145 Weird, Fun and Interesting Facts About Canada
This post was originally done in honour of Canada’s 145th birthday on July 1st, 2012.
For fellow Canadians and those even mildly interested in Canada I thought I’d put a blog together and give you 145 weird, fun and interesting facts about Canada.
Canada came into being as a country on July 1, 1867 when the British Parliament passed the British North America Act.
Walking towards the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa
Famous Canadians
Famous Canadian celebrities include Justin Bieber, Michael Buble, James Cameron, Jim Carrey, Celine Dion, Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Mike Myers, Ryan Reynolds and William Shatner.
Famous Canadian rock and rollers include Bryan Adams, Paul Anka, the Guess Who, Rush, Steppenwolf, The Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morissette, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Neil Young and Avril Lavigne.
Other famous and well known musicians and songwriters include Sarah McLachlan, Nelly Furtado, Diana Krall, Chantal Kreviazuk, K.D.Lang, Maureen Forrester, Leonard Cohen, Raffi Cavoukian, Bruce Cockburn, Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray, David Foster, Robert Goulet, Shania Twain, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Joni Mitchell.
Famous Canadian authors include Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables), Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Alice Munro (Lives of Girls and Women), Mavis Gallant, Stephen Leacock, Pierre Berton, Robertson Davies, Douglas Copeland, Alistair MacLeod, Farley Mowat and Michael Ondaantje.
Famous Canadian artists include the Group of Seven made up of Lauren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, J.E.H.MacDonald, Arthur Lismer, Frederick Varley, Frank Johnston and Franklin Carmichael. Tom Thomson and Emily Carr, two artists associated with the group are also very well know.
Inspirational Canadians include Terry Fox who attempted a one-legged cross country run for cancer research, Rick Hansen, a paraplegic athlete who completed an around the world marathon for spinal cord injury research and Donovan Bailey, the world’s fastest man.
Famous Canadian dancers include Karen Kain, Veronica Tennant and Lynn Seymour.
Superman was co-created by a Canadian Joe Shuster and American Jerry Siegal. The character was created while Shuster was visiting Siegal in Cleveland in 1934.
Famous Canadian journalists, TV or radio personalities include Peter Jennings, Alex Trebek, Lloyd Robertson, Peter Gzowski, Robert MacNeil, Morley Safer and John Roberts.
Banff National Park near the Plain of the Six Glaciers Teahouse
Fun Geography Facts about Canada
Canada is the second largest country in the world.
The highest tides in the world occur in the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. You can kayak at Hopewell Rocks but start on the mud in your kayak and just wait for the water to lift you off.
The capital of Canada is Ottawa, the second coldest capital in the world after Moscow.
Read: 5 Things You Must do on a Visit to Ottawa
The first view of the Grand Hall at the Canadian Museum of History
Canada has ten provinces and three territories.
Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world at 243,977 kilometres – 151,600 miles.
Montreal is the world’s second largest French speaking city after Paris.
Six cities in Canada have a population of over 1 million: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa.
Inside the Calgary Library that opened in 2018
Canada is lucky to have 9% of the world’s renewable water supply!
The largest non-polar ice field in the world can be found in the St. Elias Mountains, Yukon Territory. It covers an area of 40,570 square kilometres of which 16,900 square kilometres are located in Canada, the remainder being in Alaska.
Canada has six time zones.
The longest highway in the world is the Trans-Canada Highway which is over 7,604 kilometres (4,725 miles) in length.
The world’s most northerly sand dunes are in Athabasca Provincial Park in northwest Saskatchewan. They are 30 metres high.
Half of the country is covered with forests, which should come as no surprise considering one-tenth of the world’s forests are here.
Walking through temperate rainforest on the Juan de Fuca Trail on Vancouver Island
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The highest mountain in Canada is Mount Logan, Yukon Territory, 5959 metres (19,551 feet).
Wasaga beach is the longest fresh water beach in the world.
Despite being a huge country, Canada has the fourth lowest population density in the world, with only three people living per square kilometre! Almost half of the population in Canada were born in other countries.
The coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada was -63°C (-81.4°F) on February 3, 1957 in Snag, Yukon.
Want to show the world you’re a Canadian? Why not pick up a beanie with a Canadian flag or throw on the cozy hooded sweatshirts – also sporting a Canadian flag.
Flying over mountains in the vicinity of Mt Logan in the Yukon
Alert, in Nunavut Territory, is the northernmost permanent settlement in the world.
