and including plateau-like highlands with thousands of lakes and rivers. Almost a quarter of the world’s fresh water is concentrated here. The second region is the Appalachian Mountains to the east, which cover Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and part of Québec. The mountains have been eroded by glaciers, wind and water over 300 million years; their highest elevation, in Gaspe’s Shickshock Mountains, is under 1,300 metres. The third region is the Great Lakes-St Lawrence Lowlands in the south-east, stretching from Québec City to Lake Huron. It is the country’s most productive agricultural area. The fertile Interior Plains or prairies, the fourth region, are a vast expanse of land and sky, rising gently from Manitoba to Alberta and spreading northward through the Mackenzie River valley to the Arctic Ocean. The Western Cordillera, the fifth region, is a rocky spine of mountains along the Pacific coastline. The Cordillera stretches from South America to Alaska, and the Canadian portion Canada is a federation of ten provinces and includes many peaks over 3,000 metres, the KEY FACTS three territories. The provinces (and provincial highest being in the Rocky Mountains. Joined Commonwealth: 1931 (Statute of capitals) are: Alberta (Edmonton), British The Arctic region, finally, consists of hundreds Westminster) Columbia (Victoria), Manitoba (Winnipeg), of islands, covering an area of 2,800 km by Population: 35,182,000 (2013) New Brunswick (Fredericton), Newfoundland 1,800 km and reaching to Canada’s northern GDP p.c. growth: 1.3% p.a. 1990–2013 and Labrador (St John’s), Nova Scotia tip. (Halifax), Ontario (Toronto), Prince Edward UN HDI 2014: World ranking 8 Climate: In the High Arctic, temperatures rise Island (Charlottetown), Québec (Québec), above freezing for only a few weeks in Official languages: English, French Saskatchewan (Regina); and the territories July/August. The boreal forest area is snow- Time: GMT minus 3–8 hrs (and capitals): Northwest Territories bound for more than half the year and Currency: Canadian dollar (C$) (Yellowknife), Nunavut (Iqaluit) and Yukon precipitation is light, except along the (Whitehorse). Nunavut was formed in April Labrador coast. 1999 – from the eastern and central parts of The eastern Atlantic region has changeable Geography the Northwest Territories – as a semi- winter temperatures and heavy snowfall. Fog Area: 9,976,000 sq km autonomous region for the Inuit people. is common, especially in Newfoundland and Coastline: 202,100 km Time: Canada spans six time zones, ranging Labrador. July/August temperatures are 16– Capital: Ottawa from Pacific Standard Time (GMT minus 8 18°C. Winter also brings heavy snowfalls to hrs) to Newfoundland Standard Time (GMT the Great Lakes-St Lawrence region; but The second largest country in the world, minus 4 hrs). In most areas of the country, summer temperatures average almost 20ºC, Canada comprises the northern half of the one hour is added for Daylight Saving Time with heat waves. North American continent, bordering with from the first Sunday in April to the last the USA to the south and north-west The prairies have cold winters and hot Sunday in October. (Alaska). It is bounded by three oceans: the summers, with rapid air flow bringing Pacific to the west; the Arctic to the north; Topography: There are six physical regions. dramatic weather changes. Annual average and the Atlantic to the east. Indented shores The largest is the Precambrian (or Canadian) precipitation in southern Saskatchewan is less and numerous islands (some very large) give Shield, the dominant geological feature of than 350 mm, compared with 1,110 mm in it the longest coastline of any country at the country. It consists of ancient, very hard Vancouver, to the west. 202,100 km. Cape Columbia on Ellesmere rocks to the north of the St Lawrence River, The coast of British Columbia has the most Island is 768 km from the North Pole. occupying nearly half of Canada’s total area temperate climate in Canada.

