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Top 100 Canadian History Facts Every Canadian Should Know

Fast, friendly Canadian history. Bite sized facts from Indigenous beginnings to today. Great for school help, road-trip trivia, and 🇨🇦 pride.

1–10. Origins & Indigenous Histories
  1. Indigenous Peoples have lived on these lands since time immemorial; there are many distinct Nations, languages, and cultures.
  2. Turtle Island is a common Indigenous name for North America in several traditions.
  3. The Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Mi’kmaq, Cree, Dene, Inuit, Métis and many more Nations shaped trade, diplomacy, and governance.
  4. The Great Peace of Montreal (1701) united French and 39 Indigenous Nations in a landmark treaty.
  5. Fur-trade networks long predated Europeans, linking the interior to coastal routes.
  6. L’Anse aux Meadows (c. 1000 CE) in Newfoundland is the only confirmed Viking site in North America.
  7. The Métis Nation emerged from Indigenous–European families and distinct prairie culture and rights.
  8. Inuit communities have stewarded the Arctic for millennia with sophisticated knowledge of ice, weather, and wildlife.
  9. Treaties (Numbered Treaties 1–11 and others) were signed between the Crown and many First Nations from 18th–20th centuries.
  10. Residential schools (19th–20th c.) caused intergenerational harm; Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2008–2015) issued 94 Calls to Action.
11–20. Colonial Era
  1. Jacques Cartier sailed the St. Lawrence in 1534; Samuel de Champlain founded Québec in 1608.
  2. New France grew along the St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, and Mississippi trade corridors.
  3. The Hudson’s Bay Company (chartered 1670) became a dominant fur-trade enterprise.
  4. Acadians settled the Maritimes; the 1755–1764 Expulsion displaced many to Louisiana (“Cajuns”).
  5. The Seven Years’ War ended in 1763; Britain took New France under the Treaty of Paris.
  6. The Québec Act (1774) protected French civil law and Catholic rights—key to French-English coexistence.
  7. United Empire Loyalists migrated north after the American Revolution (1783), shaping Ontario and the Maritimes.
  8. Upper and Lower Canada were created by the Constitutional Act (1791).
  9. The War of 1812 saw Indigenous and British/Canadian forces repel U.S. invasions; Tecumseh is remembered as a key leader.
  10. Rebellions of 1837–1838 led to the Durham Report and responsible government reforms.
21–30. Nation Building
  1. Confederation: the Dominion of Canada formed on July 1, 1867 (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick).
  2. Manitoba (1870), British Columbia (1871), Prince Edward Island (1873) joined soon after; Saskatchewan and Alberta in 1905.
  3. The North-West Mounted Police (1873) later became the RCMP (1920).
  4. The Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1885, linking coasts.
  5. The last spike symbolized national unity, and opened settlement/immigration to the Prairies.
  6. The Klondike Gold Rush (1896–1899) drew tens of thousands to Yukon.
  7. Supreme Court of Canada was established in 1875.
  8. Statute of Westminster (1931) granted full legislative independence to Canada and other dominions.
  9. Newfoundland and Labrador joined Confederation in 1949.
  10. Nunavut was created in 1999, recognizing Inuit self-government in the eastern Arctic.
31–40. Rights, Language & Identity
  1. The Official Languages Act (1969) affirmed English and French as Canada’s official languages (updated 1988).
  2. Québec’s Quiet Revolution (1960s) transformed society, secularization, and education.
  3. Québec referendums on sovereignty were held in 1980 and 1995 (both “No” wins).
  4. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms became law in 1982 (Constitution patriation).
  5. Section 35 (1982) recognizes and affirms existing Aboriginal and treaty rights.
  6. The Persons Case (1929) recognized women as “persons” eligible for the Senate.
  7. Most women gained the federal vote by 1918; some provinces earlier—Indigenous suffrage expanded federally in 1960.
  8. Multiculturalism became official policy in 1971 and law via the Multiculturalism Act (1988).
  9. Decriminalization of homosexuality began in 1969; civil marriage for same-sex couples legalized in 2005.
  10. National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Sept. 30) was established in 2021.
41–50. Conflict, Service & Peacekeeping
  1. Canadians fought in the South African (Boer) War (1899–1902).
  2. Vimy Ridge (1917) is often cited as a nation-defining WWI victory.
  3. Canada served in WWII from 1939; the Normandy landings included Juno Beach (1944).
  4. War Measures Act used in both World Wars; invoked during the October Crisis (1970).
  5. Canada is a founding member of the UN (1945) and NATO (1949).
  6. Lester B. Pearson pioneered UN peacekeeping during the Suez Crisis (1956), earning the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize.