The highest waterfall in Canada is Della Falls, British Columbia, 440 metres high (1,444 feet).
The border between Canada and the United States is officially known as the International Boundary. It is 5,525 miles long, including the 1,538 miles between Canada and Alaska. It’s the world’s longest unprotected border.
Ocean Falls, British Columbia has on average 330 days of rain per year. Yuck!
Estevan, Saskatchewan is reportedly the sunniest place in Canada with 2,537 hours of sunshine per year.
Nakwakto Rapids, Port Hardy’s legendary dive destination, boasts the strongest current in the world – with speeds of up to 18.4 miles per hour.
Three of Canada’s islands make the top ten for size in the world – Baffin, Ellesmere and Vancouver.
Nunavut takes up one fifth of Canada’s total land area.
Mt Thor – the world’s tallest cliff
Manitoulin Island is the largest freshwater island in the world.
Two of the largest lakes in the world are found in the Northwest Territories – Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake.
Calgary is famous for its Chinooks – a weather phenomenon that can raise the temperature by 10 degrees in a matter of minutes.
A view of Calgary from the Calgary Tower
Cool facts about Canadian People
The population in Canada in 2018 was approximately 37.06 million.
81 percent of the total population resides in cities.
Canadians can deduct a number of things from their tax software, but I bet you didn’t know that dog food is tax-deductible in Canada.
About 90% of Canada’s population is concentrated within 160 kilometres (100 miles) of the Canada/US border.
15.9% of the population is 65 or older;68.5% are between the ages of 15 and 64.
The median age is 41 years.
The average life expectancy at birth is 81.16 years – the sixth highest in the world.
Canadians like to finish a sentence with the word eh.
If you want to make an American smile, ask a Canadian to say out and about. It works every time.
280,681 new permanent residents were welcomed to Canada in 2010. That number does not include temporary workers or foreign students.
Canadians enjoying the Cariboos in BC
Canadians call the one dollar coin the loonie. When in full production, 15 million loonies can be produced per day.
17% of Canadians are daily smokers.
The average Canadian watches 21 hours of television per week. 128,000 Canadian households have TV’s in the bathroom.
The age at first marriage for men is 29 years, 27.4 years for women.
The average household size in Canada is 2.6 people.
There have been 10 Nobel Prize laureates in Canada.
Canadians generate 640 kilograms per person per year of waste.
Recycling in Alberta
Sports in Canada
Hockey and lacrosse are Canada’s national sports.
The baseball glove was invented in Canada in 1883.
Canada has hosted the Olympic Games three times; 1976 in Montreal, 1988 in Calgary and 2010 in Vancouver.
Canadian sports icons include Wayne Gretzky (hockey), Steve Nash (basketball), Mike Weir (golf) and Cassie Campbell (women’s hockey).
Whistler, British Columbia is consistently ranked as one of the best places in North America for downhill skiing.
The Royal Montreal Golf Club, founded in 1873, is the oldest golf club in North America.
The first indoor ice hockey game took place on March 3, 1875 at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal.
Ice hockey, football and baseball are Canadians favourite spectator sports.
A beautiful day of skiing at Whistler – Blackcomb
Culture in Canada
The world’s largest totem pole was raised in Victoria in 1994 and stands 54.94 metres tall (180.2 feet).
The most widely attended festivals in Canada include:
Celebration of Light (Vancouver) 1.6 million
Winterlude (Ottawa-Gatineau) 1.6 million
Just For Laughs (Montreal) 1.5 million
Canadian National Exhibition (Toronto) 1.3 million
Calgary Stampede 1.2 million
Pride Toronto 1.3 million
Toronto International Film Festival 0.5 million
Quebec Winter Carnival 0.5 million
The first chuckwagon race held at the Calgary Stampede occurred in 1923. Purses and prizes totaled $275. To get the Canadian Championship title each outfit – consisting of four horses, wagon, driver and four helpers – were required to cut a figure eight around barrels, head out through a backstretch, then around a track, unhook the horses from the wagon, stretch a fly with a minimum of two stakes and make a fire. First smoke decides winner.
The chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede
In Flander’s Fields is a poem written by World War I Col. John McCraea, a Canadian veteran of the Second Boer War. He was struck with admiration at the courage of the dead when he saw red poppies swaying among the markers of his fallen comrades.
Canada’s first million-selling author was Marshall Saunders, with her novel Beautiful Joe (1894).
French and English are the two official languages in Canada.
