net/john.cletheroe/usa_can/can/canshld.htm

The Halifax Explosion (Shane Walker, 2006)

Halifax is a small harbor town on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia. founded by the British military in 1749. Because of its location, the small port boomed in times of war because of its proximity to Europe. In 1917, Halifax had a population of 50,000 the largest city in Atlantic Canada. The harbor was extremely busy during World War I because it was a major supply link used by all kinds of ships. The rules for getting in and out of the harbor were quite basic: for ships to keep to the right in traffic and for pilots to signal their intentions.  On the night of December 6, 1917, the transport ship, Mont-Blanc, loaded with an explosive mixture including TNT, was hit by the relief vessel, Imo, which was coming out of the harbor. The fire that resulted created the largest manmade explosion before Hiroshima.

For More Information:
http://www.cbc.ca/halifaxexplosion/he1_promise/index.html
http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/canadaww1/p/halifaxexpl.htm

 

Parliament Goes Down in Flames (Ashley Janotta, 2006)

It was a cold night in Ottawa, Ontario on the 3rd of February, 1916. World War I  was raging in Europe when the Canadian Parliament building caught fire. Everything but the Library went down in flames. Rumors spread fast that the cause was enemy sabotage, but reports later concluded that it was just an accident. Nevertheless, this accident cost the lives of seven people. Fire safety within the building was inadequate. When it caught fire, there wasn’t much anyone could do but watch it crumble. The event was a major shock to Canadians and their identity. Government workers had to move into the Victoria Memorial Museum to continue their work. The rebuilding of the Parliament began quickly even though World War I was still going on. By February 26th 1920, members of Parliament took their seat in the new building that replaced the one that was destroyed four years earlier.

To find out more about the fire in the Parliament building go to:
http://canadaonline.about.com/od/parliament/p/parlbldgsfire.htm
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Publications/ParlBlgs-e.asp
http://www.parl.gc.ca/marleaumontpetit/DocumentViewer.aspx?Sec=ch06&Seq=3&Lang=E
http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-70-2070-12870-10/on_this_day/disasters_tragedies/TWT

René Lévesque (Matthew Mulkern, 2006)

René Lévesque  (Born August 24, 1922 in New Carlisle, Québec – Died November 1, 1987 in Île des Soeurs, Québec) was a reporter who later became involved in the government of Québec. Lévesque was the founder of the Parti Québécois, a political party whose platform included seeking independence for Québec. He was therefore the first French-Canadian political leader to try negotiating for the political independence of Québec. Lévesque was also the 23rd Premier of Québec (November 25, 1976 – October 3, 1985) and a recipient of the title Grand Officer of the French Legion of Honor.

René Lévesque studied for a law degree at Université Laval in Québec City, but left the university in 1943 before receiving his diploma. He worked as an announcer and news writer at the local radio station in New Carlisle during 1941 and 1942. From 1944 to 1945, he served as a contact officer and war correspondent for the U.S. Army in Europe while making regular journalistic reports for the media. He reported from London which was under regular attack by the Germans and he accompanied the Allied troops as they forced the Nazis back to Germany. After the war, Lévesque worked as a reporter in the international service office of CBC’s French Language department. He also served as a war correspondent for the CBC in 1952 during the Korean War.

From 1956 to 1959, René Lévesque ascended to fame in Québec while hosting a French language television news program on Radio-Canada called Point de Mire. In 1960, he entered politics and was immediately elected to the Legislative Assembly of Québec as a Liberal Party member. From 1960 to 1961, he served as Minister of Hydroelectric Resources and Public Works and from 1961 to 1965 he was Minister of Natural Resources. From 1965 to 1966, he served as Minister of Family and Welfare. During his time in office, he played a significant role in the nationalization of hydroelectric companies, such as Hydro-Québec.

On October 14, 1967, Lévesque left the Liberal Party after its members refused to discuss the idea of an independent Québec during its convention. He then joined with another sovereigntist party to create the Parti Québécois (PQ) in 1968. He remained leader of the PQ from 1968 until his resignation in 1985. After failing to win a spot in parliament in the 1970 and 1973 elections, he and his PQ’s won the 1976 election. René Lévesque became 23rd Premier of Québec soon after.

One of his and his parties’ most influential acts was the passage of the Québec Charter of the French Language, commonly know as "Bill 101", whose objective was to make French "the normal and everyday language of work, instruction, communication, commerce and business." The bill had many consequences. It kept access to English-language public schools to only children whose parents had attended an English school, forcing all other children, including the families of new Immigrants, to attend French schools. The charter also made it illegal for businesses to put up external commercial signs in a language other than French at a time when most of the commercial signs were in English.

