Portal:Canada/Vital articles
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Vital Canadian articles
The following is a list of vital articles with significant cultural, political or historical interest to Canada as selected by those participating in Wikipedia:WikiProject Canada. The article ratings are also used within the project itself to aid in recognizing excellent contributions and identifying topics in need of further work and cleanup.
Awards and honours
- Arts awards
- Halls and walks of fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Music Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
- Honours (national)
- Honours (provincial and territorial)
Alberta Order of Excellence
Order of British Columbia
Order of Manitoba
Order of New Brunswick
Order of Newfoundland and Labrador
Order of Nova Scotia
Order of Ontario
Order of Prince Edward Island
National Order of Quebec
Saskatchewan Order of Merit
Yukon Territory Order of Polaris
- Sports awards
Commerce
- Businesspeople
- Construction
- Equity
- Manufacturing
- Mining
- Retail
Birks & Mayors
Canadian Tire
Eaton's
Holt Renfrew
Hudson's Bay Company
La Maison Simons
Loblaw Companies
Sears Canada
Simpsons (department store)
Walmart Canada
Woodward's
- Telecommunications
Culture
- Main topics
Architecture of Canada
Canadian art
Canadian literature
Canadian values
Cinema of Canada
Demographics of Canada
Multiculturalism in Canada
Music of Canada
Religion in Canada
- Museums and galleries
Art Gallery of Alberta
Art Gallery of Ontario
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Canadian Museum of History
Canadian Museum of Nature
Canadian War Museum
Glenbow Museum
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Musée de la civilisation
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
Museum of Anthropology at UBC
National Gallery of Canada
Pier 21
Royal Alberta Museum
Royal Ontario Museum
The Rooms
Vancouver Art Gallery
- Peoples
Food and drink
- Overviews
- Main articles
- Brands
Geography
- Regions
Atlantic Canada
Calgary–Edmonton Corridor
Canadian Prairies
Central Canada
Golden Horseshoe
The Maritimes
Northern Canada
Western Canada
- Land
- Water
History and military
- Overviews
Canadian Armed Forces
Canadian peacekeeping
History of monarchy in Canada
History of immigration to Canada
Territorial evolution of Canada
- People
Persons of Historic Significance
Billy Bishop
Jacques Cartier
Samuel de Champlain
Terry Fox
Marc Garneau
Louis Riel
Laura Secord
- Events
Canadian Centennial
Canadian Confederation
Expulsion of the Acadians
Expo 67
Great Depression in Canada
Halifax Explosion
October Crisis
Quiet Revolution
Red River Rebellion
Winnipeg general strike
- Battles and warfare
Battle of Vimy Ridge
Battle of Passchendaele
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
Canada in the War in Afghanistan
Military history of Canada during World War I
Military history of Canada during World War II
Second Battle of Ypres
War of 1812
- Historic sites
Holidays
- Main articles
Language
- Main topics
Law
- Main topics
Abortion in Canada
Canadian Aboriginal law
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Canadian property law
Capital punishment in Canada
Constitution of Canada
Human rights in Canada
Insolvency law of Canada
LGBT rights in Canada
- Case law
Edwards v Canada (AG)
Patriation Reference
R v Morgentaler
R v Zundel
Reference Re Same-Sex Marriage
Reference Re Persons of Japanese Race
Reference Re Secession of Quebec
Rodriguez v British Columbia (AG)
Roncarelli v Duplessis
Delgamuukw v British Columbia
- Legislation
Media, artists, authors and actors
- Media and communications
Astral Media
Bell Media
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Cogeco
Gesca
The Globe and Mail
Le Devoir
Postmedia Network
Quebecor
Rogers Media
Shaw Communications
Telus
Thomson Reuters
Torstar
- Artists
- Authors
- Actors
- Literary Works
- Movies
- Musicians
Bryan Adams
Justin Bieber
Leonard Cohen
Drake (musician)
The Guess Who
Glenn Gould
Gordon Lightfoot
Joni Mitchell
Anne Murray
Nickelback
Rush
Stompin' Tom Connors
The Tragically Hip
Neil Young
- Musical works
- Television programmes
Bye Bye (TV series)
Corner Gas
CTV National News
Degrassi
Due South
Front Page Challenge
Hockey Night in Canada
La famille Plouffe
La Petite Vie
Le Téléjournal
Little Mosque on the Prairie
Mr. Dressup
The Beachcombers
The Friendly Giant
The National (TV program)
Tout le monde en parle (Canadian talk show)
Trailer Park Boys
Virginie
Money and finance
- Banks and credit unions
Bank of Montreal
Desjardins Group
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
National Bank of Canada
Royal Bank of Canada
Scotiabank
Toronto–Dominion Bank
- Currency
- Institutions
- Sectors
Organizations and events
- Organizations
- Events
Places
- Provinces and Territories
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Nunavut
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon
- Cities
Politics and government
- Events
British North America Act, 1867
Charlottetown Accord
Constitution Act, 1982
Halibut Treaty
Meech Lake Accord
Quebec referendum, 1980
Quebec referendum, 1995
Statute of Westminster 1931
- Legislative buildings
- Parties
- Official residences
- Positions
Governor General of Canada
Monarchy of Canada
Official Opposition
Parliament of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
Senate of Canada
- People
Science, medicine and inventions
- Services
- Medicine
- Inventions
- People
Sports and recreation
- Main topics
- Teams and leagues
National Hockey League
Stanley Cup
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Winnipeg Jets (current incarnation)
Winnipeg Jets (1972–96) (previous incarnation)
Canadian Football League
Toronto Blue Jays
Montreal Expos
Toronto Raptors
- People
Don Cherry
Lionel Conacher
Sidney Crosby
Wayne Gretzky
Brooke Henderson
Paul Henderson
Gordie Howe
Clara Hughes
Angela James
Ferguson Jenkins
Ben Johnson
Cindy Klassen