Queen Elizabeth II is the Canadian Head of State.
A massive tree in Haida Gwaii
Canada’s literacy rate is over 99%.
The Canadian motto is A Mari Usque ad Mare. It means from sea to sea.
The English version of Canada’s National Anthem – O Canada – was written by Robert Stanley Weir for the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation in 1927.
The National Flag of Canada came into being in 1965 to replace the Union Jack. It is an 11 pointed red maple leaf on a white square.
Paul Brandt is a well known country singer in Canada
Inventions/Medical Advancements
Canadian inventions include the game Trivial Pursuit (Scott Abbot and Chris Haney), the telephone (Alexander Graham Bell), basketball (James Naismeth) and the snowmobile (Joseph-Armand Bombardier).
Thomas Ahearn invented the electric cooking range in 1882.
Graeme Ferguson co-invented IMAX. There are over 500 IMAX theaters in 45 countries.
Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas was first isolated at the University of Toronto in 1921-22 by Dr. Frederick Banting and Charles Best.
James Till and Ernest McCulloch are credited with the discovery of the stem cell.
Elizabeth Catherine Bagshaw was one of Canada’s first female doctors and the medical director of the first birth control clinic in Canada. She has been recognized as providing outstanding contributions to the quality of life of women in Canada.
History of Canada
John Cabot was the first explorer to reach Canada in 1497.
The east coast of Canada was settled by Vikings in approximately 1000 AD. It’s definitely worth a visit to L’Anse aux Meadows.
Newfoundland didn’t become a province until 1949.
Beautiful scenery along the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland
Tools that date back 20,000 years are the first evidence of history in Canada. They were found in caves on the Bluefish River in northern Yukon.
It wasn’t until 1610 that Henry Hudson sailed through Hudson Strait into Hudson Bay.
In 1576 Martin Frobisher discovered the strait that bears his name.
Navigation of the north-west passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific was first achieved by the Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen in 1906.
In 1792-94 Captain George Vancouver painstakingly surveyed the west coast of Canada.
Food and Drink in Canada
Poutine
The Moosehead Brewery in Saint John, New Brunswick turns out 1,642 bottles of beer per minute.
The beer named after Canada is called Molson Canadian. Founded in Montreal in 1786, Molson Coors Canada is the oldest brewery in North America and continues to produce beer on the site of the original brewery
Over 200,000 pancakes are served during the Calgary Stampede.
Foods we think of as being Canadian include peameal back bacon, poutine, maple syrup and Timbits (small donuts from Tim Hortons).
Eat a BeaverTail when you visit Ottawa – an addictive pastry
Canada is famous for its ice wine – made from pressed frozen grapes. It’s usually served as a dessert wine.
Wine is produced in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
Cheddar is the most popular cheese in Canada. On average Canadians consume 23.4 pounds per person annually.
The Maritimes are famous for their desserts. Try Blueberry Grunt and Raspberry Buckle.
There are more doughnut shops in Canada per capita than any other country.
Each Canadian eats an average of 190 eggs per year.
Canadians drink more fruit juice per capita than any other country.
National Parks and UNESCO WORLD Heritage Sites
Canada is home to 48 national parks and national park reserves, 167 national historic sites and four marine conservation areas.
View from a tent in Auyuittuq National Park, Nunavut
The only walled city north of Mexico is Québec. Itt was also the first city in North America to be placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list.
The Rideau Canal in Ottawa, A UNESCO world heritage site, has the world’s longest skating rink in the winter.
Rounding the final bend towards downtown Ottawa
There are 15 world heritage sites in Canada. The one with the most interesting name is Head Smashed In-Buffalo-Jump.
Moraine Lake in Banff National Park
Nature facts about Canadian animals
A 9.3 kg lobster is the largest documented lobster caught. It was caught in Nova Scotia in 1977.
The muskox has an inner fur layer that is finer than cashmere and can be spun into wool that is very much warmer than sheep’s wool. If you knew that then you probably knew it was called qiviut.
Fifty percent of the world’s polar bears live in Nunavut.
A bald eagle can see 4-7 times better than humans (though not just in Canada) and they have been recorded doing 100 mph dives.
There are about 200 species of mammals in Canada.
A grizzly near Great Bear Lodge in BC
You’ll find about 630 bird species in Canada.
Canada’s beaver is the second largest rodent in the world, weighing up to 60 pounds. (The largest rodent is the capybara, found in South America and weighing up to 100 pounds.)
