Sources of Canadian Law = laws passed by Parliament and the provincial legislatures, English common law, the civil code of France and the unwritten constitution that we have inherited from Great Britain
Combined all above = Magna Carta / Great Charter of Freedoms (1215 AD)
Habeas corpus = Right to challenge unlawful detention by the state (English Common Law)
Constitution of Canada amended to include Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982)
Fundamental freedoms + Additional rights
Mobility rights, Aboriginal People's Rights, Official Language Rights and Minority Language Educational Rights, Multiculturalism
Responsibilities = Obeying the law, taking responsibility for oneself and one’s family, serving on jury, Voting, Volunteering, Protecting/Enjoying heritage and environment
Defending Canada = foreces.ca / cadets.ca for young people
History of Canada (Part 1 / 2)
Peace, Order, and Good Government comes from British North America Act (1867)
Songwriters called Canada "Great Dominion"
Founding peoples = Aboriginal, French, British
Aboriginal people migrated from Asia thousands of years ago.
Territorial rights were first guaranteed through the Royal Proclamation of 1763 by King George III
1800 - 1980 => Aboriginal children in residential schools, Schools were poorly funded, students abused, Aboriginal language and cultural practices were prohibited. In 2008, Ottawa formally apologized to former students.
Aboriginal people = 3 groups | First Nations (65%), Metis (30%), Inuit (4%)
'Indian' refers to all Aboriginal people who are not Inuit or Métis. Term no longer used. Now they are called 'First Nations'.
About half of First Nations people live on reserve land in about 600 communities | Remaining off the reserve in urban centers
Inuit, means "The People" in Inuktitut language live in Arctic. Knowledgeable about land, sea, wildlife
Metis = people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry. Majority in Prairie provinces. Their dialect = Michif (French + English speaking backgrounds).
John Buchan | 1st Baron Tweedsmuir | popular Governor General of Canada (1935-40) | Said "Immigrant groups should retain their individuality and each make its contribution to the national character." at Canadian Club of Halifax, 1937.
Today, Anglophones = 18 million, 7 million Francophones (majority live in Quebec) - 1 million live in Ontario, NB & Manitoba
NB is the only official bilingual province
Acadians = descendants of French colonists, began settling in the Maritime provinces in 1604.
Between 1755 and 1763 (war b/w Britain and France), 2/3rd of Acadians were deported from their homeland. This is known as "Great Upheaval".
Quebecers = People of Quebec (French speaking majority). Descendants of 8500 French settlers
The House of Commons recognized in 2006 that the Quebecois form a nation within a united Canada.
One million Anglo-Quebecers have a heritage of 250 years | vibrant part of Quebec fabric
basic way of life in English-speaking areas established by English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish settlers, soldiers and migrants from the 1600s to 20th century
Canada = "Land of immigrants"
From 1970s, most immigrants have come from Asian countries.
Chinese is second most 2nd most spoken at home.
Vancouver = 13% speak Chinese at home | Toronto = 7% speak Chinese at home
Majority of Canadians = Christians
Canada's diversity includes gay, lesbian | All protection under the law including marriage
Marjorie Turner-Bailey of Nova Scotia = Olympian, descendant of black Loyalists, escaped slaves & free men, fled to Canada in 1780s from America.
Huron-Wendat of the Great Lakes region, like the Iroquois = farmers and hunters
Cree and Dene of the Northwest = hunter-gatherers
Sioux = Nomadic, following bison herds.
Inuit = Lived off Arctic wildlife
West Coast natives = preserved fish by drying and smoking
Warfare was common among Aboriginal groups for resources, land & prestige
Many aboriginals died because of European diseases they didn't have immunity to
Vikings from Iceland, colonized Greenland 1000 years go reached Newfoundland & Labrador
The remains of their settlement L’Anse aux Meadows = World heritage site
European exploration began 1497
John Cabot = first to draw a map of Canada’s East Coast.
