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Canadian Citizenship Test · study notes · November 2026

Canadian Citizenship Test: Canada’s history and modern Canada

History is one of the biggest parts of the Canadian citizenship test. You should know the main events from the first contact between Indigenous peoples and Europeans to Confederation in 1867, the world wars and the changes of the 20th century. These notes give you the key people, dates and ideas in a clear order.

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These are practice questions written by Langula, not official test questions. The real questions are not published; they are based on the study guide Discover Canada.

Study notes

1

Indigenous peoples and the first Europeans

Long before Europeans arrived, many Indigenous nations lived across the land that is now Canada. The official study guide calls them Aboriginal peoples. Their ways of life were very different: some grew crops, some hunted and gathered, peoples in the Arctic lived from the animals of the North, and nations on the West Coast dried and smoked fish to keep it. Wars between groups over land and resources were also part of life.

The first Europeans to reach Canada were the Vikings, who came from Iceland about 1,000 years ago. You can still see the remains of their settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland and Labrador. After contact with later Europeans, diseases such as smallpox killed a very large number of Indigenous people. At the same time, Indigenous peoples and Europeans built strong ties in trade, religion and war during the first two centuries.

2

Explorers and New France

In 1497, John Cabot, an Italian working for England, mapped the Atlantic coast. Between 1534 and 1542, Jacques Cartier crossed the Atlantic three times for the King of France and was the first European to explore the St. Lawrence River. The name Canada probably comes from kanata, an Iroquoian word for village.

In 1604, Pierre de Monts and Samuel de Champlain started the first European settlement north of Florida, first on St. Croix Island and then at Port-Royal in Acadia. In 1608, Champlain built a fortress at Quebec City. He made alliances with the Algonquin, Montagnais and Huron, while the Iroquois Confederacy fought the French for about a hundred years until peace was made in 1701.

The economy of New France was based on the fur trade. Europeans wanted beaver pelts, and French traders such as the coureurs des bois and voyageurs worked closely with Indigenous peoples. In 1670, King Charles II of England gave the Hudson's Bay Company the sole right to trade in the lands whose rivers flow into Hudson Bay.

3

British rule, Loyalists and the first assemblies

France and Britain fought for control of North America. In 1759, the British defeated the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec City. Both leaders, General James Wolfe and the Marquis de Montcalm, died in the battle. The colony was then called the Province of Quebec.

The Quebec Act of 1774 helped the French-speaking Catholic majority: Catholics could practise their faith freely and hold public office, and French civil law came back alongside British criminal law. After the American colonies declared independence in 1776, more than 40,000 people loyal to the Crown, the United Empire Loyalists, moved north to Nova Scotia and Quebec. Among them were Mohawks led by Joseph Brant and about 3,000 Black Loyalists.

Democracy grew step by step. Nova Scotia had the first elected assembly in 1758. The Constitutional Act of 1791 split the Province of Quebec into Upper Canada (mostly English-speaking and Protestant, later Ontario) and Lower Canada (mostly French-speaking and Catholic, later Quebec), each with an elected assembly. In 1793, under Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe, Upper Canada became the first province in the British Empire to move toward ending slavery. Britain abolished slavery in the whole Empire in 1833, and later many enslaved people escaped from the United States to Canada along the Underground Railroad.

4

The War of 1812 and the road to self-government

In 1812 the United States invaded Canada. British soldiers, Canadian volunteers and First Nations, among them Shawnee warriors led by Tecumseh, defended the country. Major-General Sir Isaac Brock died at Queenston Heights. In 1813, Charles de Salaberry and a small force beat a much larger American army at Châteauguay, and Laura Secord walked a long way on foot to warn of an American attack. In 1814, British troops burned the White House in Washington. Thanks to this defence, Canada did not become part of the United States.

