Portal:Canada

Tuesday, February 17, 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 has a high nominal per capita income globally and its advanced economy 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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Canadian comics refers to comics and cartooning by citizens of Canada or permanent residents of Canada regardless of residence. Canada has two official languages, and distinct comics cultures have developed in English and French Canada. The English tends to follow American trends, and the French, Franco-Belgian ones, with little crossover between the two cultures. Canadian comics run the gamut of comics forms, including editorial cartooning, comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, and webcomics, and are published in newspapers, magazines, books, and online. They have received attention in international comics communities and have received support from the federal and provincial governments, including grants from the Canada Council for the Arts. There are comics publishers throughout the country, as well as large small press, self-publishing, and minicomics communities. (Full article...)

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Current events

February 10, 2026 – United States embargo against Cuba, Cuba–Mexico relations, Canada–Mexico relations United States trade war with Canada and Mexico: Mexico confirms it has suspended all shipments of fuel to Cuba to avoid punitive tariffs by the United States which is enforcing an oil blockade of the island, while vowing to continue shipments of humanitarian aid. (AA); Canadian airlines Air Transat and WestJet suspend all flights to Cuba amid a shortage of fuel for commercial aviation, and say efforts are underway to return Canadians stranded on the island. (Bloomberg)
February 10, 2026 – 2026 Tumbler Ridge shooting: Nine people are killed, including the suspect, in a school shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. (CBC News) (The Jerusalem Post)
February 9, 2026 – United States embargo against Cuba: Air Canada suspends all flights to Cuba and deploys empty aircraft to repatriate stranded passengers after the country's fuel supply was exhausted due to the U.S. blockade and the end of fuel supplies from Venezuela. (Reuters)
February 6, 2026 – Greenland crisis: Canada–Denmark relations, Denmark–France relations, Foreign relations of Greenland; Canada and France open consulates in Nuuk, Greenland, to reinforce support for the Danish Realm against United States president Donald Trump's threats to unilaterally annex the territory. (DW)

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Panoramic view of Mont-Tremblant, Quebec

Credit: Acarpentier (Alain Carpentier)

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"O Canada" (French: Ô Canada) is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony; Calixa Lavallée composed the music, after which French-language words were written by the poet and judge Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier. (Full article...)

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Toronto, the financial centre of Canada

Canada has a highly developed mixed economy. As of 2025, it is the ninth-largest in the world, with a nominal GDP of approximately US$2.39 trillion. Its GDP per capita in purchasing power parity (PPP) international dollars is about 27.5% lower than that of the highest-ranking G7 country. Canada is one of the world's largest trading nations, with a highly globalized economy. In 2021, Canadian trade in goods and services reached $2.016 trillion. Canada's exports totalled over $637 billion, while its imported goods were worth over $631 billion, of which approximately $391 billion originated from the United States. In 2018, Canada had a trade deficit in goods of $22 billion and a trade deficit in services of $25 billion. The Toronto Stock Exchange is the tenth-largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization, listing over 1,500 companies with a combined market capitalization of over US$3 trillion. (Full article...)

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Moraine Lake in the Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada.
Credit: Gorgo

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Howe c. 1940

Clarence Decatur Howe PC (UK), PC (Can) (15 January 1886 – 31 December 1960) was an American-born Canadian engineer, businessman and Liberal Party politician. Howe served as a cabinet minister in the governments of William Lyon Mackenzie King and Louis St. Laurent continuously from 1935 to 1957. He is credited with transforming the Canadian economy from agriculture-based to industrial. During the Second World War, his involvement in the war effort was so extensive that he was nicknamed the "Minister of Everything". (Full article...)

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... that the St. Raphael Provincial Park in Northern Ontario, Canada, is part of the 1,530 km² (590 sq mi) St. Raphael Signature Site, which is recognized for its natural and recreational values?
... that Helen Kendall was one of 446 Canadians to receive the Royal Red Cross for her service in World War I?
... that Canadian peacekeepers participated in every UN peacekeeping effort from its inception until 1989?
... that there is an East Quoddy Head Lighthouse and a West Quoddy Head Lighthouse on opposite sides of a bay, but one is in Canada and the other is in the United States?
... that artist Agnes Gallus fled Hungary for Canada during the 1956 revolution?
... that Chickaboom!, by country musician Tami Neilson, was nominated for both Canadian and New Zealand music awards?
... that Karan Aujla's Hindi-language single "Tauba Tauba" from the 2024 film Bad Newz became a Canadian Hot 100 top-25 song ahead of the film's release?

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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...)