There are eleven sub-species of Canada geese. The four smallest species are called the cackling geese.
You can swim with beluga whales in Churchill, Manitoba.
There are nearly 2.5 million caribou in Canada.
Churchill, Manitoba sees one of the largest annual polar bear migrations.
Canada geese are cute when they’re little
Financial facts relating to Canada
The Bank of Canada opened its doors in 1935 and issued its first bank notes.
The Bank of Canada began as a privately-owned institution, with shares sold to the public at a par value of $50. In 1938, all shares were purchased by the Government of Canada and the Bank became a Crown corporation.
During World War II, the Bank of Canada’s nine victory Bond campaigns raised almost $12 billion for the war effort. After the war, the program was continued with Canada Savings Bonds.
Starting in December 2000, the Bank began making interest rate announcements on eight pre-specified dates per year.
The Canadian dollar is sometimes described as a petro currency.
The S&P/TSX is the fourth largest exchange by market cap in the developed world.
On April 23, 1997, the TSX’s trading floor closed, making it the second-largest stock exchange in North America to choose a floorless, electronic (or virtual trading) environment.
At its peak in 2000, Nortel represented more than 36 percent of the Toronto TSE 300 index when their equipment carried 75% of internet traffic.
The Hudson’s Bay Company or “The Bay” is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. The company was incorporated by English royal charter in 1670.
You can’t miss the Canadian flag on the barn on a drive up to the Peace River
Just plain weird, unusual or interesting facts about Canada
Canada has the world’s smallest jail – in Rodney, Ontario; it’s only 24.3 square metres (270 square feet).
Canada has 198 jails.
Daylight savings time does not occur in Saskatchewan.
The heaviest rainfall ever recorded was in Buffalo Gap, Saskatchewan. On May 30, 1961 25 centimetres fell in less than an hour. That’s ten inches!
The Regina Tornado of June 30, 1912, rated as F4 (winds of 330 to 416 kilometres per hour) was the most severe tornado so far known in Canada. It killed 28 people, injured hundreds and demolished much of the downtown area.
At the time it happened, the most expensive natural catastrophe in terms of property damage was a horrific hailstorm that struck Calgary on September 7, 1991. Insurance companies paid about $400 million to repair over 65,000 cars, 60,000 homes and businesses, and a number of aircraft.
There are 522 airports with paved runways, 931 airports with unpaved runways.
You have to do a fly-by to see if there is driftwood on the The runway on Herschel Island
Read: Herschel Island: A Must Do Day Trip from Inuvik
The West Edmonton Mall, once the largest in the world is now the fifth largest indoor shopping mall. It still claims the title as having the largest indoor amusement park.
The CN Tower in Toronto was the world’s tallest free standing structure until 2007.
View of the CN Tower from Toronto Island
The license plate for cars, motorbikes and snowmobiles in Nunavut is in the shape of a polar bear.
Canada is the largest producer of uranium in the world.
The intersection of Portage and Main Street in Winnipeg has been called the windiest place in Canada.
Newfoundland is nicknamed “The Rock.”
Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province is only 225 kilometres long and 56 kilometres wide. It’s a great island to bike.
The Northwest Territories is called The Land of the Midnight Sun because the sun barely sets around the summer solstice.
There are diamond mines in the Northwest Territories.
Some of the world’s largest wheat fields are found in Saskatchewan.
The US, the UK and Mexico are the top countries visited by Canadians.
Canada is the world’s largest source of the rare element Cesium. It is found at Bernic Lake, Manitoba.
Canada is home to 15 million cattle, 9 million of which live on the Prairies.
Its cattle country just outside of Calgary
The US buys more oil from Canada than any other country.
There are 459 cars for every 1000 people.
Thirty two percent of Canadians are very happy, 55% are quite happy.
This is just a smattering of facts about Canada. If there are any you’d like to add please be sure to leave a comment.
Further reading on interesting facts in Canada
- 29 Fun and Interesting Facts About Regina
- 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Quebec City
- 25 Fun and Interesting Facts About Iqaluit
- Weird and Wonderful Facts About Vancouver
- 30 Fun, Weird & Interesting Facts About Victoria
- 26 Weird, Wonderful and Useful Facts About Edmonton
- 38 Fun and Interesting Facts About Calgary
- 26 Fun, Weird and Interesting Facts About Halifax, Nova Scotia
- 50 Fun, Weird and Interesting Facts About Toronto
- 27 Fun, Interesting and Useful Facts About Quebec City
- 28 Fun, Weird and Interesting Facts about Yellowknife, NWT
- 35 Fun, Weird and Interesting Facts About Ottawa
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Happy Canada Day, Leigh! I really enjoyed reading this.