THE COMMONWEALTH YEARBOOK 2015 Canada

Environment: The most significant East–west routes predominate on both the Health: Public spending on health was eight environmental issues are damage to forests privately owned freight railway systems. The per cent of GDP in 2012. Health insurance, and lakes by acid rain, and contamination of total system extends over 58,345 km. Toronto provided by the provinces with federal oceans by waste and run-off from agriculture, and Montréal have underground urban government financial support, covers all the industry and mining. railway systems, called the Subway and population. The leading causes of death are Metro respectively. Vancouver’s SkyTrain is an Vegetation: The Appalachian region is circulatory system diseases, cancer, above-ground system which runs heavily wooded, with mixed sugar maple and respiratory diseases and accidents. Smoking on elevated tracks over the city. spruce. Similar forests flourish in the Great has declined dramatically, from over half of Lakes–St Lawrence Lowlands, and white pine, The St Lawrence Seaway, opened in 1959, men to a minority. There are 16 faculties of spruce and fir thrive in the south of the provides a water transport system from the medicine in Canada (2014). Infant mortality Precambrian Shield. The far north of the Atlantic Ocean to the head of the Great was five per 1,000 live births in 2013 (28 in Shield and the Arctic are too cold for trees, Lakes. It has a system of locks to lift vessels 1960). but mosses, lichens, short grasses and dwarf 170 metres between Montréal and Lake Education: Public spending on education shrubs burst into life and quickly fade in a six- Superior. Of the many international ports, the was 5.4 per cent of GDP in 2011. Education week summer. busiest is Vancouver. Remote areas are policy varies with province but the period of accessible only by air. There are well over A desert-like sweep of short grasses in the compulsory education generally starts at the 1,000 airports, more than 800 with paved southernmost parts of Alberta and age of six. Most primary and secondary runways. Saskatchewan is succeeded further north by schooling is publicly funded. The school year fertile grasslands, where millions of ponds starts in September. provide breeding grounds for half of North Society Post-secondary education expanded rapidly America’s ducks, geese, swans and pelicans, KEY FACTS 2013 during the 1980s and 1990s; women have and for mosquitoes. British Columbia is shown the faster increase, and now Population per sq km: 4 heavily forested, containing some huge trees outnumber men. The Association of including some 1,000-year-old Douglas firs. Life expectancy: 81 years Universities and Colleges of Canada Purple loosestrife ( Lythrum salicaria ), thought Population: 35,182,000 (2013); 81 per cent represents 98 Canadian public and private to have arrived from Europe in the 1890s, is of people live in urban areas and 44 per cent not-for-profit universities and university- causing havoc to wildlife in marshes, ponds in urban agglomerations of more than one degree-level colleges (2013). There is virtually and stream banks. Arable land comprises five million people; growth 1.0 per cent p.a. no illiteracy among people aged 15–24. per cent of the total land area and forest 34 1990–2013; birth rate 11 per 1,000 people There are more than 1,000 public libraries, per cent, there having been no significant (17 in 1970); life expectancy 81 years (73 in containing more than 70 million volumes. loss of forest cover during 1990–2012. 