dreaming the st. roch

Today I got the notice in the mail directing me to show up and swear the citizenship oath, so it would seem I've finally seen the end of this journey.

I've no reason not to keep this weblog up to date, and will continue to do so to the best of my ability. If you know of a particularly good resource that you think should be linked from here, please let me know. And of course, if I've got anything wrong, or if my information is out of date, I want to know that as well so I can correct it.

Again, best of luck to all applicants!

24 February 2009

Updated links, statistics. Verified notes against current online edition of A Look At Canada.

21 March 2004

Looks like Mr Harper officially has the helm of the Conservative Party.

5 March 2004

Corrected and updated the Elected Representatives entry. (many thanks to a sharp-eyed reader!)

15 November 2003

With the election this week of a new leader of the Liberal party, I've updated the Elected Representatives entry to reflect Paul Martin rather than Jean Chrétien.

Also, if anyone has any questions or comments about this weblog or the information in it, please feel free to email me using the link on the side (the one that says EMAIL PERICAT). It's URL-encoded as a spam-prevention method, which is also why I've disabled commenting.

I took the test last month on schedule, but have not yet received my results. Seemed to go just fine, though. Best of luck to everyone else out there!

I'm seeing a lot of searches in the logs that are for information I never pulled together, such as the names of various provincial/territorial officials not in BC.

If you need to know those kinds of details about a province or territory other than BC, scroll down till you see the entries with little maps. The thumbnail maps will each open a bigger map. Below them are little flags, which link to pages maintained by some arm of the feds, and which give a short history and description of that province or territory.

Under the flags is the name of the province/territory, and that name links to its own website. Between these three, you should be able to get close to the information you need. If you're a student, good luck on your papers, and remember to cite your sources.

To register as a new voter, you can:

• Visit your local Government Agent office
• Visit the Elections BC Victoria office
• Download the Application for Registration as a Provincial Voter

Once you have fully completed and signed your application form, forward it to Elections BC by:

(Source: Elections BC)

Qualifications for resident electors

• Canadian citizen
• 18 years old on voting day
• have lived in BC for at least 6 months prior to registering
• have lived in municipality at least 30 days prior to registering

Additionally, one can vote in a local election as a non-resident elector if one does not live there but has owned property there for at least 30 days prior to registering to vote.

Local elections are held every three years. General voting day is always the third Saturday in November.

Additional elections -- known as by-elections -- may be called at other times to fill vacancies.

(source: BC Government>Ministries & Organizations>Community Development>Local Government>2008 Voter's Guide)

Repeat after the presiding officer:

I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen.

p40

Canadian rights & responsibilities based on Canadian laws, traditions, and shared values.

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (adopted in 1982) legally defines and protects the basic rights and freedoms of everyone in Canada.

Partial list of fundamental rights:

• legal rights (ex: fair trial)
• equality rights (ex: protection from discrimination)
• mobility rights (ex: live and work anywhere in Canada)
• Aboriginal peoples' rights

Partial list of fundamental freedoms

• thought
• speech
• religion
• peaceful assembly

Individuals and governments both must protect and respect the rights and freedoms of all Canadians. From time to time, the courts interpret the Charter to ensure it is being applied fairly in all situations.

Citizenship Rights

• stand as candidates in federal, provincial and territorial elections
• be educated in either official language
• apply for a Canadian passport
• vote in federal and provincial or territorial elections
• enter and leave Canada freely

Citizenship Responsibilities

• vote in elections
• help others in the community
• care for and protect our heritage and environment
• obey Canada's laws
• express opinions freely but respect rights & freedoms of others
• eliminate discrimination and injustice

Getting involved in Canada

Being a citizen is more than just voting and obeying laws.

• join a community group
• volunteer to work on an election campaign
• help neighbours
• work with others to resolve community issues
• become a candidate in an election

pp38-39

Canadian justice system guarantees everyone has legal rights, equality under the law, and equal access to the justice system.

The Laws

Made by elected government representatives.

Enforced by the police and the courts.

Canadian rights and freedoms are protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Some Rights & Freedoms:

• fundamental freedoms: religion, thought, belief, opinion, expression
• legal rights: life, liberty, security of one's person
• equality under the law: all have an equal right to the protection and services of the police and courts

Legal help handled by lawyers. Lawyers can act for you in court. Legal aid available free or at low cost in most communities.

p37

Canadians vote in elections for the people they want to represent them in the House of Commons.

Elections must be held within five years of the last election.