I’ll add a bit of trivia…the Halifax Harbor never freezes. How about that, eh? (and you probably knew that) 🙂
Happy Canada Day, Leigh! I really enjoyed reading this.
I’ll add a bit of trivia…the Halifax Harbor never freezes. How about that, eh? (and you probably knew that) 🙂
Back at you Nancie! If I thought about it I would get it – since it;s all salt water.
Really impressive list – but what on earth is poutine?
Poutine is delicious to many Canadians and others. It was made originally in Quebec made out of french fries, gravy and cheese curds as Hike Bike Travel said. In my opinion it is very good. Canadians apparently make the best poutine in the world. 🙂
Really impressive list – but what on earth is poutine?
@Mette Poutine is an unappealing concoction in my mind – that is made up of French fires, gravy and cheese curds. It’s a good blast of fat.
Poutine is delicious to many Canadians and others. It was made originally in Quebec made out of french fries, gravy and cheese curds as Hike Bike Travel said. In my opinion it is very good. Canadians apparently make the best poutine in the world. 🙂
I haven’t actually tried poutine but my son loves it.
Poutine is deep fried chips (or french fries) with gravy and cheese curds on top.
Very yummy but very unhealthy!
@Courtney Thank you. I have yet to try poutine.
When am I finally going to try poutine? Next time, I promise. This is such an awesome list, Leigh. Bookmarked. Never know when it will come in handy. Just reading “If you want to make an American smile, ask a Canadian to say out and about.” — made me smile.
When am I finally going to try poutine? Next time, I promise. This is such an awesome list, Leigh. Bookmarked. Never know when it will come in handy. Just reading “If you want to make an American smile, ask a Canadian to say out and about.” — made me smile.
@Cathy Glad I made you smile! It really does work every time.
I had no idea Bieber, Rachel McAdams, and Williams Shatner were Canadian (to be honest, I’ve never listened to a Bieber song in my life). I do think you would have listed famous Canadian athletes too (like Wayne Gretzky). Poutine is awesome. There is so much information here about Canada that this was a fun read.
I do need to see more of Canada. I’ve been to the east and west coast of Canada but haven’t visited the French part of the country yet.
I had no idea Bieber, Rachel McAdams, and Williams Shatner were Canadian (to be honest, I’ve never listened to a Bieber song in my life). I do think you would have listed famous Canadian athletes too (like Wayne Gretzky). Poutine is awesome. There is so much information here about Canada that this was a fun read.
I do need to see more of Canada. I’ve been to the east and west coast of Canada but haven’t visited the French part of the country yet.
@Jeremy Canada may not seem as exotic as Europe but it’s got vibrant cities, loads of festivals and it’s easier on the budget traveler than much of Europe!
who hasnt heard of justin bieber
Happy Canada Day, Leigh! I really enjoyed this post despite not being Canadian. I have a lot of trivia to share with my Canadian cousins and friends now =) I hope you’re enjoying your holiday weekend.
Happy Canada Day, Leigh! I really enjoyed this post despite not being Canadian. I have a lot of trivia to share with my Canadian cousins and friends now =) I hope you’re enjoying your holiday weekend.
@Mary Trivia can be a lot of fun – inane stuff but often it makes you laugh or smile. Enjoy your 4th of July holiday.
Some great facts…Didn’t know you were home to the longest highway, or the oldest golf course in North America. I’m a bit disappointed, however, that you listed Justin Bieber first among the countries celebrities:)
Some great facts…Didn’t know you were home to the longest highway, or the oldest golf course in North America. I’m a bit disappointed, however, that you listed Justin Bieber first among the countries celebrities:)
Deej – It’s not like I’m one of his teeny bopper fans. Trust me. But Justin sure is famous.
Great list, Leigh! I just posted a fast facts about Canada list today. Hope you had a Happy Canada Day!
Great list, Leigh! I just posted a fast facts about Canada list today. Hope you had a Happy Canada Day!
VERY cool! What a neat way to celebrate Canada’s bday. LOVE all the facts. You did a stellar job on this.
VERY cool! What a neat way to celebrate Canada’s bday. LOVE all the facts. You did a stellar job on this.
