Portal:Canada

Monday, October 5, 2026

Introduction

Flag of Canada

Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the second-largest country by total area, with the longest coastline of any country. Its border with the United States is the longest international land border. The country is characterized by a wide range of both meteorologic and geological regions. With a population of over 41 million, it has widely varying population densities, with the majority residing in its urban areas and large areas being sparsely populated. Its capital is Ottawa and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

A developed country, Canada's advanced economy has a high nominal per capita GDP globally and ranks among the largest in the world by nominal GDP, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks. Canada is recognized as a middle power; its support for multilateralism and internationalism has been closely related to its foreign policies of peacekeeping and aid for developing countries. Canada promotes its domestically shared values through participation in multiple international organizations and forums. (Full article...)

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Franklin's lost expedition was a failed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845 aboard two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, and was assigned to traverse the last unnavigated sections of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic and to record magnetic data to help determine whether a better understanding could aid navigation. The expedition met with disaster after both ships and their crews, a total of 129 officers and men, became icebound in Victoria Strait near King William Island in what is today the Canadian territory of Nunavut. After being icebound for more than a year, Erebus and Terror were abandoned in April 1848, by which point two dozen men, including Franklin, had died. The survivors, now led by Franklin's second-in-command, Francis Crozier, and Erebus's captain, James Fitzjames, set out for the Canadian mainland and disappeared, presumably having perished. (Full article...)

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Current events

September 27, 2026 – 2026 UCI Road World Championships: In cycling, Brandon McNulty of the United States wins the men's road race world title in Montreal, Canada, becoming the first American champion in 33 years after finishing 13 seconds ahead of Australia's Michael Matthews. (AFP)
September 26, 2026 – 2026 UCI Road World Championships: In cycling, the Netherlands' Demi Vollering wins the women's road race world title in Montreal, Canada, defeating Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney in the final sprint, while Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini takes bronze. (AFP)
September 19, 2026 – 2026 Indonesia wildfires, Indonesia–Malaysia relations: Indonesia accepts Malaysian assistance to combat wildfires in Kalimantan, including a Bombardier CL-415MP aircraft, three helicopters, and 52 personnel, as the fires cause transboundary haze affecting Southeast Asia. (AFP via France 24)
September 16, 2026 – Canada–European Union relations: European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen invites Canada to become the first associate member of the European Union amidst the ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States. (CNBC)
September 8, 2026 – Canada–United States relations: 2025–2026 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico; Canada's retaliatory tariffs of 15% to 50% on CA$27.6 billion (US$19.9 billion) of U.S. goods, including steel, dairy products, appliances, agricultural equipment, paper products, and electronics, take effect in response to U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports. (AFP via France 24)

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Panoramic view of Montreal

Credit: Diliff

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The Trans-Canada Highway (French: Route Transcanadienne) is a transcontinental highway system within the country of Canada. The system traverses all ten provinces of Canada, and the main route travels 7,821 kilometres (4,860 mi) between Victoria, British Columbia, and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, making it one of the longest routes of its type in the world. (Full article...)

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Education in Canada is for the most part provided publicly, funded and overseen by federal, provincial, and local governments. Education is within provincial jurisdiction and the curriculum is overseen by the province. Education in Canada is generally divided into primary education, followed by secondary education and post-secondary. Education in both English and French is available in most places across Canada. Canada has a large number of universities, almost all of which are publicly funded. Established in 1663, Université Laval is the oldest post-secondary institution in Canada. The largest university is the University of Toronto with over 85,000 students. Four universities are regularly ranked among the top 100 world-wide, namely the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University, and McMaster University, with a total of 18 universities ranked in the top 500 worldwide. (Full article...)

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White-breasted Nuthatch in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada
Credit: Mdf

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Macdonald in the 1940s

Angus Lewis Macdonald PC QC (August 10, 1890 – April 13, 1954) was a Canadian lawyer, law professor and politician from Nova Scotia. He served as the Liberal premier of Nova Scotia from 1933 to 1940, when he became the federal minister of defence for naval services. He oversaw the creation of an effective Canadian navy and Allied convoy service during World War II. After the war, he returned to Nova Scotia to become premier again. In the election of 1945, his Liberals returned to power while their main rivals, the Conservatives, failed to win a single seat. The Liberal rallying cry, "All's Well With Angus L.," was so effective that the Conservatives despaired of ever beating Macdonald. He died in office in 1954. (Full article...)

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... that Winter Renouf, a British member of the Indian Civil Service, thought that farmers in the Punjab should grow Canadian wheat varieties?
... that the only populated place on Kaipokok Bay in Labrador, Canada, is Postville?
... that Canadian influencer and chef Logan Moffitt's viral videos have been cited as responsible for a cucumber shortage in Iceland?
... that prior to becoming prime minister of Canada, Paul Martin frequently searched the basement of Devonshire Lodge for a bootlegging tunnel?
... that Premier Maurice Duplessis, angry at the fact that the federal government of Canada was taking taxes at the expense of the provinces, once demanded that Ottawa "return our loot"?
... that Helen Kendall was one of 446 Canadians to receive the Royal Red Cross for her service in World War I?
... that Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was born in Canada's capital, but outside the country's legal jurisdiction?

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The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is a team award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL). Named for Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and then Duke of Windsor), it has been awarded for different accomplishments throughout its history. (Full article...)

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