Everyone in Canada knows the name of our current Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but he has done nothing compared to our very first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald. Macdonald did many things for our country, including making it a country, and it all started from his vision. He had a vision to unite all of Canada as one through a transcontinental railway, which went on to be known as the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The CPR cost a ton of money though, and the Canadian government just didn’t have enough money to keep pouring it into the CPR. Macdonald needed money, and he decided to get it from Hugh Allen, which led to the Pacific Scandal. Due to the Pacific Scandal, Macdonald was kicked out of office, and by the time the next election came around, he knew that he needed a political platform to win the election. In 1876 he created the National Policy, which became the basis of the Conservative election platform during the 1878 election. This National Policy had three initiatives to it; to create a system of protective tariffs against foreign goods; to encourage greater immigration to the west; the cornerstone of the national policy was to finish off the CPR. The National Policy got Macdonald back in power, more importantly though, Macdonald’s National Policy hugely impacted Canada economically, politically, and socially.…
Although Canada has been involved with the space race since the beginning, nothing has made our national pride glow like watching the space shuttles and seeing the big letters CANADA written across the Canadarm.…
Although there were events in the 1970s that showed Canada's identity, the 1972 Century Series demonstrated that Canada is a unified and independent country. First, the Century Series unveiled our identity as hockey players. As the international series did not tire the professional players participate, Canada never made an appearance. So, when Russia presented interest in a nice series against Canada, they agreed. Vladimir Lutchenko, one of the players on the team of the Soviet Union, said…
Today many people and businesses use hockey to promote social events in Canada. I think one of the ways the summit series affected Canada socially is that it united the country as one. Millions of people watched. They could not stop talking about it. Proud Canadian fans packed the arena for every game and cheered loud and proud. They held their breath in the third period of game 8 and the entire country erupted with Paul Henderson scored the goal.…
Over the years, there have been many Great Canadians. Whether they have had numerous amazing accomplishments, or only one very grave one, they are defined as a huge role in the country. Many Great Canadians have changed Canada in a good way, or have done things for the citizens. Lester B. Pearson’s efforts and accomplishments as Prime Minister helped improve Canada. He helped create Canada’s reputation as peacekeepers. When he felt Canadians needed it, he brought Universal Health Care into Canada. Lester B. Pearson also decided to get American car dealerships in Canada.…
Canada would not be as superior as it is today without a number of historical and inspirational leaders. One of the most prominent historical leaders in our nation is Tommy Douglas. Tommy was born in Falkirk, Scotland on October 20th 1904, he settled in Canada in 1919 living in Winnipeg. when he moved to Canada he started by working as a Baptist. In 1924 he went to Brandon Collage for 6 years. After he finished collage he moved to Weyburn, Saskatchewan in the 1930's. Tommy was hit especially hard by the great depression. It was then he decided to go in to politics. Tommy Douglas is the greatest Canadian because he introduced many amazing ideas and he also passed many laws that are very beneficial to Canadians. He also introduced many Rights And Went down in history known as "The Father of Medicare".…
During the 20th century, there were many events and situations that helped define the country of Canada. There were positive moments, but also a good amount of negative ones. Of course, the successful events kept Canadians in a positive light, but the negative situations helped Canada learn from its mistakes and went to prove how strong and brave its citizens were/are. The three most defining moments would have to be the Dieppe Raid, the Invasion of Normandy, and the Battle of Vimy Ridge. These three events not only assisted the country to become what it has today, but has also defined what the nation has become.…
The Vimy Ridge Memorial is a significant artifact commemorating Canada’s most celebrated military victory (the Battle of Vimy Ridge) that exemplifies Canada’s development as a nation. In France, at the dawn of April 9, 1917, the Canadian troops (35,000 men) attacked the Ridge. It took three days of heavy combat and injured /or killed more than 10,000 Canadian men. The British attack to the south was met with defeat; the only troops to emerge victorious were the Canadians (www.histori.ca). Although, the duration of this battle was only three days, over the course of these days, Canada undoubtedly benefited from it. Primarily, after the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Canadian soldiers were perceived as ruthless, slaughtering machines (Scully).…
the conflicts and wars Canada had joined in a positive matter and its outcome has shown us…
For a country to evolve into a developed nation from its very earliest stages can take many years. Many changes can happen to an evolving country in a small amount of time and those changes are put into action by true leaders. Some people can be credited with the development of Canada more than others but one who stands out is John George Diefenbaker. He was arguably the most influential person in Canadian history and played a crucial role in the development of Canada. Diefenbaker created bills which are still used today, addressed national issues and created a health care system known worldwide. He was truly a humble man that cared greatly about Canada and all of its people within it.…
One of the biggest events that occurred in that decade was the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Some say it was the time Canada surfaced from under Britain's supremacy; others feel that it was a time of Canada's independence. It was a tough battle but the consistency and the devotion of Canadian soldiers had won the surrender of the German Army. The success of this battle is the reason why it is valued as an immense event in Canadian History.…
To begin with, Chris Hadfield allowed Canada to be seen as an exceptional technologically savvy country through his superior to any other, achievements of being the first of many situations as a Canadian in space. Firstly, Chris Hadfield became the first Canadian in to walk in space, thus portraying Canada's eagerness to participate in larger affairs further developing the Canadian identity. Space exploration was once heavily dominated by the larger powers of the world, Canada was merely seen as a helper in the bigger picture. The nation was ignored and heavily disregarded however, when news broke out of Chris Hadfield's success the world began to tune-in. For instance, a recent article from a Turkish newspaper describes the country's fascination…
In Canadian history there are many famous people. In my mind one really stands out among the rest. His name is Terry Fox and he is one of the greatest athlete to run on the face of this planet. Terry discovered he had cancer and then decided to run across Canada. He was a brave man who would take what the world through at him. Running across Canada was his way to show the world that he was not going out with out a fight.…
Canada’s Confederation in 1867 was perhaps the most pivotal moment for the formation of a Canadian sense of nationalism and was the officially documented birth of our pride for the unique…
Many first, second and third countries look at Canada’s history and see how they can improve to their own country. When Stephen Harper apologized to First Nations about the mistakes the Canadian government had made, he created a milestone in Canadian history. This creates an enviroment where Canadian civilians feel that their thoughts and feelings are being heard by the government. When Canada tried to fix their wrong doing, they showed leadership that will be seen around the world and could potentially create other world leaders to do the same. Currently, Canada does have in place, the Indian Act to prevent anything like residential schools to happen to the First Nations in the future.…