Canadian Firsts: Inventions, Sports, Medicine, Space, Women's Rights, Explorers, Science, Research, Arts, World Affairs.

Janet Collins is a freelance writer in Sechelt, British Columbia.

Canadians are notoriously humble, but this book proves we have much to brag about.

Sure, some of us know about many of the inventions developed by creative Canadian minds (the Robertson screwdriver, the Jolly Jumper, the egg carton, the snowmobile, and Muskol mosquito repellent, to name but a few), but Canadians were pioneers in other areas as well.

Canadians can rightly boast about performing the first heart valve transplant, the first kidney transplant between identical twins, and other medical firsts. For 35 years, the CN Tower held the distinction of being the tallest freestanding structure in the world. The world’s first fighter pilot also hails from Canada. And it was another Canadian who became the first woman figure skater in the world to complete a triple Salchow.

International achievements aren’t the only events noted in Wojna’s book, however. National firsts also find ample space among the pages. Information on everything from the first national park to the country’s first distillery and hundreds of other things is also included.

A wonderful addition to any school library, Canadian Firsts will easily find a place in personal libraries of trivia buffs and crossword enthusiasts. No wonder the game Trivial Pursuit was developed by a group of Canadians.