What does the Provinces and Territories chapter cover?
The citizenship test can include questions about your own province or territory, such as its capital, its history and its government. Each province has a Premier who leads the government and a Lieutenant Governor who represents the King. Territories have a Premier and a Commissioner. Learning the capitals and key facts for all ten provinces and three territories will help you answer these questions with confidence.
How hard is the Provinces and Territories chapter?
What are the capitals of the provinces and territories?
Capitals and joining dates are the most common provincial questions. Watch out for provinces whose capital is not their biggest city.
| Province or territory | Capital | Joined Canada | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Toronto | 1867 | Central Canada |
| Quebec | Quebec City | 1867 | Central Canada |
| Nova Scotia | Halifax | 1867 | Atlantic |
| New Brunswick | Fredericton | 1867 | Atlantic |
| Manitoba | Winnipeg | 1870 | Prairies |
| British Columbia | Victoria | 1871 | West Coast |
| Prince Edward Island | Charlottetown | 1873 | Atlantic |
| Alberta | Edmonton | 1905 | Prairies |
| Saskatchewan | Regina | 1905 | Prairies |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | St. John's | 1949 | Atlantic |
| Northwest Territories | Yellowknife | 1870 | North |
| Yukon | Whitehorse | 1898 | North |
| Nunavut | Iqaluit | 1999 | North |
What key facts should I remember?
- Provincial capitals: Victoria (BC), Edmonton (AB), Regina (SK), Winnipeg (MB), Toronto (ON), Quebec City (QC).
- Atlantic capitals: Fredericton (NB), Halifax (NS), Charlottetown (PEI), St. John's (NL).
- Territorial capitals: Whitehorse (YT), Yellowknife (NT), Iqaluit (NU).
- Nunavut, created in 1999, is Canada's newest territory.
- Provinces are led by a Premier; the King is represented by a Lieutenant Governor.
Who leads a province or territory?
Each province has an elected legislature. The leader of the party with the most seats usually becomes Premier and heads the government, and a Lieutenant Governor represents the King. Each territory also has a legislature and a Premier, while a Commissioner represents the federal government.
Elected members have different titles: Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in most provinces, Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) in Ontario, Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) in Quebec, and Members of the House of Assembly (MHAs) in Newfoundland and Labrador.
What facts about each province come up on the test?
One memorable fact per province or territory, taken from Discover Canada:
- Newfoundland and Labrador: the most easterly point in North America, and the last province to join Canada (1949).
- Prince Edward Island: the smallest province, and the birthplace of Confederation (Charlottetown Conference, 1864).
- Nova Scotia: Pier 21 in Halifax was the gateway to Canada for more than a million immigrants.
- New Brunswick: Canada's only officially bilingual province.
- Quebec: most people speak French as their first language; Quebec City was founded in 1608.
- Ontario: more than a third of Canadians live here, and it contains Ottawa, the national capital.
- Manitoba: St. Boniface in Winnipeg is the largest francophone community in Western Canada.
- Saskatchewan: once called the "breadbasket of the world"; the RCMP trains its officers in Regina.
- Alberta: the most populous Prairie province, home to Banff, Canada's first national park (1885).
- British Columbia: on the Pacific coast; the Port of Vancouver is Canada's largest and busiest port.
- Yukon: the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s brought thousands of miners north.
- Northwest Territories: Yellowknife is called the "diamond capital of North America."
- Nunavut: means "our land" in Inuktitut, and became a territory in 1999.
What should I know about my own province or territory?
The test can ask about the place where you live. Before your test date, look up your Premier, your Lieutenant Governor or Commissioner, your provincial capital, your federal riding and MP, and your provincial representative. Office-holders change after elections, so check the current names on your provincial government's website.
Which facts do people mix up?
- Quebec's capital is Quebec City, not Montreal. British Columbia's is Victoria, not Vancouver.
- Alberta's capital is Edmonton, not Calgary. Saskatchewan's is Regina, not Saskatoon.
- St. John's is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. Saint John is a city in New Brunswick.
- Toronto is Ontario's capital, but Canada's capital is Ottawa, which is also in Ontario.
- Newfoundland and Labrador (1949) was the last province to join; Nunavut (1999) is the newest territory.
What questions from this chapter are on the test?
Will the test ask about my province?
It can. Study your province or territory's capital, Premier and key facts.
What is Canada's newest territory?
Nunavut, created in 1999.
Which province joined Canada last?
Newfoundland and Labrador, in 1949.
What is the capital of Nunavut?
Iqaluit.
Which is Canada's only officially bilingual province?
New Brunswick.
What is Canada's smallest province?
Prince Edward Island.
What are members of the Ontario and Quebec legislatures called?
Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) in Ontario and Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) in Quebec. Most other provinces use Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).