As promised during the 1976 elections, the René Lévesque-led Parti Québécois held a provincial referendum on sovereignty and possible independence on May 20, 1980. The result of the vote was 40% in favor and 60% opposed. Lévesque reluctantly conceded defeat in the referendum, but during his concession speech he declared “À la prochaine fois!” (Until the next time). Coincidently another referendum was voted on long after René Lévesque’s death (the vote was October 30, 1995) with the vote 50.5% NO and 49.5% YES.

Lévesque led the PQ to victory again in the 1981 election, this time with a higher majority in the National Assembly of Québec and an increasing popular vote. However, a poor response by the PQ to the recession of the early 1980s annoyed many supporters of the PQ and the sovereignty movement. A split within the party over the emphasis on sovereignty in the next election led to Lévesque's resignation as leader of the party on June 20, 1985. He argued that the PQ should not make sovereignty the object of the election, which angered its strongest supporters of sovereignty. Lévesque  subsequently resigned as Premier of Québec on October 3, 1985.

René Lévesque, a heavy smoker during his lifetime, died of a massive heart attack on November 1, 1987 at the age of 65. 100,000 Québécois attended his funeral. Two major roads in Québec are named after him, one in Montreal and one in Québec City. A monument in his honor stands outside Parliament Building in Québec City. Also a statue of him stands in his hometown of New Carlisle, Québec. Even today, Lévesque remains an important figure of the Québec nationalist movement and is considered the spiritual father of Québec sovereignty. He is also regarded by some people as the father of the modern Québec nation.

As part of his legacy, he left: hydroelectricity through Hydro-Québec, the political party financing law, the Québec Charter of the French Language (Bill 101), protection of homosexuals in Québec’s Bill of Rights ("Charte des droits de la personne" 1977), creation of a welfare state and the creation of the Parti Québécois itself. Lévesque is considered a symbol of democracy and tolerance, and of the viability of the sovereigntist movement.

 

The Maritimes and Atlantic Canada (Virginia Sand, 2006)

The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces or the Canadian Maritimes, are located on the Atlantic coast of Eastern Canada.  They comprise three provinces:  Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.  The Maritimes are positioned northeast of New England and Southeast of Québec’s Gaspé Peninsula.  They are also southwest of Newfoundland-Labrador.



Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces, refers to the Maritimes in addition to  Newfoundland-Labrador: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland-Labrador.  The Gulf of Saint Lawrence geographically separates Newfoundland-Labrador from the Maritimes.

In 2004, the population in Atlantic Canada totaled 2.3 million.

In 2006, the population of the Maritimes totals 1.8 million, which is geographically distributed throughout the three provinces.  Fishing, logging, farming, and coal mining have long been established in the regional economy.  In addition, some of the coastal areas have developed major tourist centers:  The Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Bay of Fundy coasts of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, the South Shore of Nova Scotia, and Cape Breton Island.  Other significant economic resources include research-related spin-offs from the many universities and colleges in the Maritimes, information technology, pharmaceuticals, and insurance and financial sectors.

The people of the Canadian Maritimes represent cultures which include the Mi’kmaq Nation, Irish, Acadian (French descendants), Scottish, English, and the Maliseet Nation.  There has been a more recent “Celtic revival” in Canada where many Maritime musicians and songs became popular.

Currently, the Maritimes are represented in the Canadian Parliament by 24 Senators and 25 Members of the House of Commons.  Since this level of representation was established when the Maritimes had a larger proportion of the national population, the Maritimes are now over-represented in parliament.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritimes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Canada 

     

Acadia (Virginia Sand, 2006)

           

Originally the name « Acadia » referred to the colonies of New France, which included Prince Edward I sland, southeastern Québec, New Brunswick, eastern Maine, and Nova Scotia.  It was thought that the term “Acadia” came from the Greek word “Arcadia,” which means “rural contentment.”  The region was thought to have been named by Verazanno who sailed near the maritimes in 1524.  Early French settlers, who migrated from France to Acadia, were called “Acadians.”  After the deportation, Acadians who settled in Louisiana became known as Cajuns. Acadia’s early settlers came arrived in 1604.  Great Britain claimed lands that included parts of what was called Acadia. As a result, it changed hands several times until 1713 when it became a British settlement and was renamed Nova Scotia. France retained l’Île Royale (today called Cape Breton) and eventually built the fort of Louisbourg. Pressure from immigrating Loyalists looking for arable land and the British need to assimilate the Acadians led to their deportation. The event, which started in 1755, is know as “Le Grand Derangement” in French. Some Acadians returned to Nova Scotia, but the bulk of them settled in what is now called Louisiana, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Québec.

            The Acadian Flag was adopted in 1884. It is like the French tricolore and has a gold star called Stella Maris (Star of the Sea) at the top left. The star signifies the devotion to the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of the Acadians, and seeks her guidance and protection. This flag represents Acadians worldwide. It was officially recognized as a national flag by the Canadian Lieutenant-Governor.

