canadian Newfoundland and Labrador 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What are the official provincial symbols of Newfoundland and Labrador — the provincial bird and flower?
- Atlantic puffin and pitcher plant (Correct answer)
- Common loon and bakeapple
- Snowy owl and wild rose
- Gannet and Labrador tea
Correct answer: Atlantic puffin and pitcher plant
The Atlantic puffin is the provincial bird and the pitcher plant (a carnivorous bog plant) is the provincial flower of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Question 2: What is the role of the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador?
- Elected head of provincial government who runs day-to-day operations
- The federal representative of the Crown who performs ceremonial and constitutional duties in the province (Correct answer)
- The appointed leader of the provincial Senate
- The premier's deputy who manages cabinet decisions
Correct answer: The federal representative of the Crown who performs ceremonial and constitutional duties in the province
The Lieutenant Governor represents the King in the province, performs ceremonial duties, and plays a constitutional role such as granting royal assent to legislation.
Question 3: How many seats does Newfoundland and Labrador hold in the federal House of Commons?
- 4
- 7 (Correct answer)
- 10
- 14
Correct answer: 7
Newfoundland and Labrador is represented by 7 members of parliament in the House of Commons.
Question 4: What is a 'screech-in' ceremony in Newfoundland cultural tradition?
- A traditional cod fishing ritual performed before the season opens
- A humorous initiation ritual where visitors kiss a cod and drink Screech rum to become 'honorary Newfoundlanders' (Correct answer)
- A mummering festival held at Christmas
- An annual festival celebrating the Viking heritage of L'Anse aux Meadows
Correct answer: A humorous initiation ritual where visitors kiss a cod and drink Screech rum to become 'honorary Newfoundlanders'
The screech-in is a popular tongue-in-cheek ceremony where 'Come From Aways' (non-Newfoundlanders) kiss a cod and drink Screech rum to be symbolically welcomed as honorary locals.
Question 5: Which Indigenous group is the recognized Indigenous people of Labrador's coast and holds self-government rights in Nunatsiavut?
- Innu Nation
- Labrador Métis Nation
- Inuit of Nunatsiavut (Correct answer)
- Mi'kmaq of Newfoundland
Correct answer: Inuit of Nunatsiavut
The Inuit of Nunatsiavut signed a land claims agreement in 2005 establishing the Nunatsiavut Government, one of Canada's most advanced Indigenous self-government arrangements.
Question 6: What is the Trans-Labrador Highway and why is it significant?
- A railway line connecting Labrador City to the Quebec border, completed in 1954
- A mostly paved all-season road system that provides the first land link across Labrador, completed in 2009 (Correct answer)
- A proposed highway project still under environmental review
- A seasonal winter road used only when the ground is frozen
Correct answer: A mostly paved all-season road system that provides the first land link across Labrador, completed in 2009
The Trans-Labrador Highway, completed to full paved status around 2009–2017 in stages, connects Labrador City, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and the Quebec border, ending Labrador's isolation from road networks.
Question 7: What unique dialect feature is Newfoundland English known for that sets it apart from other Canadian English?
- Pronounced French loanwords from early Acadian settlers
- Distinct vocabulary and pronunciations derived from West Country English and Irish English, preserved since the 17th century (Correct answer)
- Heavy influence from Indigenous Mi'kmaq language incorporated into everyday speech
- A Scandinavian-influenced accent from Viking-era settlement
Correct answer: Distinct vocabulary and pronunciations derived from West Country English and Irish English, preserved since the 17th century
Newfoundland English retains archaic features of 17th- and 18th-century West Country English and Irish English brought by early settlers, making it among the most distinctive dialects in North America.
canadian Newfoundland and Labrador 5
What are the official provincial symbols of Newfoundland and Labrador — the provincial bird and flower?