Understanding the Oath +10Canada Citizenship · Citizenship · English

When becoming a Canadian citizen, you take the Oath of Citizenship, swearing loyalty to the Sovereign who represents all Canadians. In Canada, loyalty is professed to a person (the Queen or King) rather than to a document, flag, or country.

• ✓The Oath is sworn to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, and her heirs and successors
• ✓Canada is a constitutional monarchy where the Sovereign personifies the country
• ✓The oath includes faithfully observing the laws of Canada including the Constitution

O Canada was proclaimed as the national anthem of Canada in 1980. It was first sung in Quebec City in 1880. French and English Canadians sing different words to the national anthem.

• ✓O Canada was proclaimed as the national anthem in 1980
• ✓It was first sung in Quebec City in 1880
• ✓French and English Canadians sing different words

To become a Canadian citizen, adults aged 18 to 54 must have adequate knowledge of English or French and knowledge of Canada. The test is usually written but could be an interview.

• ✓Adult applicants 55 years of age and over do not need to write the citizenship test
• ✓Immigrants between ages 18 and 54 must have adequate knowledge of English or French
• ✓You are tested on knowledge of Canada and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship

If you pass the test and meet all requirements, you receive a Notice to Appear to Take the Oath of Citizenship, which states the date, time, and place of your ceremony.

• ✓At the ceremony you take the Oath of Citizenship, sign the oath form, and receive your Canadian Citizenship Certificate
• ✓You are encouraged to bring family and friends to celebrate

The Royal Anthem of Canada, 'God Save the Queen (or King),' can be played or sung on any occasion when Canadians wish to honour the Sovereign.

• ✓The Royal Anthem is 'God Save the Queen (or King)'
• ✓It is played to honour the Sovereign
• ✓French version is 'Dieu protège la Reine'

Canadian rights come from history, are secured by law, and reflect shared traditions and values. Canadian law has several sources.

• ✓Canadian law sources include laws passed by Parliament and provincial legislatures, English common law, the civil code of France, and the unwritten constitution from Great Britain
• ✓The tradition of ordered liberty dates back to Magna Carta signed in 1215 in England (Great Charter of Freedoms)
• ✓Habeas corpus, the right to challenge unlawful detention, comes from English common law

The Charter secures fundamental freedoms rooted in an 800-year tradition of ordered liberty.

• ✓Freedom of conscience and religion
• ✓Freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of speech and of the press
• ✓Freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association

The Constitution of Canada was amended in 1982 to entrench the Charter, which begins by recognizing the supremacy of God and the rule of law.

• ✓The Charter was entrenched in 1982 when the Constitution was amended
• ✓The Charter begins with 'Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law'

The Charter sets out additional important rights including mobility, Aboriginal, language, and multiculturalism rights.

• ✓Mobility Rights: Canadians can live and work anywhere in Canada, enter and leave freely, and apply for a passport
• ✓Official Language Rights: French and English have equal status in Parliament and government
• ✓Aboriginal Peoples' Rights and Multiculturalism are protected as fundamental characteristics

In Canada men and women are equal under the law. Canada does not tolerate barbaric cultural practices.

• ✓Men and women are equal under the law
• ✓Practices such as spousal abuse, honour killings, female genital mutilation, and forced marriage are crimes severely punished under Canadian law

In Canada rights come with responsibilities that all citizens are expected to fulfil.

• ✓Obeying the law, taking responsibility for oneself and one's family, and serving on a jury when called
• ✓Voting in elections and helping others in the community
• ✓Protecting and enjoying our heritage and environment

There is no compulsory military service, but serving in the Canadian Forces is a noble way to contribute.

• ✓There is no compulsory military service in Canada
• ✓You may serve in the Canadian Forces (navy, army, air force), reserves, Coast Guard, or emergency services

All countries have ways to recognize outstanding citizens. Official awards are called honours, consisting of orders, decorations and medals. After using British honours for many years, Canada started its own honours system with the Order of Canada in 1967, the centennial of Confederation. Citizens may nominate fellow citizens for recognition.

