16 Incredible Canada Facts

Canada is the second largest country in the world landmass only behind the state of Russia. People visit Canada all the time for many different things. This article will cover all these incredible facts that make Canada like no other place in the world. Before we get to the article, Canadian bacon is ham, not the bacon Americans are used to.

1. Canada Has Some Of The Biggest Islands in The World

Canada is home to three out of the ten biggest islands in the world. The Baffin Islands are more than double the size of England. Meanwhile, the other two islands, Victoria Island and Ellesmere Island, are just about the same size as England.

2. Canada Produces 85% Of The World’s Maple Syrup

Canadians pride themselves on their connection with nature through quality maple syrup. They only collect 1.5 liters of syrup from each tree just so they wouldn’t take too many nutrients from the trees. There’s more technology to the syrup collection method than one would think. Scientists use reverse osmosis, high-performance evaporators, and tubing systems to make the collection process much more efficient. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency monitors the safety and quality of each maple syrup bottle.

3. Canada Is Home To Most Of The Lakes In The World

Not only Canada is one of the largest countries in the world, the country is also home to the most lakes in a country. It contains over thirty-one thousand lakes! That includes two of the largest lakes in the world: Great Slave Lake and Great Bear Lake. The Great Slave Lake is the deepest lake in North America with a depth of 2,014 feet. It’s frozen for six months in the year due to its very northern location.

4. It Contains One Of The Highest Tide Locations In The World

The Bay of Fundy tides in Eastern Canada are the world’s highest tides. The tides can go up to forty-two feet tall. People can view the tides from different parts of the bay, trails, and bridges.

5. Toronto Is Home To The NBA’s First Basketball Game

The NBA’s first basketball game took place in Toronto, Canada on November 1st, 1946. The New York Knicks defeated the (then) Toronto Maple Leafs 68-66 at Maple Leafs Garden In Toronto. However, the Maple Leafs folded after the initial season with a 22-38 record, finishing last place in the Eastern Division. To draw attendance, the Maple Leafs offered free admission to anyone taller than Toronto’s 6’8 player George Norstand.

6. Canada Has Its Own National Holiday

July 1st is Canada Day. Why? Because on that day in 1867, Canada became an independent country. The Canadians united to separate from Great Britain. They celebrate Canada Day with parades, barbecues, picnics, and fireworks. Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is home to the liveliest celebration of the country’s holiday. The Royal Canadian Air Force puts on an air show and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police do horse tricks at Parliament Hill.

7. There Are Two Official Languages In Canada

The two official languages in Canada are English and French. Canada’s history involves it being owned by Great Britain and France. France and Great Britain also clashed for ownership of other parts of North America.

8. Canada Has The Largest Coastline In The World

The Canadian borders are irregular compared to other countries. It’s also the second largest in the world with many different little islands around it. The total distance for the Canadian coastline is over 125,000 miles.

9. Canada Has The Longest International Border

It doesn’t only have the longest coastline, but it also has the longest international border. The country’s border with the United States with a distance of 5,525 miles.

10. France And England Weren’t The First Countries At The Hollywood North

Turns out, Vikings first colonized the country. Leak Erikson led an expedition after being exiled to Iceland for some killings. The Norweigan Viking and his troops hit Newfoundland and the colonization lasted for a few years.

11. The Country’s National Animal Is A Beaver

Beavers became the Canadian animal in 1975 and they’re featured on the back of the Canadian nickel. The beaver can weigh up to one hundred pounds and is highly intelligent. Their teeth are powerful weapons as they can cut into a whole eight-foot tree in five minutes. The beaver enamel is iron-rich, which helps reinforce its durability.

12. Quebec Is The Only Walled City In North America

This is one of the seven wonders of Canada. Old Quebec, Quebec is the only city left in North America with walls surrounding the area. The city walls were first built in the 17th century. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. The area is home to the Plains of Abraham, where a pivotal battle between the English and French happened in 1759 that played a great part in North American history.

