Fascinating Canadian Facts
Canada is the world’s second-largest country by total area and is also bilingual. Do you know there is a place in Canada that mysteriously has less gravity than the rest of the planet? If you are a Canadian or a foreigner looking to know more about Canada, then this article is specially crafted to disclose some of the most interesting facts about Canada and Canadian. The longest covered bridge in the world is located in which region in Canada? Click to see the answer and to check out more 81 Canadian Trivia Questions And Answers
Canadian History Facts
1. The first inhabitants of Canada were native Indian peoples, primarily the Inuit.
2. The Quebec referendum on secession in Oct. 1995 yielded a narrow rejection of the proposal.
3. Newfoundland became Canada’s tenth province on March 31, 1949, following a plebiscite.
4. Basketball was invented by a Canadian called Dr. James Naismith in Ramsay township, near Almonte, Ontario.
5. On April 1, 1999, the Northwest Territories were officially divided to create a new territory in the east that would be governed by Canada’s Inuits.
6. The Liberal Party, led by William Lyon Mackenzie King, dominated Canadian politics from 1921 until 1957,
7. In 1976, the Parti Quebecois (PQ) won the provincial Quebec elections, and Ren L’Vesque became premier.
Canadian Thanksgiving Facts
8. Quebec calls Thanksgiving “Action de grâce.”
9. The first Canadian Thanksgiving is said to have been traced back to 1578 with explorer Martin Frobisher.
10. Thanksgiving is now a statutory holiday in most jurisdictions of Canada.
11. Columbus Day in the US and Thanksgiving in Canada has fallen around the same time since 1971.
12. Prior to 1957, Canada celebrated Thanksgiving on the third Monday of October. It officially moved to the second Monday of October in 1957.
13. Thanksgiving has been celebrated in Canada for 140 years, starting on November 6, 1879
14. Thanksgiving was originally celebrated as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and the preceding year.
15. During Thanksgiving 2015, more than 2.2 million whole turkeys were purchased by Canadians.
Fun Canadian Facts
16. Prostitution laws are hazy in Canada since the purchase of sexual services is criminalized, but the selling of sexual services is allowed under certain conditions.
17. Canada only got its own flag 100 years after it became a country on February 15, 1965.
18. As much as Canadians love hockey, it’s not the national sport lacrosse, a First Nations’ game, is.
19. A crater on the planet was named after the town of Gander, Newfoundland in honor of its efforts in space research.
20. The Westboro Baptist Church and its members are banned from entering Canada.
21. The townspeople of Nanaimo, B.C. race their bathtubs as part of an annual aquatic tradition.
22. Canada consumes more mac and cheese than any other country in the world.
Canadian Culture Facts
23. Safety is a priority for Canadians since Canada has very low crime rates compared to other places in the world.
24. Canada is passive about its military unlike its neighbors, the United States.
25. Canadians have progressive attitudes, which means they don’t judge by color or race.
26. Canadians are apologetic and polite. A common Canadian is always apologetic and says sorry a lot.
27. Canadians’ love for maple syrup is now an integral part of their life and there is a national reservoir for it.
28. Canadians have a passion for hockey which has been integrated into their culture.
29. Canada is one of the most multicultural places in the world since they are so welcoming to immigration.
Canadian Facts About WW1
30. Canadian women first got the vote during World War I followed by Britain and the US.
31. Canadian soldiers were among the first to endure chemical warfare.
32. One-third of all Royal Flying Corps (RFC) pilots were Canadian. In fact, the highest-scoring RFC pilot to survive the war was a Canadian
33. Canadian soldiers fought so fiercely, the Germans called them “storm troops.”
34. It was a Canadian soldier at the Battle of Ypres who was inspired to write “In Flanders Fields,” arguably the most famous poem to emerge from World War I.
35. At the Canadian Vimy Memorial, visitors are forbidden from walking in certain areas because of undetonated explosives from World War I.
Do you know that more than 90 axis ships were sunk in the Mediterranean during World War II? Check out more Surprising World War 2 Facts.
French Canadian Facts
36. French speakers in New Brunswick are creating a New French /English hybrid
37. There are two different main dialects of Canadian French which are Quebecois and Acadian French.
38. There are strong protections for the French in Quebec that sometimes go overboard.
39. Canadian official bilingualism is why computer translation of French is so good.
40. Canada is officially bilingual in English and French.
41. The worst possible swears in Canadian French are innocent-seeming religious words.
42. Canadian French is less accepting of English borrowing than France French.
Weird Facts About Canada
43. Old Quebec is still walled off and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
44. There’s an area in the Hudson Bay region that has less gravity than the rest of the planet.
45. Canada shares the largest demilitarized border in the world with the United States.
46. The most common last name in Canada is “Smith.”
47. Only in Canada that temperate can go from -19C to 22 C in an hour.
48. The famous Canadian interjection “eh” is actually listed in the Canadian Oxford Dictionary as a valid word.
49. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Canada was in Snag, Yukon Territory at -63C.
Facts About Canadian Culture
50. Canada’s indigenous peoples were long stigmatized and placed on the periphery of a national society
51. English-speaking Canadians are likely to enjoy pizza, tandoori, or Chinese food as much as any presumed national dish.
52. British and American influences are strongly felt in Canadian daily life in English-speaking portions of the country
53. French influences are confined largely to Quebec and New Brunswick.
54. Quebec’s French culture is perhaps most noticeable through its distinctive architecture, music, and cuisine.
Facts About Canadian Government
55. A minority government in Canada only lasts with the confidence of the House of Commons.
56. Canada’s longest-serving Prime Minister was William Lyon Mackenzie King served 21 years, 154 days from 1921 to 1948.
57. Canada has strict electoral funding laws that ban corporations and unions from contributing to political parties or candidates
58. There are three major parties in Canada – the Conservatives, the Liberals, and the New Democrats (NDP).
59. The Prime Minister is the Head of Government of Canada and sits in the House of Commons.
60. Canada’s Parliament has two chambers: the House of Commons, where MPs sit, and the Senate.
61. Canadians elect their Members of Parliament (MPs) like Americans elect their Representatives on the first-past-the-post system.