Michael Zwaagstra: All High School Graduates Should Be Able to Pass the Canadian Citizenship Test

Commentary If you aren’t a Canadian citizen but want to become one, you’d better start studying. That’s because you need to pass the Canadian Citizenship Test before you can take your oath of citizenship, and you’ll only pass it if you have a decent knowledge of Canada’s history, geography, and system of governance. Fortunately, the Canadian government has published a 64-page study guide called “Discover Canada,” which devotes 10 pages to a chronological overview of key events in our history. Along with learning about the founding peoples of Canada (First Nations, French, and British), prospective citizens must become familiar with the War of 1812, the Rebellions of 1837–38, the 1867 British North America Act, Canada’s role in the two world wars, and many other key facts. There’s a lot of historical content packed into these 10 pages....