Electoral Districts

Canada is divided geographically into 308 electoral districts. Each district elects one Member of the House of Commons as their representative.

The term for people who run for office is candidates. The candidate who receives the most votes wins the election, and will act as the representative of all the people in the district, including those who voted for someone else.

A prospective candidate for federal office must be at least 18 years old and a Canadian citizen.

Duties of an MP

• represent constituents' ideas when new laws are proposed
• ask questions of the federal government on behalf of constituents
• help constituents who need help from the federal government or who have any problems with the federal government

How to Contact Your MP

1. Look for Government of Canada in blue pages of phone book.
2. Find Information on the Government of Canada toll-free number.
3. Give own address to person at other end. Get back name and telephone number of MP for that district.

Via Elections Canada:

• Call Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868.
• Browse Elections Canada website (www.elections.ca).

Via snail mail:

House of Commons

[Name of Member of House of Commons]

Ottawa, Ontario

K1A 0A6

Letters to the House of Commons do not need to be stamped.

Political Parties

A political party is a group of people who share ideas about how the government should work. Some have been around a long time, some not. Canadians can start a new one any time they want.

A political party's party platform details its plans for what the government will do if that party ever forms a government. Platforms are the result of endless meetings where people shout and argue and eat canapés and eventually come to agreement on what they, as a group, stand for.

Political Party Activities

• decide on platform
• choose the party leader
• choose the party's candidates
• campaign for those candidates in elections

Not all candidates belong to political parties. Those that do not are called independents.

Voting

Voting is both a privilege and a responsibility of citizenship. Elections Canada is the agency of Parliament responsible for conducting federal elections and referendums.

Eligibility to Vote

• Canadian citizen
• at least 18 years old on voting day
• on the voters list

Voters list produced from the National Register of Electors, which database contains the name, address, sex, DOB of each elector. Database maintained by Elections Canada.

Adding Your Name to the Voters List

• check box on citizenship application form
• check box on federal income tax form
• contact Elections Canada directly

When an election is called, Elections Canada mails a voter information card to each elector on the voters list. This card tells the voter where and when to vote, and if special services are needed, how to arrange for them.

How to Vote

1. Go to the polling station on the information card.
2. Prove your identity in one of three ways
3. Get ballot from election officer.
4. The ballot lists the names of candidates (in alphabetical order) in your electoral district. Mark ballot. Put an X mark in the circle next to the name of your choice.
5. Fold the ballot. By law, votes are secret.
6. Give folded ballot to the elections officer.
7. The officer will tear off the ballot number and return the ballot to you.
8. Put the ballot in the ballot box.

You may choose to discuss your vote with others, however, no one can compel you to say how you voted.

Once the polling stations close, election officers count the ballots, and results are announced via the usual media outlets (newspapers, radio, TV), as well as on Elections Canada's website.

After the Election

The Government

The party with the most elected representatives becomes the party in power. The leader of this party becomes the Prime Minister. The PM and the party in power run the government as long as they have the support of a majority of the members in the House of Commons

Cabinet ministers are chosen by the PM. They are responsible for running various federal government departments. Together, the PM and the Cabinet ministers are called the Cabinet. They propose most of the new laws, and their decisions can be questioned by the whole of the House of Commons.

If the majority of the House of Commons votes against a major government decision, the party in power is defeated and the PM must resign. A new election is normally held.

The Opposition

The parties not in power are called opposition parties. The one with the most members is the official opposition. The role of the opposition parties is to oppose or try to improve government proposals.

pp32-36

Federal Government

Head of State: the representative of the Queen for all Canada is the Governor General: Michaëlle Jean

Head of government in power: the Prime Minister is Stephen Harper

The party in power is the Conservative Party

The leader of the opposition is Michael Ignatieff

The official opposition is the Liberal Party

The other opposition parties and leaders are:

• New Democratic Party, Jack Layton
• Bloc Québécois, Gilles Duceppe

My member of Parliament (MP) in Ottawa is: Jean Crowder

My federal electoral district is Nanaimo—Cowichan

Provincial Government

Head of State: the representative of the Queen for my province is the Lieutenant Governor: Steven L. Point

Head of the government: the Premier is Gordon Campbell

The provincial party in power is the Liberal Party

The provincial opposition parties and leaders are:

• New Democratic Party, Carole James

My provincial representative is Leonard Krog

Municipal Government

The name of the municipality where I live is Gabriola

The head of the municipal government (mayor or reeve) is Islands Trust

p31

Levels

• federal
• provincial (territorial)
• municipal (local)

The responsibilities of the federal and provincial governments were first defined in 1867 in the British North American Act.

