Canada, the North Pole and Time Zones

• There are 12 time zones in the world, 12 to the East and 12 to the West of the Prime Meridian (GMT).
• Canada has 6 time zones, ranging from GMT-8 to GMT-3.
• Newfoundland observes GMT-3.5, a half-hour deviation.
• Newfoundland only joined the Confederation in 1948. Other regions sharing this "rebellious quirk" in time observance include India, North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, and Burma.
• The North Pole operates on Alaska time, which is GMT-9.
• The South Pole operates on GMT.

Canada and the North Pole

• Denmark, Norway, Canada, Russia, and the USA each border the Arctic Ocean.
• Nations bordering the Arctic Ocean have exclusive rights to economic resources within 200 miles of their coast.
• The 200-mile exclusive economic zone does not include the North Pole.
• A country can claim the North Pole through scientific proof of its land shelf's continuation.
• Pride and potential oil drilling rights motivate interest in claiming the North Pole, but the chance of accessing oil is about 10%.

Alaska's History

• Russia previously owned Alaska but sold it to the US in 1867 for $7.2 million ($125M in today's currency).
• Britain prioritized Anglo-American relations over Canadian interests, preventing Canada from purchasing Alaska.

Early North American History

• First Nations groups include the Algonquins and Iroquois in the East, and the Sioux further West.
• Inuit are nomadic tribes of the North.
• Vikings, led by Leif Erikson in the 11th century, were the first Europeans to reach North America.
• The Vikings attempted to trade timber with Greenland, but their colonies did not last.
• John Cabot, commissioned by Henry VII in 1497, sought a route to China but found only cod fishing.
• Jacques Cartier (1534) aimed to find a passage to the Pacific but failed due to weather and Iroquois resistance.

Exploration and Colonization

• Martin Frobisher (1576) falsely claimed to have found a Northwest Passage to Asia.
• Henry Hudson discovered Hudson Bay in 1610.
• Champlain founded Quebec City in 1608.
• French colonization was slower than British colonization.
• The French eventually ceded Acadia, Newfoundland, and Hudson Bay to the British.
• Britain had naval dominance.

Conflicts and Territorial Changes

• Montcalm was defeated by Wolfe on the Plains of Abraham in 1759.
• The Seven Year War resulted in Quebec becoming a British colony and province.
• The population of Canada grew due to US Loyalists seeking British rule and British emigration.
• The War of 1812 was fought between the US and the UK with their allies
• The British North America Act, or Constitution Act, united Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada in 1867.

Provincial and Territorial Dates of Entry

• Alberta joined Confederation on September 1, 1905.
• British Columbia joined on July 20, 1871.
• Manitoba joined on July 15, 1870.
• New Brunswick joined on July 1, 1867.
• Newfoundland joined on March 31, 1949.
• Northwest Territories joined on July 15, 1870.
• Nova Scotia joined on July 1, 1867.
• Nunavut joined on April 1, 1999.
• Ontario joined on July 1, 1867.
• Prince Edward Island joined on July 1, 1873.
• Quebec joined on July 1, 1867.
• Saskatchewan joined on September 1, 1905.
• Yukon joined on June 13, 1898.

Post-Confederation Canada

• Fear of invasion prompted Canada to form a Dominion in 1867.
• Initially, only Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia were included, but John A. McDonald added British Columbia, Northwest Territories, and Prince Edward Island later.
• Chinese laborers built the railway through the Rockies.
• Gold discoveries led to rushes to the Fraser River and later the Klondike, providing access to Yukon and Alaska.

Demographics

• Approximately 90% of Canadians reside within 160 km of the southern border due to climate.

Noteworthy Canadians

• Margaret Atwood is famous for "The Handmaid's Tale".
• Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire served as Force Commander of UNAMIR in Rwanda.
• Measha Brueggergosman is an Opera and Soul artist
• Chris Hadfield is an astronaut.
• David Suzuki is an environmentalist.
• Laura Secord is a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812, warning of an impending American attack.
• James Cameron is a film director.
• Terry Fox attempted a cross-Canada run to raise cancer research funds.

Religion in Canada

• Roman Catholicism is the most prevalent religion (39.0%).
• Other Christian denominations account for 28.3%.
• Non-religious individuals comprise 23.9%. Other religions are: Islam (3.2%), Hinduism (1.5%), Sikhism (1.4%), Buddhism (1.1%), and Judaism (1.0%).

Canadian Foods

• Saskatoon berries gave the city of Saskatoon its name.
• Fish and brewis, a Newfoundland dish, features cod and hard bread.
• Jiggs dinner involves corned beef and cabbage.
• The lumberjack breakfast, originating in Vancouver, is a large meal with eggs and pork strips.
• A touton, or toutin, is a type of pancake made from fried bread dough.

An overview of Canada's six time zones and Newfoundland's unique GMT-3.5 offset. Details about which countries border the Arctic Ocean and the ambiguity about who owns the North Pole are also discussed. The potential for oil drilling motivates interest in claiming the North Pole.