Jacques Cartier, voyages across Atlantic, claiming land for King Francis I of France
Jacques Cartier = first European to explore St. Lawrence River, set eyes on present-day Québec City & Montreal
Iroquoian word 'Kanata' means village
By 1550s, name "Canada" began appearing on maps
Samuel de Champlain = In 1608, built a fortress in Quebec City
French and the Iroquois made peace in 1701
French and Aboriginal people collaborated in the vast fur-trade economy, demand for beaver pelts in Europe
Jean Talon, Bishop Laval, and Count Frontenac built a French Empire from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico
Sir Guy Carleton (Lord Dorchester) defeated American invasion of Quebec in 1775
King Charles II of England = In 1670, granted Hudson’s Bay Company exclusive trading rights over the watershed draining into Hudson Bay
Voyageurs / coureurs des bois = Montreal-based traders | men who travelled by canoe | formed strong alliances with First Nations
Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Québec City = 1759 | British defeated French marking the end of France’s empire in America
Commander of both Armies (Brigadier James Wolfe and the Marquis de Montcalm) were killed in the war
After the war, Britain renamed the colony the “Province of Quebec.”
Canadiens / Habitants = French speaking Catholic people
Quebec Act = 1774 | Passed by British parliament | allowed religious freedom for Catholics and permitted them to hold public office
Quebec Act restored French civil law while maintaining British criminal law
In 1776, 13 British colonies to the south of Quebec declared independence and formed the United States.
People loyal to the Crown = “Loyalists" fled oppression and moved to Nova Scotia and Quebec
Joseph Brant led thousands of Loyalist Mohawk Indians to Canada
In 1792, some black Nova Scotians were given poor land, moved on to establish Freetown, Sierra Leone
First representative assembly in Halifax, NS in 1758 | PEI in 1773 | NB in 1785
Constitutional Act = 1791 | divided Province of Quebec to Upper Canada (Ontario) & Lower Canada (Quebec)
Constitutional Act of 1791 granted, for the first time to the Canadas, legislative assemblies elected by the people
"Canada" became the official name of the land in 1791
Atlantic colonies and the two Canadas were known collectively as British North America
First elected Assembly of Lower Canada | in Quebec City on Jan 21 1793 | debated whether to use both French and English
Upper Canada in 1793 | led by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe | became the first province in the Empire to move toward abolition
1807 = British Parliament prohibited buying and selling slaves
1833 = Abolished slavery throughout the empire
Slaves escaped from US, followed “the North Star” and settled in Canada via the Underground Railroad, a Christian anti-slavery network
Fort Garry is in Winnipeg | Fort Langley is in Vancouver
Montreal Stock Exchange opened in 1832
The War of 1812 | Americans lost | United States launched an invasion in June 1812
In July, Major-General Sir Isaac Brock captured Detroit | Died when defending against an American attack at Queenston Heights, Niagara Falls
In 1813, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles de Salaberry | turned back 4,000 American invaders at Chateauguay, south of Montreal
In 1813 the Americans burned Government House and the Parliament Buildings in York (now Toronto)
In 1814, as a retaliation, Major-General Robert Ross led an expedition from Nova Scotia that burned down the White House and other public buildings in Washington | the American attempt to conquer Canada had failed
Present Day Canada - US border is partly an outcome of the War of 1812, which ensured that Canada would remain independent of the United States
In 1814, Duke of Wellington sent some of his best soldiers to defend Canada. He chose Ottawa (Bytown) as endpoint of Rideau Canal (network of forts to prevent USA from invading Canada again). He defeated Napoleon in 1815, founded the national capital.
In 1813, Laura Secord (pioneer wife and mother of five children) made a dangerous 19-mile (30 km) journey on foot to warn Lieutenant James Fitz Gibbon of planned American Attack. Her bravery contributed to victory at the Battle of Beaver Dams.
Lord Durham - English reformer, recommended that Upper and Lower Canada be merged and given responsible government
Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché, Sir George-Étienne Cartier, Sir John Alexander Macdonald = Fathers of confederation
In 1840, Upper & Lower Canada united as 'Province of Canada'.
Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine, Robert Baldwin, Joseph Howe (NS) worked with British governors towards responsible government
In 1847 - 48, Nova Scotia was the first North American colony to attain full responsible government
In 1848–49 the governor of United Canada, Lord Elgin introduced responsible government
La Fontaine, a champion of democracy and French language rights, became the first leader of a responsible government in the Canadas
1864 - 1867 | representatives from NS, NB & Province of Canada formed a new country.