In 1837 and 1838, armed rebellions broke out in Upper and Lower Canada, but they failed. Lord Durham then advised joining the two colonies and giving them responsible government. The Province of Canada was created in 1840. Under responsible government, the ministers need the support of a majority of the elected members to govern. Nova Scotia was the first colony to get it, in 1847 to 1848, and in 1849 Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine became the first leader of a responsible government in the Canadas.

5

Confederation and a growing Dominion

From 1864 to 1867, leaders from the colonies, now called the Fathers of Confederation, worked out a plan for a new country. The British Parliament passed the British North America Act, and the Dominion of Canada was born on July 1, 1867, with four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The new country had two levels of government, federal and provincial. July 1 was known as Dominion Day until 1982 and is now Canada Day.

Sir John A. Macdonald became the first Prime Minister. Sir George-Étienne Cartier was the leading builder of Confederation from Quebec. Canada grew quickly: Manitoba and the Northwest Territories joined in 1870, British Columbia in 1871 and Prince Edward Island in 1873, while Newfoundland and Labrador only joined in 1949.

When Canada took over the Northwest from the Hudson's Bay Company, Louis Riel led the Métis of the Red River in a resistance, and Manitoba became a province in 1870. After a second rebellion in 1885, Riel was hanged for high treason. The North West Mounted Police, set up in 1873 to keep order in the West, are today the RCMP. British Columbia joined after Ottawa promised a railway, and the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven in 1885. Chinese workers who helped build it faced racism, including the Head Tax, for which the government apologized in 2006.

6

The world wars

Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the first French-Canadian Prime Minister after Confederation, encouraged settlers to come to the West. In the First World War (1914 to 1918), more than 600,000 Canadians served and about 60,000 were killed. In April 1917, the Canadian Corps took Vimy Ridge, a victory that gave Canadians a strong sense of national pride. The war ended on November 11, 1918. Each year on November 11, Remembrance Day, Canadians wear red poppies and keep a moment of silence.

Women won the vote step by step: Manitoba was the first province to give it in 1916, most women could vote in federal elections by 1918, and Quebec followed in 1940. In 1921, Agnes Macphail became the first woman elected to Parliament. Between the wars came the Great Depression after 1929, and the Bank of Canada was founded in 1934.

In the Second World War (1939 to 1945), more than one million Canadians served. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Canadian soldiers landed on Juno Beach in Normandy. A dark chapter of this time is the forced removal of Japanese Canadians from their homes, for which the government apologized in 1988.

7

Modern Canada

After 1945 Canada became richer. Oil was found in Alberta in 1947, and social programs such as pensions and unemployment insurance grew. Canada joined NATO and, with the United States, NORAD, and its soldiers served in the Korean War and in many UN peacekeeping missions.

In the 1960s, Quebec went through the Quiet Revolution, a time of fast social change. The Official Languages Act of 1969 made English and French equal in the federal government. Quebec voters said no to sovereignty in referendums in 1980 and 1995. Voting rights were also widened: Japanese Canadians got the vote in 1948 and Indigenous people in 1960.

The test can also ask about famous Canadians. Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin, Terry Fox started his Marathon of Hope for cancer research in 1980, and many other Canadians made their mark in science, sport and the arts.

Key dates in Canadian history

YearEvent
About 1,000 years agoVikings reach Newfoundland and Labrador (L'Anse aux Meadows)
1497John Cabot maps the Atlantic coast for England
1534 to 1542Jacques Cartier makes three voyages for France
1608Samuel de Champlain builds a fortress at Quebec City
1670Hudson's Bay Company founded
1759Battle of the Plains of Abraham
1774Quebec Act
1791Constitutional Act: Upper and Lower Canada
1812 to 1814War of 1812
1833Slavery abolished in the British Empire
1837 to 1838Rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada
1849Responsible government in the Province of Canada
July 1, 1867Confederation: Dominion of Canada
1885Last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway; Riel executed
April 1917Battle of Vimy Ridge
November 11, 1918End of the First World War
June 6, 1944D-Day: Canadians land on Juno Beach
1949Newfoundland and Labrador joins Canada
1969Official Languages Act
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56 practice questions with answers

Written by Langula in our own words to help you revise — not official test questions. The correct answer is marked.