1970). Population density is among the lowest Canada hosted the Third Conference of in the world, but large areas are climatically Wildlife: Canada has 34 national parks, Commonwealth Education Ministers in hostile, and 85 per cent of Canadians live including the Rocky Mountains NP. In the Ottawa, Ontario, in 1964 and the 14th within 350 km of the US border. tundra of the far north are found seals, polar Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 2000. bears, the gigantic musk-oxen and caribou. In The 2011 census found that about 19 per Commonwealth Education Ministers meet the extensive stretches of forest are moose, cent of people were of English origin, 15 per every three years to discuss issues of mutual brown, black and grizzly bears, and beavers, cent of French origin, 14 per cent Scottish, concern and interest. one of Canada’s national symbols. The 14 per cent Irish and ten per cent German. Media: Leading daily newspapers include The grasslands were once home to enormous Other ethnic origins which surpassed the one Globe and Mail (Toronto, but distributed herds of bison but extensive hunting means million mark were Native American, Italian, nationally), The Gazette (Montréal, in these are now only to be found in wildlife Chinese, Ukrainian, East Indian, Dutch and English), Le Journal de Montréal , National reserves. Some 11 mammal species and 13 Polish. More than 200,000 immigrants arrive Post , La Presse (Montréal, in French), The bird species are thought to be endangered each year from more than 150 countries. Toronto Star and The Vancouver Sun . (2014). Language: Official languages are English and Maclean’s is a weekly news magazine. Main towns: Ottawa (capital, Ontario, pop. French; English is the mother-tongue of 57 The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 883,391 in 2011), Toronto (Ontario, 5.13m), per cent and French 22 per cent (2006 (CBC) provides national, public radio and TV Montréal (Québec, 3.4m), Vancouver (British census). In the prairies, the most common services in English and French, and in the Columbia, 2.13m), Calgary (Alberta, 1.09m), non-official mother tongue is German; in indigenous languages of the northern Edmonton (Alberta, 960,015), Québec central Canada, Italian; in British Columbia, provinces; also an external service, Radio (696,946), Winnipeg (Manitoba, 671,551), Chinese; in the Northwest Territories and Canada International. Sociétié Radio-Canada Hamilton (Ontario, 670,580), Halifax (Nova Nunavut, Inuktitut; in the Yukon, the is the national, public radio and TV provider Scotia, 297,943), Saskatoon (Saskatchewan, Athapaskan languages of the Dene family; in French. CPAC is a private, not-for-profit 222,035), Regina (Saskatchewan, 192,796), and in the Atlantic region, Micmac. Canada’s digital parliamentary and political channel. St John’s (Newfoundland and Labrador, aboriginal people speak some 50 languages Numerous private radio and TV stations are 165,346), Fredericton (New Brunswick, belonging to 11 distinct linguistic families. licensed to broadcast. 61,522) and Charlottetown (Prince Edward Religion: Some 84 per cent of people adhere Island, 42,602). Some 99 per cent of households have TV sets to a religion: Christians 74 per cent (Roman (2010). There are 944 personal computers Transport: The country has 1,042,300 km of Catholics 43 per cent, Protestants 23 per per 1,000 people (2006). roads, including an extensive network of cent, Eastern Orthodox 1.6 per cent); expressways. The 7,821 km Trans-Canada Muslims two per cent; Jews 1.1 per cent; Communications: Country code 1; internet Highway is the longest national highway in Hindus one per cent; Buddhists one per cent; domain ‘.ca’. Mobile phone coverage is the world. and Sikhs 0.9 per cent. good. Most areas have good internet