Federal & provincial governments were created
Province of Canada split into Ontario and Quebec
1867 = British North America Act
July 1, 1867 = Dominion of Canada was born
The term "Dominion of Canada" was used for 100 years
July 1 = Dominion Day (until 1982) | Today, it is called "Canada day"
Sir Leonard Tilley | suggested the term "Dominion of Canada" | “dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth.”
When provinces joined Canada
1867 — Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick
1870 — Manitoba, Northwest Territories (N.W.T.)
1871 — British Columbia
1873 — Prince Edward Island
1880 — Transfer of the Arctic Islands (to N.W.T.)
1898 — Yukon Territory
1905 — Alberta, Saskatchewan
1949 — Newfoundland and Labrador
1999 — Nunavut
Sir John Alexander Macdonald - Canada's first Prime Minister | Father of Confederation
Jan 11 = Sir John A Macdonald day
His portrait is on $10 bill
Sir George-Étienne Cartier | key architect of Confederation from Quebec | He led Quebec into confederation | Helped negotiate entry of NWT. Manitoba & BC into Canada
In 1869 - Louis Riel from Manitoba led an armed uprising and seized Fort Garry (territorial capital)
Riel fled to US and Canada established a new province: Manitoba
Louis Riel = a defender of Métis rights and the father of Manitoba.
Major General Sir Sam Steele | A great frontier hero, Mounted Policeman, and soldier of the Queen
Gabriel Dumont was the Métis’ greatest military leader
British Columbia joined Canada in 1871 after Ottawa promised to build a railway to the West Coast.
Chinese were subject to discrimination, including the Head Tax, a race-based entry fee. The Government of Canada apologized in 2006 for this discriminatory policy.
After many years of heroic work, the Canadian Pacific Railway’s “ribbons of steel” fulfilled a national dream.
Sir Wilfrid Laurier = First French-Canadian prime minister
Over 7,000 fought in Boer War (1899–1902) in South Africa
More than 600,000 Canadians served in the war
The Canadian Corps captured Vimy Ridge in April 1917, securing the Canadians’ reputation for valour as the “shock troops of the British Empire.”
April 9 = Vimy Day
General Sir Arthur Currie = Canada’s greatest soldier | Commander of the Canadian Corps
Victory in Battle of Amiens on August 8, 1918 ("Black Day of the German Army")
60,000 Canadians were killed and 170,000 wounded
Agnes MacPhail (farmer and teacher) became the first woman MP in 1921
Women’s suffrage movement = effort by women to achieve the right to vote
In 1918, most Canadian female citizens aged 21 and over were granted the right to vote in federal elections
Quebec granted women the vote in 1940
November 11 = Remembrance Day | Canadians wear the red poppy
Remembering the sacrifices of millions of brave men and women who served / died for the nation
Stock Market Crash of 1929 led to great depression
Bank of Canada was created in 1934
Immigration dropped and refugees (including Jews fleeing Nazi Germany) were turned away
June 6, 1944 | D-Day invasion at Normandy
15000 Canadian troops captured Juno beach on June 6, 1944 as a part of D-Day invasion
More than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in World War 2
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) took part in the Battle of Britain | provided a high proportion of Commonwealth aircrew in bombers and fighter planes over Europe
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) saw its finest hour in the Battle of the Atlantic protecting convoys of merchant ships against German submarines
The discovery of oil in Alberta in 1947 began Canada’s modern energy industry
The Canada Health Act ensures common elements and a basic standard of coverage
Unemployment insurance (now called “employment insurance”) was introduced by the federal government in 1940
Old Age Security was devised in as 1927. Quebec Pension Plans was created in 1965.