  7. Canada joined NORAD air defence with the U.S. in 1957.
  8. The Korean War (1950–1953) saw 26,000+ Canadians serve.
  9. Canadian Armed Forces have supported peace operations worldwide since the 1950s.
  10. Recent missions include Afghanistan (2001–2014) and numerous UN operations.
51–60. Infrastructure, Economy & Policy
  1. Trans-Canada Highway officially opened in 1962; it’s one of the world’s longest.
  2. St. Lawrence Seaway (1959) opened the Great Lakes to ocean shipping.
  3. Medicare expanded nationally in the 1960s; Tommy Douglas is often called its father.
  4. Bank of Canada was created in 1935; the loonie debuted in 1987 and the toonie in 1996.
  5. GST introduced in 1991, replacing the Manufacturers’ Sales Tax.
  6. NAFTA took effect in 1994; updated as CUSMA/USMCA in 2020.
  7. Metric conversion accelerated in the 1970s.
  8. Clarity Act (2000) set rules around potential provincial secession referendums.
  9. Immigration has been central to growth since Confederation, with waves from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
  10. Northern sovereignty and Arctic policy remain important national priorities.
61–70. Science, Innovation & Culture
  1. Insulin was discovered in Toronto (1921) by Banting, Best, Collip, and Macleod.
  2. Alexander Graham Bell, who lived in Nova Scotia/Ontario, patented the telephone (1876).
  3. James Naismith, a Canadian, invented basketball in 1891.
  4. Joseph-Armand Bombardier developed the modern snowmobile.
  5. IMAX large-format film technology was pioneered in Canada (Expo 67 era).
  6. The Avro Arrow (1950s) was an advanced Canadian jet project, later cancelled.
  7. Canadarm flew on the Space Shuttle; Canadarm2 is on the ISS.
  8. National Film Board (1939) and CBC/Radio-Canada (1936) shaped Canadian media.
  9. Group of Seven artists (1920s) helped define a modern landscape style.
  10. Notable authors include Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro (Nobel 2013), and Michael Ondaatje.
71–80. Modern Milestones
  1. The maple leaf flag was adopted on February 15, 1965.
  2. “O Canada” became the official national anthem in 1980.
  3. Official Languages Act was renewed and strengthened in later decades.
  4. The Charter has reshaped Canadian law, equality, and freedoms since 1982.
  5. Apologies and redress for historic injustices include the 2008 residential schools apology and 1988 Japanese Canadian redress.
  6. Viola Desmond appears on the $10 note (2018), recognizing civil rights leadership.
  7. Same-sex marriage legalized nationwide in 2005.
  8. National parks and Indigenous-led conservation have expanded across Canada.
  9. Nunavut Day is celebrated July 9, marking the 1993 land claims agreement.
  10. Orange Shirt Day (Sept. 30) honours residential school Survivors; now the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
81–90. Geography, Nature & Symbols
  1. Canada has the world’s longest coastline.
  2. Ten provinces and three territories span six time zones.
  3. The Canadian Shield is an ancient geological core covering much of the country.
  4. Great Lakes–St. Lawrence system holds ~20% of the world’s surface fresh water.
  5. The beaver is a national symbol (official emblem since 1975).
  6. The maple leaf is a long-standing emblem; red and white are national colours.
  7. Parliament sits on unceded or treaty territories; many institutions now include land acknowledgements.
  8. UNESCO sites include L’Anse aux Meadows, Gros Morne, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, and the Rideau Canal.
  9. Canada’s motto is “A Mari Usque Ad Mare” — “From Sea to Sea.”
  10. Official tree: maple; official bird (by popular vote, not statute): gray jay/whiskeyjack is often proposed.
91–100. Sporting & Cultural Moments
  1. Hockey is a national passion; the Stanley Cup dates to 1893.
  2. Montreal Canadiens hold a record number of Stanley Cups.
  3. The 1972 Summit Series vs. the USSR was a Cold War sports milestone.
  4. The Grey Cup is the CFL championship (since 1909).
  5. Canada hosted the Olympics: Montreal 1976, Calgary 1988, Vancouver 2010.
  6. Terry Fox’s 1980 Marathon of Hope remains a defining act of courage and philanthropy.
  7. Rick Hansen’s Man in Motion World Tour (1985–87) raised awareness of spinal cord injury.
  8. Christine Sinclair is the world’s top international goal-scorer in soccer.
  9. Bianca Andreescu (2019) and the rise of Canadian tennis marked new sporting eras.
  10. Truth, respect, and reconciliation in sport and culture continue to shape Canadian identity.