Discover the Great White North: Top 17 Fun Facts About Canada You Can't Miss!

1. Trans-Canada Highway's Length

"From sea to shining sea" takes on a whole new meaning in Canada: The Trans-Canada Highway, stretching 7,821 km (4,860 miles) across 10 provinces, is the world's second-longest national highway! It even conquered the treacherous Rogers Pass in British Columbia, where an avalanche-prone, annual 8.5 meters of snow threatened 75-day traffic closures, but Canada responded with innovative snowsheds and controlled avalanches to keep the road open.
Source => thecanadianencyclopedia.ca

2. Hôtel de Glace: Ice Hotel

Who needs cement when you've got snice? You could say this hotel's foundation comes "snaturally" with a "frosty" twist: The Hôtel de Glace in Quebec City, Canada, is entirely built from 30,000 tons of snow and ice, held together by "snice" – a frozen blend of snow and ice – and takes a chilling 55 hours to create each year, standing strong with walls more robust than concrete, complete with an ice bar, ice slide, and intricate snow sculptures for visitors seeking a cool experience.
Source => dozr.com

Did you know that Canada is home to over 2 million lakes, including the Great Lakes that hold a whopping 18% of the world's fresh lake water? Dive in and discover more about this fascinating country! 🇨🇦🌊

=> Fun Facts about Canada-For-Kids

3. Halifax: The Warden of the North

Watch your back, Jon Snow: Halifax, Nova Scotia, has been holding down the fort as "The Warden of the North" since the 1800s! The city earned this noble title for its crucial role in safeguarding British interests in North America, and it still stands proudly as a beacon of Canadian history and culture.
Source => reddit.com

4. Nanaimo Bars: Canadian Treat

Tales of the Nanaimo bar's mysterious beginnings are as layered as the treat itself, with whispers of English families on sailing ships and secret dessert identities hidden all across America: The true birthplace of this delicious confection, a yellow custard layered with chocolate ganache and coconut-graham crust, is the Canadian city of Nanaimo in British Columbia, where the first printed recipe can be traced back to 1952, and today you can even indulge in Nanaimo bar-themed pedicures and deep-fried variations on the Nanaimo Bar Trail.
Source => foodnetwork.ca

5. Canada & Great Lakes: World's Freshwater Wonders

What do Canada and your bathtub have in common? They're both overflowing with water, eh?: Housing 20 percent of the world's freshwater resources, Canada takes the title for having the largest freshwater body of water on Earth – the Great Lakes. But don't get too comfortable in your rubber ducky, as issues like Nestlé's bottled-water facility in Ontario are making waves in the preservation of these precious supplies.
Source => washingtonpost.com

6. Turn Right on Red: Polite Traffic Rule

Canadians have long been known for being polite, and even their traffic rules follow suit, allowing cars to courteously sneak in a right turn through the red light: In most areas, turning right on a red light after making a full stop is legal, except in specified zones of Quebec. However, a 2003 pilot study revealed that this maneuver didn't result in more accidents, leading Quebec to allow right turns on red where not prohibited by signage.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Snag: Record Low Temperatures

Chill out, Snag: a cozy, frost-bitten winter wonderland, renowned for its… bone-chilling temperatures: In fact, this charming Yukon hamlet clinched the record for the lowest temperature in continental North America, when, on February 3, 1947, the mercury plummeted to an almost unimaginable −63.0°C (−81.4°F) - Snag's third such record that chilly winter alone!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA): Border Crossing Hack

Frequent fliers, assemble! Canada's got a nifty trick up its sleeve to make crossing borders smoother than a beaver's tail: Introducing the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), a program that lets visa-exempt foreign nationals fly to or transit through Canadian airports with ease. Electronically linked to your passport, it's valid for up to five years and grants multiple short stays. But hold on to your poutine, an eTA doesn't guarantee entry, as you'll still have to charm the border services officers with your documents upon arrival.
Source => canada.ca