• ✓Canada started its own honours system with the Order of Canada in 1967
• ✓1967 was the centennial of Confederation
• ✓Honours consist of orders, decorations and medals
• ✓Citizens can nominate others for honours

To understand what it means to be Canadian, it is important to know about the three founding peoples: Aboriginal, French, and British.

• ✓Canada's three founding peoples are Aboriginal, French, and British
• ✓Canada is the only constitutional monarchy in North America
• ✓Peace, Order and Good Government is a key phrase from the 1867 British North America Act

Aboriginal peoples' ancestors migrated from Asia thousands of years ago. Today the term refers to three distinct groups.

• ✓The three Aboriginal groups are First Nations (Indian), Inuit, and Métis
• ✓About 65% of Aboriginal people are First Nations, 30% are Métis, and 4% are Inuit
• ✓In 2008 Ottawa formally apologized for the residential schools system

English and French are Canada's official languages and define daily life for most people.

• ✓There are 18 million Anglophones and seven million Francophones in Canada
• ✓New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province
• ✓The majority of Francophones live in Quebec; the House of Commons recognized in 2006 that the Quebecois form a nation within a united Canada

Aboriginal and treaty rights are protected in the Canadian Constitution.

• ✓Territorial rights were first guaranteed through the Royal Proclamation of 1763 by King George III
• ✓The term First Nations began to be used in the 1970s
• ✓Inuit means 'the people' in the Inuktitut language and they live in the Arctic

Acadians are descendants of French colonists in the Maritimes; Quebecers are people of Quebec.

• ✓Acadians settled in the Maritimes beginning in 1604; between 1755 and 1763 more than two-thirds were deported (the Great Upheaval)
• ✓Quebecers are descendants of 8,500 French settlers from the 1600s and 1700s

Canada is a land of immigrants with many ethnic and religious groups living in peace.

• ✓The majority of Canadians have been born in Canada since the 1800s
• ✓Since the 1970s most immigrants have come from Asian countries
• ✓Chinese languages are the second most-spoken at home after English

The Victoria Cross (V.C.) is the highest honour available to Canadians and is awarded for the most conspicuous bravery, a daring or pre-eminent act of valour, self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. The V.C. has been awarded to 96 Canadians since 1854.

• ✓The Victoria Cross (V.C.) is the highest honour available to Canadians
• ✓It is awarded for the most conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy
• ✓Awarded to 96 Canadians since 1854

Lieutenant Alexander Roberts Dunn, born in present-day Toronto, was the first Canadian to receive the V.C. at Balaclava (1854) in the Crimean War. Able Seaman William Hall of Nova Scotia, whose parents were American slaves, was the first black man awarded the V.C. Corporal Filip Konowal, born in Ukraine, was the first member of the Canadian Corps not born in the British Empire to receive it. Captain Billy Bishop was a flying ace. Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray was the last Canadian to receive the V.C. to date.

• ✓Alexander Roberts Dunn was the first Canadian to receive the V.C. (1854)
• ✓William Hall was the first black man awarded the V.C.
• ✓Robert Hampton Gray was the last Canadian to receive the V.C. to date
• ✓Billy Bishop was a famous flying ace

European exploration began with the Vikings and John Cabot, and the name Canada came from an Iroquoian word.

• ✓The Vikings reached Labrador and Newfoundland 1,000 years ago; l'Anse aux Meadows is a World Heritage site
• ✓John Cabot was the first to map Canada's East Coast in 1497
• ✓Jacques Cartier heard the Iroquoian word 'kanata' meaning village; by the 1550s the name Canada appeared on maps

France and Britain battled for control of North America, ending with the British victory at Québec.

• ✓In 1670 King Charles II granted the Hudson's Bay Company exclusive trading rights
• ✓In 1759 the British defeated the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Québec City, ending France's empire in America
• ✓Generals Wolfe and Montcalm were both killed leading their troops

The Quebec Act was one of the constitutional foundations of Canada, accommodating French Catholics.