Mario Lemieux
James Naismith
Paris Crew
Milos Raonic
Maurice Richard
Bobbie Rosenfeld
Christine Sinclair
Hayley Wickenheiser
- Events
- Recreation
Transportation
- Main topics
National historic designations
- Events of National Historic Significance
- National Historic Sites of Canada
- Persons of National Historic Significance
Most popular articles
Vital articles selected in portal (scrolling list)
The culture of Canada embodies the artistic, culinary, literary, humour, musical, political and social elements that are representative of Canadians. Throughout Canada's history, its culture has been influenced firstly by its indigenous cultures, and later by European culture and traditions, mostly by the British and French. Over time, elements of the cultures of Canada's immigrant populations have become incorporated to form a Canadian cultural mosaic. Certain segments of Canada's population have, to varying extents, also been influenced by American culture due to shared language (in English-speaking Canada), significant media penetration, and geographic proximity. (Full article...)
The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of the Paleo-Indians to North America thousands of years ago to the present day. The lands encompassing present-day Canada have been inhabited for millennia by Indigenous peoples, with distinct trade networks, spiritual beliefs, and styles of social organization. Some of these older civilizations had long faded by the time of the first European arrivals and have been discovered through archeological investigations. (Full article...)
The military history of Canada spans centuries of conflicts within the country, as well as international engagements involving the Canadian military. The Indigenous peoples in Canada engaged in conflicts over territory and resources for millenia. The arrival of European settlers in the 17th century led to new alliances and hostilities among Indigenous nations and colonial powers, leading to conflicts such as the Beaver Wars. (Full article...)
Multiculturalism in Canada was officially adopted by the government during the 1970s and 1980s. The Canadian federal government has been described as the instigator of multiculturalism as an ideology because of its public emphasis on the social importance of immigration. The 1960s Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism is often referred to as the origin of modern political awareness of multiculturalism, resulting in Canada being one of the most multicultural nations in the world. The official state policy of multiculturalism is often cited as one of Canada's significant accomplishments, and a key distinguishing element of Canadian identity and Canadian values. (Full article...)
The orders, decorations, and medals of Canada comprise a complex system by which Canadians are honoured by the country's sovereign for actions or deeds that benefit their community or the country at large. Modelled on its British predecessor, the structure originated in the 1930s, but began to come to full fruition at the time of Canada's centennial in 1967, with the establishment of the Order of Canada, and has since grown in both size and scope to include dynastic and national orders, state, civil, and military decorations; and various campaign medals. The monarch in right of each Canadian province also issues distinct orders and medals to honour residents for work performed in just their province. The provincial honours, as with some of their national counterparts, grant the use of post-nominal letters and or supporters and other devices to be used on personal coats of arms. (Full article...)
The Government of Canada (French: Gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. The term Government of Canada refers specifically to the executive, which includes ministers of the Crown (together in the Cabinet) and the federal civil service (whom the Cabinet direct); it is alternatively known as His Majesty's Government (French: Gouvernement de Sa Majesté) and is corporately branded as the Government of Canada. There are over 100 departments and agencies, as well as over 300,000 persons employed in the Government of Canada. These institutions carry out the programs and enforce the laws established by the Parliament of Canada. (Full article...)
The legal system of Canada is pluralist: its foundations lie in the English common law system (inherited from its period as a colony of the British Empire), the French civil law system (inherited from its French Empire past), and Indigenous law systems developed by the various Indigenous Nations. (Full article...)
Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North America—New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Province of Canada (which upon Confederation was divided into Ontario and Quebec)—united to form a federation, becoming a fully independent country over the next century. Over its history, Canada's international borders have changed several times as it has added territories and provinces, making it the world's second-largest country by area. (Full article...)
The economy of Canada is a highly developed mixed economy, the world's ninth-largest as of 2024[update], and a nominal GDP of approximately US$2.117 trillion. Canada is one of the world's largest trading nations, with a highly globalized economy. In 2021, Canadian trade in goods and services reached $2.016 trillion. Canada's exports totalled over $637 billion, while its imported goods were worth over $631 billion, of which approximately $391 billion originated from the United States. In 2018, Canada had a trade deficit in goods of $22 billion and a trade deficit in services of $25 billion. The Toronto Stock Exchange is the tenth-largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization, listing over 1,500 companies with a combined market capitalization of over US$3 trillion. (Full article...)