9. Rideau Canal Skateway: World's Largest Frozen Rink

In Canada, winter sports enthusiasts can truly skate on thin ice with history: The Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa is the world's largest naturally frozen rink and part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, but climate change may soon put this tradition on ice, as warmer temperatures threaten the integrity of the frozen wonderland.
Source => washingtonpost.com

10. Canada's Coastline: World's Longest

Ever heard of Canada's greatest beachcombing destination? It's the whole country! Boasting more sandy, rocky, and ice-lined shores than any beach bum could hope for in a lifetime, this coastal juggernaut will leave you grasping at straws to pick your favorite strip of coastline: The awe-inspiring fact is that Canada has the world's longest coastline, spanning a whopping 243,042 kilometers across its three coastal fronts – Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific. This not only fuels a flourishing fishing industry and bolsters their economy but also blesses us with a gazillion scenic shorelines to idly wander and ponder life's big questions – like which Canadian coastline wins the ultimate beauty contest.
Source => investopedia.com

11. Churchill's Open Door Policy: Trust Thy Neighbor

In the charming town of Churchill, Manitoba, the locals have established a groundbreaking home security system: trust thy neighbor. The secret to a safe and cozy community lies in not locking their front doors: they rest easy on the foundation of trust and camaraderie built between the residents, while also ensuring that one can seek a quick refuge from roaming polar bears when needed.
Source => wwf.ca

12. Atlantic Puffin: Official Bird of Newfoundland and Labrador

Hold on to your beaks, folks: Newfoundland and Labrador have chosen the Atlantic puffin as their official bird, a maritime fashionista sporting an orange beak and snazzy, tuxedo-like feathers! In reality, eastern Canada is home to around 350,000 to 400,000 of these dapper birds, primarily found in Newfoundland and Labrador, and they're facing declining populations due to climate change and other challenges.
Source => natureconservancy.ca

13. St. Paul's UFO Landing Pad: Welcoming Aliens

In a world plagued by conspiracy theories about Area 51 and the desolate moon, one Canadian town boldly dares to say, "Beam us up, eh?": St. Paul, Alberta, boasts the world's first UFO Landing Pad, built in 1967 and declared the Centennial Capital of Canada, as it offers a tourist information center with local artisans, and invites otherworldly visitors to enjoy a friendly, non-threatening welcome.
Source => stpaul.ca

14. Beavers: Ecosystem Architects

Oh, Canada! Home to the biggest lumberjack architects in the animal kingdom, constantly damming up streams and occasionally wreaking havoc: Beavers play a crucial part in the ecosystem by constructing watery habitats for various creatures and controlling floods, but their architectural feats can sometimes hamper human endeavors like agriculture and road transportation.
Source => pskf.ca

15. Lacrosse: National Summer Sport

When Canadians aren't busy apologizing, they're fiercely diving into a world of sticks, balls, and athleticism: Lacrosse, in fact, dates back to 1637 in Canada and was popularized nationwide in the 1800s by the Anglophone middle class of Montreal. Parliament even passed the National Sports of Canada Act in 1994, crowning lacrosse as the official "National Summer Sport" of the land.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

16. The Tagish Lake Meteorite: Ancient Space Rock

Canada: where rocks are older than The Rolling Stones and come from outer space! In a cosmic flashback to January 18, 2000: The Tagish Lake meteorite fell in northwestern British Columbia, revealing itself to be one of the most primitive and pristine meteorites ever, packed with organic materials, water-bearing minerals, and boasting a whopping 4.55-billion-year-old birthday.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

17. World's Longest International Border: USA & Canada

If you've ever wanted to give your Fitbit a major workout, just grab your passport and head North: Canada shares the longest international border with the United States, stretching 8,891 km (5,525 miles) across from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean—all without a single soldier on patrol, thanks to the demilitarized and well-maintained partnership between the International Boundary Commission.
Source => en.wikipedia.org