1
Who were the first Europeans known to reach Canada, about 1,000 years ago?
  1. aThe French
  2. bThe VikingsCorrect
  3. cThe Spanish
  4. dThe English

Vikings from Iceland reached Newfoundland and Labrador about 1,000 years ago. Their settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows is a World Heritage Site.

2
After contact with Europeans, diseases such as smallpox killed a large number of Indigenous people.
  1. aTrueCorrect
  2. bFalse

Indigenous peoples had no immunity to European diseases, and many died. Still, Indigenous peoples and Europeans also formed close ties in trade, religion and war.

3
Which explorer mapped Canada's Atlantic coast for England in 1497?
  1. aPierre de Monts
  2. bJacques Cartier
  3. cSamuel de Champlain
  4. dJohn CabotCorrect

John Cabot was an Italian who sailed for England. In 1497 he mapped the Atlantic coast of what is now Canada.

4
Which explorer made three voyages across the Atlantic between 1534 and 1542 for the King of France?
  1. aLouis Riel
  2. bJohn Cabot
  3. cJames Wolfe
  4. dJacques CartierCorrect

Jacques Cartier sailed for King Francis I of France. He was the first European to explore the St. Lawrence River.

5
Where does the name Canada most likely come from?
  1. aA Latin word meaning north
  2. bA Spanish word meaning river
  3. cThe name of a French king
  4. dThe Iroquoian word kanata, meaning villageCorrect

Jacques Cartier heard the Iroquoian word kanata, which means village. It became the name of the whole country.

6
Where did Pierre de Monts and Samuel de Champlain start the first European settlement north of Florida in 1604?
  1. aOn St. Croix Island, then at Port-Royal in AcadiaCorrect
  2. bIn Montreal
  3. cIn Halifax
  4. dAt Fort Garry on the Red River

The first settlement was on St. Croix Island and was then moved to Port-Royal in Acadia, in today's Nova Scotia.

7
Who built a fortress at Quebec City in 1608?
  1. aJacques Cartier
  2. bJohn Graves Simcoe
  3. cSamuel de ChamplainCorrect
  4. dJames Wolfe

Samuel de Champlain built a fortress at Quebec City in 1608. It became the centre of New France.

8
With which First Nations did Champlain form alliances?
  1. aThe Iroquois Confederacy
  2. bThe Algonquin, Montagnais and HuronCorrect
  3. cThe Shawnee and Mohawk
  4. dThe Haida and Cree

Champlain allied the French with the Algonquin, Montagnais and Huron. The Iroquois Confederacy fought the French for about a century, until peace in 1701.

9
Which product was at the heart of the early fur trade?
  1. aCod
  2. bTimber
  3. cBeaver peltsCorrect
  4. dWheat

Europeans wanted beaver pelts, mostly for hats. The fur trade linked French traders and Indigenous peoples for many years.

10
Which company received the sole right to trade in the lands draining into Hudson Bay in 1670?
  1. aThe East India Company
  2. bThe Bank of Canada
  3. cThe Hudson's Bay CompanyCorrect
  4. dThe Canadian Pacific Railway

In 1670, King Charles II of England gave the Hudson's Bay Company the only right to trade in this huge area. Many of its trading posts later grew into cities.

11
In which year did the Battle of the Plains of Abraham take place?
  1. a1759Correct
  2. b1812
  3. c1774
  4. d1763

In 1759, the British defeated the French at the Plains of Abraham at Quebec City. This ended French rule in what is now Quebec.

12
Which two commanders were killed at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham?
  1. aJames Wolfe and the Marquis de MontcalmCorrect
  2. bIsaac Brock and Tecumseh
  3. cMacdonald and Cartier
  4. dChamplain and Cartier

The British were led by General James Wolfe and the French by the Marquis de Montcalm. Both died from wounds received in the battle.