Sources:  http://www.grassroutes.com/clare/acadian.htm
                   http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ca-acad.html

 

 

The Québec Rockslide (Julie Corriveau, 2006)

          On September 18, 1889, a large piece of slate rock fell 300 feet onto 28 brick and stone houses burying about a hundred people under 80 feet of slate and debris in the Cap Diamant region of Québec City. 45 people were killed by the rock slide and many more were seriously injured. The disaster happened a day after a heavy rainfall that made the land above Cap Diamant unstable. Rescuers responded quickly since this was not the first rockslide to have struck Quebec City. One result of the 1889 rockslide was to leave the debris in place in order to support what remained of the cliff. The impact on the community was significant because of the number of people who were seriously injured, those who were out of jobs, those who were disabled, and because of the many children who lost their parents.

 

Sources:

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/sos/002028-2200-e.html

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCETimelineBrowse&Params=A3CAT8

 

Niagara Falls (Julie Adams, 2006)

      The Niagara Region of Canada is probably most well-known for one of its popular tourist spots, Niagara Falls. In fact, the falls have been a popular travel destination since the 1820s. There is a significant amount of history behind the formation of Niagara and the falls, beginning as early as 12,000 years ago. This was during the Palaeo-Indian Period, which ended about 9,000 years ago. The Clovis people—the first human beings to be in the Region—came to Niagara just as the Falls were “born”. The land consisted of a forest of spruce and tundra which was ideal for the nomads who lived in dwellings alongside the shoreline of Lake Erie. As time went on, the land’s formation changed. About 9,500 years ago during the Archaic Period, the southernmost part of Ontario was made up of a deciduous forest which supplied food sources such as fish, nuts, deer, moose, and plants. By the time the Iroquois arrived in the Woodland Period 3,000 years ago, food consisted mainly of vegetables such as corn, squash, and beans. Villages were settled with the construction of homes, burial practices developed, and a sense of kinship between friends and families grew. The arrival of Europeans in the 17th century and interactions with Iroquoian tribal confederacies (the Huron, the Petun, and the Neutral) proved harmful to them and the “inter-tribal warfare with the Five Nations of Iroquois of New York State” caused their dispersal. On the occasion of Jacques Cartier’s 1535 voyage, native Americans told him about Niagara Falls. While he never reached the falls, Samuel de Champlain , the founder of Québec City in 1608, sent an expedition to the falls. Etienne Brule was the first European to see the falls. A decade later, a Jesuit priest by the name of father Gabriel Lalemant named the Falls Onguiaahra which meant “the Strait”. Fifty years later, a Recollet priest named Louis Hennepin went to see Niagara Falls and wrote about them in a book entitled Nouvelle Découverte. Father Hennepin estimated that the falls measured 183 metres. The actual size of the falls was about 3 times smaller than Hennepin’s estimation.

      In the late 1700s to the mid 1800s, transportation to Niagara Falls mostly by boat. After the War of 1812, the area began was rebuilt and by the 1820s ferry services were established across the river. A new system of roads brought tourism to the falls and by 1829, the first Welland Canal was constructed in Niagara and thirteen bridges were put up across the Niagara River Gorge. Four of these bridges still stand. In 1855, the Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge, the first of its kind, was built by Brooklyn Bridge designer John August Roebling. The city of Niagara was also one of the first places to have electric street cars, starting in 1893. This service transported boat passengers from Queenston to Table Rock until 1920, when another railway was developed and eventually expanded again later on. The Depression marked the end of the transit line as the development of cars, busses, and trains proved to be the demise of boat travel. After World War I, automobiles appeared in greater numbers and caused Niagara and to develop the tourist attractions that are still around today.

 

For More Information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls#Historical_background

http://www.infoniagara.com/other/history/index.html

 

 

Crown Land: (Joel Pepin, 2006)

          Defined as Canadian land that is currently owned and operated by the crown, or by federal  and provincial governments. The fathers of confederation thought they were giving the land to themselves as to earn the rights to natural resources worth valuable money. As time passed the crown land rights were more literally interpreted and were understood to be owned and operated by the provincial governments, not the federal government. Not all crown land is provincial however. 89% of Canada’s massive area is known to be crown land. About 41% of this land is controlled and operated by the federal government. Good examples of these areas would be the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, even though they are managed and operated by the territorial governments. 48% of crown land is owned and operated by provincial governments. These lands are a major source of income for the provinces, as nearly all natural resource extracted from these lands are by industries subject to crown land guidelines. Examples would be of Alberta’s right to the mining and extraction of oil in and around Edmonton. Similarly, the province of Quebec has strengthened its financial situation by building some of the most sophisticated hydro-electric that generate revenue from the electricity produced on crown land. .

