Who was Canada's first Prime Minister?

Discover Canada records this with one direct sentence and a portrait caption. The guide writes: In 1867, Sir John Alexander Macdonald, a Father of Confederation, became Canada's first Prime Minister. The man the test wants is therefore Sir John A. Macdonald — exactly as he is identified in the guide, sometimes with the full middle name "Alexander" spelled out.

The biographical details in Discover Canada are useful for fixing him in mind. The guide says he was "born in Scotland on January 11, 1815," and that "he came to Upper Canada as a child. He was a lawyer in Kingston, Ontario, a gifted politician and a colourful personality." So the first Prime Minister was a Scottish-born immigrant who grew up in what became Ontario — a useful reminder that Canada's founding leadership was already shaped by immigration.

The guide also marks his importance in Canadian public life today. Discover Canada writes: Parliament has recognized January 11 as Sir John A. Macdonald Day. His portrait is on the $10 bill. So new citizens are expected to recognise him as the first PM, the day named for him, and the bill that carries his face.

Macdonald's role at Confederation is bound up with his political partnership with Sir George-Étienne Cartier, the Quebec architect of Confederation. Discover Canada describes the two as "close ally[ies]," with Macdonald leading the Ontario side and Cartier the Quebec side of the new country. After Confederation, Discover Canada credits Macdonald with establishing "the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) in 1873 to pacify the West and assist in negotiations with the Indians."

The question is the most basic name-recall in Discover Canada's Confederation chapter. The guide gives a single, clear sentence: "In 1867, Sir John Alexander Macdonald, a Father of Confederation, became Canada's first Prime Minister." No other name fits.

The wrong answer choices each match the title "Prime Minister" at different points in Canadian history, but none was first. Discover Canada reserves "Canada's first Prime Minister" exclusively for Sir John A. Macdonald, with the year 1867 attached.