So that’s how wonderful Canada is. I would like to visit the Moraine Lake. It looks so cool. I wonder what it feels like to live in Canada. It seems that people there are friendly. Happy Canada Day!
So that’s how wonderful Canada is. I would like to visit the Moraine Lake. It looks so cool. I wonder what it feels like to live in Canada. It seems that people there are friendly. Happy Canada Day!
@Katye Canadians are generally more reserved than Americans and are considered on the whole to be very polite.
That is an amazing list of fun facts about Canada – and I think my arteries just clogged looking at the picture of Poutine. 🙂
That is an amazing list of fun facts about Canada – and I think my arteries just clogged looking at the picture of Poutine. 🙂
@Rusty I haven’t actually tried poutine though and the sheer number of calories puts me off.
i think canada is crazzzzzyyyy country
i think canada is crazzzzzyyyy country
@Olaf – I hope in a good way.
for the moose head brewery, it is in Saint John not Saint John’s. St. John’s is in Newfoundland and Saint John is in New Brunswick.
@Justin You got me on that one and correction noted. Thanks for pointing that out. It’s amazing what a difference an ‘s’ makes.
The NWT also has polar bear licence plates, we actually had them first ! 🙂
The NWT also has polar bear licence plates, we actually had them first ! 🙂
Exactly who had them first?? I’m confused.
I absolutely love this! I do the morning announcements at my school and I’m using this for a segment on my show! This helped a TON!!! well hope the whole school enjoys them! 🙂
I absolutely love this! I do the morning announcements at my school and I’m using this for a segment on my show! This helped a TON!!! well hope the whole school enjoys them! 🙂
@Hannah I’m s glad to be of some help. I had fun researching for this post.
yo bro shud up not all f in canadins like ta say eh i for 1 hate it i think its anoying
yo bro shud up not all f in canadins like ta say eh i for 1 hate it i think its anoying
@Tom Sometimes you can’t help yourself from saying eh – or you don’t even know you’re doing it. I think it’s annoying too if it’s done too often.
you didn@t say anyting about how canada speaks french. thats the reason i came on this website.
you didn@t say anyting about how canada speaks french. thats the reason i came on this website.
You’re right Tori. Canada i a bilingual (English-French) country but when you live in the west it’s rare to see French and Mandarin would be the more helpful language. Thank you for pointing out that omission.
who were on the list of prime ministers??? i.e,. Our President like the US has I know the queen is the head of state but isnt there a prime minister like tony blair
Good point Spencer. We have a Prime Minister – Steven Harper right now – and elected Members of Parliament.
We can’t deny how beautiful Canada is, in fact it’s listed on our family’s must-see places. We planned to go there summer next year. Thank you for the useful information about Canada, I learnt a lot! I’m keeping my notes updated.
@Penelope If you need any suggestions please don’t hesitate to email me. I also wrote this post – 100 Places to Visit in Canada This Summer.
During a recent visit to Moncton, I found out that besides being the first official bi-lingual city in Canada (English-French), Moncton is also one of the world’s cities with the lowest crime rate and is one of the safest places to live in the western hemisphere.
A newspaper as a publicity stunt once left 6 wallets in various places around Moncton with money in it and ALL 6 wallets were turned in to police, amazingly 5 of the 6 were returned with all the money inside.
Near by Moncton is a place called Shediac, there are more lobsters in the waters off of Shediac than in any other place in the world.
During a recent visit to Moncton, I found out that besides being the first official bi-lingual city in Canada (English-French), Moncton is also one of the world’s cities with the lowest crime rate and is one of the safest places to live in the western hemisphere.
A newspaper as a publicity stunt once left 6 wallets in various places around Moncton with money in it and ALL 6 wallets were turned in to police, amazingly 5 of the 6 were returned with all the money inside.
Near by Moncton is a place called Shediac, there are more lobsters in the waters off of Shediac than in any other place in the world.
@John I love the facts and info you shared. I’ll be in Moncton in August – and part of the time by myself so it sounds to me like it will be worry free. I don’t know if lobster will still be in season in August but I hope so.
Loved all the info you give about Canada. Just a couple more facts, Saskatchewan also produces wine at Cypress Hills. The winery also serves a delicious lunch and has a wine tasting bar. Saskatchewan also is the world’s largest producer of potash.
Great work!
Loved all the info you give about Canada. Just a couple more facts, Saskatchewan also produces wine at Cypress Hills. The winery also serves a delicious lunch and has a wine tasting bar. Saskatchewan also is the world’s largest producer of potash.
