Civics Day One

Civics Day One

What do we already know about

Civics?

Open Ended

Who is the current Prime Minister of Canada?

Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau has been the Prime Minister of Canada since 2015.

Open Ended

Who is Canada's Head of State (the absolute top of our government)?

Queen Elizabeth II

The head of state in Canada is the British monarchy as Canada is a part of the British Commonwealth. This is called a Constitutional Monarchy.

Queen Elizabeth has been Canada's head of state since becoming Queen in 1952 (!)

Open Ended

But wait! The Queen lives in England, how can she lead our country!

Well... she doesn't. She's just a symbolic leader.

However, Canada has a figure who represents the Queens and signs laws on her behalf. What is their title?

The Governor General of Canada

This is a Canadian representative for the Queen. This role is currently vacant as Julie Payette resigned from the role in January.

Richard Wagner is currently serving in the role.

Technically, he is more powerful than Justin Trudeau.

Technically.

Fill in the Blanks

What political party does Justin Trudeau belong to?

Liberal Party

Justin Trudeau is the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.

The Liberal Party has accounted for 10 of Canada's 23 Prime Ministers.

Open Ended

Who is the Premier of Ontario?

Doug Ford

He has been the Premier of Ontario since 2018.

He has spearheaded the fight against COVID-19 in Ontario throughout this past year.

Fill in the Blanks

What political party does Doug Ford belong to?

Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario

Doug Ford has been leading the Ontario PC party since 2018.

Previously, they had not been in the Premier's office since 2003.

Open Ended

Who is the Mayor of Ottawa?

Jim Watson

He has been the Mayor of Ottawa since 2010.

He has spearheaded many significant projects in Ottawa including building TD Place and the Light Rail Project.

Open Ended

We've mentioned the Liberal and Conservative Parties. Name any other Canadian political party!

NDP, Green Party, PPC, Bloc Quebecois...

There were 6 primary parties in the most recent federal election. There are many more parties, however, these are the top 6!

Open Ended

There are 3 levels of government that a "bill" (a proposed law) must go through in order to become a law.

Name any of those 3 levels.

1. The House of Commons
2. The Senate
3. The Queen (or Governor General)

Open Ended

What is the name of the top court of Canada?

i.e. If you challenge a court ruling, what is the absolute top court you are able to challenge to.

The Supreme Court of Canada

If a case goes all the way to the Supreme Court, you will be seen by 9 judges rather than 1.

Why do you think there are 9?

Fun Fact: Canada has the world's most gender-balanced Supreme Court.

Fill in the Blanks

What year was our last federal election (where we elect our Prime Minister)?

2019

The Liberals won a minority government.

What do you notice about the statistics shown?

Fill in the Blanks

How old do you have to be to vote in a Canadian election?

18

You must be 18 years old to vote. You also have to be a Canadian citizen.

In provincial or municipal elections, you must also show ID indicating that you live in the province or city you are voting in.

Open Ended

What is the document I just showed you called?

Open Ended

In Ottawa, you can call 3-1-1 to report any issues with city services or any by-law violations.

Name something you could call 3-1-1 to report or ask about.

Some more common city services in Ottawa include:

• Garbage collection

• Public libraries

• Parking violations

• Parks

• Road Maintenance (Potholes)

• Noise Violations

• And these days... Social distancing and face coverings!