THE COMMONWEALTH YEARBOOK 2015 Canada

connections, and there are internet cafes in largest manufacturing base and agricultural 2007 – its lowest level for over three most towns; post offices in all towns. sector. Toronto in Ontario is the leading decades, averaged 8.3 per cent in 2009 and only fell below seven per cent in September For every 1,000 people there are 497 financial and services centre. The country is 2014. landlines, 784 mobile phone subscriptions exceptionally well endowed with natural and 858 internet users (2013). resources: minerals, petroleum and natural gas, forests, extensive coastal waters for Public holidays: New Year’s Day, Victoria fishing, and rivers and falls for hydroelectric History Day (Monday on or preceding 24 May), power. has been inhabited for more Canada Day (1 July), Labour Day (first than 25,000 years by Amerindian and Inuit Monday in September), Thanksgiving (second Canada is among the world’s leading peoples who migrated from Asia, crossing Monday in October), Remembrance Day (11 exporters of potash, uranium, nickel, zinc and the Bering Strait. By 1600 the indigenous November), Christmas Day and Boxing Day. asbestos and a major producer of aluminium, population of present-day Canada may have Most provinces have additional public cadmium, cobalt, copper, gold and, in the been around 250,000. These native holidays. 2000s, diamonds. There are large reserves of inhabitants, living in bands and larger tribes nickel, copper and cobalt, as well as oil and where climatic conditions were not too Religious and other festivals whose dates vary gas – reserves of oil were estimated in hostile, developed sophisticated cultures. from year to year include Good Friday. January 2014 to be 174 billion barrels, and of Populations thrived in the east and on the gas, 2.0 trillion cubic metres. prairies, with the Algonquian- and Iroquoian- Economy Economic links with its giant neighbour were speaking peoples constituting the largest KEY FACTS 2013 cemented by the Free Trade Agreement of linguistic groups. A rich culture also developed in the west and along the Pacific GNI: US$1,799.8bn 1989. This was subsequently enlarged to include Mexico under the North American coast. GNI p.c.: US$52,200 Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The first Europeans to arrive, in about 1000 GDP growth: 1.4% p.a. 2009–13 Both federal and provincial governments have CE, were Vikings under Leif Ericson, who Inflation: 1.5% p.a. 2009–13 undertaken privatisation in order to reduce founded short-lived settlements in Canada’s economy is among the largest in their fiscal deficits. Air Canada was privatised Newfoundland and Labrador. The next wave the world, ranking fifteenth in terms of GDP in the late 1980s and rail networks Canadian of Europeans arrived in search of an imagined