For further information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crownland#Canada

http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/boreal/intro.asp

 

 

The Auto Pact of 1965 (Christopher Rodway, 2006)

          For many years leading up to the Auto Pact of 1965, Canada had a sizable auto trade deficit with the United States.  Many of the cars were manufactured in the United States, leaving Canada to continually increase its trade deficit. On January 16, 1965 the Canada-United States Automotive Agreement, commonly known as the Auto Pact, went into affect.  This agreement stated that for every car purchased in the United States, a car must be produced in Canada.  This in effect eliminated trade tariffs between the neighboring countries and allowed free trade to occur.  As a result, the sales of vehicles sold in the United States and made in Canada jumped from 7% in 1964 to nearly 60% in 1968. The agreement has been changed many times to reflect changing needs and business practices, but it remains the guiding principle of the automobile industry..

(Pictured above: Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson and President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Canada-U.S. auto pact, January 15, 1965, at LBJ Ranch, Johnson City, Texas)

For more Information:  

http://www.economiecanadienne.gc.ca/english/economy/1965canada_us_auto_pact.html 

http://www.answers.com/topic/auto-pact

 

Wabanaki (Dominque Leclerc)

          The Wabanaki of Maine are native peoples belonging to five tribes: the Abenaki, the Maliseet, the Mi’kmaq, the Passamaquoddy, and the Penobscot (note that there are many variations of spellings for these names). They are Algonquian speaking people of Eastern North America, living mostly in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada. Algonquian is thought to be derived from a Mi'kmaq word meaning "strait," which refers to the narrow channel of the Saint Lawrence River near the city of Quebec while Wabanaki means “people of the dawn” or "dawn land people." It must be noted that these tribes, although similar and often having overlapping hunting territories, are different and remain independent of each other in terms of culture, government, and dialects, but they maintain alliances of each other. Originally, they were bound together against the Iroquois. Before contact with the Europeans, a traditional yearly routine including getting together in larger groups and traveling downstream on major rivers such as the Penobscot, the Saint John, and the Saint Croix in the spring where they gathered plants and harvested seafood. Then, back upstream in the fall with their food, they divided anew into their smaller groups that covered large areas of land in the hunt for moose, deer, elk, and bear during the winter. Fishing was also another regular source of food, especially to the Passamaquoddy whose native name, Peskotomuhkat, means "pollock-spearer.”

With the arrival of Europeans, the Wabanaki quickly made alliances with the French and hostilities developed toward the English. The warfare that resulted, however, was not the reason that many of their nations were decimated. European diseases like smallpox took 75% of their population and caused the tribes to bind together to help each other. During the American Revolution, the Wabanaki were still angry with the English and sided with the Americans. Following the war, they negotiated reservations on their native lands. Their territory, however, were located in parts of the United States and Canada, causing issues to arise at border crossings. The Jay Treaty of 1794 granted travel between Canada and the U.S.

Today the Wabanaki tribes represent a modern, vibrant culture whose members are committed to maintaining their rights and traditions. They have succeeded in many areas, including the passage of LD291, a bill requiring that native studies be included in the K-12 curricula of Maine schools.

 

For additional Information:

http://www.umaine.edu/ld291/

http://www.native-languages.org/wabanaki.htm

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/9118/wabanaki.html

http://www.abbemuseum.org/wabanaki.html

Sir Wilfred Laurier (Julian Burnett, 2006)

          Sir Wilfred Laurier was born November 20, 1841 in Saint-Lin Quebec, the second child to Marcelle Martineau and Carolus Laurier. His father was a successful farmer and served as mayor and justice of the peace. His commitment to public service got the attention of his son and nurtured his interest in politics.  Laurier went to school at McGill University, graduating in 1864. He practiced law in Montreal until 1866 when he became editor of Le Defricheur as a defender of liberal theories. From 1869 to 1878 he was an ensign in the Arthabaskaville Infantry. He eventually pursued his interest in government and became a member of the Liberal Party in 1871. He was leader of the party from 1887 to 1919 and served as the first francophone prime minister of Canada from 1897 to 1911. In that position, he worked on behalf of the creation of the Yukon in 1898, the construction of a second transcontinental railway in 1903, and the creation of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta in 1905. Wilfred Laurier was knighted for his work as the “great conciliator.” He died on February 17, 1919 in Ottawa, Ontario. His grave can be found at Notre Dame Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario.

Some helpful websites:

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/primeministers/h4-3175-e.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfrid_Laurier

Trans-Canada Highway (Victor Doyle 2006)    

 The Trans-Canada Highway navigates from east to west through Canada's ten provinces. Introduced by the T-C Highway Act of 1948, it opened in 1962. Each province controls its section of the highway as opposed to being under the control of the federal government. The TCH is not a single road, but comprises two routes: the Trans Canada Route and the Yellowhead Route. Each crosses the country. There is no official starting point to the highway, however, St John, New Brunswick has named its section the start of the TCH system. The Trans-Canada Highway ends on the Pacific Coast, in Victoria, British Columbia and includes a 13km bridge that connects to Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick.

