9 for 10 - Canadian Cities & Towns Quiz

Answer: Victoria

Victoria is the capital city of the province of British Columbia and has been an incorporated city since 1862. It is classified as the southernmost major city in Western Canada and is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest. It is often referred to as "The Garden City" as the foliage within the city is pristine year round.

Many buildings throughout the city are lined with hanging baskets and have flower pots lined on their walkways. Just outside of Victoria is a popular tourist attraction called Butchart Gardens that has been designated as a National Historic Site in Canada since 2004. Once the site of a cement plant, it was converted to a tea garden in 1907 by Japanese designer Isaburo Kishida. Today, Butchart Gardens receives over one million visitors per year to see the wide assortment of flowers, a bird sanctuary, and several bronze statues that can be found on site.

Answer: Almonte

Almonte, Ontario is a former mill town that is found in Lanark County. During the 1800s and early 1900s, Almonte thrived in the textile industry, most notably seven woolen mills established by Messers B & W Rosamond. The last textile mills were closed in the 1980s and in present times, Almonte does not have any dominant industries.

Almonte is home to two National Historical Sites, the former Almonte post office and the Rosamund Woolen Mill. Almonte also has several historical sites and museums for visitors including the Mississippi Valley Museum and the home of James Naismith. In 1942, Almonte was the site of a large train collision that killed thirty-nine people. A passenger train stopped at the station was rear ended by a troop train. The accident was attributed to poor weather conditions and reduced visibility. Sadly and tragically, the conductor John Howard of the troop train who was never deemed at fault for the collision, drowned himself in the Rideau River shortly after the accident.

Answer: Nain

In 1771, Nain was established as a Moravian mission by Danish missionary Jens Haven. Today, it is one of the oldest permanent Inuit settlements in all of Canada. Geographically, Nain has very harsh weather and climate averaging a daily temperature that is less than 0 degrees Celsius for the year.

In the 1970s, anorthosite (an igneous rock) was discovered in the Nain Plutonic Suite and researchers have been reexamining properties of rock properties in the region since. This unusual rock is notable for an optical effect known as "labradorescence". Today, Nain is predominantly a traditional community of hunting, fishing, and trapping. Transportation in and out of the community must be done either by airplane or by ferry as there is no road access.

Answer: Carman

Carman, Manitoba is situated just 60 kilometers north of the United States border with North Dakota. It is located within a large agricultural belt noted for livestock and grain production. Each year in July, Carman hosts the Carman Country Fair, one of the oldest running fairs in Manitoba.

The Carman Country Fair is a three day event that consists of various baking competitions, livestock shows, and craft and lumberjack events. It is also host to various arts and cultural festivals including the Carman Fiddle Festival and the Tempo Festival of the Arts.

The Sonatrice Singers, one of the longest running choral choirs in Manitoba, performs out of Carman every year.

Answer: Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital city of Canada and is the national headquarters for many federal departments. It is the site of Canada's Parliament Hill where the Canadian Prime Minister and cabinet sit and is also the home to the Supreme Court of Canada (the highest court in the nation).

The primary industry in Ottawa is the high-tech industry and the public services. Many popular companies have headquarters or locations in Ottawa including Nortel, 3M, Bell Canada, and Hewlett-Packard. Along with these industries is a heavy focus on research and health.

Health Canada and Statistics Canada are located in Ottawa to help better understand Canada's population, economy, and health issues.

Answer: Uranium City

During the 1930s, major development in mining in Northern Saskatchewan was taking place, but very few locations proved to be profitable. At this time, there became a large demand for uranium due to the prospects of medical use to treat cancer. Various communities within a small radius in Northwestern Saskatchewan were established to mine uranium in the area. During the Second World War, uranium became a high priority for military purposes.

These communities included Eldorado, Gunnar, and the largest site, Uranium City.

By the 1950s and 1960s, these communities consisted of five schools, a theatre, curling club, bowling alley, a hotel, and various churches (Catholic, United, and Evangelical congregations). Like many mining towns, however, Uranium City and surrounding towns suffered from the "boom and bust" cycle.

Many mines in the area could no longer produce as their reserves became exhausted while others suffered because contracts from other mines could no longer be fulfilled. The closure of most remaining mines occurred in June 1982 leading to a complete economic collapse and the majority of community residents leaving to find work elsewhere. By 2003, the local hospital closed after the population dropped below 300 residents.

Answer: Vegreville

A pysanka is a large Ukrainian Easter Egg. These eggs typically have colourful designs drawn on them using a wax-resistant method to prevent discoloration. The pysanka in Vegreville is the largest known pysanka in Canada measuring three and a half stories high and weighing over 5000 lbs.

The egg represents the large Ukrainian population that resides in Vegreville and was dedicated as a tribute to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for the 100th anniversary of their establishment as a police force, in 1975.

Answer: Edmundston

Edmundston is a city situated in northern New Brunswick on the edge of the New Brunswick panhandle. The city economically has focused on the pulp and paper industry since the mid 1800s when at the time it began as a small logging settlement. When boundary disputes with the United States were common in the 1800s, the Edmundston area was one area of focus between the USA and British North America.

The Aroostook War (also known as the Pork and Beans War) was a battle that began to establish the boundaries between the state of Maine and the current province of New Brunswick. Strangely, this battle saw very little (if any) direct combat.

As neither the United States or British North America wanted a disruption as trade partners, the war was brought to an end.

In 1842, the Webster-Ashburton Treaty went into effect to establish the boundaries of New Brunswick, Maine, and other US/Canada boundary control areas such as Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Michigan.

Answer: Regina

Regina, Saskatchewan was founded in 1882 just prior to the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway through central Canada. Initially, the city was named "Pile of Bones" due to the large number of buffalo bones found within the region. It was renamed "Regina" after Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll chose to name the city after her mother, the Queen. Throughout its history, the city of Regina has been subject to many famous historical events including the trial and execution of Louis Riel, the Regina Cyclone of 1912, and the Regina Riot during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

In modern times, Regina is an industrial and agricultural city that focuses on steel, manufacturing, and agribusiness. Oil, gas, and potash mining in the surrounding area provide jobs in the primary sector.

Answer: Vancouver

The city of Vancouver, British Columbia is a seaport along the coast if the Pacific Ocean. When it was founded in 1870, it was known as "Granville" and then from 1867-1886, it was called "Gastown". In 1886, the name was changed to "Vancouver" for business purposes as the people in Toronto and Montreal knew where Vancouver Island was, but did not know where Granville or Gastown were. In 1886, Vancouver was hit with a large fire that resulted in many deaths and over a million dollars in damages. At the time, there was only one constable in the city and the resulting fire forced the creation of a police force in the city.

Today, Vancouver is the largest city in the province of British Columbia and is home to three professional sports teams. These teams include the Vancouver Canucks (National Hockey League), Vancouver Whitecaps (Major League Soccer), and the B.C. Lions (Canadian Football League). It boasts a heavy arts and culture scene, specifically in the film making industry. Television shows such as the "X-Files", "Millennium", and "Smallville" were set in locations around Vancouver and British Columbia. Many musicians and bands have made their mark in the Vancouver area including Bryan Adams, 54-40, Carly Rae Jepson, Chilliwack, and Spirit of the West.