Great work!
@Mavis I love the additional facts. I didn’t know about the Saskatchewan wine. Thank you for sharing.
Is is the Yukon that is called the Land of the Midnight Sun. Also it is the NWT whose license plates are in the shape of the polar bear.
And the sun does set here in the Yukon in the summer, but not for long. It kind of just hovers below the horizon for a few hours. It is still more than bright enough to do anything you want outside. I once teed off on the Annie Lake Golf Course at 3am, in almost complete sun.
@Yukon Soldier You’re right about it being the NWT whose license plates are shaped like a polar bear. I was in Nunavut this summer and experienced the same thing – where I could go out my tent at 3 am and there was always light. I found it interesting that it was still much brighter and the weather calmer in the am. I found the light certainly decreased around midnight but never went away.
@Yukon Soldier You’re right about it being the NWT whose license plates are shaped like a polar bear. I was in Nunavut this summer and experienced the same thing – where I could go out my tent at 3 am and there was always light. I found it interesting that it was still much brighter and the weather calmer in the am. I found the light certainly decreased around midnight but never went away.
I find it so annoying how everyone thinks all Canadians say “eh”. I sometimes say it,but not after every sentence. Also it’s mostly East coast people that pronounce about “aboot” I live in the West and have yet to meet someone who says aboot… Besides a few annoying facts I did find this amusing to read. Educate yourselves people because you’re going to sound really stupid if you come to Canada and except us all to talk like they did on the classic show Bob and Doug McKenzie… So as they would put it “take off, you hoser”…EH!! 🙂
Neil Young, Joni Michelle, alanis morrisette
Fun fact:, when they came up with their motto: from sea to sea, Canada was formed of only 4 provinces only touching one sea: the Atlantic…
Fun fact: One of the provinces (Québec) never actually signed the current constitution.
Fun fact: Chinese pie was invented in Canada. Rumour has it it was to feed the Chinese working on the rail road. The dish consists of steak, corn and potatoes
Fun fact: Even if it is said that Montreal is the second largest French-speaking city in the world. In Quebec it is the city where the French speaking rate is the lowest. It is not so uncommon in some parts of the city to have trouble getting served in French at a restaurant.
@Nini Thanks for the addition of those fun facts. Great info and much appreciated.
i live in chicago is toronto safer, cleaner, more friendly, and very accepting of lgbt people
What about Jann Arden? She rocks!
@Karen Thanks for your input.
As usual when there are facts about Canada as a whole, most of Eastern Canada gets left out, there is more land east of Toronto !!
In your “culture” facts, you failed to mention the Montreal Jazz Fest here is what Wiki has to say about it:
The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (English: Montreal International Jazz Festival) is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world’s largest jazz festival.[1] Every year it features roughly 3,000 artists from 30-odd countries, more than 650 concerts (including 450 free outdoor performances), and welcomes close to 2.5 million visitors (34% of whom are tourists) as well as 400 accredited journalists.[1] The festival takes place at 10 free outdoor stages and 10 indoor concert halls.[1]
Did you notice 2.5 million visitors ??? quite a bit more than any you’ve mentioned and IT IS world renowned !!
More on the Eastern front ?
The Montreal World Film Festival (WFF) (French: le Festival des Films du Monde; alternative official name Montreal International Film Festival, not commonly used), founded in 1977, is one of Canada’s oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF
and Happy Canada day from sea to sea !!!
@Francine I certainly know of how famous the Montreal Jazz Festival is and in fact have written interesting facts about Montreal and one on festivals. Don’t forget this is a random assortment of facts AND ONE can never please everybody. Thank you for taking the time to write such a great comment.
Nickelback! Hello!!
I love this very much
@aly Thank you.
I am preparing a speech introduction on the subject of traveling to Canada and I will provide some quick fun facts, so this will help out alot! Thank you!
I am preparing a speech introduction on the subject of traveling to Canada and I will provide some quick fun facts, so this will help out alot! Thank you!
@Zackary At least you have lots to choose from.
WOOOOOOO CANADA ROCKS
@Bob It sure does.
Moving to Canada soon…. Trust me.. Not because I want to… But this was sort of helpful
@Hollie Hopefully it works out better than you figure it will.
@Hollie Hopefully it works out better than you figure it will.
this was really helpful thanks 🙂
I love Canada <3
Poutine — Very yummy but VERY unhealthy, have tried it before!!
Wayne Gretzky — Natural He's Amazing !!