Tom Thomson (Nicole Lindsay, 2006)

            Tom Thomson was a famous and influential Canadian artist.  He was born in 1877 in Ontario. He traveled through much of Canada during his youth. This experience became a major source of inspiration for his paintings.  Although he had no formal training, he taught himself most of what he needed to know.  He spent many years drawing and painting on his own and in 1912 began painting seriously.  Most of Thomson’s work consists of naturalistic landscapes which are first created by sketching then employing oil paints.  Among his most popular works are: The Jack Pine, Northern River, and The West Wind.  Thomson created hundreds of major works, many of which can be found in the Art Gallery of Ontario and the National Gallery of Canada.  He is considered one of the Group of Seven, well-known Canadian landscape painters. Tom Thomson died in 1917,  

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Thomson

http://www.tomthomson.org/thomson/index.html

 

Poutine (Jessica Arm, 2006)

Poutine is a French Canadian dish made of French fries and cheddar cheese curds smothered in hot gravy.  It is important to note that French Canadians use cheese curds, not cheese slices or shredded cheese such as is commonly found in grocery stores in the United States. There are many variations of poutine, such as Italian poutine which consists of using tomato sauce in place of gravy. The history of poutine is somewhat vague since multiple people claim the title of “Poutine Inventor.”  Ferdinand LaChance claims to have invented poutine in 1957 in his restaurant called Lutin Qui Rit.  Another gentleman by the name of Jean-Paul Roy, owner of Roy le Jucep, claims the title saying that poutine had not been around until he invented it in 1964 when it officially appeared on his menu. He says that the idea came to him as he noticed clients dipping their cheese curds in the gravy/sauce concoction that he served. To this day there is no clear evidence as to who is officially responsible for the invention of poutine.

The dish is primarily sold in Canada but can be found in some parts of northern United States. In Canada, poutine has become so popular that it is even sold in fast food restaurants such as McDonalds.

Reference Websites

http://montrealpoutine.com/history.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine

http://galactic-guide.com/articles/2R119.html

United States-Canada softwood lumber dispute (Bryan Pierce, 2006)

            The United States and Canada have been trading lumber for many years and still do today.  The dispute over softwood lumber is one of the most significant and enduring trade disputes in modern day history. The heart of the dispute is the claim that the Canadian lumber industry is unfairly subsidized by the federal and provincial governments of Canada, specifically most timber in Canada is owned by provincial governments. The price charged to harvest the timber also known as the "stumpage fee" is set administratively rather than through a competitive auction, as is often the practice in the United States. The U.S. claims that the provision of government timber at below market prices constitutes an unfair subsidy. Under U.S. trade remedy laws, foreign goods benefiting from subsidies can be subject to a countervailing duty tariff to offset the subsidy, thereby bringing the price of the product back up to market rates. The Canadian government disputes the assertion that its timber is subsidized. It claims that the timber is provided to so many industries that it cannot be considered sufficiently specific to be a subsidy under U.S. law. Under U.S. trade remedy law, for a subsidy to be countervailing, it must be specific to a particular industry. This requirement precludes imposition of countervailing duties on government programs, such as roads, that are meant to benefit a broad array of interests.  This dispute dates back to 1982 and since then there have been four major iterations of the dispute, which can be read on the link provided. This year, the United States and Canada came to an agreement that provides Canadian producers unrestricted access to U.S. markets under current market conditions, which means that there is no overall cap on the Canadian share of the U.S. market. Considering the current market prices, no quotas or tariffs are applied. However, if prices drop, certain export restrictions will kick in; producers would have to pay an export tax of five per cent. If prices continue to drop, the export tax could increase to as much as 15 per cent.

Links:

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2006/04/27/softwood060427.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States-Canada_softwood_lumber_dispute

Wayne Gretzky (Jennifer McCurry, 2006)

Wayne Gretzky was born on January 26, 1961 in Brantford, Ontario. He was seen as a hockey prodigy at the age of 10 when he scored 378 goals and assisted on 139 others in just 85 games. His NHL career started at the young age of 17.  His talent and skills led many to call him “the greatest hockey player ever.” He helped several teams win the Stanley cups and his trophies and awards are legend. Gretzky tallied over 100 points a season in 15 NHL seasons. He retired in 1999 and was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 22, 1999. He was the tenth and last player to bypass the three-year waiting period.

Additional Websites

http://www.waynegretzky.com/

http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/top_ten/nominee/gretzky-wayne.html

www.nhl.com/hockeyu/history/gretzky/

www.hockey-fans.com/players/gretzky.php

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Matt Olson, 2006)

 
          

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police began service in 1873 during John A. Macdonald’s term as prime minister of Canada.   Their purpose was to serve and protect modern day Alberta, Nunavut, and Saskatchewan.  The Mounties were a relatively small police force until in 1920 when they were given the responsibility for all federal law enforcement in all territories and provinces. Today, they are the largest police force in Canada, serving in most of the provinces and territories except Ontario, Quebec and regions of Newfoundland and Labrador that have their own police units.