Federal Responsibilities

• national defense
• foreign policy
• citizenship

Provincial/Territorial Responsibilities

• education
• health care
• highways

Municipal (local) Responsibilities

• policing
• firefighting
• snow removal
• recycling programs

The Parliament of Canada

Canada is a parliamentary democracy. (Forsey and others maintain it is a constitutional monarchy. Some agendas may need to be re-hemmed here.)

Breakdown

• The Queen
• House of Commons
• Senate

The Queen is the Head of State, and the Governor-General is her representative.

Members of Parliament are elected representatives of the common people. They form the House of Commons.

Senators are chosen by the Prime Minister and appointed by the Governor-General.

The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party with the most elected MPs sitting in the House of Commons.

Making Laws

Proposed legislation is called a bill. Bills must be formally read and studied a set number of times, then approved by majority vote of both House and Senate, and then approved by the Governor-General.

Other Levels of Government

Each provincial & territorial government has an elected legislature known as one of the following:

• Legislative Assembly (MLA)
• National Assembly (MNA)
• Provincial Parliament (MPP)
• House of Assembly (MHA)

(in the above, 'M' stands for 'Member'.)

British Columbia has a Legislative Assembly.

Municipal

Laws created by municipal govenments are known as by-laws and affect only the local community.

Municipal governments typically consist of a Mayor and Town Council.

p29-30

Territories

• Yukon Territory
• Northwest Territories
• Nunavut

The North covers more than 1/3 of Canada.

The Canadian government is responsible for the territories, but elected legislatures make most of the decisions.

On April 1st, 1999, the Northwest Territories voted to spin off Nunavut as a separate entity.

The People

Aboriginals have lived in the North for thousands of years. Traditional activities include hunting, trapping, fishing.

Aboriginal people make up about half of the population of the North. Several of the Aboriginal languages have been given legal recognition in the region.

Through recent progress in land claims settlements and self-government agreements, First Nations people have gained greater control over their land and decisions that affect them.

The Economy

Late 1600s: fur trade. The Hudson's Bay Company controlled the northern lands and the fur trade for 300 years.

Aside from hunting, fishing & trapping, mining and oil & gas exploration are large parts of the northern economy.

European miners first came to the Yukon during the Gold Rush of the late 1800s. There are still gold, zinc and diamond mines being worked today.

Inuit art: prints, soapstone carvings sold throughout the world, giving rise to coop businesses for making and marketing arts and crafts.

Tourism: growing.

Ecosystem extremely fragile.

The Climate

The Land of the Midnight Sun. In winter, the sun disappears for three months.

Yukon holds the Canadian record for coldest recorded temperature: -63° C.

Most of the land is tundra; no trees, and the ground is permanently frozen.

Population:

• Nunavut: 31,000
• Northwest Territories: 42,500
• Yukon Territory: 31,000

Total Population: 105,000

pp 27-28

Province

• British Columbia

Three major mountain ranges in BC:

• Rocky Mountains
• Columbia Mountains
• Coast Mountains

The People

First Nations lived here for thousands of years prior to the coming of Europeans. Evolved many customs, traditions, dialects. Developed also a unique form of art: totem poles. First Nations art from BC typically uses natural subjects, such as salmon, bears, ravens, eagles, whales, and the final pieces are highly stylized and much prized around the world.

Europeans first settled in BC in the early 1800s, following the fur trade west.

In the late 1800s, when the railroad went through, large number of Chinese railway workers also settled here, creating the largest Asian population in Canada. 1/3 of British Columbians are of Chinese descent.

The Economy

Rich natural resources have always been important to the BC economy.

forestry

• lumber
• newsprint
• pulp & paper products

Mining is also important.

Tourists come to be overawed by the spectacular scenery and also to fish, hunt, hike, camp and ski.

British Columbia is Canada's second largest source of hydroelectric power. We get a lot of rain rushing down off the mountainsides.

Fishing still a valuable industry on the coast, despite the "downturn in the salmon fishery", and the Okanagan Valley, between the Coast and the Rocky mountain ranges, is known for fruit orchards and wine vinyards.

Vancouver is the third largest city in Canada, and provides important shipping and air links to other countries across the Pacific Ocean. The second largest Chinese community in North America lives in Vancouver.

Population: 4.4 million

pp 25-26

Provinces:

• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta

The Prairie Provinces are known for fertile agricultural land and valuable energy resources.