(PPP) in 2014 (IMF, April 2015). Until the early Pacific and Canadian National Railway north-west passage to Asia, which they found blocked by the Canadian landmass. 20th century Canada had a predominantly followed by the mid-1990s. There are limits The abundance of fish off Newfoundland agricultural economy. Even after World War II, to the level of foreign ownership permitted in attracted French, Spanish, Portuguese and a quarter of the workforce was still engaged areas such as broadcasting, English fishermen from the 16th century in agriculture. Today, it is highly industrialised telecommunications, transportation and onwards. Settlements developed as bases for with one of the world’s highest per capita uranium mining. income rates. Ontario is the centre of the fish and fur tra d es. English settlements The country has one of the world’s most economic activity and the province with the developed in Newf oundland and the Atlantic open economies. It enjoyed strong growth seaboard. Th e Eng lish Hudson’s Bay from the mid-1990s, mainly in exports and Company, founded in 1670, claimed trading Real growth in GDP the services sector, and growth in rights over Rupert’s Land, the area whose % 3.5 manufacturing output averaged around three rivers drained into Hudson Bay. Samuel de % 3.0 per cent p.a. during the decade. Champlain founded the colony of New 2.5 France or Québec in 1608. 2.0 Good economic growth continued into the 1.5 2000s, until 2008 when investment and In 1663 Québec became a French royal 1.0 exports collapsed in the world economic 0.5 province, with a Governor entrusted with the g 0.0 downturn an d the e conomy went sharply general policy of the colony, the direction of -0.5 into recession . Desp ite the government’s its military affairs and its relations with the

-1.0 taking strong mea sures to stimulate the Indian tribes. The Roman Catholic Church, as -1.5 -2.0 economy, recession persisted into 2009, with a result of its Jesuit missions, became a -2.5 an overall decline of 2.7 per cent in that year, powerful force. The population of the British -3.0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 but recovering well in 2010 (3.4 per cent), settlements was largely Protestant, laying the and steady from 2011. Growth then basis for the religious and cultural diversity of continued at rates that were mainly above Canada today. Inflation two per cent in 2011–15. The unemployment Fish and fur trade rivalry between France and % 3.0 rate, which had fallen below six per cent in England was reinforced by wars in Europe. In

2.5 1713, France surrendered all claims to GDP by sector (2013) Rupert’s Land, Nova Scotia and French 2.0 settlements in Newfoundland. In 1763, France lost the rest of Canada apart from Agriculture 1.5 two small islands, St Pierre and Miquelon. 1.6% 1.0 Industry From 1763 until the 1775 American War of 27.9% Independence, the whole of North America 0.5 to the east of the Mississippi was held by Services Britain, the various colonies having a 0.0 70.4% 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 population of nearly two million. In 1774 the