 The role of the Mounties is varied, ranging from policing small, rural, isolated towns to protecting the prime minister.  In addition to keeping Canada safe, they have played important roles in World War I and World War II.  Their red ceremonial uniforms are internationally recognized and have been a major artifact of Canadian culture.  The Mounties are and will continue to be a large part of the Canadian tradition.

Sources

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/  Canadian government web site

Joseph-Henri-Maurice "Rocket" Richard (Joshua Moody, 2006)

Joseph-Henri-Maurice Richard, better known as “Rocket” Richard was born in Laval, Quebec, Canada on August 4th 1921. He is regarded as one of the Canada’s best hockey players. He played for the Montreal Canadians from 1941 to 1960 and once scored 50 goals in 50 games which is seen as one of the most prolific achievements in the sport. Richard was also the first player to score 500 goals in a career; he retired from hockey with 544 goals to his credit. His team won nine Stanley Cup championships and the “Rocket” was named to play in the all star game 11 times. Richard wore number 15 playing for the Canadians but then changed to number 9 later in his career. The team retired his number in 1972. Hockey News magazine ranks Richard as the 5th best player in the game. His death on May 27th, 2000 after a long battle with cancer was considered  a national day of mourning in his native Québec. He was 78.

For more information:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Richard

http://www.spelten.ca/

http://franco.ca/edimage/grandspersonnages/en/carte_r05.html

 

The Aroostook War  (Adam Eldridge, 2006)

The Aroostook War was a border dispute between the United States and Great Britain over territory that is currently in the state of Maine and the province of New Brunswick.  The dispute was a bloodless, undeclared war that occurred in 1838-39.  In 1783, the Treaty of Paris failed to determine the boundary in that region. British residents of this borderless region worked as lumberjacks in the winter and would live on land that Americans considered U.S. property. American woodsmen were sent to move the British back to where the U.S. thought the border should be.  In response, the British loggers seized the American land agent; the event started the "war."  The two sides sent 50,000 men and spent $10 million to resolve the border issue.  The settlement negotiated by Daniel Webster and Lord Ashburton granted the United States 7,015 sq miles while Great Britain received 5,012 sq miles. The U.S. government also agreed to pay to Maine and Massachusetts $150,000 each for their expenses in resolving this issue.

Lester B. Pearson (Matthew Zetterman)

Lester Pearson, the 14th prime minister of Canada, was born in Toronto, Ontario (formerly known as Newton Brook) on April 23, 1887. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1919 and eventually devoted himself to public service in Canada’s Foreign Service, as a delegate to the newly-formed United Nations, and as Prime Minister. In 1957, Lester Pearson received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the Suez Canal crisis that had erupted in 1956. Egypt had decided to control the Suez Canal by blocking that trade route for several countries, including Great Britain, France and Israel. Prime Minister Pearson organized the United Nations peacekeeping force that was essential to  resolving the issue. In 1963, as leader of the Liberal Party, became Prime Minister. During his five years as PM, he made several important contributions to Canadian public policy. First, he worked for the passage of the Medical Care Act which was the final step in providing universal health in all provinces. He then moved the adoption of the red maple leaf flag as the symbol of Canada, a change that was very unpopular among British loyalists. His other accomplishments include the passage of a national labor code, a system of interest free loans, and the Canada-United States Automotive Agreement which created thousands of jobs in Canada. His accomplishments have played a large role into shaping Canada into the country it is today.

Sources:

http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/top_ten/nominee/pearson-lester.html

http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=42123

 

British North America Act (Kimberly Preble, 2006)

            The British North America Act (BNA) of 1867 was established on July 1st. It essentially recognized Canada as a self governing country. Henceforth, Canada could make and establish its own laws as well as establish its own government, but with the approval of the British Parliament. The BNA Act of 1867 defines the operation of the Canadian government by outlining a federal structure consisting of a House of Commons, a Senate, a justice system and a taxation system. The power of the federal government was greater than that of the United States but the provinces were given the authority to make laws governing provincial lands, hospitals and other institutions, property and civil rights, provincial corporations, licensing and taxation, the administration of justice (prisons and reformatories), and the solemnization and annulment of marriage. The federal government had the power to act on issues of peace, order, and good government. Member of the House of Commons would be elected by the people while the Governor General in council appointed senators. John A. MacDonald became the first prime minister under the BNA Act of 1867. Canada did not gain full legislative sovereignty from Great Britain until the passing of the Statute of Westminster in 1913. Canada later patriated its constitution in 1982 with the passing of the Canada Act.