@Evangeline I love Canada too but have yet to try poutine or meet Wayne Gretzky.
WHAT ABOUT ROCKET RICHARD WHY DO THEY NEGLECT HIM THEY HAVE WAYNE GRETZKY HOW DO THEY IGNORE THE ROCKET, MAN
WHAT ABOUT ROCKET RICHARD WHY DO THEY NEGLECT HIM THEY HAVE WAYNE GRETZKY HOW DO THEY IGNORE THE ROCKET, MAN
@The Doctor Rocket Man definitely earns his place of Canadian greats. Thanks for that.
My family lives in Banff National Park. Canada’s oldest National Park. Intoxicatingly beautiful. My children are privileged enough to call this home and were born here too!
@Carla You are supremely lucky to live in Banff. I visit as often as time permits. Enjoy the summer.
@Carla You are supremely lucky to live in Banff. I visit as often as time permits. Enjoy the summer.
Did you know the song “waving flag” all the singers are canadian
Im canadian, and canada nation sport is lacross and sidney crosbey is canadian and basket ball was invented by a canadian and the telephone was invented a candian
All true – thank you.
I did not know that.
As for famous Canadians, how about Marie Currie.
@Dev She’s Polish.
To all the negative people leaving comments, this was compiled by one person, on her own time. I’m sure there are hundreds of other facts she could have included; I’m also sure this took her many hours longer to compile than typing a snarky remark about a festival in Montreal, or knowing every Canadian hockey player. A more polite comment would have been appreciated by those of us enjoying the blog. I immediately skipped over comments that had the holier than thou attitude.
Thank you for compiling this list. I now know a lot more about my beautiful country than I knew yesterday.
@K What a treat to get a comment like yours. It’s amazing what people will say when they are anonymous.
where is Michael J. Fox’s name and how about Roberta Bondar
@Barbara Hard to get everybody isn’t it.
The following fact is actually no longer true regarding Nunavut though it remains true of the Northwest Territories
The license plate for cars, motorbikes and snowmobiles in Nunavut is in the shape of a polar bear.
Thanks for sharing that Sara.
This blog was very helpful on my trip to canada.
I’m a traveler, as a travel lover, I found your article pretty impressive to me.
I love you article it’s inspiring.
Do you know which was the last province to declare Christmas a legal holiday.
@Marion Unfortunately I do not.
I know this is a super-old post, but it’s worth mentioning: The statement about half of Canada’s population being born elsewhere is outright false. Only about 20% of Canada’s population were born outside our borders.
aney way i LOVE THIS SITE
As a Canadian, I wonder what’s so funny about saying ” Out and About “!
Also, we do not end every sentence with eh!
@Q I’m with you on that comment!
I hear mac n cheese is super popular in Canada. Could you add this in this website? Thx!
Wait,I’m confused,if Canada became a country in 1867, then how can it be celebrating 145 years in 2012 if its only celebrating 150 in 2017?
It’s 150 years old on July 1st. Do the math.
there is also shawn mendes and allesia cara
i just recently moved from canada to america and i am proud to say i was born and raised there!!
people are so awesomly friendly!!
Thank you Leigh for this phenomenal compilation of facts about C A N A D A!! Fascinating! I even learned a few things. Great read for anyone. Looking forward to reading more of your work. Wishing you all the best.
Thank you Delina. There is always something to learn isn’t there.
Lots of cool trivia. A few of the facts are outdated (ex. Canada is no longer the largest producer of uranium and festivals didn’t include the Montreal Jazz festival, or L’International des Feux Loto-Québec or Caribana) to name a few, but overall lots of cool facts. Thanks and maybe a few updates could make this an even better page! Thanks!
I am doing a Culture Day for College. Looking for something that will rock everyone. I wish I could get a famous person to come for my presentation. If any one could come to Moncton NB to help, let me know !!!!!
Thanks for sharing information
I have to look at this in class. JUSTIN BIEBER IS CANADIAN?
I would like to take the chance of saying thanks to you
for that professional guidance I have often enjoyed browsing your site.
I’m looking forward to the particular commencement of my university research and the general planning would never have
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any help to others, I will be thankful to help through what I have gained from here.
That was very useful
As a fellow Canadian currently living in Ottawa, ON… I must say that this is a great list! 145 facts, definitely a very long list of facts, but I enjoyed this nonetheless, so thanks for taking the time to create and share this!
Great article, thanks for including Canadian geography facts!
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