1. The required equipment for day VFR in Canada is listed in CARs 605.14 and according to CARs 602.59 it needs to meet aviation standards. American students use the mnemonic TOMATO FLAMES to remember it all. Our rules are slightly different, so I have revised Tomato Flames to match the CARs.
2.  
3. Tachometer
4. Oil pressure gauge for each engine
5. Magnetic compass
6. Altimeter
7. Timepiece (e.g. a wristwatch or a working dashboard clock)
8. Oil temperature gauge (or other coolant gauge as applicable)
9.  
10. Fuel gauge (can just be a visual indication of the level)
11. Landing gear position indicator (if retractable)
12. Airspeed indicator
13. Manifold pressure gauge (if relevant)
14. Emergency equipment (first aid kit, fire extinguisher, ELT)
15. Survival equipment appropriate to the season, geographical area, and route of flight
16.  
17. Personally, I find it harder to remember which letter represents what in Tomato Flames than just to memorize the equipment needed: I need to know how high I am, how fast I'm going, which way I'm going how much fuel I have left (that includes the watch), how my engine is doing., and I need safety equipment.
18. If there is anything wrong with anything on board your aircraft, you should write a short description of the problem in the journey log, and sign it. For now, just tell your flight instructor or your maintenance unit, to have them confirm whether there really is a problem.