Nineteenth Century Canada Trivia Quiz

Answer: Newspaper

Founded, as you might well have guessed, in Quebec, then in Lower Canada, the newspaper's principles and motto was 'Nos institutions, notre langue et nos droits'. Translated, this means 'our institutions, our language and our rights', and the paper supported the Parti Canadien who opposed English rule.

The newspaper's offices were raided in 1810 and the founders arrested on suspicion of plotting against the authorities.

Answer: Ghent

The war lasted from 1812 until 1815 and was fought between American forces and British forces, with the USA seen as the aggressor when President James Madison declared war in June 1812. The British were fighting the Napoleonic Wars at the same time, and viewed the 1812 war as an extension of this conflict.

The Treaty of Ghent brought the war to an end, with neither side gaining nor losing any territory.

Answer: King's College

King's College was set up after King George IV issued a charter for 'the education of youth'. The impetus came from the Anglican Bishop of Toronto, John Strachan, who became the first president of the institution. The name was formally changed to the University of Toronto in 1849.

Its alumni include politicians Lester B. Pearson and William Lyon Mackenzie King, Frederick Banting, the medical pioneer, and J. K. Galbraith, the economist.

Answer: Rideau Canal

The Rideau Canal provides a link from Ottawa to Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. It was originally built for military purposes, to guard against a feared invasion from the USA, which did not materialise. Its commercial use was shortlived, as the Saint Lawrence Seaway provided an easier direct route to the Great Lakes.

The Rideau Canal remained, and remains, in use for leisure purposes including boating and skating during the winter months.

Answer: Beer

The Labatt Brewing Company, to give the full name, was founded in London, Ontario, by John Kinder Labatt. Labatt was born in Ireland and initially worked as a farmer on his arrival in Canada in the 1830s. In the early twenty-first century, Labatt is the largest brewer in Canada, although it is no longer a wholly Canadian company.

Answer: Ottawa

Bytown was named for John By, a military engineer who worked on the construction of the Rideau Canal. The town was originally founded in 1826, and became the city of Ottawa in 1855. The name comes from the Algonquin language - the word 'adawe' means 'trade'. Ottawa was chosen to be Canada's capital city in 1857, by Queen Victoria.

Answer: British Columbia

Gold had been discovered in the region a little earlier, but the main influx of prospectors took place from 1861. The first major discovery was made by Billy Barker, an English immigrant, and a township grew up in the region bearing his name - Barkerville.

By the end of the century, the main rush was over and the town declined until the Canadian government decided, in the 1950s, to restore it to attract tourists to the region.

Answer: North-West Mounted Police

The North-West Mounted Police were established by Sir John A. Macdonald to bring order to the region which is now divided into Manitoba and Northwest Territories. It also included, at the time, parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Their duties were wide ranging, including tax collection, fire fighting and helping settlers to establish themselves as well as law enforcement. If you picture a Mountie, it's the North-West Mounted Police that you are likely to see in your mind's eye. By 1904, they had been granted the right to be called 'Royal', and in 1920 they became part of the RCMP, having merged with police from other areas.

Answer: Louis Riel

Reil was born in 1844 and had mixed European and Aboriginal heritage, usually described as being Métis, native to the Red River region of Canada. He was a leader of the 1869 resistance to the Hudson Bay Company's plans to sell the area to the Dominion of Canada - now called the Red River Rebellion. The Métis people were concerned at the impact on their culture. Riel led a second uprising, the North-West Rebellion, in 1885 which led to his trial and subsequent execution.

The other men are all famous Canadians, but none of them had a date with an executioner.

Answer: Law

Nothing much has changed, it seems, with many modern politicians having studied law initially. Macdonald practised law for thirteen years, before entering politics as an alderman in 1843. He became a Member of Parliament a year later. Macdonald became Canada's first and third Prime Minister, serving his first term from 1867 until 1873 and his second from 1878 until 1891.

He died, following a stroke, on 6 June 1891.