Explanation: Terry was determined to run every single day until he made it all the way across Canada. He started in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and ran for 143 days and over 5,000 kilometres before stopping just outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario, when he got too sick to continue. Today, people in over thirty countries run, walk and wheel to raise money to fight cancer in honour of Terry’s legacy.

Further reading: We have two books about Terry Fox on our recommended reading list this year: Meet Terry Fox and Terry Fox and Me. Your local library may have a bunch more for you to check out as well. 

Explanation: Good guess! A gaag translates to a porcupine (bees and snakes aren’t rodents, by the way).

Further Reading: To learn more Ojibwe words, check out It’s a Mitig by Bridget George. The author wrote the book to help her son learn their language and culture and to give others the opportunity to learn as well. You can also check out Nibi is Water / Nibi Aawon Nbiish by Joanne Robertson to learn more Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) words. 

Explanation: The National Football League (NFL) didn't believe that Chuck Ealey could be a great quarterback because of the colour of his skin, so he moved to Canada to play in the CFL. In his first season, he won the Most Outstanding Rookie award and was named the Most Valuable Player in the Grey Cup.

Further Reading: To read more about Chuck’s story, check out The Stone Thrower by Jael Ealey Richardson, one of our recommended reads. Are you a football fan? If so, visit your local library online or in person for more great reads—sports books are filed under Dewey Decimal number 796.

Explanation: The muskox pull, leg wrestling, and the Alaskan high kick are all Inuit games. Inuit games test people's toughness and flexibility and also help strengthen the body and the mind. The games improve skills that hunters need to stay strong and help feed their communities.

Further Reading: Check out Inuit Games by Thomas Anguti Johnston or other books in the Nunavummi reading series, which was developed in Nunavut to increase reading skills and teach readers about the people, traditions and environment of the Canadian Arctic.

Explanation: "Tae" means "foot" or "to strike with the feet." "Kwon" means "hand" or "to strike with the hand." "Do" means discipline, art or way. So, Tae-Kwon-Do (foot-hand-way) means "the way of the feet and the hands" or "the art of kicking and punching."

Further reading: We have a few books about martial arts on our recommended reads list this year. For younger readers, check out Let's Go to Taekwondo! A Story about Persistence, Bravery, and Breaking Boards and Karate Kakapo. For older readers, check out the novel Eight Times Up, which follows a character named Riley who decides to learn aikido to help deal with his anxiety. 

Explanation: Eric and Meagan won a gold medal in the team skating event with Canada’s figure skating team and they won the bronze medal in pairs skating. Eric was the first openly gay athlete to win an Olympic gold medal.

Further Reading: Check out Proud to Play by Erin Silver to learn about other Canadian Olympic athletes from the LGBTQ+ community or go to your local library and look for books on Canadian Olympic athletes. They will be filed under Dewey Decimal number 796. 

Explanation: Since the 1960 Rome Olympics, Kenyan distance runners have enjoyed unparalleled dominance in running events, from 800 metres to the marathon.

In 2005, the first hockey ice rink in all of East Africa opened at the Panari Sky Centre Hotel in Kenya. It became the home to the Kenya Ice Lions—Kenya’s only ice hockey team.

Further Reading: Check out Hockey Night in Kenya by Danson Mutinda and Eric Walters. It is a made-up story but it is based on true events that you can read about in the book’s introduction. Are you a hockey fan? The next time you are able to visit your library, look for non-fiction books on hockey and other sports under Dewey Decimal number 796. 

Explanation: Yup, it’s true: Canadians really love their doughnuts (donuts)! What’s your favourite doughnut flavour?

Further Reading: If you want to learn more amazing facts, check out It Seemed Like a Good Idea… Canadian Feats, Facts and Flubs by Ted and Will Staunton. If you like books with interesting facts, look under the Dewey Decimal number 031 the next time you are able to visit your local library. 

Explanation: In 1992, Rhéaume, from Beaufort, Quebec, became the first (and still the only) woman to play in an NHL pre-season game, and the first woman to play in a major North American pro sports league. By doing so, she inspired countless female hockey players in the process.

Further reading: You can read Manon Rhéaume’s story by checking out the ebook available on this website called Breaking the Ice: The True Story of the First Woman to Play in the National Hockey League. 

Explanation: Viola Desmond was a successful Nova Scotia businesswoman who defiantly refused to leave a whites-only area of a movie theatre in 1946. Her court case was an inspiration for the pursuit of racial equality across Canada.

Further reading: To read more about Viola Desmond’s story, check out the book Amazing Black Atlantic Canadians. The book features the stories of more than 50 other Black Canadians. 

Explanation: On January 29, 2020, Canadian soccer star Christine Sinclair scored international goals 184 and 185 against Saint Kitts and Nevis to surpass Abby Wambach for first place in international goals by either men or women. That’s right: even more than Messi and Ronaldo!

Further reading: To read more about Christine Sinclair’s journey to become a soccer star—along with other featured Canadian athletes—check out the ebook available on this website called Breaking Through: Heroes in Canadian Women's Sport. 

Explanation: Dan Magness of England spent 26 hours juggling a soccer ball without letting it hit the ground. Even more impressive? He didn’t ask for a bathroom break!

Further reading: Check out the book My Weird School Fast Facts: Sports or visit your local library and look for Dewey Decimal number 031 for books about world records. For a silly soccer read, check out the book The Day My Dad Joined the Soccer Team, which is available as an ebook on our website.