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TRUE NORTH FACTS FOR THEE 150 years of Canadian trivia BY ROBERT MICHON WITH JENNIE DRENT
IF YOU HADN’T heard, this year is
Canadian Origins
Canada’s 150th anniversary. A nd wh ile ma ny people a re d rawing attention to the huge nation-building events that have defined our country, there is something to be said for the smaller cultural phenomenon that tend to escape the notice of most people. In honour of Canada’s sesquicentennial celebration, we’ve gathered a few facts that celebrate the more obscure side of Canada’s history and culture, facts that you’re sure to be able to impress your friends with during the celebrations.
Canada’s official motto is “A Mari usque ad Mare” which is Latin for “From Sea to Sea.” The phrase was taken from Psalm 72:8 during the Confederation as an inspirational statement, even though Canada, at that time, had only one coastline—the Atlantic. It wasn’t until British Columbia joined in 1871 that the statement rang true. Today, at the suggestion of the three territories, Canadians are using “From Sea to Sea to Sea” to include the Arctic coast, though it’s not official.
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Though Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday this year, Canada’s Indigenous peoples have been living on this land for much longer than that. During the 1980s,
archeologists uncovered a collection of bones and tools in Yukon’s Bluefish Caves. These artifacts are estimated to be between 24,000 and 28,000 years old, meaning that Canada’s first wave of settlement occurred long before recorded history.
Geography The creation of Alberta and Saskatchewan wasn’t the only option the Canadian government was considering when dividing up the prairies. One plan called for the creation of one large prairie province called “Buffalo” with Regina as its capital. Another plan called for four prairie provinces: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Athabasca and Assiniboia.
