The Canada Day that Sparks an International Incedent

Happy Canada Day!

Yes, I know I am at least 2 days late, and it is actually closer to America’s birthday than Canada’s, but I had to wait until after our Canada Day party, that was held on the 2nd. For said party, Theresa and I (mostly Theresa) put together a Canadian trivia game, whose playing almost lead to an international incident. That’s right, we were about ready to give ‘ol Stephen Harper (Prime Minister of Canada) a call and have him mobilize our Canadian troops. All eight of them. The offense? Well, it turns out that both Canada and the United States claim to have invented the game of basketball AND the beloved hero, Superman. As all of you Canadians know from those CBC Heritage moments, both Superman and Basketball were created by Canadians (Watch the actual commercials: Basketball, Superman). Yet when we read the trivia questions about the subjects, the Americans in the room claimed both those inventions as their own: one of our guests is from the Massachusetts town where Basketball was born, and another was sure that Superman was created by Jewish Immigrants in New York.

It turns out that we were all right. From the ultimate and infallible source of all knowledge, Wikipedia, I discovered the true origins of these North American symbols:

Basketball:
“In early December 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian physical education student and instructor at YMCA Training School (today, Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the long New England winters…he was nervous about the new game he had invented, which incorporated rules from a Canadian children's game called "Duck on a Rock", as many had failed before it. Naismith called the new game 'Basket Ball.'”

Superman:
“Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero, originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. Created in 1932, and rejected by a number of publishers, the character first appeared in Action Comics#1 (June 1938).”

I hope this will bring our two countries back to peaceful relations. I do apologize that our question about Basketball said “Which sport is a Canadian invention,” when it should have said “Which sport was invented by a Canadian?” To be fair though, our trivia question about Superman did ask which superhero was the co-creation of an American and a Canadian.

As for the rest of the game, I think everyone had a good time, and probably discovered they were not as ignorant about Canada as they thought. My favorite answer of the night was from Team Border Patrolers, who guessed that Canada’s most famous rodeo is called the Rainbow Rodeo. I actually just talked to the commissioner of the Calgary Stampede, and they are considering the name change as we speak.

Anyways, I’ve included the quiz here, with the answers below. If you are American, the team to beat is Team Northern Lights, who scored 23/40. If you are Canadian, I expect you to get a lot more than that. I only got two of Theresa’s 35 questions wrong. Can you get 100%? Let me know how you did. (And yes, I’m aware that you could find the answers on the Internet. You’ll just have to be honest about it.)

Geography:

1.What is Canada’s largest lake?
A. Lake Superior
B. Lake Athabasca
C. Lake Winnipeg
D. Great Bear Lake

2.What is the name of the vast treeless area in Canada’s north?

3.True or False: Nunavut is Canada’s newest province.

4.What is Canada’s largest Territory/Province?
A. Quebec
B. Nunavut
C. Newfoundland
D. Northwest Territories

5.What is the Capital of Canada?
A. Ottawa
B. Toronto
C. Montreal
D. Edmonton

6.True or False: Mount Logon is Canada’s highest mountain.

7.What Canadian City boasts the CN tower?

8.What is Canada’s smallest Province?
A. Nova Scotia
B. Alberta
C. Prince Edward Island
D. Newfoundland

9.What Province borders Alberta on the east side?

10.True or False: Vancouver Island is Canada’s largest Island.

History:

1.What Birthday Is Canada celebrating this year?

2.What is Laura Secord famous for?
A. Delicious Chocolate and Ice Cream
B. Warning the British of an American attack during the War of 1812
C. Being Canada’s first female Prime Minister
D. She invented the snow shoe.

3.Who was Canada’s first Prime Minister?
A. Sir John A MacDonald
B. Mackenzie King
C. Donald Sutherland
D. Jean Blanchet

4.Who was the first Female Prime Minister of Canada?
A. Adrienne Clarkson
B. Emily Murphy
C. Katherine O’Hara
D. Kim Campbell

5.Before 1967, what did the Canadian Flag look like?

6.True or False: Quebec City is the oldest walled city North of Mexico.

7.Who were the first people to live in Canada?
A. Europeans
B. Americans
C. Aboriginals
D. Norsemen

8.What is the part of the constitution that legally protects the basic rights of Canadians?
A. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms
B. The Second Amendment
C. The British North America Act
D. The Declaration of Civil Liberties

9.What was the main trade controlled by the Hudson Bay Company?
A. Retail/Housewares
B. Ship Building
C. Fur Trade
D. Slave Trade

10.Which of the following beaches did Canadians land on during D-Day?
A. Omaha Beach
B. Gold Beach
C. Juno Beach
D. Sword Beach

Entertainment/Sports:

1.In the National Hockey League’s original six, which two teams where based in Canada?

2.Which super hero was the co-creation of a Canadian and an American?
A. Captain Planet
B. Superman
C. Spiderman
D. Wonder Women

3.What was Wayne Gretzky’s number?

4.What is Canada’s Famous Rodeo called?

5.Born in Victoria, British Colombia, Steve Nash is a famous:
A. Soccer player
B. Basketball player
C. Football player
D. Hockey player

6. Which of these Canadian comedians were NOT in the cast of SCTV?
A. Eugene Levy
B. Jim Carey
C. John Candy
D. Martin Short

7. The Arcade Fire is one of the most critically acclaimed acts in modern rock. What is the name of their breakthrough 2004 album?

8. Which of these singers is NOT Canadian?
A. Mandy Moore
B. Celine Dion
C. Avril Lavigne
D. Nelly Furtado

9. What is Margaret Atwood famous as?

10. True or False: In the Canadian Football League, the field (not including the endzone) is 110 meters long?

Miscellaneous:

1.Name Canada’s first National Park?
A. Waterton
B. Forillon
C. Banff
D. Jasper

2.What sport/game was not a created by a Canadian?
A. Trivial Pursuit
B. Basketball
C. Soccer
D. Hockey

3.What is Canada’s National emblem?
A. Caribou
B. Moose
C. Beaver
D. Loon

4.This part of the US space shuttle was designed by Canadians?

5.True or False: Manitoba produces the most maple syrup in Canada.

6.The Canadian flag has what leaf on it?

7.What is the name of the schooner found on the Canadian dime?
A. The Bluenose
B. The Regina
C. The Empress of Ireland
D. The Eula Mae

8.What is an Inukshuk made from?
A. Caribou bones
B. Stones
C. Polar bear fur
D. Whale blubber

9.A Poutine is:
A. A small rodent that resembles a rat
B. French fries sprinkled with cheese curds and covered in gravy.
C. A nickname for French Canadians
D. Type of toque

10.Write the first two lines of the Canadian National Anthem.

Answers: GEOGRAPHY 1-D; 2-Tundra: 3-Newfoundland: 4-B; 5-A; 6-T; 7-Toronto; 8-C; 9-Saskatchewan; 10-F (Baffin Island). HISTORY 1-140; 2-B (Although I also accepted A); 3-A; 4-D; 5-Union Jack; 6-T; 7-C; 8-A; 9-C; 10-C. ENTERTAINMENT/SPORTS 1-Montreal Canadians & Toronto Maple Leafs; 2-B; 3-99; 4-Calgary Stampede; 5-B; 6-B; 7-Funeral; 8-A; 9-Author; 10-F (It’s 110 yards long). MISCELLANEOUS 1-C; 2-C; 3-C; 4-The Robotic Arm (Canadarm); 5-F (Quebec); 6-Maple; 7-A; 8-B (see picture below); 9-B; 10-Oh Canada, Our home and native land.