Naming a country is no small task. The name should evoke feelings of pride and strength and reflect the character of the land and its people. The explorer Jacques Cartier generally gets the credit for naming Canada; he documented the name in his journal, describing the “Kingdom of Canada” and noting that the entrance to [...]
“Throwing back his head he played for us, for the first time, the masterpiece of his genius – it was Calixa Lavallée; he played O Canada.”
There were celebrations that first day, July 1, 1867, for the new “Dominion of Canada.” But neither the date, nor the name nor the designation was a sure thing even a few months before. The celebrations were hardly a spontaneous public outpouring. After all, confederation had been strictly a political process that took place in [...]
A recent nationwide survey found that most Canadians believe that “learning more about the history of Canada” is the best way to strengthen attachment to their country. So, this Canada Day, The Canadian Encyclopedia and the Historica-Dominion Institute challenge you to test your knowledge of Canadian history with a Canada Day quiz. The usual suspects [...]
