A Few Good Canadians Trivia Quiz

Answer: Celine Dion

Born on March 30th, 1968, in Charlemagne, Quebec, Celine Dion has gone on to become one of the best-selling female artists, with the song 'My Heart Will go On' from the Titanic soundtrack becoming her signature song. Born to impoverished parents, she began to sing at an early age and became a sensation in French in Quebec.

It was not until the early 1990s that she broke onto the English music scene with her album 'Unison'. Quebec is the home to the majority of French-speaking Canadians, with its capital as Quebec City. Bienvenu au Canada!

Answer: Ontario

Shania Twain grew up in Timmins Ontario, and led a difficult childhood, with not a lot of money in her household. Her parents died in a car crash when she was 22, leaving it up to her to care for her younger siblings. After being discovered and taken to Nashville to make a record, her album 'The Woman in Me' made waves, not only for her hit singles such as 'Any Man of Mine' or 'If You're Not in it for Love, I'm Outta Here'; but also for her music videos which showed her bare midriff.

Her next album, 'Come on Over' became a huge hit, sporting such songs as 'Man I feel Like a Woman', and 'That Don't Impress Me Much'. An interesting side note: Shania Twain helped Avril Lavigne start her career, by performing a duet with her, after she won a radio contest. Ontario is the most populous province in Canada, containing both the country's capital (Ottawa), and the largest city (Toronto).

It is also my home province!

Answer: Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1934 to a Jewish family of Polish descent. His first book of poetry was published while he was still an undergraduate at McGill university, and he went on to write many more books of poetry, and novels, such as 'Beautiful Losers'. One of his most famous songs is 'Hallelujah', which was featured in 'Shrek', though sung by John Cale and Rufus Wainwright on the album. Leonard has received many high honors, including two Juno awards, and being inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Answer: Stanley Ipkiss

James Eugene Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, in 1962, and has become famous for his memorable roles in 'The Mask', 'Dumb and Dumber' and 'Liar, Liar'. He was one of the hilarious comedians on 'In Living Color', and has won two golden globes. Some of his more famous character roles include Count Olaf from 'A Series of Unfortunate Events', and the Grinch from 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'.

Answer: Nelly Furtado

Nelly Furtado was born in British Columbia's capital, Victoria, in 1978. She was raised in a Roman Catholic Portuguese-Canadian household, and still upholds many of her religious beliefs. Her first hit single 'I'm like a Bird' received international success, and her latest album 'Loose' has been a huge hit, spawning songs such as 'Promiscuous' and 'Say it Right'.

She is the happy mother of her daughter, Nevis. British Columbia is the most western province of Canada, and is home to the beautiful Rocky Mountain Range.

Answer: Manitoba

Burton Cummings was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba's provincal capital. His most famous musical works were with the band 'The Guess Who', who had many hit singles in the late sixties on into the seventies. Their first number one, in both Canada and the United States was 'American Woman', a song about American society and military.

He left the the band in 1975, and released solo albums, which did well on the Canadian charts, sporting songs such as 'Stand Tall' and 'Break it to Them Gently'. Manitoba is located beside Ontario, and is home to the polar bear capital of the world, Churchill.

Answer: Anne of Green Gables

Probably the most famous person to come out of Canada's smallest province, Lucy Maud Montgomery was born in 1874, in what was then called Clifton (now New London). She received her teaching degree at Prince of Wales college before she began to write her novels and later was married.

Her most famous novel 'Anne of Green Gables'(1908) tells the story of the red-headed orphan girl, Anne Shirley, who learned at a young age to escape from her daily world by dreaming. 'Emily of New Moon' was published in 1923; 'Jane of Lantern Hill' in 1937, and 'Pat of Silver Bush' in 1932. Prince Edward Island has its capital as Charlottetown, and is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Answer: Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson was born in Ladysmith, British Columbia. She became a model after being discovered at a football game, and went on to become the 1990 Playboy playmate. She has had a regular spot on such shows as 'Home Improvement', 'Baywatch', and 'VIP', and is an active supporter of the animal rights group PETA.

Her marriages to Tommy Lee and Kid Rock have put her even more into the spotlight, and she has been known as a sex symbol for close to two decades.

Answer: The Great One

Wayne Gretzky was born in Brantford, Ontario in 1961. He played on the Edmonton Oilers as they fought their way to four Stanley Cup victories, has set 40 regular-season records, and has four times scored over 200 points in a season. He retired from the sport in 1999 along with his jersey number 99, and has gone on to coach the Phoenix Coyotes. 'The Rocket' was the nickname of Maurice Richard, and the other two I made up.

Answer: Sarah McLachlan

Sarah was born in 1968 in the provincial capital Halifax. She has become famous for her beautiful melodic songs and soft yet powerful lyrics. Some of her greatest hits include 'Angel', 'I Will Remember You', and 'Building a Mystery'. She was the founder of Lilith Fair, a showcase of female talent, and has been a part of many charitable organizations. Nova Scotia was one of the original four provinces in Canada to join the British North America Act, Canada's act of confederation.