A Country Is Born

Britain's North American colonies - Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland - grew and prospered independently. However, with the emergence of a more powerful United States after the American Civil War, some politicians felt a union of the British colonies was the only way to fend off eventual annexation. On July 1, 1867, Canada East, Canada West, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick joined together under the terms of the British North America Act to become the Dominion of Canada.
     The government of the new country was based on the British parliamentary system, with a Governor General (the Crown's representative) and a Parliament consisting of an elected House of Commons and an appointed Senate. Parliament received the power to legislate over certain matters of national interest, while the provinces were given legislative powers over matters of "particular" interest (such as property and education).

Did you know ...

So, what do we as Canadians have to be Proud of? ...

1. Smarties
2. Crispy Crunch, Coffee Crisp
3. The size of our football fields, one less down, and bigger balls
4. Baseball is Canadian - First game: June 4, 1838 - Igersoll, ON
5. Lacrosse is Canadian
6. Hockey is Canadian
7. Basketball is Canadian
8. Apple pie is Canadian
9. Tim Hortons beats Dunkin' Donuts (a US company)
10. In the war of 1812, started by America, Canadians pushed the Americans back ... past their White House. Oh, did I mention that we also burned their White House?
11. Our civil war was fought in a bar - it lasted a little over an hour
12. A Canadian invented Standard Time
13. The Hudsons Bay Company (aka 'The Bay') is the world's oldest company
14. The average dog sled team can kill and devour a full grown human in under 3 minutes ---- (I am not sure I needed to know that :-)
15. We invented: Ski-doos, jet-ski, Velcro, Zippers, Insulin, Penicillin, Zambonies, and the telephone
16. A Canadian invented Superman