Canada, by Category Trivia Quiz

Answer: Castor canadensis

The 'castor' in the beaver's name refers to oil-producing glands. The beaver smooths this oil on its coat, thus waterproofing it. So far as I can tell, it is not related to the castor oil which we used to take for an upset tummy (and nasty stuff it was!). This comes from the castor-oil plant, not from an animal at all.
'Cervus canadensis' is the scientific name for the wapiti, or North American elk; 'Ovis canadensis' is the bighorn sheep; and 'Tamiasciurus hudsonicus' is the red squirrel.

Answer: Red Deer

The modern city of Red Deer, with a population of around 75,000, has its origins in a trading post at the nearby Red Deer River Crossing. During the Riel rebellion, Fort Normandeau was established at the crossing, and it was later taken over as a NorthWest Mounted Police post. Eventually the city moved to its present site, a few kilometers from the original location.

Answer: Kiefer Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland's mother is actress Shirley Douglas, the daughter of Tommy Douglas, former Saskatchewan Premier and former leader of the federal NDP. His father is actor Donald Sutherland. Tommy Douglas died in 1986.

Answer: Sylvie Frechette

Sylvie Frechette won gold with the women's synchronized swim team in Barcelona, and silver in Atlanta.
"O" "...inspired by the concept of infinity and the elegance of its pure form...", is also, of course, the French word for water (eau) and the show is mostly water-based.

Answer: The Friendly Giant

"Look up, w-a-a-a-y up, and I'll call Rusty!" A recorder plays "Early One Morning", and we see a quiet countryside; farmhouses, fields and roads. We come to a big castle, and a giant hand lets down the drawbridge, opens the doors, and draws up the chairs before the fire. I can still remember the snatch of tune that whistles up Jerome the Giraffe, can't you?
Bob Homme's "The Friendly Giant" played weekday mornings on CBC from 1958 to 1985, and then continued for many years in reruns.

Answer: British Columbia

When BC entered Confederation in 1871, they were promised a railway linking them to the rest of Canada within ten years. Well, it took more than ten years, and at times it looked like it wouldn't happen at all, but the Last Spike was finally driven on November 7, 1885.

Answer: Baffin Island

Iqaluit sits at the mouth of Sylvia Grinnell River, which empties into Frobisher Bay. (Yes, 'Frobisher Bay' was the former name of the town).
Martin Frobisher was the first European in the area in 1576; he thought at first that he had found a strait that would lead to the NorthWest Passage.

Answer: Gabriel Dumont

The Second Riel Rebellion was a short lived affair, from the establishment of the Metis Provisional Government in Batoche in mid-March 1885, to the surrender of Big Bear on June 2. The Metis and Indians fought well, but were no match for the artillery and superior manpower of the Government forces.
Riel was hanged for his part in the Rebellion, and both Big Bear and Poundmaker were found guilty of treason and imprisoned. They both died soon after being released.

Answer: Trivial Pursuit

Players earn little plastic wedges to add to their 'pie' by answering trivia questions, on a variety of subjects. Since the original, there have been many versions of "Trivial Pursuit", from a "Baby Boomer" edition to a "Lord of the Rings" edition.
I still vividly remember my first game of "Trivial Pursuit", some time in the early '80's. Here, finally, was a game just made for me! I suspect that I'm not alone among FunTrivites in feeling that way.

Answer: Brad Fraser

Denys Arcand is best known for "Jesus de Montreal" and "The Decline and Fall of the American Empire". All the other choices are also Canadian playwrights.

Answer: The Love of a Good Woman

Alice Munro is a multiple Governor-General's-Award winning writer; she only works in the short-story form. Most of her stories are first published in the "New Yorker", before being gathered in book form. All the other book choices are novels by Margaret Laurence.

Answer: My American Cousin

"My American Cousin" is set on a BC ranch in 1959. 12 year old Sandy is captivated when her 17 year old cousin comes to stay, especially since he is that glamourous thing, an American!

Answer: red mud

"So when you see that big truck a rolling by
Wave your hand or kinda wink your eye.
Cause that's Bud the Spud from old PEI
With another big load of potatoes".
That's Stompin' Tom Connors, of course. If you've ever been to PEI, you'll see that it is indeed "bright red mud".

Answer: sports commentator

"Grapes'" comments can be heard on "Coach's Corner", during the first intermission of "Hockey Night in Canada". His views on everything from fighting to European players could be called, um, controversial. Cherry was fired from "Hockey Night in Canada" in 2019 for offensive remarks.

Answer: St. Marguerite d'Youville

The Grey Nuns specialize in health care and education, running many hospitals and schools in North America and worldwide.
St. Angela Merici founded the Ursuline order in 1535. St. Teresa d'Avila was a co-refounder of the Carmelite order, in the mid-1600's. Sr. Mary Elizabeth Gintling was the founder of the Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary in 1974.

Answer: University of Toronto

Banting had the original ideas that led to the discovery while working at the University of Western Ontario in London. There was not the space or facilities for the necessary research at Western, so Banting approached Dr. J.J.R. MacLeod for space at the U of T. Macleod was apparently not enthusiastic about the idea, but gave Banting a lab for the summer, and the use of an undergrad, Charles Best.

Answer: Beckie Scott

Beckie Scott originally won the bronze medal for the women's 5-kilometer cross country ski event in the 2002 Winter Olympics. The gold and silver winners, both Russians, later tested positive for drugs in another event. They were allowed to keep their medals because they had not tested positive for the 5K.

The silver medal winner, Larissa Lazutina, lost her medal when it was discovered that she had tested positive for a previous World Cup race, thus making her ineligible to enter the Olympics, and Beckie was awarded the silver.

The case of Olga Danilova's gold medal was taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and she was eventually stripped of her Olympic medals. Beckie Scott finally received her gold medal on June 25 2004, more than 2 years after the race.

Answer: The Beachcombers

Corny humour, unlikely plotlines, and magnificent scenery brought Canadians back to the Sunshine Coast every week for 19 years.

Answer: Baldur's Gate

They also produce "Neverwinter Nights", a computer game based in a "Dungeons and Dragons" universe.

Answer: Viking settlement

This park, on the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland, has the oldest traces of European settlement in North America. Thorfinn Karlsefin and Thovald Eriksson started this settlement sometime around 1000 AD. The first European child to be born in North America, Snorri Thorbrandsson, was born here.