The Prairies

Flat plains covering much of southern central Canada. Once grassland, now farms and ranches. Few trees, rich soil. Northern and western areas more hills, valleys, rivers. Along the western edge of Alberta, the prairies gradually rise to meet the Rocky Mountains on the border between Alberta and British Columbia.

People

First Nations, and later Métis, lived and worked on the Prairies as traders, suppliers and guides and interpreters. Early Europeans mostly French fur traders.

The railway was built in the early 1800s, enabling serious immigration westward. In the early 1900s, about 3 million people came in from Britain and Europe.

Economy

About 1/2 of Canada's energy comes from natural gas and oil reserves, of which Alberta is the major producer. Alberta also mines coal.

Saskatchewan: oil, gas, uranium, potash.

Manitoba: hydroelectric supplier for Prairie region. Land of a Hundred Thousand Lakes. Looks pretty darn wet on the map.

Most everyone in the Prairie region works in service industries:

• business & financial services
• transportation
• tourism
• retail
• health & education

Farming & Ranching

Manitoba: heavy rainfall nets wide variety of grain crops.

Saskatchewan: leading wheat producer of Canada.

Alberta: leading producer of beef cattle and feed grain production.

Manufacturing

Manitoba: food, transportation equipment, metal products, electrical goods, clothing.

Saskatchewan: some sort of manufacturing. Forestry & mining, too.

Alberta: food & beverage processing.

Population:

• Manitoba: 1.2 million
• Saskatchewan: 1 million
• Alberta: 3.4 million

Total Population: 5.6 million

pp 23-24

Provinces:

• Ontario
• Quebec

Over half of all Canadians live in southern Quebec and Ontario.

Central Canada is the industrial and manufacturing heartland of Canada

The Great Lakes:

• Lake Ontario
• Lake Erie
• Lake Huron
• Lake Michigan
• Lake Superior

The Great Lakes have been in use for thousands of years as trading routes, sources of food and water. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world.

Connected to the Atlantic via the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The Canadian Shield

Composed of the land in northern Quebec and Ontario, the Shield is a rock formation millions of years old. It is chock full of minerals, metals and iron ore.

On the surface, the Shield is covered by forests, which support Canada's major pulp and paper mills.

Industries enabled by the Shield include forestry, energy, mining (asbestos, gold, copper, silver, iron ore). Abundant freshwater resources means that Quebec is Canada's largest producer of hydroelectricity.

Quebec

First people to live in Quebec were First Nations and Inuit. Settlers from France established communities along the St. Lawrence River in the early 1600's. More than 3/4 of the people of Quebec speak French today, while approximately a third are bilingual. Quebec has the greatest number of bilingual Canadians.

Commercial Activities

Mostly Montréal region. Industries include manufacturing, space and aeronautics, energy, pharmaceuticals.

Farming

Lowlands on or near the St. Lawrence. Vegetables, fruit & feed crops, plus dairy farms. Largest dairy farmer in Canada

Quebec. 7.7 million people call it home.

Ontario

Ontario boasts the largest population of any Canadian province: over 12 million people. They don't all live in Toronto, it just looks that way.

Most Ontario residents speak English, but the French-speaking population is the largest outside of Quebec.

First people were the Algonquin and Iroquois nations. Later settlers from Europe given big boost by the influx of United Empire Loyalists. Waves of immigrants have been steady on since.

Industry

Ontario's economy is Canada's largest. Most people work in service or manufacturing sectors, including 130,000 in making automobiles alone.

• steel
• machinery
• metal
• plastic
• chemical products
• food

Ontario mines produce:

• nickel
• gold
• silver
• platinum
• uranium
• zinc
• copper

Ontario's forests produce:

• pulp
• lumber
• newsprint
• paper

Home to Niagara Falls. Tourism is Ontario's third largest industry

Farming

Southern Ontario and the Niagaran Peninsula produces fruit, dairy, beef, poultry, vegetable and grain crops.

Population of Central Canada: 20.5 million

pp 20-22

Provinces:

• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland & Labrador
• Prince Edward Island

First part of Canada to be visited by Europeans and later settled. First settlers were from France.

Early Europeans came to Atlantic Canada to fish and trade with Aboriginal peoples.

Later settlers worked in three main industries: farming, fishing, shipbuilding.

1605: First permanent European settlement: Port-Royal, on the Bay of Fundy in Acadia, later Nova Scotia. Founders: Samuel Champlain, Pierre de Monts and Baron Jean de Poutrincourt.

