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  1. This is Canada's 12th minority government. The election that resulted in the first one was held in what year?

    ANSWER: A Google search for the query: minority governments canada ... gives you a list of pages starting with the Wikipedia entry for "Federal Minority Governments in Canada". The answer is here (at "Minority governments by term of office") and also on another page on the same Google results page -- "Minority Government in Canada" on the site of MapleLeafWeb.com, which is "a non-profit, non-partisan Canadian political education web-site." The answer: 1921.
  2. Leonard Preyra, the MLA for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island, told the legislature on Dec. 11, 2007, the story of Leo Karunanayake. The Sri Lankan paid Nova Scotia $130,000 as part of the province's controversial immigrant nominee mentorship program -- and ended up working in a restaurant. What was Karunanayake's occupation in Sri Lanka?

    ANSWER: The key phrase in this question is "told the legislature." This should prompt you to find the link on the Resources For Reporters- Nova Scotia page to the official record of what's said in the legislature -- Hansard. Do a search for "Karunanayake" in the "November 27, 2007 to May 4, 2009" time period. Then use the Find function (Ctrl + F in Windows, Cmd + F on a Mac) in your browser to find "Karunanayake". This returns only one result -- a reference to the paragraph in Hansard 07-14 that has the answer: a bank manager.
  3. Who is the MLA for the person at phone number 902-662-2438?

    ANSWER: A Canada411 reverse phone number lookup gives you: Julie Lewis, 1225 Plains Rd., Debert, NS. On the Resources For Reporters- Nova Scotia page, find the link to N.S. Electoral Maps. Dump her address into the search engine ... but leave her house number empty -- the database returns no results if you leave it in. (Unexplained weirdness, yes, but don't let it stop you. Any address in Debert will do.) The result is "13 Electoral District of Colchester North." Click on this link and the site tells you the MLA is PC Karen Casey.
  4. According to the federal government, what was the total value of Nova Scotia's exports to other countries in 2008? (Goods only, not services)

    ANSWER: On the Resources For Reporters- Canada page, I've given you a link to "Trade Data" on the Industry Canada site. Click on Trade By Industry and choose Nova Scotia in the Trader section and you can get a REPORT that shows the figure for 2008 is: $5.835 billion.
  5. What is the assessed value of the property at 2074 Beech St. in Halifax? And who lives there?

    Find the link to the N.S. Property Assessments database on the Resources For Reporters- Nova Scotia page. Go to Property Search and click Location. Pump the address into the search engine and you'll find that the assessed value is $326,100 in 2009. Perform a reverse address lookup in Canada411. The three people listed are Dan Arsenault (902-423-2876), and Eldon and Joan Macleod (902-422-0671).

    A reverse address lookup on 2074 Beech St. in 411.ca yielded these three ... and a fourth person: David Whitzman (902) 423-2077). Treat this last one with skepticism though. The only listing in Canada411 for a Whitzman in Nova Scotia is David Whitzman on Parkland Drive. Likely the same guy who moved.
  6. According to Interpol, who is the oldest Canadian national currently wanted in a forgery investigation?

    A Google search for Interpol gets you to the organization's homepage. Take three seconds to look around its front page and you'll see a link in the left-hand sidebar to "Fugitives." Click "Wanted" below that. And "Search" below that. Enter "Canada" under Nationality and "forgery" under "Offense." There are two Canadians listed. Jamal Aldheb is the oldest.


Estimated time: 25 minutes