The Salvation Army and the Canadians Quiz

Answer: Halifax

Halifax is the correct answer. George Scott Railton was enroute from the United States to England when his ship made a stop in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and he seized the opportunity to preach a Salvation Army message dockside. According to Salvationarmy.ca, Railton became so engaged in his message he missed his boat to England and ended up spending a week in Halifax. "He preached in Halifax for the following week in various Halifax churches and a year later the Salvation Army was officially established in Canada," the Website states.

By 1886, the Salvation Army had constructed its Territorial Headquarters in Toronto.

For the record, the Halifax Explosion took place on Dec. 6, 1917, when two vessels, the SS Imo and the SS Mont-Blanc, collided in Halifax Harbour. The SS Mont-Blanc was laden with high explosives and when fire broke out a massive explosion erupted. It is estimated 2,000 people were killed, 9,000 injured and scores of buildings damaged. It was the largest man-made explosion before the advent of the atomic bomb.

Answer: 400

The Salvation Army operates in four hundred different communities across Canada, from Vancouver Island in British Columbia to the the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition to providing relief and assistance to thousands of Canadians everyday, the Salvation Army operates more than three hundred evangelical churches, known as citadels.

The Salvation Army boasts more than seven hundred active officers (clergy) in Canada as well as more than eighteen thousand soldiers (church members). On top of this, there are thirty-three thousand people who call the Salvation their church home, but are not formal members.

The Salvation Army in Canada also boasts more than one hundred and thirty social service institutions -- everything from soup kitchens to drug addiction treatment centres. There are nearly one hundred and fifty thousand volunteers who serve with the Salvation Army, and eight thousand employees.

(All information above was gleaned from the Website Salvationarmy.ca.)

Answer: Empress of Ireland

The Empress of Ireland sank in Canadian waters, near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, after it was in collision with the Norwegian collier SS Storstad. The Empress of Ireland was carrying 1,477 people and 1,012 perished. It was the worst maritime disaster in Canadian history.

Although the Empress of Ireland had more than enough lifeboats to accommodate all the passengers, she sank in only fourteen minutes, resulting in the extremely high death toll. The passenger liner was operated by Canadian Pacific Steamships and had left Quebec City, bound for Liverpool, England. The Salvationists were going to England to attend the Salvation Army's International Congress in London.

Answer: 1.9 million

The website Salvationarmy.ca reports no less than 1.9 million Canadians received assistance in one form or another from Salvation Army Canada in 2017. The website also reports the Salvation Army is Canada's largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country. The services provided run the gamut.

Here's some fascinating information gleaned from Salvationarmy.ca pertaining to 2017:

-- 1,285,000 people were assisted with food, clothing or practical assistance.
-- 3,561 children were helped through the Brighter Futures Children's Sponsorship Program.
-- 3.2 million free meals were served at shelters and in feeding programs.
-- 136,300 people were helped in night patrol, rescue and suicide prevention.
-- 5,850 shelter, addictions, detox and mental health beds were provided.

Answer: Bermuda

It might come as a surprise to many, but the Salvation Army's territorial district of Canada also includes the tiny island nation of Bermuda. This even though Ottawa, the capital of Canada, and Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda, are 1734 kilometres, or 1078 miles, apart.

With Bermuda being a member of the British Commonwealth, similar to Canada, it made sense to put the island nation under the command of the Canadian Salvation Army. This even though the United States is geographically much closer to Bermuda than Canada.

Answer: American bicentennial celebrations

Clarence Dexter Wiseman was the tenth general of the Salvation Army and the first Canadian to serve in the post. His three-year term commenced in 1974 and coincided with American bicentennial celebrations in 1976.

Before becoming general of the Salvation Army, Wiseman had served as territorial commander of Canada and Bermuda. After his retirement in 1977, Wiseman wrote two books -- 'A Burning in My Bones' (1980) and 'The Desert Road to Glory' (1982). 'A Burning in My Bones' was Wiseman's life story.

According to Wikipedia, Wiseman travelled the world extensively while he was the general and Salvation Army work was opened for the first time in Guatemala.

Answer: Nigeria

Nigeria had a special place in Arnold Brown's heart and while he was general he helped spearhead Salvation Army efforts in the African country. Wikipedia tells of Brown visiting Lagos on a number of occasions and being warmly received by the Nigerians. (For the record, Lagos was the capital of Nigeria until 1991 when the capital was moved to Abuja.)

Wikipedia also tells of Brown, after being elected general, being asked what he wanted Salvationists to do. In response, Brown is quoted as saying: "Everything they can to make better known Jesus Christ and His saving power as the only hope for a sinning, suffering world; everything they can to demonstrate indisputably in what they say and do that the grace of God enables men and women to live clean and holy lives filled with the joy of service to God and their fellows; in short, everything they can to bring Heaven to earth."

A number of books were written by Brown. The titles include 'What Hath God Wrought?', 'The Gate and the Light' (autobiography), 'The Mountain the Wind Blew Here', 'With Christ at the Table' and 'Occupied Manger -- Unoccupied Tomb'.

Brown served as general of the Salvation Army from 1977 to 1981.

Answer: John Major

John Major was prime minister of Great Britain from 1990 to 1997. He replaced Margaret Thatcher and Major was replaced by Tony Blair.

Tillsley's term as general was cut short as he was forced to step down after ten months and nine days due to failing health.

In the early 1980s, Tillsley was principal of William Booth Memorial Training College in London, England. He had also served as chief secretary of the USA Southern Territory in 1985 and as the territorial commander, Australia Southern.

Tillsley was born in Kitchener, Ontario, in 1931 and is the author of a number of books, including 'Life In The Spirit', 'This Mind In You', 'Life More Abundant' and 'Manpower For The Master'.

Answer: Nova Scotia

Linda Bond, the 19th General of the Salvation Army, was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. In addition to being the fourth Canadian to serve as general, Bond was the third woman. Previous female generals of the Salvation Army were Evangeline Booth (1934-1939) and Eva Burrows (1986-1993).

For the record, the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove is world famous for its beautiful setting and has been the subject of countless photographs. Pier 21 was a famous terminal and immigration building where more than one million immigrants entered Canada from 1928 to 1971. Meanwhile, National Hockey League superstar Sydney Crosby is from Cole Harbour, a suburb of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Answer: True

True. In the forty-four-year period between 1974 and 2018, the Salvation Army has had twelve generals and five of them have been Canadian. In other words, more than 40 per cent of the Salvation Army generals since 1974 have been from the Great White North.

It's an amazing accomplishment when you realize Canada constitutes less than one per cent of the world's population, while the Salvation Army operates in more than 125 countries around the world.

Brian Peddle was born in 1957 in Canada's most easterly province -- Newfoundland and Labrador. It is highly fitting, I suppose, he was born in a small town called Trinity Bay.