1. What was the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario and when was it established?
The Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario is the world’s first publicly-owned electric utility established in 1906 to provide electrification in Ontario. In 1974, it was renamed as Ontario Hydro.
2. What was CNR and during which years was it created?
Established in 1923, the Canadian National Railways (CNR) is the largest freight railroad that provides transportation and intermodal service in North America. It is a government-initiated merger of four lines, namely, the Grand Trunk, Grand Trunk Pacific, Canadian Northern and National Transcontinental.
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3. What is the LCBO and when was it established?
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is a crown corporation in Ontario which was established in 1927. It is one of the world’s biggest buyers and retailers of beverage alcohol with approximately 634 retail stores.
4. What is the CBC and when was it established?
In 1936, the Broadcast Act created the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to succeed the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission. The CBC is a publicly-owned national broadcasting system.
5. What is unemployment insurance and approximately when was national unemployment insurance established in Canada?
Unemployment insurance is the benefit given by the Canadian government to its citizens during the period when they are unemployed. The first compulsory national unemployment insurance became operational in July 1941. Unemployment insurance was renamed as employment insurance in 1996.
6. What was the GATT and when did Canada join it?
Created in 1948, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is a trade agreement among nations which serves as a guideline on trade and tariffs. Canada joined the GATT on October 20, 1947.
7. Why is 1947 important in the oil and gas history of Alberta?
1947 is an important year in the oil and gas history of Alberta because this is the year when oil was discovered in Leduc field.
8. What is the St. Lawrence Seaway and when did it open?
The St. Lawrence Seaway, also known as the Great Lakes Waterway, links the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River with the Atlantic Ocean and was opened to deep draft navigation in 1959. It has a length of 3,700 km. and is considered as one of the greatest engineering feats of the twentieth century because of its amazing system of locks, canals and channels.
9. What is the TransCanada Pipeline and when was it completed to Toronto?
The TransCanada Pipeline was incorporated by an Act of Parliament on March 21, 1951 to own and operate a natural gas transmission pipeline system from Alberta to parts of Quebec and the US. It was completed to Toronto on October 27, 1958.
10. What is the Trans-Canada Highway and when did it officially open?
The Trans-Canada Highway is a 7,821 km road and is the longest national highway in the world. It formally opened on July 30, 1962 at Rogers Pass. It passes through all the ten provinces of Canada and it links Canada’s major cities.
11. What is the Equalization Program and when was it established?
The Equalization Program was introduced in 1957 to help poorer provinces in Canada through funds coming from the federal government. The program’s aim is to ensure that there is equality among provincial governments in terms of providing public service to its residents while maintaining a comparable level of taxation.
12. When did Canada adopt the Points System for accepting immigrants on basis of education, language skills, etc., without regard to ethnicity?
The Points System was introduced in 1967 to give importance to skilled migrants in Canada. There are no restrictions as to the number of people who could migrate to Canada as long as they pass a points test based on a certain set of criteria such as whether one has a relative in Canada or one is proficient in English or French.
13. What is Medicare in Canada, when did the federal government launch Medicare, and when did the last Canadian provinces sign on to it?
Medicare is Canada’s national health insurance program. It was first introduced in 1957, then known as the Hospital Insurance and Diagnostic Act of 1957. It was in 1961 when all the ten Canadian provinces signed on to it.
14. What was the Auto Pact and when did it start?
Canada-US Automotive Products Agreement (Autopact) is a free-trade agreement between Canada and the US wherein a single North American market for passenger cars, trucks, buses, tires and automotive parts was created. It was signed in January 1965. The main purpose of the agreement is to lower the cost of production of Canadian auto manufacturers and at the same time lower the cost to the consumers.
15. What is the Canada Pension Plan and approximately when was the Canadian Pension Plan brought in?
The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is a public-pension plan legislated in 1965 and took effect a year later. Its funds come from payroll taxes levied on employers, employees and the self- employed. The Plan transfers the income from the workers to the retired.
16. What is the Official Languages Act and when was it adopted by the Parliament of Canada?
The Official Languages Act of 1969 is a federal statute which declared that English and French are the official languages of Canada; therefore, all government institutions must make available their services either in English or French, depending on the choice of the customer.
17. When was Petro-Canada established and why?
Petro-Canada is Canada’s national oil company which was established in the mid-1970s as a response to the world energy crisis. It is involved in the exploration, refining and marketing of oil in Canada.
18. What was the NAFTA and when was it implemented?
The North American Free Trade Agreement is a free trade agreement between Canada, US and Mexico whereby protective tariffs are eliminated between them. It was implemented on January 1, 1994.
19. When in the 1990s did the largest Canadian banks propose to merge and on what grounds was their merger not approved?
The Bank of Montreal proposed a merger with Royal Bank in 1998. It was also during this time that the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) proposed a merger with the Toronto-Dominion Bank. The mergers were not approved because it would result in higher user fees and may lead to the closure of local banks .
20. Approximately when did the dot.com/information technology boom take place on the Toronto Stock Exchange? Which Canadian information technology company symbolized that boom?
The dot.com technology boom took place in the late 1990s. The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is the Canadian information technology company which symbolized the boom.
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