13. Canada Has A Different Thanksgiving Than America

The country of Canada doesn’t have its Thanksgiving holiday in November like America, but Canadians have their Thanksgiving in October. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday rather than the last Thursday by Canadians. Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in most of Canada as the Atlantic provinces see it as an optional holiday. Those Atlantic providences are Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Federal government-regulated jobs recognize it as a holiday.

According to some Canadian historians, the first Thanksgiving started in the 1579 voyage by Martin Frosiber. Martin and his fellow travelers celebrated surviving an expedition that affected their journey. Centuries later, the citizens of Halifax celebrated Thanksgiving after the end of the Seven Years’ War. Nowadays, Canada has changed the theme of Thanksgiving to give grace to whatever recent event occurred in their year.

14. Canada Has Two National Sports

When one would ask someone “What are the two national sports in Canada?”, most people would think of hockey right away! That’s one of the answers, but what’s the other one? The other national sport is Lacrosse. Lacrosse is the national summer sport and hockey is the national winter sport.

Lacrosse was originally a Native American game. It started as a team sport, except their teams had hundreds to even thousands of men on one side! Their playing fields were several miles long and games could have lasted up to several days. The first official lacrosse game was held in 1844 between the French and Native Americans as the match was at the Montreal Olympic Club. The game was recognized by the country in 1856. Now, Lacrosse is recognized greatly in Canada and there are many leagues outside of the NLL (National Lacrosse League).

The History of Canadian Hockey

However, hockey has a wide association with Canada. Now, the history of it is a bit murky. Some people claim it originated in Montreal. Other people claim it originated in Ontario or New Scotland. Hockey’s origins derive from the countries of Holland, England, and Scandinavia. Rather than blades, many people used to play on cheese graters and the pluck was a heavy ball. The first formal hockey game took place in 1855. However, there weren’t any rules established. So, in 1877, several Canadian students made the first seven hockey rules and established the puck design out of rubber. Years later, the game’s popularity grew so much, that it was presented at the annual Winter Carnival in 1885. In the same year, the Hockey Ameatur Association was launched.

15. One Of The World’s Longest Highways Is In Canada

The Trans-Canada Highway is not just one of the longest roads in Canada, but it’s also one of the world’s longest highways. It’s 4,860 miles long. Now, the only two longer highways in the world are Highway 1 in Australia at 9,000 miles and the Pan-American highway which goes from Alaska to Argentina at over 30,000 miles.

15. It’s Home To The Largest Underground Mall Complex

Canada is home to the largest underground mall complex in the world. Many people would think Tokyo, but that’s not the case. The PATH Underground Shopping Mall spreads over seventeen miles in underground Toronto, Ontario Canada. People everywhere visit the PATH Underground Shopping Mall to experience the one thousand two hundred different shops and service stores. It has color-coded signs to follow so people won’t get lost in the enormous underground complex.

The PATH Underground Shopping Mall helps the city of Toronto’s economy. Canada’s harsh winters can make it hard for people to go out and enjoy themselves, so why not have something underground that can keep people warm and provide a day’s worth of adventure? It’s also linked to several hotels and major buildings in downtown Toronto such as the Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto City Hall, Air Canada Centre, and Eaton Centre. Each letter of PATH indicates a different color and a different direction of travel. P is red and indicates south; A is orange and indicates west; T is blue and indicates north; H is yellow and indicates east. It’s a national tourist attraction and people plan vacations to the PATH Underground Complex.

16. The Highest Waterfall In Canada Is At Della Falls

Della Falls is Canada’s highest waterfall at 1,444 feet. It’s in Strathcona Provincial Park, which is one of the oldest parks in Canada. Della Falls was named after the wife of the person who founded the massive waterfall. It’s remote and can only be reached by a ten-mile hiking trail. Now, it takes anywhere between six to eight hours to get to the waterfall. So, the waterfall is fed by Della Lake and is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and glaciers.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © onepony/iStock via Getty Images