Discover Canada - For More Information

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Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship - For More Information and Acknowledgements

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Canadian citizenship

Obtain citizenship application information and take advantage of the many resources that are available.

Online

Visit the Citizenship and Immigration website at www.cic.gc.ca. Discover Canada can be downloaded from this website.

Citizenship classes

  • Contact schools and colleges in your area
  • Go to your local library or community centre
  • Contact local settlement agencies or ethnocultural associations

Canada

Ask a librarian to help you find books and videos about Canada. You could begin by asking for these books.

  • The Canada Yearbook (published by Statistics Canada)
  • Canada: A Portrait (published by Statistics Canada)
  • How Canadians Govern Themselves (written by Eugene Forsey)
  • The Canadian Encyclopedia (including The Youth Encyclopedia of Canada)
  • The Story of Canada (written by Janet Lunn and Christopher Moore, published by Lester Publishing Ltd.)
  • Symbols of Canada (published by Canadian Heritage)
  • A Crown of Maples (published by Canadian Heritage)
  • Canada: A People’s History (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
  • Canada’s History (published by Canada’s National History Society)
  • Kayak: Canada’s History Magazine for Kids (published by Canada’s National History Society)

Federal Programs and Services

You can obtain information about Canada by telephone or on the Internet:

Telephone:

1-800-O-Canada (1 800 622-6232) (toll-free)
1-800-465-7735 — TTY (toll-free)

Internet:

The Government of Canada website contains information about many government programs and services.

Other websites of interest that provide information on topics found in this guide:

Photo described below

The Confederation Bridge joins the provinces of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. At almost 13 kilometres in length, the bridge is the longest in the world to cross water that freezes in winter

Acknowledgments

Government of Canada Departments and Agencies

  • Canadian Heritage
  • Canadian Human Rights Commission
  • Citizenship and Immigration Canada
  • Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
  • Elections Canada
  • Environment Canada
  • Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
  • Industry Canada
  • Justice Canada
  • Library and Archives Canada
  • Library of Parliament
  • Natural Resources Canada
  • Parks Canada
  • Veterans Affairs Canada

Organizations

  • Canada’s National History Society
  • Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA)
  • The Historica-Dominion Institute
  • Institute for Canadian Citizenship

Individuals

  • Dr. Janet Ajzenstat
  • Mr. Curtis Barlow
  • Dr. Randy Boyagoda
  • Mr. Marc Chalifoux
  • General John de Chastelain
  • The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson
  • Mr. Andrew Cohen
  • Mr. Alex Colville
  • Ms. Ann Dadson
  • Dr. Xavier Gélinas
  • Dr. Jack Granatstein
  • Mr. Rudyard Griffiths
  • Dr. Lynda Haverstock
  • Dr. Peter Henshaw
  • Dr. D. Michael Jackson
  • Senator Serge Joyal
  • Dr. Margaret MacMillan
  • Dr. Christopher McCreery
  • Mr. James Marsh
  • Fr. Jacques Monet, SJ
  • Dr. Jim Miller
  • Ms. Deborah Morrison
  • Dr. Desmond Morton
  • Mr. Bernard Pothier
  • Mr. Colin Robertson
  • Dr. John Ralston Saul

Photo Credits

Section 1:

  • Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada: Canadian Heritage
  • Taking the oath of citizenship: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Section 2:

  • Family: Stock image
  • Parliament Hill: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Boy holding Canadian flags: Stock image

Section 3:

  • Taking the oath of citizenship: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
  • Taking the oath of citizenship: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
  • Taking the oath of citizenship: MaRS Discovery District
  • Canadian Passport: Passport Canada
  • Boy at Citizenship Ceremony: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
  • Citizenship Judge and Mountie: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
  • Family at Citizenship Ceremony: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Section 4:

  • Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada: Library and Archives Canada PA-141503
  • Woman donating blood: Stock image
  • Children’s program: Debbie Farnand
  • Man and woman: Stock image
  • Canadian Army General and Navy sailor shaking hands: National Defence
  • Canadian Air Force Pilot: National Defence, Master Corporal John Bradley
  • Canadian Forces participating in the annual Nijmegen Marches in the Netherlands: Canadian Forces Combat Camera, Master Corporal Robert Bottrill

Section 5:

  • Métis from Alberta: Fred Carroll
  • Cree dancer: Fred Cattroll
  • Inuit children in Iqaluit, Nunavut: Fred Cattroll
  • Haida artist Bill Reid carves a totem pole: Chris Hopkins
  • Lord Tweedsmuir, Governor General of Canada (novelist John Buchan), in Native attire: (Year of the Portrait), Yousuf Karsh, Library and Archives Canada
  • St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Montreal, Quebec: Jimmy James
  • Highland dancer at Glengarry Highland Games, Maxville, Ontario: Mario Groleau
  • Celebrating Fête Nationale, Gatineau, Quebec: Patrick Guillot
  • Acadian fiddler, Village of Grande-Anse, New Brunswick: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Celebration of cultures, Edmonton, Alberta: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Ismaili Muslims in the Calgary Stampede, Alberta: Ismaili Council
  • Caribbean cultural festival, Toronto, Ontario: Ontario Tourism
  • Ukrainian Pysanka Festival, Vegreville, Alberta: Vegreville and District Chamber of Commerce
  • Young Polish dancers in Oliver, British Columbia: Stock image
  • Pipes and drums in Ottawa: National Defence – Corporal Bern LeBlanc
  • Winter fun in Whistler, British Columbia: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Kids playing hockey in the street: Paul Chambers
  • Sailing, Toronto harbour: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Cadets white-water rafting: Cadets Canada
  • Christmas in Gatineau, Quebec: Rob Wiebe
  • Chinese-Canadian war veterans: Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society
  • Notre-Dame des Victoires, Québec City: Stock image
  • Chinese New Year celebration, Vancouver, British Columbia: Paul Clarke
  • Olympian Marjorie Turner-Bailey of Nova Scotia: The Black Loyalist Heritage Society

Section 6:

  • Indian encampment, fur trade era: Library and Archives Canada C-040293
  • John Cabot: Oil on canvas by Ernest Board, Bristol’s City Museum and Art Gallery
  • Jacques Cartier: Library and Archives Canada C-011226
  • Count Frontenac: Library and Archives Canada C-073710
  • Pierre Le Moyne: Louisiana State Museum
  • Sir Guy Carleton: Library and Archives Canada C-002833
  • The first elected Assembly of Lower Canada, in Québec City: Collection of the National Assembly of Quebec
  • Lieutenant Colonel John Graves Simcoe, Upper Canada’s first Lieutenant Governor: Library and Archives Canada C-008111
  • Mary Ann (Shadd) Carey: Library and Archives Canada C-029977
  • HMS Shannon, a Royal Navy frigate, leads the captured USS Chesapeake into Halifax harbour, 1813: Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management N-2301 & CN-1139
  • Major General Sir Isaac Brock and Chief Tecumseh: Library and Archives Canada C-011052
  • French-Canadian militiaman illustration: Militiaman, Lower Canada Sedentary Militia, 1813 G.A. Embleton, © Parks Canada
  • Duke of Wellington: Public Domain
  • Laura Secord: Canada Post
  • The Fathers of Confederation: House of Commons Collection, Ottawa (Artist – Rex Woods)
  • Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine: Library and Archives Canada C-005961
  • Dominion of Canada one dollar note, 1923: National Currency Collection, Currency Museum, Bank of Canada
  • Sir John A. Macdonald, the first Prime Minister of the Dominion of Canada: Library and Archives Canada C-006536
  • Interior of Old Fort Garry: Shaun Mayberry. Mayberry Fine Art
  • Sir Sam Steele: Library and Archives Canada PA-028147
  • Gabriel Dumont: Library and Archives Canada PA-117943
  • Members of the train crew pose with a westbound Pacific Express: Canadian Pacific Archives A17566
  • Chinese workers’ camp on the CPR, Kamloops, 1886: Library and Archives Canada C-021990
  • Sergeant, Fort Garry Horse, Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1916: Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces
  • Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Currie 1919: Sir William Newenham Montague Orpen, CWM19710261-0539. Beaverbrook Collection of War Art © Canadian War Museum
  • Maple Leaf cap badge from the First World War: Maple Leaf cap badge CWM 19820048-001 © Canadian War Museum
  • The Vimy Memorial in France: Canadian Forces Combat Camera, Sergeant Jerry Kean
  • Canadian nurses nicknamed the“Bluebirds” served in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps: Richard Mathews
  • Agnes Macphail: Library and Archives Canada C-006908
  • Nursing Sister: Richard Mathews, CWM 19710261-6070, Beaverbrook Collection of War Art © Canadian War Museum
  • Canadian soldiers observe Remembrance Day:  Canadian Forces Combat Camera, Master Corporal Robert Bottrill
  • Remembrance Day poppy: Stock image
  • Canadian war veteran: Canadian Forces Combat Camera, Master Corporal Frank Hudec
  • Scouts with Remembrance Day wreath: Patrick Tam
  • Phil Edwards: Library and Archives Canada PA-150992
  • The 1st Battalion, The Regina Rifle Regiment, Assault Landing at Courseulles, France, June 1944: Royal Regina Rifles Trust Fund, Painting by O.N. Fisher, 1950
  • Give – The Canadian Red Cross, CWM 19720114-023, © Canadian War Museum