The History of women in Canada is the study of the historical experiences of women living in Canada and the laws and legislation affecting Canadian women. In colonial period of Canadian history, Indigenous women's roles were often challenged by Christian missionaries, and their marriages to European fur traders often brought their communities into greater contact with the outside world. Throughout the colonial period, European women were encouraged to immigrate to Canadian colonies and expand the white population. After Confederation in 1867, women's experiences were shaped by federal laws and by legislation passed in Canada's provincial legislatures. (Full article...)
Healthcare in Canada is delivered through the provincial and territorial systems of publicly funded health care, informally called Medicare. It is guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act of 1984, and is universal. The 2002 Royal Commission, known as the Romanow Report, revealed that Canadians consider universal access to publicly funded health services as a "fundamental value that ensures national health care insurance for everyone wherever they live in the country". (Full article...)
Education in Canada is for the most part provided publicly, funded and overseen by federal, provincial, and local governments. Education is within provincial jurisdiction and the curriculum is overseen by the province. Education in Canada is generally divided into primary education, followed by secondary education and post-secondary. Education in both English and French is available in most places across Canada. Canada has a large number of universities, almost all of which are publicly funded. Established in 1663, Université Laval is the oldest post-secondary institution in Canada. The largest university is the University of Toronto with over 85,000 students. Four universities are regularly ranked among the top 100 world-wide, namely University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University, and McMaster University, with a total of 18 universities ranked in the top 500 worldwide. (Full article...)
Canadian cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices of Canada, with regional variances around the country. First Nations and Inuit have practiced their culinary traditions in what is now Canada for at least 15,000 years. The advent of European explorers and settlers, first on the east coast and then throughout the wider territories of New France, British North America and Canada, saw the melding of foreign recipes, cooking techniques, and ingredients with indigenous flora and fauna. Modern Canadian cuisine has maintained this dedication to local ingredients and terroir, as exemplified in the naming of specific ingredients based on their locale, such as Malpeque oysters or Alberta beef. Accordingly, Canadian cuisine privileges the quality of ingredients and regionality, and may be broadly defined as a national tradition of "creole" culinary practices, based on the complex multicultural and geographically diverse nature of both historical and contemporary Canadian society. (Full article...)
The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is one of the key components of Canadian sovereignty and sits at the core of Canada's constitutional federal structure and Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The monarchy is the foundation of the executive (King-in-Council), legislative (King-in-Parliament), and judicial (King-on-the-Bench) branches of both federal and provincial jurisdictions. The current monarch is King Charles III, who has reigned since 8 September 2022. (Full article...)
The politics of Canada functions within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy where the monarch is the ceremonial head of state. In practice, executive authority is entrusted to the Cabinet, a committee of ministers of the Crown chaired by the prime minister of Canada that act as the executive committee of the King's Privy Council for Canada and are responsible to the democratically elected House of Commons. (Full article...)
The prime minister of Canada (French: premier ministre du Canada) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons; as such, the prime minister typically sits as a member of Parliament (MP) and leads the largest party or a coalition of parties. As first minister, the prime minister selects ministers to form the Cabinet. (Full article...)
Canada, the world's second-largest country in total area, is dedicated to having an efficient, high-capacity multimodal transportation spanning often vast distances between natural resource extraction sites, agricultural and urban areas. Canada's transportation system includes more than 1,400,000 kilometres (870,000 mi) of roads, 10 major international airports, 300 smaller airports, 72,093 km (44,797 mi) of functioning railway track, and more than 300 commercial ports and harbours that provide access to the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans as well as the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. In 2005, the transportation sector made up 4.2% of Canada's GDP, compared to 3.7% for Canada's mining and oil and gas extraction industries. (Full article...)
The music of Canada reflects the diverse influences that have shaped the country. Indigenous Peoples, the Irish, British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has also subsequently been influenced by American culture because of the proximity between the two countries. Since French explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1605 and established the first permanent French settlements at Port Royal and Québec in 1608, the country has produced its own composers, musicians and ensembles. (Full article...)
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (French: Charte canadienne des droits et libertés), often simply referred to as the Charter in Canada, is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, forming the first part of the Constitution Act, 1982. The Charter guarantees certain political rights to Canadian citizens and guarantees the civil rights of everyone in Canada. It is designed to unify Canadians around a set of principles that embody those rights. The Charter was proclaimed in force by Queen Elizabeth II of Canada on April 17, 1982, as part of the Constitution Act, 1982. (Full article...)
The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; French: Autorité héraldique du Canada) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for the creation and granting of new coats of arms (armorial bearings), flags, and badges for Canadian citizens, government agencies, municipal, civic and other corporate bodies. The authority also registers existing armorial bearings granted by other recognized heraldic authorities, approves military badges, flags, and other insignia of the Canadian Forces, and provides information on heraldic practices. It is well known for its innovative designs, many incorporating First Nations symbolism. (Full article...)