Portal:Canada

Saturday, August 15, 2026

Introduction

Flag of Canada

Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the second-largest country by total area, with the longest coastline of any country. Its border with the United States is the longest international land border. The country is characterized by a wide range of both meteorologic and geological regions. With a population of over 41 million, it has widely varying population densities, with the majority residing in its urban areas and large areas being sparsely populated. Its capital is Ottawa and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

A developed country, Canada's advanced economy has a high nominal per capita GDP globally and ranks among the largest in the world by nominal GDP, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks. Canada is recognized as a middle power; its support for multilateralism and internationalism has been closely related to its foreign policies of peacekeeping and aid for developing countries. Canada promotes its domestically shared values through participation in multiple international organizations and forums. (Full article...)

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Hand-colored lithograph of the Suspension Bridge as seen from the American side; the bridge's architecture, the distant Niagara Falls, and the Maid of the Mist below the bridge are visible.

The Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge was the world's first working railway suspension bridge, spanning the Niagara River from 1855 to 1897. It spanned 825 feet (251 m) and stood 2.5 miles (4.0 km) downstream of Niagara Falls, where it connected Niagara Falls, Ontario to Niagara Falls, New York. Trains used the upper of its two decks, while pedestrians and carriages used the lower. The bridge was the idea of Canadian politicians, and it was built by an American company and a Canadian company. It was most commonly called the Suspension Bridge, although other names included Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge, Niagara Suspension Bridge, and its official American name of the International Suspension Bridge. (Full article...)

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Current events

August 9, 2026 – 2026 Canadian wildfires: Police report that a woman was killed while evacuating the Summerland wildfire in British Columbia, Canada, which has burned more than 13,600 hectares (34,000 acres) and forced over 20,000 people to evacuate. (AFP via RFI)
August 8, 2026 – Wildfires in 2026: In Canada, British Columbia declares a state of emergency after 105 wildfires were reported across the province. (DW)
August 7, 2026 –: The Bald Range fire erupts Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada, forcing 20,000 people to evacuate, including the entire village of Summerland, British Columbia. The government declares a state of emergency. (CTV News)
August 4, 2026 – 2026 Ebola epidemic: Health Canada announces it has given Moderna the green light for authorization to launch a clinical trial for a mRNA Ebola vaccine aimed at targeting the Bundibugyo strain of the ebola virus. (CBC)
August 4, 2026 –: The Bradley Creek fire in Okanagan, British Columbia, Canadan destroys 250 homes in the Okanagan Indian Band reservation. (Global News)
August 3, 2026 –: Major League Soccer, the top flight of men's soccer in the U.S. and Canada, announces that Larry Berg, currently a co-owner of Los Angeles FC (LAFC) in that league, will succeed Don Garber as league commissioner at the start of 2027. Berg will sell his interest in LAFC before assuming his new position. (AP) (The Guardian)

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A panorama of Edmonton Skyline

Credit: Awmcphee (Alex)

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Adult in breeding plumage in Minocqua, Wisconsin

The common loon or great northern diver (Gavia immer) is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds. Breeding adults have a plumage that includes a broad black head and neck with a greenish, purplish, or bluish sheen, blackish or blackish-grey upperparts, and pure white underparts except some black on the undertail coverts and vent. Non-breeding adults are brownish with a dark neck and head marked with dark grey-brown. Their upperparts are dark brownish-grey with an unclear pattern of squares on the shoulders, and the underparts, lower face, chin, and throat are whitish. The sexes look alike, though males are significantly heavier than females. During the breeding season, loons live on lakes and other waterways in Canada, the northern United States (including Alaska), and southern parts of Greenland and Iceland. Small numbers breed on Svalbard and sporadically elsewhere in Arctic Eurasia. Common loons winter on both coasts of North America as far north as Newfoundland and Alaska, and as far south as Mexico, as well as on the Atlantic coast of Europe. (Full article...)

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'Healthcare in Canada is delivered through the provincial and territorial systems of publicly funded single-payer healthcare, informally called Medicare. It is guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act, adopted during 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...)

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Teslin River at Johnson's Crossing, Yukon
Credit: Merops

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Herbert W. Greenfield (November 25, 1869 – August 23, 1949) was a Canadian politician and farmer who served as the fourth premier of Alberta from 1921 until 1925. Born in Winchester, Hampshire, in England, he immigrated to Canada in his late twenties, settling first in Ontario and then in Alberta, where he farmed. He soon became involved in the United Farmers of Alberta (UFA), a farmers' lobby organization that was in the process of becoming a political party, and was elected as the organization's vice president. Greenfield did not run in the 1921 provincial election, the first provincial general election in which the UFA fielded candidates, but when the UFA won a majority in the Legislature in that election he was chosen by the UFA caucus to serve as Premier. Like most of the UFA caucus, Greenfield had no experience in government and he struggled in the position. (Full article...)

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... that Canadian veterinarian Frank Schofield was described as "an eternal Korean" by a South Korean prime minister?
... that Jennifer Reid at first could not find a Canadian publisher for her book on Canadian identity?
... that an Antiguan man who escaped from custody in Canada is suspected of stealing a yacht and sailing it directly into Hurricane Larry?
... that Canadian model Nicole Williams English announced her pregnancy by showing off her baby bump at a runway show?
... that Ron Tiavaasue was born in Samoa, grew up in New Zealand, played college football in the United States, and now plays professional football in Canada?
... that a Canadian skier was the only competitor for Venezuela at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
... that Helen Kendall was one of 446 Canadians to receive the Royal Red Cross for her service in World War I?

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The Northern Star Award, formerly known as the Lou Marsh Trophy, the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the vote taking place in December. It was first awarded in 1936, named in honour of Lou Marsh, a prominent Canadian athlete, referee, and former sports editor of the Toronto Star. The trophy is made of black marble and stands around 75 centimetres high. The words "With Pick and Shovel" (the name of Marsh's long-running Star column) appear above the engraved names of the winners. The voting panel consists of sports media voters from across the country including representatives from the Toronto Star, The Canadian Press, FAN590, The Globe and Mail, CBC, Rogers Sportsnet, CTV/TSN, La Presse and the National Post. (Full article...)