Section 7:

  • Toronto business district: Stock image
  • Vietnamese-Canadians: Alex Pylyshyn
  • F-86 Sabre, Royal Canadian Air Force: National Defence
  • Cirque du Soleil: Photo: OSA Images, Costume: Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt, @ 2007 Cirque du Soleil
  • The Jack Pine, Tom Thomson: Tom Thomson, Tom Thomson, The Jack Pine, 1916-1917, photo © National Gallery of Canada, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
  • Donovan Bailey: COC/The Canadian Press/Claus Andersen
  • Chantal Petitclerc: Canadian Paralympic Committee/Benoit Pelosse
  • Terry Fox: Ed Linkewich
  • Wayne Gretzky: The Canadian Press, Mike Ridewood
  • Mark Tewksbury: The Canadian Press, Ted Grant
  • Paul Henderson: Adaptation by Henry Garman for the Power to Change Campaign, 2008
  • Catriona Le May Doan: The Canadian Press
  • Canadian Football: The Saskatchewan Roughriders
  • The Canadarm2: Canadian Space Agency
  • Sir Frederick Banting: Library and Archives Canada PA-123481

Section 8:

  • Queen Elizabeth II opening the 23rd Parliament (1957): Photograph by Malak, Ottawa
  • Parliament Hill: Stock image
  • His Excellency The Right Honourable David Johnston: Sun Media

Section 9:

  • House of Commons chamber: Parliement of Canada
  • House of Commons in session: House of Commons
  • Election photos: Elections Canada
  • Provincial Assembly of Charlottetown, PEI: Government of Prince Edward Island
  • Québec City Hall: Stacey M. Warnke

Section 10:

  • Scales of Justice, Vancouver Law Courts: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
  • Jury benches: Dan Carr
  • Ottawa police constable Steve Lewis helping a young boy at the Aboriginal Day Flotilla: Ottawa Police Service
  • Handcuffs: Correctional Services Canada
  • Border guard with sniffer dog: Canada Border Services Agency

Section 11:

  • Mace of the House of Commons: Ottawa House of Commons Collection, Ottawa, Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company (Great Britain)
  • Canadian Flag of 1965: Stock image
  • The Royal Arms of Canada: Bank of Canada
  • Parliament at dusk: Stock image
  • The Snowbirds: National Defence
  • The Red Ensign: Patrick Riley, Dominion Command, The Royal Canadian Legion
  • Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup champions, 1978: CHC – Denis Brodeur
  • RCMP Musical Ride, Ottawa, Ontario: Patrick Guillot
  • The industrious beaver: Stock image
  • Oscar Peterson, Norah Willis Michener and Governor General Roland Michener, 1973: John Evans / Library and Archives Canada / e002107535-v6
  • Colonel Alexander Roberts Dunn, V.C: Sharif Tarabay
  • Able Seaman William Hall, V.C.: Library and Archives Canada NLC-8759
  • Brigadier Paul Triquet, V.C: Mr. Adam Sherriff Scott, CWM 19710261-5841, Beaverbrook Collection of War Art, © Canadian War Museum
  • Sergeant Filip Konowal, V.C.: Arthur Ambrose McEvoy, CWM 19710261-6070, Beaverbrook Collection of War Art © Canadian War Museum
  • Honorary Air Marshal William Avery Bishop, VC, DSO and Bar, MC, DFC: Alphonse Jongers, VC, DSO and Bar, MC, DFC CWM 19680068-001, Beaverbrook Collection of War Art, © Canadian War Museum
  • Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray, V.C.: Sharif Tarabay

Section 12:

  • Oil pumpjacks in southern Alberta: Stock image
  • Atlantic lobster: Stock image
  • Hydro-electric dam on the Saguenay River, Quebec: Stock image
  • Lumber truck: Stock image
  • Toronto’s financial district: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
  • Car assembly plant in Oakville, Ontario: Ford of Canada
  • Port of Vancouver: Evan Leeson
  • Research laboratory: The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck
  • RIM’s BlackBerry: Stock image
  • Ice wine grapes, Niagara Region, Ontario: Stock image

Section 13:

  • Ottawa’s Rideau Canal: Stock image
  • Banff National Park: Stock image
  • Peggy’s Cove Harbour: Stock image
  • “The Edge” Newfoundland and Labrador: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Moose: Ontario Tourism
  • Point Prim, Prince Edward Island: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island: Smudge 9000
  • Destroyer HMCS Athabasca (DD282), in the foreground, and HMCS Toronto (FF333) sail through Halifax Harbour on February 17, 2009, for an annual sailpast: Canadian Forces Combat Camera, Private Martin Roy
  • Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia: Stock image
  • Hopewell Rocks, Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Whale: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Percé Rock: Stock image
  • Petit Champlain, Québec City: Stock image
  • Muskoka Skeleton Lake, Ontario: Ontario Tourism
  • Toronto Skyline: Stock image
  • Pisew Falls, Manitoba: Stock image
  • Golden Boy statue: Government of Manitoba
  • Wheat fields in Saskatchewan: Stock image
  • Coronach, Saskatchewan: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Alberta rancher: Stock image
  • Alberta oil pump jack: Stock image
  • Vancouver skyline: Stock image
  • Orca: Stock image
  • Family searching for gold, Dawson City, Yukon: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Takhini Hot Springs Road, Yukon: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Sir William Logan: Natural Resources Canada
  • Mount Logan: Natural Resources Canada
  • Northern lights, Northwest Territories: Canadian Tourism Commission
  • Polar bear: Stock image
  • Pangnirtung, Nunavut: Lindsay Terry
  • Inukshuk, Nunavut: Stock image
  • The Canadian Rangers: National Defence
  • An Inuit boy in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut: Clarkework Orange Photography
  • The caribou (reindeer): Stock image

Section 14:

  • Confederation Bridge: Stephen Downes

Authorities:

  • 2010 men’s hockey Olympic gold medal winners: Getty Images

Memorable Quotes:

  • Sir Wilfrid Laurier – Library and Archives Canada c001971
  • John Diefenbaker – Library and Archives Canada c006779

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