Canada joined with other countries of the West to form a military alliance -the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Canada joined with US and formed North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD)
Quiet Revolution in 1960s = an era of rapid change in Quebec
In 1963 Parliament established the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism
Official Languages Act was passed in 1969
In 1970 | La Francophonie was founded | It is an international association of French-speaking countries
Movement for Quebec sovereignty | Referendum defeated in 1982 AND 1995
Novelists / Poets = Stephen Leacock, Louis Hémon, Sir Charles G.D. Roberts, Pauline Johnson, Émile Nelligan, Robertson Davies, Margaret Laurence and Mordecai Richler
Musicians = Sir Ernest MacMillan and Healey Willan
Writers = Joy Kogawa, Michael Ondaatje and Rohinton Mistry
Group of Seven | Found in 1920 | style of painting to capture the rugged wilderness landscapes
Emily Carr painted the forests and Aboriginal artifacts of the West Coast
Pioneers of Modern Abstract Art in 1950s = Les Automatistes (most notably Jean-Paul Riopelle)
Modern Inuit art with etchings, prints and soapstone sculptures = Kenojuak Ashevak
Filmmakers = Denys Arcand (Quebec), Norman Jewison and Atom Egoyan
Marshall McLuhan and Harold Innis = Thinkers
Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891
Donovan Bailey became a world record sprinter and double Olympic gold medallist
Chantal Petitclerc became a world champion wheelchair racer and Paralympic gold medalist
Wayne Gretzky = One of the greatest hockey players of all time played for the Edmonton Oilers from 1979 to 1988.
Catriona Le May Doan = Won gold medal is speed skating | 2002 Olympic Winter games
Terry Fox from BC = Lost a leg to cancer at age 18 | went on a cross-country run, the “Marathon of Hope,” to raise money for cancer research
Rick Hansen from BC = circled the globe in a wheelchair to raise funds for spinal cord research.
Nobel prize winning scientists = Gerhard Herzberg (refugee from Nazi Germany), John Polanyi, Sidney Altman, Richard E. Taylor, Michael Smith and Bertram Brockhouse
Discoveries and inventions
Sir Frederick Banting of Toronto and Charles Best discovered Insulin, a hormone to treat diabetes that has saved 16 million lives world
Alexander Graham Bell — hit on the idea of the telephone at his summer house in Canada.
Joseph-Armand Bombardier — invented the snowmobile, a light-weight winter vehicle.
Sir Sandford Fleming — invented the world system of standard time zones.
Mathew Evans and Henry Woodward — together invented the first electric light bulb and later sold the patent to Thomas Edison who, more famously, commercialized the light bulb.
Reginald Fessenden — contributed to the invention of radio, sending the first wireless voice message in the world.
Dr. Wilder Penfield —was a pioneering brain surgeon at McGill University in Montreal, and was known as “the greatest living Canadian.”
Dr. John A. Hopps — invented the first cardiac pacemaker, used today to save the lives of people with heart disorders.
SPAR Aerospace / National Research Council — invented the Canadarm, a robotic arm used in outer space.
Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie — of Research in Motion (RIM) — a wireless communications company known for its most famous invention, the BlackBerry.
Government of Canada (1/2)
Canada is a Federal State, a Parliamentary Democracy and a Constitutional Monarchy
Federal government = matters of national and international concern (defence, foreign policy, interprovincial trade and communications, currency, navigation, criminal law and citizenship)
Provincial Government = education, health, natural resources, property and civil rights, and highways
Federal government and the provinces share jurisdiction over agriculture and immigration
Every province has its own elected Legislative Assembly, like the House of Commons in Ottawa
The three northern territories, which have small populations, do not have the status of provinces, but their governments and assemblies carry out many of the same functions.
Parliamentary Democracy = people elect members to the House of Commons in Ottawa and to the provincial and territorial legislatures
Representatives are responsible for passing laws, approving and monitoring expenditures, and keeping the government accountable
Cabinet ministers must retain the “confidence of the House” and have to resign if they are defeated in a non-confidence vote.
Parliament has three parts: the Sovereign (Queen or King), the Senate and the House of Commons
Provincial legislatures comprise the Lieutenant Governor and the elected Assembly.
Prime Minister selects the Cabinet ministers and is responsible for the operations and policy of the government
House of Commons is the representative chamber, made up of members of Parliament elected by the people (every 4 years)
Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister and serve until age 75
Both the House of Commons and the Senate consider and review bills (proposals for new laws)
No bill can become law in Canada until it has been passed by both chambers and has received royal assent, granted by the Governor General on behalf of the Sovereign.