 

Gaspé(Ginny Sand, 2006)

            Gaspé is a city, a peninsula, and a bay located in the Québec province of Canada.  The city of Gaspé, with a population of 16,517 in 1996, is located on the bay bearing the same name.  The name, Gaspé, also extends to an entire region known as the Gaspé Peninsula, or Gaspésie.  The city of Gaspé is now one of Québec’s largest municipalities in area following the merging of twelve neighboring localities between Anse-à-Valleau and Pointe-St-Pierre in 1971.

            The Mi’kmaq Indians who occupied the Gaspé peninsula when the first Europeans arrived, called it “Gespeg,” which means “the place where the land ends.”  The Mi’kmaq who inhabited the peninsula are sometimes called “the Indians of the Sea” and were noted for their fishing skills and their distinctive birch bark canoes that were capable of crossing open water.  The Gaspé peninsula is surrounded by the Saint Lawrence River, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and Chaleur Bay.  The Gaspesian Mi’kmaq were the first documented Native Americans in the area to make contact with Europeans.  When Jacques Cartier sailed into the Baie de Gaspé in 1534, he was greeted by Mi’kmaq people waving beaver furs and speaking in pidgin Basque.  They had apparently experienced contact with Europeans prior to Jacques Cartier’s visit.

            The city of Gaspé is one of the oldest settlements in North America.  On July 24, 1534, Jacques Cartier officially took possession of Canada on behalf of the king of France and placed a cross at this location. It quickly became a fishing port and supply center for New France. Gaspé was the site of several incidents between the English and the French between 1628 and 1760. English troops burned the village in 1690 and built a fort there just before the Conquest. Following the American Revolution, many loyalists settled the area. Since that time, however, the population of Gaspé has been mostly francophone.

            Cod and salmon fishing dominated the economy for many years, but today forestry, trade, and tourism play a large role. In 1976, a regional history and folklore museum opened, and a nearby monument commemorates the arrival of Cartier. Also, Forillon National Park was established across the Baie de Gaspé.

REFERENCES:  The Canadian Encyclopedia by McClelland & Steward, 2000 Edition

http://www.great-adventures.com/destinations/canada/gaspe.html

Map of Québec by JDM Géo Inc., MAPMedia Corp. Edition 2002; www.mapart.com

 

Canadian Association of Social Work (Amanda Vogt, 2006)

The Canadian Association of Social Workers represents all of Canada’s professional social workers. It began in 1926 to help monitor employment and create standards for practice in social work. The association has a board of directors that oversees social workers and that is in charge of financial policies. Every province/territorial organization has one member in the board. This helps assure that many Canadians are heard. The board of directors works on both national and international levels for the benefit of the social work profession.

The CASW is also involved with the International Federation of Social Workers, which provides leadership within the North American Region. Canada is well recognized within the International Federation in matters of social justice and social advocacy. Nationally, Canada has been pro-active in its approach to social policy.

The CASW has three main goals: to advance social justice, to strengthen and promote the social work profession, and to support the regulatory and non-regulatory work of member organizations. The board and its members created a Code of Ethics that every professional social worker must follow.

 

 

Michaelle Jean (Ashley Janotta. 2006)

           

Michaelle Jean was born on September 6, 1957, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She was named Governor General of Canada by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005 and was recommended by Prime Minister Paul Martin. Mrs. Jean replaced Adrienne Clarkson and became the 27th Governor General of Canada since confederation in 1867. As the current Governor General, she is entitled to be addressed as her Excellency while in office. She also is entitled to be addressed as Right Honourable for life. She will be sworn into the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada when her term as the Queen’s representative has ended. An announcement of her appointment was made on August 4, 2005 and her investiture started on September 27. Before being named Governor General, Michaelle Jean was a journalist and broadcaster on Radio-Canada and the CBC. She is the first person of Afro-Caribbean heritage the second immigrant and the third woman to have served as Governor General.

To learn more about Michaelle Jean go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micha%C3%ABlle_Jean

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/08/03/gg050803.html

http://www.gg.ca/gg/bio/index_e.asp

 

 

Pierre Trudeau (Ashley Janotta, 2006)

           

Pierre Elliott Trudeau was born on October 18, 1919. He became the fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada, serving from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979 and from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984. Mr. Trudeau was a compelling figure who dominated the Canadian political scene from the late 1960’s to the mid 80’s. “He haunts us still,” says Christina McCall and Stephen Clarkson, his biographers. Admirers praised his intelligence and saluted his political brilliance. He is responsible for bringing the Charter of Rights and Freedoms into the Government and for unifying the nation. Some feel that Trudeau had poor administrative practices, that he was arrogant, and that he didn’t understand Canada outside of Quebec. His economic policies increased the national debt and he was criticized for increasing the sense of political alienation in western provinces. These detractors are few and far apart, however. Most people would say that Trudeau was the towering figure who redefined Canada and who led his country through some of the most chaotic times in its history. He was known for his flamboyance; he dated celebrities and sometimes wore sandals or a buckskin jacket in the House of Commons. He was also known to use obscenities during debates and it is rumored that he once did a pirouette behind Queen Elizabeth II. He was a great man who helped define Canada. Having patriated the Charter of Rights, he allowed Canada to truly became its own nation. He died on September 28, 2000, but his presence still haunts the people of Canada.