THE COMMONWEALTH YEARBOOK 2015 Canada

Québec Act, passed by the British Parliament, Reform Party (52 seats) and Bloc Québécois constitutional reform followed, culminating in secured for the French colonists the right to (54), did well in the election. the Charlottetown accord of 28 August retain their language, religion and civil law. 1992. Among other things, this accord In an early general election in June 1997, As a result of the American Revolution, about recognised Québec as a distinct society and Chrétien and the Liberal Party retained power 35,000 Loyalists moved north to remain also recognised aboriginal rights to self- with a reduced majority, winning 155 seats. under British rule. government within Canada. However, the The Reform Party took 60 seats, Bloc Charlottetown Accord proposals were In 1791 the country was divided between the Québécois 44. The PCP recovered to 20 seats rejected in a national referendum in October English-speaking and French-speaking and the New Democratic Party also won 20, 1992. regions: Upper Canada (now Ontario); and up from nine in 1993. The elections exposed Lower Canada (now Québec). The USA the increasing regionalisation of Canadian Despite the clear practical difficulties of relinquished claims to Vancouver Island in politics, with 101 of the Liberal seats being secession, the PQ, winning the provincial 1846. British North American colonies were won in Ontario and the remainder in a few elections of 1994, held a referendum on the swelled by immigration from Europe from the large cities. The Reform Party’s seats were separatist option on 30 October 1995. The 1830s to the 1850s. almost exclusively in the west of the country. result was a narrow defeat for the secessionists: a majority of less than one per The British North America Act of 1867 The Canadian Alliance became the official brought together four British colonies: Upper cent voted to remain within the federation of opposition in the federal House of Commons in and Lower Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Canada. March 2000 when the Reform Party joined it. Scotia in one federal Dominion under the In August 1998 the Supreme Court name of Canada. Rupert’s Land and the Québec unanimously ruled that under both federal Northwestern Territory joined the federation The Parti Québécois (PQ) was founded in and international law Québec only had the as the province of Manitoba and the 1968, with a separatist programme. It came right to secede with the agreement of both Northwest Territories in 1870. The colony of to power in Québec in 1976 and a federal and seven of the ten provincial British Columbia joined in 1871 and Prince referendum on Québec sovereignty was held legislatures. However, it did stipulate that Edward Island in 1873. The Treaty of in 1980 in which 60 per cent of Québec should a clear majority of the people of Washington in 1871 ended American hopes Québec vote to secede, then the federal and of Canada becoming part of the USA. voters rejected secession. However, Québec did not approve the new Federal Constitution provincial governments should enter into In the 20th century the confederation of 1982, and the issue remained unresolved. negotiations with it in good faith. continued to grow: Alberta and In Québec’s provincial elections in November Saskatchewan were created as new provinces A way forward was apparently found by the 1998, the vote was evenly divided between in 1905, Norway abandoned claims to the Meech Lake accord in 1987. Its main points the PQ and the Liberals, although the PQ was Sverdrup islands in 1931 and Newfoundland were the recognition of Québec as a ‘distinct returned with 75 of the 125 seats – but only joined in 1949. In the late 19th century the society’ and new provincial powers. However, 43 per cent of the votes cast. With voters population of the country was still small: 3.7 Manitoba and Newfoundland failed to ratify divided, it seemed unlikely that the PQ would million (1871 census), three-quarters of the accord before the 1990 deadline and risk another referendum in the near future. whom were rural. An important factor in New Brunswick then halted its own unifying the country was the building of the ratification process. Many Québécois were During 2000, the federal Parliament passed transcontinental railway, completed, after antagonised by what they interpreted as a legislation giving it the right to approve various setbacks, in the 1880s. rejection of their interests, culture and questions to be posed in future referendums language. Extensive public consultations on on secession by individual provinces. After World War I, Canada sought an end to colonial status. The Balfour formula of 1926, endorsed by the Statute of Westminster in Canada on the international stage 1931, recognised Canada as a sovereign Internationally-acclaimed authors Margaret Atwood (Man Booker Prize, 2000), Yann Martel country having complete independence (Man Booker Prize, 2002) and Alice Munro (Nobel Prize in Literature, 2013) are all within the Commonwealth. Canadian, as is James Cameron, a heavy-hitting director in Hollywood who produced such From 1968 to 1984, Canadian politics was films as Titanic and Avatar . Malcolm Gladwell is a writer for The New Yorker , an dominated by Pierre Trudeau, leader of the international bestselling author and was named in Time magazine’s most influential people Liberal Party and four times Prime Minister. list in 2005. During his administrations, social welfare was Due to the slightly higher value of the American dollar, films set in the USA are often shot increased, immigration liberalised and in Canada to cut production costs. Some recognisable titles include Good Will Hunting multiculturalism promoted. After his filmed in Toronto, Brokeback Mountain filmed in Alberta and Jackie Chan’s Hollywood retirement in 1984, his party was eventually debut Rumble in the Bronx , actually filmed in Vancouver. ousted by the Progressive Conservative Party (PCP) under Brian Mulroney, who promoted In sports, Canada leads in the Winter Olympics in ice hockey in both the men’s and more stringent social policies, some women’s categories – with 13 gold medals in total. Curling is the second most popular privatisation and free trade. winter sport, with Canada holding five Olympic gold medals. Brian Mulroney was succeeded in 1993 by The Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management has its HQ in Kim Campbell, Canada’s first woman Prime Ottawa, the Commonwealth of Learning in Vancouver and the Commonwealth Journalists Minister. Campbell and the Conservatives Association in Toronto. were crushingly defeated in the October Canada was a founder member of the Commonwealth in 1931 when its independence 1993 elections, winning only two seats. The was recognised under the Statute of Westminster, and Arnold Smith of Canada was the Liberal Party, led by Jean Chrétien, won 177 first Commonwealth Secretary-General (1965–75). seats. Recently established parties, the