How a bill becomes law — The Legislative Process
STEP 1 First Reading — The bill is considered read for the first time and is printed.
STEP 2 Second Reading — Members debate the bill’s principle.
STEP 3 Committee Stage — Committee members study the bill clause by clause.
STEP 4 Report Stage — Members can make other amendments.
STEP 5 Third Reading — Members debate and vote on the bill.
STEP 6 Senate — The bill follows a similar process in the Senate.
STEP 7 Royal Assent — The bill receives royal assent after being passed by both Houses.
Constitutional Monarchy = Head of State is a hereditary Sovereign (Queen or King), who reigns in accordance with the Constitution: the rule of law
Governor General represents the sovereign | Appointed by the sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister for 5 years
Lieutenant Governor represents the sovereign in provinces | Appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister for 5 years
Branches of government = Executive, Legislative and Judicial
Members of the legislature are called Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) OR Members of National Assembly (MNAs) OR Members of the Provincial Parliament (MPPs) OR Members of the House of Assembly (MHAs) depending on the province
Premier = Head of provincial government
Commissioner = Plays a ceremonial role in the territories
Municipal (local) government led by Mayor or Reeve | Councillors or Aldermen. Takes care of snow removal, policing, Firefighting, Emergency services etc.
First Nations have band chiefs and councillors who have major responsibilities on First Nations reserves, including housing, schools and other services
Federal elections must be held on the third Monday in October every four years
The Prime Minister may ask the Governor General to call an earlier election.
308 electoral districts in Canada (also called ridings / constituencies)
An electoral district is represented by a MP
Canadian citizens who are 18 years old or older may run in a federal election
The people in each electoral district vote for the candidate and political party of their choice. The candidate who receives the most votes become the MP for that electoral district.
To vote in federal election or a cast ballot in federal referendum, one must be:
a Canadian citizen; and
at least 18 years old on voting day; and
on the voters’ list.
Voter information card = lists when and where you vote and the number to call if you require an interpreter or other special services.
Secret Ballot = his means that no one can watch you vote and no one should look at how you voted. You may choose to discuss how you voted with others, but no one has the right to insist that you tell them how you voted.
Voter information card = This confirms that your name is on the voters’ list and states when and where you vote
I did not get a card = call your local elections office OR call Elections Canada, in Ottawa, at 1-800-463-6868
Advance poll and special ballot = If you cannot or do not wish to vote on election day, you can vote at the advance polls or by special ballot
On election day = Go to your polling station + Bring voter card and proof of identity and address to the polling station
Marking the ballot = Mark an “X” in the circle next to the name of the candidate of your choice
Voting is secret = Your vote is secret. You will be invited to go behind the screen to mark your ballot. Once marked, fold it and present it to the poll officials.
The ballot box = The poll official will tear off the ballot number and give your ballot back to you to deposit in the ballot box
The election results = every ballot is counted and the results are made public
After election, political party with the most seats in the House of Commons is invited by the Governor General to form the government. Leader of this party becomes PM.
If party in power holds less than 50% of seats in house of commons, it is called minority government. Otherwise, it is called Majority government.
If a majority of the members of the House of Commons vote against a major government decision, party in power is defeated, PM asks Governor general to call an election
PM chooses ministers of the crown (most of them from house of commons).
PM + Cabinet Ministers = Cabinet
Opposition parties = Parties not in power
Role of opposition parties = Peacefully oppose / try to improve government proposals
Conservative party, Liberal party and New Democratic party = Represented in House of Commons
Justice system founded on the presumption of innocence in criminal matters, meaning everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
The courts settle disputes and the police enforce the laws
The law in Canada applies to everyone, including judges, politicians and the police.
The Supreme Court of Canada is our country’s highest court.