United Empire Loyalists were refugees from the American Revolutionary War, and included German, Swiss, Dutch, Italian, Jewish & African-American peoples, as well as English, Irish and Scottish. They resettled mainly in the Atlantic region.

New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province. About 1/3rd of NB's population speaks French as their first language.

Traditional Industries

• fishing
• farming
• forestry
• mining

Modern Developments

• information technology
• professional services
• advanced manufacturing
• aquaculture
• oil & gas exploration

Pigeonholing

• Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island: potatoes and fruit
• New Brunswick and Nova Scotia: extensive forests
• Newfoundland & Labrador: fishing, mining, oil & gas

Hibernia Oil Field, off the coast of NFL, is the fifth largest oil field in Canada.

Service industries employ more people than traditional industries.

Tourist Attractions

• spectacular scenery
• natural coastlines
• warm beaches
• world-class golf courses

Approximately 2.34 million people live in the Atlantic Region.

pp 18-19

(click thumbnail to see map)

Capitol: Ottawa, on the border between Quebec and Ontario.

Population: 33 million people

Size: 10 million square kilometres

Bounding Oceans

• Atlantic to the east
• Pacific to the west
• Arctic to the north

pp 16-17

The Aboriginal peoples were the first people to live in Canada.

Constitution Act of 1982 recognizes three main groups:

• First Nations
• Inuit
• Métis

Aboriginals make up about 3% of the total population.

The term "First Nations" came into use in the 1970's, replacing "Indian".

The Inuit live in the far North, in Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Northern Quebec and Labrador.

The Métis are descendents of the intermarriages of the French (and a few English) fur traders with First Nations women.

The British Government made a number of treaties with the Aboriginal peoples between 1701 and 1923, in exchange for land. The terms are still being negotiated and revised; this process is called land claims settlement. Nunavut was created as part of one of these settlements.

The Aboriginal peoples are working toward self government so that they can regain control over decisions that affect them and manage their own affairs.

pp 14-15

In 1535, two Aboriginal youths used the Huron-Iroquois word "kanata," which means "village" or "settlement," to tell Jacques Cartier the way to Stadacona (site of present-day Québec City). Cartier used "Canada" to refer not only to Stadacona, but also to the entire area subject to Donnacona, Chief at Stadacona.

The first used of "Canada" as an official name came in 1791 when the Constitutional Act divided Quebec into the provinces of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. In 1841, they were united to become the Province of Canada. At the time of Confederation, the new country took the name of Canada.

Confederation

On July 1st, 1867 the provinces below joined together to form the new country of Canada:

• Ontario
• Quebec
• New Brunswick
• Nova Scotia

This "joining together" event is known as Confederation. The anniversary of Confederation is celebrated as Canada Day.

Made official by the British North America Act of 1867.

Sir John A. MacDonald selected as the first Prime Minister.

Maple Leaf

• earliest known use: 1700.
• now on reverse of 1¢ coin.
• maple leaf flag adopted on February 15, 1965

beaver

appears on the reverse of the 5¢ coin.

Parliament Buildings

in Ottawa.

tower in centre known as Peace Tower. big one with the clock.

Constitution

The Constitution Act in 1982 gave the Canadian Parliament the right to change the Constitution without having to get the change approved by the British Parliament.

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms added to the Constitution in 1982.

The Queen

Still Head of State.

Governor-General is her representative in Canada.

Provincial representatives of the Queen are known as lieutenant governors

O Canada

O Canada! Our home and native land!

True patriot love in all thy sons command

With glowing hearts we see thee rise

The true North strong and free!

From far and wide, O Canada

We stand on guard for thee

God keep our land glorious and free!

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee

pp 12-13

Individual ways to help protect the environment and move toward sustainable development:

• throw trash in designated public containers
• compost, recycle, re-use
• conserve energy & water; turn off taps and lights when not in use.
• walk, bicycle, car-pool, public transportation
• use environmentally-friendly products
• plant trees, gardens; avoid chemicals
• support local groups dedicated to natural & cultural heritage

pp 10-11

All are free to maintain and share our cultural heritage and to participate fully and equally in our national life.

Official Languages: English and French. Both have equal status in Parliament, the courts and all federal business.

Natural Resource Industries

• forestry
• fishing
• agriculture
• mining
• energy

Manufacturing Industries

• paper
• technological equipment
• automobiles
• food
• clothing
• many other goods

Largest international trading partner: United States

Service Industries

• transportation
• education
• health care
• construction
• banking
• communications
• retail services
• government

Composed of 10 provinces and 3 territories.

pp 8-9