THE COMMONWEALTH YEARBOOK 2015 Canada

constitution require the consent of the federal the Conservatives (99 seats, the Conservative Constitution Parliament and of seven provinces representing Party was formed by a merger of PCP and Status: Monarchy under Queen Elizabeth II at least 50 per cent of the population. Canadian Alliance), but did not achieve an Legislature: Parliament of Canada overall majority in the House of Commons and depended on the support of the smaller Canada is a constitutional monarchy, with Politics Queen Elizabeth II (Queen of Canada) as parties. Last elections: 19 October 2015 head of state, represented by a Governor- Only 17 months into its new term, in General appointed on the recommendation Next elections: 2019 December 2005, opposition parties of the Prime Minister. The British North Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, challenged the government on the payment America Act of 1867 set up a machinery of represented by Governor-General, David by the previous Liberal government in the government that has remained basically Johnston (2010–) late 1990s of large sums of public money to unchanged; however, the constitution is Head of government: Prime Minister Justin advertising agencies, and, for the first time contained in the Constitution Act of 1982, Trudeau ever, carried a vote of no confidence in the which includes the Charter of Rights and government. Martin then had to call a new Freedoms as well as procedures for amending Ruling party: Liberal Party general election for January 2006. In this the constitution. Women MPs: 26% election, on a platform of tax cuts and measures to combat corruption, the The federal Parliament is bicameral. The In a surprise early general election in Conservative Party won 124 seats, the House of Commons has 338 members (308 November 2000, the Liberal Party gained a Liberal Party 103, Bloc Québécois 51 and the until the 2015 general election) directly decisive 173 seats, including 100 of 103 New Democratic Party (NDP) 29. elected in general elections which, if not seats in the largest province of Ontario and Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper called earlier, must be held on the third 37 of 73 in Québec, increasing its majority became Prime Minister but, short of an Monday in October in the fourth calendar by 18. Jean Chrétien continued as Prime outright majority, he was only able to year following the last election. The Senate Minister. The opposition Canadian Alliance introduce new legislation with support from has 105 members appointed on a regional increased its share of the popular vote – members of other parties. basis by the Prime Minister, in consultation largely at the expense of the Progressive with the cabinet. The leader of the party with Conservative Party (PCP) – but failed to In a bid to strengthen his minority the most seats in the House of Commons challenge the Liberal Party in the east of the government, Harper called an election in becomes Prime Minister and appoints a country. October 2008. In the contest when turnout cabinet which has executive power at the was 59 per cent, his Conservatives won 143 In December 2003, Chrétien retired and was federal level. seats with 37.6 per cent of votes. Their gain succeeded by former Finance Minister Paul was largely at the expense of the Liberals The constitution provides for devolution of Martin, and an early general election who took 77 seats; while Bloc Québécois powers from federal to provincial followed in June 2004, in which the ruling was also down at 49 seats, NDP won 37 and governments. General amendments to the Liberal Party, taking 135 seats, was ahead of independents two. Harper was returned as Prime Minister, once again in a minority Further information government. Government of Canada: canada.gc.ca At an early general election, held in May Elections Canada: www.elections.ca 2011 after the government lost a Parliament of Canada: www.parl.gc.ca parliamentary vote of no confidence on 25 Statistics Canada: www.statcan.gc.ca March 2011, the ruling Conservatives Bank of Canada: www.bankofcanada.ca secured a majority in the House of Canadian Tourism Commission: www.corporate.canada.travel/en/ca Commons with 167 of the 308 seats (39.6 CAPAM: www.capam.org per cent of votes). The NDP (102 seats and Commonwealth Journalists Association: commonwealthjournalists.org 30.6 per cent) overtook both the Liberal Commonwealth of Learning: www.col.org Party (34 seats and 18.9 per cent) and Bloc Commonwealth Secretariat: www.thecommonwealth.org Québécois (4 seats and 6.0 per cent); the : www.commonwealthofnations.org/ remaining seat was won by the Green Party country/Canada (3.9 per cent). The new legislature included Media 76 women, more than ever before. National Post : www.nationalpost.com The Gazette : www.montrealgazette.com In the general election of 19 October 2015, The Globe and Mail : www.theglobeandmail.com the Liberal Party, led by Justin Trudeau, The Toronto Star : www.thestar.com ousted Stephen Harper and the Vancouver Sun : www.vancouversun.com Conservatives, winning 184 of the 338 seats La Presse : www.cyberpresse.ca in the House of Commons and 39.5 per cent Le Journal de Montréal : www.journaldemontreal.com of the votes cast. The Conservative Party Maclean’s : www2.macleans.ca took 99 seats (31.9 per cent), NDP 44 (19.7 Aboriginal People’s TV Network: aptn.ca per cent), Bloc Québécois ten (4.7 per cent) CBC: www.cbc.ca and the Green Party one (3.4 per cent). CPAC: www.cpac.ca Turnout was 68.5 per cent. Trudeau, the son Sociétié Radio-Canada: www.radio-canada.ca of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (1968– Radio Canada International: www.radio-canada.ca The Canadian Press: www.thecanadianpress.com 1979 and 1980–84), was sworn in as Prime Minister on 4 November 2015.

THE COMMONWEALTH YEARBOOK 2015 Canada

months. The wearing of seat belts is International relations Traveller information compulsory. Road networks cover vast areas Canada is a member of Asia –Pacific Immigration and customs: Passports must of the country. Economic Cooperation, North Atlantic Treaty be valid at least until the date of departure. Organization, Organisation for Economic Co- Visas are required by most Commonwealth Rail, bus and air services operate throughout operation and Development, Organisation nationals. Prohibited imports include food. the country. There are express rail services internationale de la Francophonie, Products made from endangered species may between main towns. Organization of American States, United require an export certificate. Travel health: There are no recommended Nations and World Trade Organization. Travel within the country: Traffic drives on precautionary measures for travelling to Canada. With the USA and Mexico, Canada is a the right, and car hire is available to all those There were 16,588,000 tourist arrivals in 2013. member of the North America Free Trade aged 21 and over. Visitors can use a foreign Association. driving licence if staying for less than three

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THE COMMONWEALTH YEARBOOK 2015