Canada - From Eh to Z Trivia Quiz

Answer: Beaver

While Canada is home to many majestic animals, the country gives the beaver top billing. This toothy rodent earned the honor in 1975, when it was declared Canada's national animal by an act of Parliament.

While not quite as flashy as the bald eagle or as photogenic as the moose, the beaver holds its own as a symbol of hard work, perseverance, and recreational woodworking.

The fur trade played a major role in shaping early Canadian history, and the beaver pelt was once so valuable it served as a form of currency. The Hudson's Bay Company practically ran on beaver pelts for over a century.

If that's not enough, you can find a beaver on the Canadian nickel, in official government emblems, and, if you're lucky, waddling (majestically) through a wetland with a stick in its mouth and a blueprint rolled up in its back pocket.

Answer: Newfoundland

Newfoundland is Canada's easternmost island, and locals call it "The Rock" for good reason: its landscape is famously tough and rocky. The island is part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, but the nickname is reserved for Newfoundland itself.

First sighted by Europeans around 1000 CE, when Norse explorer Leif Erikson landed there, the island eventually became a British colony and then a dominion in its own right. Newfoundland didn't join Canada until 1949, and I'm told you can still hear some debate the merits of that decision today in local pubs.

Answer: The Mackenzie River

If you're planning a scenic canoe trip and have a few weeks to spare, the Mackenzie River just might be your thing. At about 4,241 kilometers (2,635 miles) long (including its headwaters in the Peace and Slave Rivers) the Mackenzie River system is the longest in Canada and the second-longest in North America, after the Mississippi-Missouri system.

Winding its way through the Northwest Territories, the Mackenzie River flows northward into the Arctic Ocean. Named after explorer Alexander Mackenzie, who was the first European to travel its full length in 1789, the river is an essential waterway in the northern part of the country. Despite its isolation and subarctic climate, the river supports a vibrant ecosystem, Indigenous communities, and, occasionally, the odd tourist with a paddle and hopefully a very warm sleeping bag.

Answer: Standard Time Zones

Before Sir Sanford Fleming came along, telling time was chaos, at least globally. In the 19th century, towns and cities kept their own local time based on the position of the sun, which made scheduling trains across long distances an absolute nightmare. It's no fun missing your train because two neighboring towns disagreed on what time it was.

Fleming, a Scottish-born Canadian engineer, proposed a system of standard time in the 1870s. His idea divided the world into 24 time zones, each one hour apart, aligned with lines of longitude. While it took a while to catch on, the concept was adopted at the 1884 International Meridian Conference, and today, the global clockwork runs (more or less) smoothly thanks to his vision.

Answer: The United States

In August 1940, with much of the world in the midst of World War II and Britain under heavy German assault, Canada and the United States, neutral on paper at the time, quietly met in Ogdensburg, New York, to sign a landmark defense pact. The result was the Ogdensburg Agreement, a formal alliance between Canada and the U.S. that laid the foundation for continental defense cooperation.

The agreement was brokered by Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It created the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, a body that still exists. At the time, Britain's ability to defend Canada was uncertain, so Canada turned to its southern neighbor for military coordination, much to the chagrin of some loyal Anglophiles.

Though informal in tone (and famously scribbled out over lunch), the Ogdensburg Agreement marked a turning point in North American security. It was one of the first steps toward the close military partnership that would later include NORAD and other joint operations.

(Strategically placed in the middle of the quiz, this question is designed to prevent my fellow Americans from feeling left out of the conversation. We're very sensitive about that.)

Answer: Mount Logan

Mount Logan, located in the remote reaches of the Yukon's Kluane National Park, is Canada's tallest mountain, standing at an imposing 5,959 meters (19,551 feet). It's not just tall, it's a monster. In fact, Mount Logan has the largest base circumference of any non-volcanic mountain on Earth. So, yeah. If you're climbing it, bring snacks.

Named after Canadian geologist Sir William Edmond Logan, founder of the Geological Survey of Canada, the mountain was first summited in 1925 by a team of intrepid mountaineers who endured temperatures that one might politely describe as "lethal." Even today, climbing Logan is no small feat. It's cold, isolated, and a very long haul.

Answer: Wasaga Beach

Stretching along the shores of Georgian Bay in Ontario, Wasaga Beach holds the title of the world's longest freshwater beach. At approximately 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) in length, this sandy stretch is a magnet for summer tourists, sunbathers, and seagulls with opinions about French fries and just how personal your personal space should be.

Today, the beach is part of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, offering protected dunes, boardwalks, and waterfront areas for wildlife and weary city dwellers alike. And while it might not have the tropical waters of the Caribbean, it does offer unbeatable views, a family-friendly vibe, and a long sandy shoreline.

Answer: Bannock

Traditional bannock (or a form of it) was originally made by Indigenous peoples across North America, particularly the Métis, Cree, and Inuit, using natural ingredients like cornmeal, roots, or flour milled from local grains. After contact with Europeans, bannock evolved to incorporate ingredients such as wheat flour, lard, and baking powder. It could be baked, fried, or cooked on a stick over a fire.

Though the name "bannock" comes from a Scottish term for a flat quick bread, the Indigenous versions predated European recipes. Over time, the two traditions mingled, creating a modern bannock that reflects both Indigenous origins and colonial influence. Today, bannock remains a cultural staple.

Answer: Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling, hailing from London, Ontario, started out as a Mouseketeer on the Disney Channel. He proceeded to capture women's hearts everywhere (and increase the market value of Kleenex) in "The Notebook" (2004), went full jazz-hands in "La La Land" (2016), and embraced peak blondness as Ken in "Barbie" (2023). If you're looking for range, he's got deep pensive glances, passionate and romantic glances, and even stoic villainous glances. Now, one presumes he even has plastic accessories.

Beyond acting, Gosling also directs, plays in a band, and has a strong record of avoiding major celebrity scandal, a very Canadian accomplishment, I might add.

Answer: British Columbia

Canada officially became a country on July 1, 1867, with the unification of four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. British Columbia, meanwhile, was still out west doing its own thing, finding itself, trying to avoid bankruptcy, and debating whether to throw its lot in with Canada, the U.S., or nobody at all.

British Columbia didn't join the Confederation until 1871, lured in part by a big promise: a transcontinental railway connecting it to the rest of the country. The railway would eventually arrive, though not without delays, cost overruns, and just a bit of scandal. You know, the normal railway construction stuff.

So while British Columbia is now an important part of Canada, and home to mountains, moose, and more coffee shops than some countries, it did miss out on the original confederation party by four years.