• ✓The Quebec Act of 1774 allowed religious freedom for Catholics and permitted them to hold public office
• ✓It restored French civil law while maintaining British criminal law

Democratic institutions developed gradually with elected assemblies and the Constitutional Act of 1791.

• ✓The first representative assembly was elected in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1758
• ✓The Constitutional Act of 1791 divided Quebec into Upper Canada (Ontario) and Lower Canada (Quebec)
• ✓The two Canadas and Atlantic colonies were collectively known as British North America

The War of 1812 ensured Canada would remain independent of the United States.

• ✓The Americans invaded in June 1812 but were defeated with help from Canadian volunteers and First Nations
• ✓Major-General Sir Isaac Brock and Chief Tecumseh worked together; Laura Secord warned of a planned American attack
• ✓The present-day Canada-U.S.A. border is partly an outcome of the War of 1812

Reformers achieved responsible government where the ministry must have the support of elected representatives.

• ✓Nova Scotia was the first British North American colony to attain responsible government in 1847-48
• ✓Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine became the first head of responsible government in Canada in 1849
• ✓If the government loses a confidence vote it must resign

The Fathers of Confederation established the Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867.

• ✓The British Parliament passed the British North America Act in 1867; the Dominion of Canada was born July 1, 1867
• ✓The four original provinces were Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia
• ✓July 1 was celebrated as Dominion Day until 1982; it is now Canada Day

Sir John Alexander Macdonald became Canada's first Prime Minister.

• ✓Sir John A. Macdonald was Canada's first Prime Minister and a Father of Confederation, born in Scotland
• ✓His portrait is on the $10 bill; January 11 is recognized as Sir John A. Macdonald Day
• ✓Sir George-Étienne Cartier was the key architect of Confederation from Quebec

Canada made major contributions in WWI, notably at Vimy Ridge.

• ✓The Canadian Corps captured Vimy Ridge in April 1917; April 9 is celebrated as Vimy Day
• ✓More than 600,000 Canadians served; 60,000 were killed and 170,000 wounded
• ✓General Sir Arthur Currie was Canada's greatest soldier

Canadians honour the sacrifices of veterans and fallen soldiers each November 11.

• ✓Remembrance Day is observed on November 11 at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month
• ✓Canadians wear the red poppy; Lt.-Col. John McCrae wrote 'In Flanders Fields' in 1915
• ✓Over 110,000 Canadians have given their lives in service

Canada joined its allies in the fight against Nazism and Fascism.

• ✓The Second World War began in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland; over one million Canadians served and 44,000 were killed
• ✓On D-Day (June 6, 1944), 15,000 Canadian troops captured Juno Beach in Normandy
• ✓Canada had the third-largest navy in the world by the end of the war; Ottawa apologized in 1988 for the wartime relocation of Japanese Canadians

French explorers established the first permanent European settlement north of Florida and built a fur-trade empire.

• ✓In 1604 Pierre de Monts and Samuel de Champlain established the first settlement; Champlain built a fortress at Québec City in 1608
• ✓The French and Aboriginal peoples collaborated in the fur-trade economy driven by demand for beaver pelts

After the American Revolution, over 40,000 people loyal to the Crown fled to Canada.

• ✓In 1776 the 13 British colonies declared independence forming the United States
• ✓More than 40,000 Loyalists fled to settle in Nova Scotia and Quebec
• ✓Loyalists came from diverse origins including Dutch, German, British, Aboriginal, and various religious backgrounds

Canada led the movement to abolish slavery within the British Empire.

• ✓In 1793 Upper Canada led by Lt. Governor John Graves Simcoe became the first province in the Empire to move toward abolition
• ✓The British Parliament abolished slavery throughout the Empire in 1833
• ✓Escaped slaves settled in Canada via the Underground Railroad, a Christian anti-slavery network

Sir Leonard Tilley suggested the term Dominion of Canada, inspired by the Bible.

• ✓Sir Leonard Tilley of New Brunswick suggested 'Dominion of Canada' in 1864
• ✓He was inspired by Psalm 72: 'dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth'

Canada grew from four provinces to its present composition over time.