13
What did the Quebec Act of 1774 do?
  1. aIt let Catholics practise their faith and hold public office, and restored French civil lawCorrect
  2. bIt ended the fur trade
  3. cIt divided Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada
  4. dIt made English the only official language

The Quebec Act helped the French-speaking Catholic majority. It gave religious freedom to Catholics and kept French civil law next to British criminal law.

14
Who were the United Empire Loyalists?
  1. aFrench settlers who left Acadia
  2. bSoldiers who fought for the United States in 1812
  3. cPeople loyal to the Crown who left the American colonies after 1776 and moved to CanadaCorrect
  4. dImmigrants from Ukraine who settled the Prairies

After the American colonies declared independence in 1776, more than 40,000 Loyalists moved to Nova Scotia and Quebec. Among them were Mohawks led by Joseph Brant and Black Loyalists.

15
In 1792, some Black Loyalists left Nova Scotia to help found Freetown in Sierra Leone.
  1. aTrueCorrect
  2. bFalse

About 3,000 Black Loyalists came to Canada. In 1792, some of them, who had been given poor land, moved to Freetown, a new British colony in West Africa.

16
Which colony had the first elected assembly in what is now Canada, in 1758?
  1. aPrince Edward Island
  2. bNew Brunswick
  3. cNova ScotiaCorrect
  4. dUpper Canada

Nova Scotia elected its first assembly in 1758. Prince Edward Island followed in 1773 and New Brunswick in 1785.

17
What did the Constitutional Act of 1791 do?
  1. aIt ended the War of 1812
  2. bIt created the Dominion of Canada
  3. cIt abolished slavery in the British Empire
  4. dIt divided the Province of Quebec into Upper Canada and Lower CanadaCorrect

The Constitutional Act of 1791 created Upper Canada and Lower Canada, each with an elected assembly. From then on, the name Canada was used officially.

18
Upper Canada was mainly French-speaking and Catholic.
  1. aTrue
  2. bFalseCorrect

Upper Canada, later Ontario, was mostly English-speaking and Protestant. Lower Canada, later Quebec, was mostly French-speaking and Catholic.

19
Under which Lieutenant Governor did Upper Canada become the first province in the British Empire to move toward abolishing slavery, in 1793?
  1. aLord Durham
  2. bIsaac Brock
  3. cLord Elgin
  4. dJohn Graves SimcoeCorrect

John Graves Simcoe was the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. In 1793, Upper Canada passed a law to begin ending slavery.

20
What was the Underground Railroad?
  1. aA supply line for soldiers in the War of 1812
  2. bThe first railway built under Montreal
  3. cA secret network that helped enslaved people escape from the United States to CanadaCorrect
  4. dA canoe route of the fur trade

The Underground Railroad was not a real railway. It was a network of people and safe houses that helped thousands of enslaved people reach freedom in Canada.

21
Which country invaded Canada in 1812?
  1. aThe United StatesCorrect
  2. bFrance
  3. cRussia
  4. dSpain

The United States invaded Canada in June 1812. British soldiers, Canadian volunteers and First Nations defended the country.

22
Which British general was killed while defending Canada at Queenston Heights in the War of 1812?
  1. aJames Wolfe
  2. bSir Isaac BrockCorrect
  3. cArthur Currie
  4. dRobert Ross

Major-General Sir Isaac Brock led the defence of Upper Canada. He was killed at Queenston Heights, near Niagara Falls.

23
Who led a small force that defeated a much larger American army at Châteauguay in 1813?
  1. aCharles de SalaberryCorrect
  2. bLouis Riel
  3. cRobert Baldwin
  4. dJoseph Howe

Charles de Salaberry and about 460 soldiers, mostly French Canadians, beat an American force of about 4,000 at Châteauguay.

