When did Canada start its own honours system with the Order of Canada?

Discover Canada records this in one direct sentence. The guide writes: After using British honours for many years, Canada started its own honours system with the Order of Canada in 1967, the centennial of Confederation. The year the test wants is therefore 1967.

1967 marks Canada's centennial. Discover Canada calls it "the centennial of Confederation" — exactly 100 years after the British North America Act of 1867 created the Dominion of Canada. So the launch of the Order of Canada was a milestone tied to the country's 100th birthday celebrations, marking a transition from "British honours" (used for many years before) to a Canadian-administered honours system.

The Order of Canada is part of a wider honours framework. Discover Canada writes: "All countries have ways to recognize outstanding citizens. Official awards are called honours, consisting of orders, decorations and medals." So the 1967 Order is the country's flagship honour for civilian recognition, alongside other honours like the Victoria Cross (highest honour, military), and various decorations and medals.

Real-world recipients show the Order's range. Discover Canada notes for example that "jazz pianist Oscar Peterson... receives the Order of Canada from Roland Michener (right), the 20th Governor General, in 1973." So the 1967 Order has been granted to Canadians of distinction across the arts, sciences, public service, and many other fields. The system is administered by the Governor General — the Sovereign's representative in Canada — meaning the country's highest civilian honour comes from the Crown's representative, formally on behalf of the Sovereign.

The question is testing whether new citizens know when Canada started its own honours system with the Order of Canada. Discover Canada commits to one year: 1967. The right test answer matches that.

The wrong answer choices each pick a different year. 1957 is too early — Canada was still primarily using British honours. 1973 is the year jazz pianist Oscar Peterson received the Order of Canada — but the Order itself had already been launched six years earlier. 1980 is the year O Canada was proclaimed as the national anthem, not the year the Order of Canada began. Only 1967 — the centennial of Confederation — matches.