The Maple Leaf Flag
Everyone is familiar with Canada's red and white 'maple leaf'. But Canada was already 100 years old before it got its flag! The National Flag of Canada was proclaimed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on January 28, 1965. It was raised on Parliament Hill for the first time a couple of weeks later, on February 15, 1965.
Canadian Cultural Facts
Surprisingly, the term 'Eh' is in the dictionary, and is considered to be a 'real' word. The term is generally understood to be the uniquely Canadian way of saying 'you know'. In fact, it's even often used in a mocking fashion to exaggerate the Canadian stereotype.
Everybody knows that hockey is the Canadian national sport. But not many people realize that lacrosse is Canada's national summer sport.
The Canadian one dollar coin, the 'loonie' was first minted in 1987. It gets its name, of course, from its picture of the Common Loon, a bird found across Canada. As a promotion, the Royal Canadian Mint once made a gigantic loonie of 99.9% gold, valued at $1 million.
You can write a letter, in any language, addressed to the North Pole, H0H oHo, Canada. If you include your return address, you will receive a letter back from Santa. And you don't even need a stamp!
Ogopogo is a monster, similar to the Loch Ness monster, that supposedly lives in Lake Okanagan, BC. Its native Salish name is 'Naitaka', which means 'spirit of the lake'. Alleged sightings of the monster go back as far as the 19th century. Over the years, a number of photos supposedly depicting images of the monster have surfaced. To date, however, after numerous searches and expeditions, conclusive evidence has yet to be found.
Canadian Food Facts
Quebec manufactures more than 77% of the world's maple syrup.
Hawaiian pizza was invented in Canada. Sam Panopoulos, was born in Greece, but moved to Canada when he was 20. In 1962, he decided to try pineapple on pizza, to attract more customers to one of his Ontario-based restaurants. The rest, as they say, is history.
Curiously, Canadians consume more macaroni and cheese than any other country!
Canadian Cold Weather
Is Canada the coldest place on Earth? Actually, no. A reading of minus 94.7 degrees centigrade was recently recorded in Antarctica. But a temperature of minus 63 degrees C, recorded in Snag, Yukon Territories in 1947, is the coldest in continental North America. I imagine the two would probably feel about the same, in any case! And only in Canada could it go from -19 degrees C to 22 degrees C in only an hour! (Pincher Creek, Alberta - 1962. )
Interesting Canadian Geography
Roughly 20% of all the fresh water in the world is located right here in Canada. Canada also has more lakes than any other country in the world, too.
Our shared border with the United States is the longest demilitarized border in the world.
Did you know that, in Banff National Park, the overpasses are 'wildlife' friendly? Designed for wildlife access, they have trees and shrubs growing on them, and allow wildlife to cross the road safely.
Approximately 30% of Canada is covered in trees and forests. And some of the most beautiful tree-covered areas is right here in Vancouver. As you can see, it has inspired much of my art.
In an area of the Hudson Bay region, the earth's gravitational force is, for some reason, weaker than anywhere else on the planet.
Here's A Bit More
The townspeople of Nanaimo, BC race their bathtubs as part of an annual aquatic tradition... the annual Nanaimo Bathtub Races.
Some of the most popular superheroes were born in Canada, including Superman and Wolverine!
The official phone number for Canada is 1-800-O-Canada.
The world's largest Sony big screen TV is located in Toronto's Rogers Centre.
The Canada goose has as many as 13 different animal calls that are distinctly their own. And there you go... a few Canadian tidbits you can use to impress your friends, while you enjoy your holiday weekend. Happy Canada Day!
