Pictures of relief camps, soup kitchens, protest marches and drought are vivid reminders of the pain of the 1930s and the Great Depression in Canada.

Governments in Canada were slow to respond to the desperate economic and social conditions. Until the Great Depression, governments in Canada intervened as little as possible in the economy and social welfare was left to churches and charities.

The Great Depression led to the creation in 1934 of the Bank of Canada to manage Canada's money supply and help formulate monetary policy. The Great Depression also led to the beginnings of a social safety net in Canada, which now includes minimum wage, employment standards and programs such as health insurance and employment insurance.

Photo: Unemployed Parade in Toronto in the Great Depression
Toronto Star / Library and Archives Canada / C-029397

Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King left a legacy like no other - 30,000 pages of his personal diaries. The Library and Archives of Canada have digitized the Mackenzie King Diaries and you can browse and search through them online. The diaries provide a rare insight into the private life of a Canadian prime minister. While Mackenzie King was mild-mannered and bland in public, in his diaries he showed his more exotic private personality. He believed in an afterlife, communicated with his dead relatives in seances, and was extremely superstitious. The diaries also provide a valuable first-hand political and social history of Canada spanning more than 50 years.

Photo: Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada
Library and Archives Canada / C-000387

More on Canadian Prime Ministers:
Prime Minister Mackenzie King
Canadian Prime Ministers
The Role of the Canadian Prime Minister
Canada in World War II

As financial times are tough for everyone right now, it makes more sense than ever to make sure you don't pay extra for banking services. A useful resource is the Cost of Banking Guide from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC). This online tool compares more than 100 different account packages from major Canadian banks and other financial institutions in Canada. To use the Cost of Banking Guide, all you do is answer a few questions and you'll get a shortlist of the accounts which meet your criteria. It's a good way to choose a bank account for your specific needs, and also a convenient way to check that your current bank accounts are still appropriate. Most of us complain about high banking fees, but the best way to keep them down is to shop around. This tool can help.

Photo: Gettty Images / Photodisc / Keith Brofsky

More About Banking in Canada:
Canadian Banks
Canadian ATMs and Bank Machines
Tax-Free Savings Accounts
Personal Finance in Canada

The opening day of the Battle of the Somme in World War I was a slaughter for the Allies, and the 1st Newfoundland Regiment was virtually annihilated at the Battle of Beaumont Hamel. While most Canadians associate July 1 with the celebration of Canada Day, in Newfoundland and Labrador, July 1 is also Memorial Day to commemorate Newfoundland's heavy losses in the Battle of Beaumont Hamel.

More on Canada in World War I:
Canada in World War I
Canada and World War I Battles
Canadian World War I Posters

The Order of Canada is Canada's highest honour for lifetime achievement. An initiative of Prime Minister Lester Pearson, the Order of Canada was designed to replace the Order of the British Empire, which Canada opted out of many years earlier. The first list of recipients in 1967 included Jean Drapeau, Louis St-Laurent and Maurice Richard. Since then over 5000 Canadians who have made a difference to Canada have received the honour for outstanding achievements and excellence in all sectors of society.

One of the nice things about the Order of Canada is that you can nominate a deserving Canadian to receive this honour. Is there someone you think should receive the award? Here's how to go about making a nomination.

Photo: Prime Minister Lester Pearson
Duncan Cameron / Library and Archives Canada / PA-212238

See Also:
Canada's Own Victoria Cross
Role of the Governor General of Canada
The National Flag of Canada

Former Governor General of Canada Romeo LeBlanc died on June 24, 2009 at his home in New Brunswick after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Governor General from 1995 to 1999, Romeo LeBlanc was a warm and unpretentious man who established the Caring Canadian Award to honour volunteers who spend much of their time helping others. “If I am to be known for anything, I would like it to be for encouraging Canadians, for knowing a little bit about their daily, extraordinary courage. And for wanting that courage to be recognized,” he said in his installation speech.

Romeo LeBlanc was a Liberal member of parliament, cabinet minister, senator and Speaker of the Senate before being appointed Governor General. During his time as fisheries minister in the 1970s, he helped establish the 200-mile fishing limit around Canada and played a key role in the International Law of the Sea Conferences.

As the first Acadian Governor General of Canada, Romeo LeBlanc used his own background to show how English and French can cooperate and how francophones both inside and outside Quebec can prosper.

More on the Governor General of Canada
Governor General Caring Canadian Award
Role of the Governor General of Canada
Governors General of Canada Since 1867
He Never, Ever Lost His Roots - The Globe and Mail
Romeo LeBlanc Remembered for Modesty and Passion - Canada.com

The Canadian Prime Minister's Office has announced that Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan will visit Canada from July 4 to 13, 2009. The Japanese Royals will travel to Ottawa, Toronto, Victoria and Vancouver. It will be Emperor Akihito’s first official visit to Canada, although he did visit as a 19-year-old crown prince in 1953, touring several Canadian cities on his way to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The Emperor's visit this year marks three events: it is the 80th anniversary of Canada's establishment of its diplomatic mission in Tokyo in 1929. It is also the royal couple's 50th wedding anniversary and the 20th anniversary of Akihito’s accession to the throne.

Photo: Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko
Junko Kimura / Getty Images

More about Canada and Japan
Canadian Embassy in Japan
What Does the Japanese Emperor Actually Do? - About.com Asian History
Canada-Japan Relations - Canada Department of Foreign Affairs

Every year about 14,000 people die in Canada from a stroke, and around 300,000 Canadians are currently living with the effects of a stroke, according to stroke statistics from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Be sure you have a healthy heart by making yourself familiar with the risk factors and warning signs of a stroke, and what you can do to prevent one. A good place to start is the Healthy Heart Kit from the Public Health Agency of Canada. The kit outlines each of the main risk factors for stroke - smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, extra weight and diabetes - and gives practical advice on how to reduce your risk. Each section includes a sample form to record your progress and links to further resources.

More on Strokes in Canada
Stroke - Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Stroke - It's Your Health - Health Canada
Canadian Health Resources

A massive six-week general strike in Winnipeg in 1919 nearly crippled the city. The 30,000 striking workers were generally peaceful and worked to maintain essential services, but authorities reacted aggressively. Canadian newspapers spread fear about Bolshevism and a red conspiracy. When the Winnipeg police wouldn't sign a no-strike pledge, they were fired and replaced with 1800 "Specials" supplied with horses and baseball bats. The Immigration Act was changed to allow deportation of British-born strike leaders, and the definition of sedition in the Criminal Code was broadened. After the Mounties charged a demonstration on Bloody Saturday, with two killed and 30 injured, the strike was called off. There were few gains for the workers.

Photo: Library and Archives Canada / PA-163001

More on Income Security in Canada
Minimum Wage in Canada
Employment and Labour Standards in Canada
Employment Insurance in Canada
Canadian Government Pensions

Canada is having another birthday on July 1, marking the anniversary of Canadian Confederation in 1867. The July 1 holiday was originally established as Dominion Day in 1879 and it took more than 100 years for the name to be officially changed to Canada Day in 1982. This Canada Day Checklist has information that might come in handy to help you celebrate Canada Day. So dust off your Canadian flag, steep yourself in Canadiana, and get ready to party!

Photo: Canadian Flag on Parliament Hill
DC Productions / Getty Images

More About Canada Day
Canada Day
Candian Confederation
Canadian Symbols
Photos of Canadian History
Canada Day Crafts - About.com Family Crafts