Each year Maple Crest residents participate in an international party. On July 2, 2012, they celebrated the legal holiday of "Canada Day," since the July 1 anniversary date of the 1867 enactment of the British North America Act fell on Sunday.

That Act united three British colonies into a single country (within the British Empire) - Canada.

Maple Crest resident Gladys Simmons was raised in Canada and found herself drawn to the Royal Family, partly because Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, was born the same year as Gladys.

So began an interest in collecting paraphernalia of the Queen and her family, including photos for a homemade scrapbook, which Gladys displayed and spoke about at the Canada party.

Three other Maple Crest residents also displayed souvenirs and shared Canadian memories - Anne Buller, and Burton and Elnore Yost. Party attendees discovered that at least nine more Maple Crest residents hold Canadian connections.

They are: Annie Balmer, Inara Brubaker, Lucille Bucher, Richard Bucher, Marilyn Bullock, Joanne Niswander, Wanda Pannabecker and Carl and Claralice Wolf.

The current Canadians at the party, however, were Louise Wideman, associate pastor at First Mennonite Church, Bluffton and her parents, Murray and Pearl Wideman, visiting from Canada.

Louise began the celebration with the Canadian national anthem, "O Canada," accompanied on the piano by her mother. Pearl then shared about life in Canada through an energetic speech with props that included everything from a head band of Canadian flags to a variety of Canadian bills in different colors. Mr. Wideman closed the family presentation by distributing a tiny Canadian flag to each person present.

Unique refreshments, such as ketchup-flavored potato chips, were served on Canadian Maple Leaf plates purchased for the occasion in Canada by Maple Crest volunteer Nancy Schneck of Pandora, who also helped at the event. She was in Canada in June for the graduation of her twin granddaughters.

Mrs. Schneck and the Widemans probably knew all the answers to the party quiz about Canada.

Test your knowledge of our northern neighbor with the short quiz.

1. What do you call $1.00 currency?
2. What do you call $2.00 currency?
3. When it's 20 degrees Centigrade do you wear shorts or long johns?
4. What is the Canadian national sport?
5. When does Canada celebrate Thanksgiving?
6. Who is the current Prime Minister?
7. How many provinces are there in Canada?
8. Name the Canadian city with the largest number of Mennonites in the world.
9. If the USA is a Republic, Canada is a ______________________.
10. What is the capital of Canada?

Answers:
$1 currency - Loonie
$2 currency - Toonie
20 degrees C. - wear shorts
National sport - La Crosse
Thanksgiving - 2nd Monday in October
Prime Minister - Stephen Harper
3 of Provinces - 10 (plus 3 territories)
City with most Mennonites - Winnipeg
USA is a republic, Canada is a - Dominion
Capital -- Ottawa