24
What is Laura Secord known for?
  1. aShe founded the women's suffrage movement
  2. bShe was the first woman elected to Parliament
  3. cShe led the Métis at Red River
  4. dShe made a long journey on foot in 1813 to warn of an American attackCorrect

In 1813, Laura Secord walked a long and dangerous way to warn British troops of a planned American attack. This helped win the Battle of Beaver Dams.

25
During the War of 1812, British forces burned the White House in Washington.
  1. aTrueCorrect
  2. bFalse

In 1814, an expedition led by Major-General Robert Ross burned the White House and other public buildings in Washington.

26
After the rebellions of 1837 and 1838, who recommended uniting Upper and Lower Canada and giving them responsible government?
  1. aLord DurhamCorrect
  2. bJohn Graves Simcoe
  3. cLord Elgin
  4. dLord Grey

Lord Durham was sent from Britain to report on the rebellions. Following his advice, the Province of Canada was created in 1840.

27
What does responsible government mean?
  1. aThe Governor alone chooses and keeps the ministers
  2. bThe ministers need the support of a majority of the elected members to governCorrect
  3. cThe King must approve every decision of the cabinet in person
  4. dOnly the courts can make laws

Under responsible government, the government must keep the confidence of the elected assembly. If it loses a confidence vote, it must resign.

28
Who were the Fathers of Confederation?
  1. aLeaders of the colonies who worked together from 1864 to 1867 to create CanadaCorrect
  2. bThe leaders of the 1837 rebellions
  3. cThe generals of the First World War
  4. dThe first fur traders of New France

The Fathers of Confederation met between 1864 and 1867 to plan a new country. Their work led to the Dominion of Canada.

29
On which date was the Dominion of Canada created?
  1. aApril 17, 1982
  2. bJuly 1, 1840
  3. cJuly 1, 1867Correct
  4. dNovember 11, 1918

The British North America Act came into force on July 1, 1867. That day the Dominion of Canada was born.

30
Which four provinces formed Canada at Confederation in 1867?
  1. aQuebec, Nova Scotia, Alberta and Saskatchewan
  2. bOntario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New BrunswickCorrect
  3. cOntario, Quebec, Manitoba and British Columbia
  4. dOntario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland

The four founding provinces were Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Other provinces and territories joined later.

31
Until 1982, July 1 was known as Dominion Day.
  1. aTrueCorrect
  2. bFalse

July 1 celebrates Confederation. It was called Dominion Day until 1982 and is now called Canada Day.

32
Confederation in 1867 created a single government for the whole country, with no provinces.
  1. aTrue
  2. bFalseCorrect

Confederation created two levels of government: a federal government and provincial governments. This system is still in place today.

33
Who was Canada's first Prime Minister?
  1. aSir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine
  2. bSir George-Étienne Cartier
  3. cSir Wilfrid Laurier
  4. dSir John A. MacdonaldCorrect

Sir John A. Macdonald, a Father of Confederation, became the first Prime Minister of Canada in 1867.

34
Which Father of Confederation was the key builder of Confederation from Quebec?
  1. aJoseph Brant
  2. bSir George-Étienne CartierCorrect
  3. cLouis Riel
  4. dCharles de Salaberry

Sir George-Étienne Cartier was a Montreal lawyer and a close partner of Macdonald. He led Quebec into Confederation.

35
Which province was the last to join Canada, in 1949?
  1. aNewfoundland and LabradorCorrect
  2. bBritish Columbia
  3. cPrince Edward Island
  4. dAlberta

Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada in 1949. It is the youngest province.

36
What did Ottawa promise British Columbia so that it would join Canada in 1871?
  1. aFreedom from federal taxes
  2. bA new capital city
  3. cIts own army
  4. dA railway linking it to the rest of CanadaCorrect

British Columbia joined in 1871 after the federal government promised a railway to the West Coast. The Canadian Pacific Railway was finished in 1885.

