Canada's economy and its five regions

David is fifty-one. He moved from Ohio for a job at a food plant in Guelph. On Saturdays he shops at the farmers' market. One morning, he says to a farmer, Toronto is the capital of Canada, right? The farmer smiles. Toronto is Ontario's capital, she says. Canada's capital is Ottawa. I'm Vinnie. Remember, this is a free, independent course. It is not a government course.

So here is the question. How is Canada laid out, what are the capitals, and how does Canada earn its living?

The official study guide, Discover Canada, covers this in two chapters, Canada's Regions and Canada's Economy. Canada is the second-largest country on earth. It has three oceans: the Pacific in the west, the Atlantic in the east, and the Arctic in the north. It has ten provinces and three territories, in five regions. Its capital is Ottawa, chosen by Queen Victoria in eighteen fifty-seven.

First, the Atlantic Provinces. There are four. Newfoundland and Labrador, capital St. John's, is the most easterly point in North America. Prince Edward Island, capital Charlottetown, is the smallest province. Nova Scotia, capital Halifax, has the highest tides in the world, in the Bay of Fundy. New Brunswick, capital Fredericton, is the only officially bilingual province.

Next, Central Canada. Quebec's capital is Québec City, and Ontario's capital is Toronto. More than half of Canadians live near the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Then the Prairie Provinces. Manitoba's capital is Winnipeg. Saskatchewan, capital Regina, is called the breadbasket of the world. Alberta, capital Edmonton, is the largest producer of oil and gas.

On the West Coast is British Columbia, capital Victoria. The Port of Vancouver is Canada's largest and busiest port. Then the North, with three territories. Yukon, capital Whitehorse, is known for the Gold Rush of the eighteen nineties. The Northwest Territories, capital Yellowknife, the diamond capital of North America. And Nunavut, capital Iqaluit. Nunavut means our land in Inuktitut.

Now the economy. The guide calls Canada a trading nation. It has three main kinds of industry: service industries, manufacturing, and natural resources. Services, like health care, retail, banking and tourism, employ more than three out of four working Canadians. The United States is Canada's largest trading partner. More than three-quarters of Canada's exports go there.

Some of this is out of date. The guide says Canada is in the G8. Today the group is the G7. The guide talks about NAFTA. Today, Canada's trade agreement with the United States and Mexico is called CUSMA. And the guide says Canada has about thirty-four million people. Statistics Canada says about forty-one million today.

Let's make it stick. Take a trip across Canada, from east to west. St. John's, Charlottetown, Halifax, Fredericton. Québec City, Toronto. Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton. Victoria. Then fly north, and go east to west again. Iqaluit, Yellowknife, Whitehorse. Say it out loud, like a bus driver calling the stops.

Here's a common confusion. Ottawa is Canada's capital, and it is in Ontario. But Ontario's own capital is Toronto. So Ontario holds two capitals, one for the country and one for the province.

The mistake people make is thinking the biggest city must be the capital. Toronto is Canada's largest city, but the country's capital is Ottawa. Montreal is Canada's second-largest city, but Quebec's capital is Québec City.

Here's the one thing to remember. Canada has ten provinces and three territories in five regions, and its capital is Ottawa. Know every capital, and especially your own.

This week, write the thirteen capitals on a card and say them every morning. Next time, Ontario up close, and your three representatives.