• ✓Manitoba, NWT joined 1870; British Columbia 1871; PEI 1873; Alberta and Saskatchewan 1905
• ✓Newfoundland and Labrador joined in 1949; Nunavut was created in 1999

Louis Riel led Métis uprisings and the North West Mounted Police was established.

• ✓Louis Riel led the Métis; he is seen by many as a hero and the father of Manitoba
• ✓PM Macdonald established the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) in 1873, which became the RCMP
• ✓Regina became the NWMP headquarters

The Canadian Pacific Railway united the country from coast to coast.

• ✓British Columbia joined Canada in 1871 after Ottawa promised a railway to the West Coast
• ✓On November 7, 1885, Donald Smith (Lord Strathcona) drove the last spike of the CPR
• ✓The government apologized in 2006 for the Chinese Head Tax, a race-based entry fee

Laurier was the first French-Canadian prime minister since Confederation.

• ✓Sir Wilfrid Laurier was the first French-Canadian prime minister since Confederation; his portrait is on the $5 bill
• ✓He encouraged immigration to the West

The women's suffrage movement led to women gaining the right to vote.

• ✓Dr. Emily Stowe founded the suffrage movement in Canada; Manitoba was first to grant women the vote in 1916
• ✓In 1918 most Canadian female citizens 21 and over gained the federal vote; Quebec granted women the vote in 1940
• ✓Agnes Macphail became the first woman MP in 1921

The prosperous 1920s ended with the stock market crash and the Great Depression.

• ✓The stock market crashed in 1929, leading to the Great Depression; unemployment reached 27% in 1933
• ✓The Bank of Canada was created in 1934 as a central bank
• ✓The British Empire evolved into the British Commonwealth of Nations after WWI

Key national public holidays and important dates include: New Year's Day (Jan 1), Sir John A. Macdonald Day (Jan 11), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Vimy Day (April 9), Victoria Day (Monday preceding May 25, Sovereign's birthday), Fête nationale/Quebec (June 24), Canada Day (July 1), Labour Day (first Monday of September), Thanksgiving (second Monday of October), Remembrance Day (November 11), Sir Wilfrid Laurier Day (November 20), Christmas Day (December 25) and Boxing Day (December 26).

• ✓Canada Day is July 1
• ✓Remembrance Day is November 11
• ✓Victoria Day falls on the Monday preceding May 25 (Sovereign's birthday)
• ✓Labour Day is the first Monday of September
• ✓Thanksgiving is the second Monday of October

Canada's economy includes three main types of industries: Service industries (transportation, education, health care, banking, retail, tourism, government) employ more than 75% of working Canadians; Manufacturing industries make products like paper, aerospace technology and automobiles, with the United States as our largest trading partner; and Natural resources industries include forestry, fishing, agriculture, mining and energy.

• ✓The three main industry types are service, manufacturing and natural resources
• ✓More than 75% of working Canadians have jobs in service industries
• ✓The United States is Canada's largest international trading partner
• ✓Natural resources include forestry, fishing, agriculture, mining and energy

Canada has always been a trading nation and commerce remains the engine of economic growth. In 1988 Canada enacted free trade with the United States. Mexico became a partner in 1994 in the broader North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Canada has one of the ten largest economies in the world and is part of the G8 group of leading industrialized countries.

• ✓Canada enacted free trade with the United States in 1988
• ✓Mexico joined in 1994 through NAFTA
• ✓Canada has one of the ten largest economies in the world
• ✓Canada is part of the G8 group of industrialized countries

Canada enjoys close relations with the United States and each is the other's largest trading partner. Over three-quarters of Canadian exports are destined for the U.S.A. — the biggest bilateral trading relationship in the world. The Peace Arch at Blaine, Washington, inscribed 'children of a common mother' and 'brethren dwelling together in unity,' symbolizes the world's longest undefended border.

• ✓The U.S.A. and Canada are each other's largest trading partner
• ✓Over three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the U.S.A.
• ✓The Canada-U.S. border is the world's longest undefended border
• ✓The Peace Arch is at Blaine, Washington