37
Who led the Métis of the Red River when Canada took over the Northwest from the Hudson's Bay Company?
  1. aTecumseh
  2. bSam Steele
  3. cLouis RielCorrect
  4. dJoseph Brant

Louis Riel led a Métis resistance at Red River in 1869. It led to the creation of the province of Manitoba in 1870.

38
What happened to Louis Riel after the rebellion of 1885 in today's Saskatchewan?
  1. aHe became Premier of Manitoba
  2. bHe was tried and executed for high treasonCorrect
  3. cHe led the North West Mounted Police
  4. dHe was elected Prime Minister

After a second rebellion in 1885, Riel was found guilty of high treason and hanged. Many see him as a defender of Métis rights and the father of Manitoba.

39
The North West Mounted Police, founded in 1873, are known today as what?
  1. aThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)Correct
  2. bThe Canada Border Services Agency
  3. cThe Canadian Armed Forces
  4. dThe Ontario Provincial Police

The North West Mounted Police were set up in 1873 to keep order in the West. Today they are the RCMP, Canada's national police force.

40
In which year was the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway driven?
  1. a1905
  2. b1867
  3. c1885Correct
  4. d1871

The last spike was driven in 1885, completing the railway from coast to coast. It helped unite the country.

41
Who was the first French-Canadian Prime Minister after Confederation?
  1. aSir Wilfrid LaurierCorrect
  2. bSir George-Étienne Cartier
  3. cSir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine
  4. dLouis Riel

Sir Wilfrid Laurier was the first French-Canadian Prime Minister since Confederation. He encouraged immigrants to settle the West.

42
In April 1917, the Canadian Corps won a famous victory at which battle?
  1. aDieppe
  2. bJuno Beach
  3. cVimy RidgeCorrect
  4. dThe Plains of Abraham

The Canadian Corps captured Vimy Ridge in France in April 1917. The victory became a symbol of Canadian pride, and April 9 is Vimy Day.

43
What do many Canadians wear before Remembrance Day on November 11 to honour those who died in war?
  1. aA white ribbon
  2. bA yellow rose
  3. cA red poppyCorrect
  4. dA maple leaf pin

Canadians wear a red poppy and keep a moment of silence at 11 a.m. on November 11, the day the First World War ended in 1918.

44
Which province was the first to give women the right to vote, in 1916?
  1. aQuebec
  2. bManitobaCorrect
  3. cOntario
  4. dNova Scotia

Manitoba gave women the vote in 1916. Most women could vote in federal elections by 1918, and Quebec followed in 1940.

45
Who was the first woman elected to the House of Commons, in 1921?
  1. aEmily Carr
  2. bAgnes MacphailCorrect
  3. cThérèse Casgrain
  4. dLaura Secord

Agnes Macphail, a farmer and schoolteacher, became the first woman Member of Parliament in 1921.

46
Which institution was created in 1934, during the Great Depression, to manage the money supply and bring stability to the financial system?
  1. aThe Canada Revenue Agency
  2. bThe Hudson's Bay Company
  3. cThe Montreal Stock Exchange
  4. dThe Bank of CanadaCorrect

The Great Depression began after the stock market crash of 1929. The Bank of Canada, a central bank, was founded in 1934.

47
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Canadian soldiers landed on which beach in Normandy?
  1. aUtah Beach
  2. bJuno BeachCorrect
  3. cOmaha Beach
  4. dGold Beach

Canadian troops landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. It was part of the Allied invasion that helped free Europe.

48
During the Second World War, the federal government forced Canadians of Japanese origin to leave their homes.
  1. aTrueCorrect
  2. bFalse

Japanese Canadians were moved by force and their property was taken. The government apologized in 1988 and paid compensation.

49
What was the Quiet Revolution?
  1. aA period of fast social and political change in Quebec in the 1960sCorrect
  2. bThe peaceful end of the War of 1812
  3. cThe Métis resistance at Red River
  4. dThe movement that gave women the vote

In the 1960s, Quebec changed quickly in society, education and the economy. This time is called the Quiet Revolution.

