Lesson 5

🎖️ Modern Canada

The world wars, the right to vote, and Canadian achievements.

简体中文 繁體中文 हिन्दी

Canada in the world wars

More than 600,000 Canadians served in the First World War. At Vimy Ridge in April 1917, the Canadian Corps captured a position other armies had failed to take, securing its reputation for valour; April 9 is now Vimy Day. General Sir Arthur Currie is regarded as Canada's greatest soldier of that war. In the Second World War, Canadians landed at Juno Beach on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), a major contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany. Every November 11, Remembrance Day, Canadians wear a red poppy to remember those who served and died.

Remember

Winning the right to vote

The women's suffrage movement was the effort by women to win the right to vote. Manitoba was the first province to grant women the vote, in 1916, and most women could vote federally by 1918. Dr. Emily Stowe, the first Canadian woman to practise medicine in Canada, was a leader of the movement. Other Canadians waited longer: Japanese Canadians gained the vote in 1948 and Aboriginal people in 1960. In the 1960s Quebec went through rapid change known as the Quiet Revolution.

Remember

Canadian achievements

Canadians have made discoveries used around the world. Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin, which has saved millions of lives. James Naismith invented basketball in 1891. Joseph-Armand Bombardier invented the snowmobile, Sir Sandford Fleming the worldwide system of standard time zones, and Dr. John A. Hopps the first cardiac pacemaker. Reginald Fessenden sent the world's first wireless voice message, and the Canadarm is a robotic arm used in space. In sport, Paul Henderson scored the winning goal in the 1972 Summit Series, and Canada's men won hockey gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Remember

Practice questions

What is the meaning of the Remembrance Day poppy?

  1. To remember our Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II.
  2. To celebrate Confederation.
  3. To honour prime ministers who have died.
  4. To remember the sacrifice of Canadians who have served or died in wars up to the present day.

Answer: To remember the sacrifice of Canadians who have served or died in wars up to the present day. Canadians remember the sacrifices of our veterans and brave fallen in all wars up to the present day in which Canadians took part, each year on November 11: Remembrance Day.

Approximately how many Canadians served in the First World War?

  1. 7000.
  2. 8 million.
  3. About 60,000.
  4. More than 600,000.

Answer: More than 600,000. More than 600,000 Canadians served in the First World War.

In the 1960s, Quebec experienced an era of rapid change. What is this called?

  1. The West Movement.
  2. The Revolution.
  3. The Quiet Revolution.
  4. La Francophonie.

Answer: The Quiet Revolution. Quebec experienced an era of rapid change in the 1960s known as the Quiet Revolution.

What is the significance of the discovery of insulin by Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best?

  1. Insulin is a hormone that permits you to eat anything you wish.
  2. Insulin has saved 16 million lives worldwide.
  3. Discovering insulin opened the doors to more discoveries.
  4. Discovering insulin made Drs. Banting and Best famous.

Answer: Insulin has saved 16 million lives worldwide. Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin, a treatment for diabetes that has saved 16 million lives worldwide.

What was the significance of the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy?

  1. It led to the establishment of the Juno Awards.
  2. It liberated North Africa from Nazi occupation.
  3. Canadians made a significant contribution to the defeat of Nazism and Fascism in Europe during the Second World War.
  4. It resulted in the forcible relocation of Canadians of Japanese origin.

Answer: Canadians made a significant contribution to the defeat of Nazism and Fascism in Europe during the Second World War. The D-Day invasion of Normandy (June 6, 1944) was a crucial battle where Canadians made a significant contribution to defeating Nazism and Fascism in Europe.

What was the Women's Suffrage Movement?

  1. The effort by women to achieve the right to vote.
  2. The effort by women to participate in military service.
  3. An unsuccessful movement to get husbands to do housework.
  4. The effort by women to be in Parliament.

Answer: The effort by women to achieve the right to vote. The effort by women to achieve the right to vote is known as the women's suffrage movement.

Practise in the app

Or study in your browser →

Independent study app. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Government of Canada or Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and it does not provide any official government service. Always confirm details with the official sources.