To learn more about Pierre Trudeau go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Trudeau

http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/top_ten/nominee/trudeau-pierre.html

http://www.canadahistory.com/sections/politics/Pierre_Trudeau.htm

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/primeministers/h4-3375-e.html

 

John Alexander Macdonald (Ashley Janotta)

           

John A. Macdonald was the first Prime Minister of Canada, serving from July 1, 1867 to November 5, 1873 and again from October 17, 1878 to June 6, 1891. He was born on January 11, 1815 in Glasgow, Scotland. His parents were Hugh Macdonald, a merchant of questionable success in Scotland, and his wife, Helen, whom he met in 1811. A business failure led the elder MacDonald to move with his family to Kingston, Upper Canada in 1820. The family emigrated with many others who were seeking affordable land and promises of prosperity. Indeed, Hugh MacDonald found success there and his son was educated in the finest schools. The latter became a lawyer in 1834 and set up a law practice in Kingston. He married his half second cousin, Isabella Clark; they had two children: John Alexander, who died at 13 month old, and Hugh John, who was raised by Margaret, Macdonald’s sister. Isabella died in 1857 and their son Hugh John went on to become the premier of Manitoba. Ten years later at the age of 52, Macdonald married Susan Agnes Bernard. John A. Macdonald’s greatest legacy was to become one of the Fathers of the Canadian Confederation, a role that defined the path that his nation follows  today.  

To learn more about John Alexander Macdonald go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Macdonald

http://www.macdonald.egate.net/sirjohn/sir.html

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/primeministers/h4-3025-e.html

http://www3.sympatico.ca/goweezer/canada/macdonald.htm

 

 

Meech Lake Accord (Julie Corriveau, 2006)

The Meech Lake Accord of 1987 was an attempt to recognize Québec as a “distinct society” within Canada. The amendments negotiated at Meech Lake would have changed the newly repatriated constitution for that very purpose. The principle negotiators of the Québec question were the leader of Canada’s Progressive Conservative government, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the leader of Québec’s Liberal government, Premier Robert Bourassa. The agreement contained other provisions that many provinces wanted to be adopted: the restoration of Constitutional Veto, an increase in provincial power, provincial opinion in appointing Supreme Court judges, for example. Several representatives, however, had reservations about the “distinct society” provision and public opinion drifted away from the agreement within a couple of years (1987-1990) until Newfoundland and Manitoba refused to approve it, making ratification impossible.  The failure of the amendment kept alive the Québec separatist movement.

http://www.mta.ca/faculty/arts/canadian_studies/english/about/study_guide/debates/meech_lake.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meech_Lake_Accord

 

Canadian Arctic Archipelago (Ross Myers, 2006)

            The Canadian Arctic Archipelago, also known as the Arctic Archipelago, is a cluster of islands north of the Canadian mainland in the Artic region.  It covers about 1,424,500 km and contains 36,563 islands, including three of the world’s ten largest islands. These comprise much of the territory of Northern Canada, most of Nunavut and part of the Northwest Territories.

           

          Besides Greenland, the archipelago is the world’s largest high-arctic land area.  The islands have an arctic climate and their terrain consists of tundra except in the mountainous regions. Most of the islands are uninhabited. Human settlements are small and spread out; Inuit settlements are mostly on the southern islands.

 

Emigrant Female Workers (Shannon Trahan, 2006)

A large number of French-Canadians immigrated to the United States from 1865 to 1930. Most left Canada to earn enough money as fast as possible to pay off debts and to their return native land to start a new life. However, large numbers ended up staying in the United States rather than returning to Canada. Single women were among the first wave to head south to northeastern United States. They were particularly sought after for work in the textile industry. Unmarried women worked full days and many would only stop working when they were married if heir spouse wanted them to stay at home.

Generally, however, married women worked as well and actually sent their children to work in the mills and factories as well at a very early age. In some cases, families lied about their children's ages so that they could begin working sooner. The wages were low and the hours were long, the working conditions were hazardous as equipment failures resulted in lost limbs, the noise level was such that it would affect the hearing of many, and the environment was unsanitary; diseases would spread unchecked through the mill. At the end of every day, the money earned by each member of the household would go directly to sustaining the family and its needs.

For additional information:

http://dll.umaine.edu/historytrail/site37.html

http://www.fawi.net/