Federal Court of Canada deals with matters concerning the federal government
In most provinces there is an appeal court and a trial court, sometimes called the Court of Queen’s Bench or the Supreme Court
There are also provincial courts for lesser offences, family courts, traffic courts and small claims courts for civil cases involving small sums of money
The police are there to keep people safe and to enforce the law
You can ask the police for help in all kinds of situations
There are provincial police forces in Ontario and Quebec and municipal police departments in all provinces
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) enforce federal laws throughout Canada, and serve as the provincial police in all provinces and territories except Ontario and Quebec
You can also question the police about their service or conduct if you feel you need to
Lawyers can help you with legal problems and act for you in court. If you cannot pay for a lawyer, in most communities there are legal aid services available free of charge or at a low cost.
The Crown has been a symbol of the state in Canada for 400 years
The Crown is a symbol of government, including Parliament, the legislatures, the courts, police services and the Canadian Forces.
The red-white-red pattern comes from the flag of the Royal Military College, Kingston, founded in 1876
Red and white are national colours of Canada since 1921
The Union Jack is our official Royal Flag
Canadian National Flag is red maple leaf in a white background and 2 red borders on the side
The Maple Leaf is Canada’s best-known symbol
They are carved into the headstones of our fallen soldiers buried overseas and in Canada.
The Fleur-de-lys was adopted by the French king in the year 496
Symbol of French royalty for more than a thousand years, including the colony of New France
In 1948 Quebec adopted its own flag, based on the Cross and the fleur-de-lys.
Coat of Arms and Motto = A Mari Usque Ad Mare, which in Latin means “from sea to sea.”
Parliament Buildings completed in 1860s
Central block was destroyed in accidental fire in 1916 | Rebuilt in 1922
The Peace Tower was completed in 1927 in memory of the First World War
he Memorial Chamber within the Tower contains the Books of Remembrance in which are written the names of soldiers, sailors and airmen who died serving Canada in wars
Legislatures of the other provinces (except Quebec) are Baroque, Romanesque and neoclassical, reflecting the Greco-Roman heritage of Western civilization in which democracy originated.
The Quebec National Assembly is built in the French Second Empire style
Hockey is Canada’s most popular sport | It is also the national winter sport
Ice hockey was developed in Canada in the 1800s
National Hockey League plays for the championship Stanley Cup donated by Lord Stanley, the Governor General, in 1892
The Clarkson Cup, established in 2005 by Adrienne Clarkson is awarded for women’s hockey
Canadian football is the second most popular sport
Curling, an ice game introduced by Scottish pioneers, is popular
Lacrosse is the official summer sport (an ancient sport first played by Aboriginals)
Soccer has the most registered players of any game in Canada.
The Beaver was adopted centuries ago as a symbol of the Hudson’s Bay Company
In 1834, it became an emblem of the St. Jean Baptiste Society, a French-Canadian patriotic association
This industrious rodent can be seen on 5 cent coin, coat of arms of Saskatchewan & Alberta and cities of Montreal and Toronto
In 1969, Official Languages Act was passed
This ensured:
Establish equality between French and English in Parliament, the Government of Canada and institutions subject to the Act;
Maintain and develop official language minority communities in Canada; and
Promote equality of French and English in Canadian society.
Canada was proclaimed as the National Anthem in 1980
First sung in Québec City in 1880
French and English Canadians sing different words to the National Anthem
Royal Anthem = “God Save the Queen (or King)”
The Victoria Cross = highest honour available to Canadians and is awarded for the most conspicuous bravery, a daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.
National Public Holidays and Other Important Dates
New Year’s Day — January 1
Sir John A. Macdonald Day — January 11
National Flag of Canada day — February 15
Good Friday — Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday
Easter Monday — Monday immediately following Easter Sunday
Vimy Day — April 9
Victoria Day — Monday preceding May 25 (Sovereign’s Birthday)
Fête National (Quebec) — June 24 (Feast of St. John the Baptist)
There might be some formatting issues, sorry. But, I've done my best to summarize the entire Discover Canada book for the purpose of citizenship test. Good luck and all the very best!
While I have taken care to double check the information I have posted, there might be some errors that might have inadvertently crept in. Please use this as a supplement to the Discover Canada book.
Read the book once and then go through my notes in this thread. That'll help you quickly revise as you don't have to read the entire book again.
Others who are reading this, please click 'Report' on my first post here and then request the mods to make this a sticky thread so that it can be found with ease!