50
Which law of 1969 made English and French equal in the federal government?
  1. aThe Quebec Act
  2. bThe British North America Act
  3. cThe Official Languages ActCorrect
  4. dThe Canada Health Act

The Official Languages Act of 1969 came after a royal commission on bilingualism and biculturalism set up in 1963.

51
Quebec voters rejected sovereignty in referendums held in 1980 and 1995.
  1. aTrueCorrect
  2. bFalse

In both referendums, a majority of Quebec voters chose to stay in Canada. The 1995 result was very close.

52
Indigenous people have had the right to vote in federal elections ever since Confederation in 1867.
  1. aTrue
  2. bFalseCorrect

Indigenous people gained the right to vote in federal elections only in 1960. Japanese Canadians had received it in 1948.

53
Which two Canadians discovered insulin, a treatment for diabetes that has saved millions of lives?
  1. aFrederick Banting and Charles BestCorrect
  2. bSandford Fleming and Joseph-Armand Bombardier
  3. cAlexander Graham Bell and Reginald Fessenden
  4. dWilder Penfield and John Hopps

Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin. It is one of the most important medical discoveries made in Canada.

54
Who began the Marathon of Hope in 1980 to raise money for cancer research?
  1. aTerry FoxCorrect
  2. bWayne Gretzky
  3. cDonovan Bailey
  4. dRick Hansen

Terry Fox, who had lost a leg to cancer, began running across Canada in 1980. His run still inspires fundraising every year.

55
With which country did Canada join NORAD to defend North American airspace?
  1. aMexico
  2. bThe United Kingdom
  3. cFrance
  4. dThe United StatesCorrect

During the Cold War, Canada joined NATO and teamed up with the United States in NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defence Command.

56
In which province was oil discovered in 1947, starting Canada's modern energy industry?
  1. aManitoba
  2. bNewfoundland and Labrador
  3. cOntario
  4. dAlbertaCorrect

The discovery of oil in Alberta in 1947 began Canada's modern energy industry and helped the economy grow after the war.

More Canadian citizenship test topics

Rights and responsibilities of citizenshipStudy notes and 44 practice questions with explanations.Who we are: Indigenous peoples, English and French, diversityStudy notes and 39 practice questions with explanations.How Canadians govern themselves, elections and justiceStudy notes and 60 practice questions with explanations.Canadian symbolsStudy notes and 35 practice questions with explanations.Canada’s economy and regionsStudy notes and 48 practice questions with explanations.

Canadian citizenship test: format, pass mark and online test →

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Frequently asked questions

How much history is on the Canadian citizenship test?
History is one of the largest topics in the official study guide, so expect several questions on it. Focus on New France, the Loyalists, the War of 1812, Confederation, Louis Riel, the two world wars and Quebec after 1960.
Do I need to memorize every date?
No, but the big dates come up often: 1759 (Plains of Abraham), 1774 (Quebec Act), 1791 (Constitutional Act), 1812, July 1, 1867 (Confederation), April 1917 (Vimy Ridge), November 11 (Remembrance Day) and June 6, 1944 (D-Day). A timeline like the one above helps a lot.
Who are the Fathers of Confederation?
They were the leaders of the British North American colonies who met between 1864 and 1867 to plan the new country. The best known are Sir John A. Macdonald, the first Prime Minister, and Sir George-Étienne Cartier from Quebec.
What is the difference between Upper Canada and Lower Canada?
Both were created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. Upper Canada was mostly English-speaking and Protestant and later became Ontario. Lower Canada was mostly French-speaking and Catholic and later became Quebec.

Sources and disclaimer

Last checked: November 2026. Official information:

Langula is not connected to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This page is general information, not immigration or legal advice. Rules and fees can change — always check canada.ca. The practice questions and study notes on these pages are our own and are not the official test questions; study the official guide Discover Canada for the test.

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