By Brian Roulston
150 years ago, the Dominion of Canada was born on July 1, 1867. The word Dominion indicated Canada was now a self-governing colony of the British Empire.
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec became the first provinces in 1867.
Other provinces and territories were added since confederation, with the most recent being Nunavut, a territory formed in 1999.
1870 – Manitoba, Northwest Territories (N.W.T.)
1871 – British Columbia
1873 – Prince Edward Island
1880 – Transfer of the Arctic Islands (to N.W.T.)
1898 – Yukon Territory
1905 – Alberta, Saskatchewan
1949 – Newfoundland and Labrador
1999 – Nunavut
On January 3rd 1947, then Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie became Canada’s first official Canadian when he along with 26 other Canadians were sworn in during our country’s first citizenship ceremony.
Canada is the second largest country in the world behind Russia but take away our lakes and the U.S would be larger.
Canada only covers only 2% of the Earth’s surface.
Canada currently holds no world record weather extremes however does hold one for North America in Snag, Yukon when temperatures plunged to -63° (-81° F) in February 1947.
