22 Fun Facts to Know Before Visiting Canada

Fun Canadian Trivia

Canada is a beautiful country with great food, friendly people and the perfect place to call home. You won’t need to be in Canada long to realize how diversified this country is in comparison to most other countries. There is a large, and I mean large amount of diversity in Canada with respect to our landscape and our people. Let’s explore some fun facts you will need to know before visiting Canada.

Where Did the Name Canada Originate?

It is thought that the name “Canada” originated from the Huron/Iroquois word “kanata” which means village or settlement.

What is Canada’s National Symbol?

The maple leaf symbolizes a promise of love, longevity, balance and abundance. In the 18th Century, the maple leaf emerged as Canada’s symbol and it’s still displayed prominently on the Canadian flag.

Canada is Large

Before arriving in Canada it is important to know that Canada is LARGE and you won’t be able to get anywhere quickly.

Canada is the second largest Country in the world, having a landmass of 9.1 million square kilometers. Canada is bordered by the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Artic Oceans, which also makes it the Country with the longest coastline in the world. Flying across Canada takes approximately 5 hours, and for those who want to drive, plan on being 23 days on the road.

Canada consists of ten Provinces and three Territories:

Canada’s Territories are:

1. Northwest Territories
2. Yukon
3. Nunavut

Canada’s Province’s from east to west are:

1. Newfoundland and Labrador
2. Prince Edward Island
3. Nova Scotia
4. New Brunswick
5. Quebec
6. Ontario
7. Manitoba
8. Saskatchewan
9. Alberta
10. British Columbia

Two Official Languages

Canada has two official languages, English and French. That’s not to say that everybody is fluent in both. The vast majority of the French speaking population can be found in the Province of Quebec and New Brunswick. The rest of us, well let’s just say that we don’t speak a lot of French.

Canada Has 4 Distinct Seasons

We are lucky in Canada to have four distinct seasons which range in temperatures to -30 degrees Celsius to +40 degrees Celsius. It is important to note that even though Canada is referred to “the north” that we don’t live in igloos for the entire year. It does get extremely hot and humid during the summer months.

Winter: Heavy snow is common during the months of November, December and January with temperatures dipping as low as -30 Celsius and as high as -5 Celsius.

Spring: It is not unusual to see rain or light snow until May in Canada, with temperatures ranging from a low of 10 and high of 20 degrees Celsius.

JUST ONE TIP: Consider visiting Canada in the Spring as this is the off-season for tourists

Summer: During the months of July and August, and sometimes June, it gets really hot in Canada, with temperatures soaring to over 40 degrees Celsius. Summer is the busiest time for tourists.

Fall/Autumn: In my opinion Fall is the most beautiful season of the year with temperatures hoovering around 20 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, Fall usually only lasts for September and October and then it quickly turns cold and Winter arrives.

Read Next: Best hikes in Canada to view the Fall foliage

Vast Amount of Green Space and Wildlife

Canada has a very diverse landscape from the quaint fishing villages in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Regardless of which part of Canada you are in, there is a vast amount of green space and animals of varying species.

Yes… Canada has Bears!

Lions and tigers and bears….oh my! Bears are prevalent across Western and Central Canada and it is possible to have a bear encounter while on a trail or walking in a city (although much less common). For the most part, bears are afraid of humans and there have been very few bear attacks in Canada.

Depending where in Canada you are you can expect to see black bears, grizzly bears and even polar bears.

• the grizzly bear is most popular in British Columbia
• Churchill, Manitoba is widely known as the Polar Bear Capital of the World. There are 19 different species of polar bears and 13 of them can be found in Canada
• Canada is home to 500,000 of the 900,000 black bears in the world and this type of bear can be found in every Canadian Province with the exception of Prince Edward Island

Snakes Found in Canada

There are a variety of species of snakes that have their habitat in Canada, the majority of which aren’t poisonous:

• Blue Racer: the blue racer snake can only be found on Pelee Island, the most southerly point of Canada
• Eastern Milksnake
• Red-back Salamanders
• Eastern Hog-Nose
• Greensnake
• Eastern Foxsnake
• Gartersnake
• Gray Ratsnake
• Queen Snake
• Eastern Ribbonsnake
• Sullsnake
• British Columbia’s Northern Rubber Boa

Rattlesnakes: Canada is home to 3 species of rattlesnakes, and it is our only venomous snake:
Western Rattlesnake: lives in the grasslands of British Columbia
Prairie Rattlesnake: lives in similar habitat in Saskatchewan and Alberta
Eastern Rattlesnake: can mainly be found along the shores of Georgian Bay, in the Bruce Peninsula in the Province of Ontario

Canada’s National Animal

In 1975, the beaver was officially recognized as Canada’s National symbol. The use of the beaver as Canada’s symbol dates back to 1621 when the beaver was prevalent in Canada’s fur trade.

In addition to the beaver, Canada is also home to many other animals, including:

• moose
• elk
• bison
• fox, wolf, coyote
• bears
• cougar
• whales
• walrus
• many species of birds

Driving in Canada

In Canada, we drive on the right hand side of the road, and the left hand side of the car.

There are a few things that are important to know about driving laws in Canada:

• you have to be 16 years old to obtain a driver’s license
• speed limit ranges from 80 km to 100 km (49.71 miles per hour to 62.14 miles per hour)
• seatbelts are mandatory
• laws relating to car seats and booster seats vary from Province to Province, but suffice it to say that a child has to be in a booster until he or she is a minimum of 9 years old.

Read Next: Preparing to visit Canada during the Winter

Drinking Age in Canada

The legal drinking age in most of Canada is 19, with the exception of Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta, where the legal drinking age is 18.

Medicinal and Recreational Marijuana

Both medicinal and recreational marijuana is legal throughout Canada. Marijuana has been widely used throughout Canada for medicinal purposes for many years, but was legalized for recreational use in 2018. A person must be 18 to legally consume marijuana. It is important to keep in mind that when entering Canada, the possession of marijuana in any form must be declared. Failing to do so is considered a serious crime.

Home of Loonies and Toonies

In 1987 Canada did away with the $1.00 bill and rolled out what is known as the Loonie in it’s place. The Loonie was widely accepted among Canadians so the Toonie (2 loonies) was developed to replace $2.00 bills. In 2013, the Royal Canadian Mint ceased production of pennies.

Same Sex Marriage is Legal

Yes, same sex marriage has been legal in Canada since 2005 when it became legal right across Canada.

Canada’s National Sport

Many people (including some Canadians) would be surprised to learn that lacrosse was Canada’s original national sport until 1964 when hockey was named Canada’s National Winter sport, and lacrosse was named Canada’s National Summer sport.

Canadians Love Their Coffee

Tim Hortons, lovingly referred to is Timmies, has become a staple in Canada, especially in the Eastern provinces. Many of our western counterparts prefer Starbucks. Whatever part of Canada you’re visiting it will be rare to see a Canuk going anywhere without a coffee in hand.

Food Only Canadians Have

Canadians love there food! With these Canadian treats, it’s no wonder that Canadians are junk food junkies. These are some treats that you can only find in Canada and they’re not be be missed:

1. Backbacon (referred to by other Countries as Canadian bacon)
2. Canadian Maple Syrup
3. Butter Tarts
4. Poutine! The ultimate Canadian treat!
5. Tourtiere
6. Caesar Cocktail
7. Kraft Peanut Butter
8. Coffee Crisp
9. Ketchup Chips
10. Bagged Milk
11. Montreal Bagels
12. Joe Louis
13. Beavertails
14. Nanaimo Bar

Read Next: the traditional foods of Canada

Canadian’s Are Nice

Yes, it’s a true story that Canadians are considered to be some of the nicest people in the world. We are sorry for everything even when it’s not our fault. You will hear thank you, excuse me, and I’m sorry so often that it will become nauseating.

More Fun Facts About Canada You Should Know

1. Canada boasts the longest highway in the world. The Trans-Canada Highway covers an impressive 4,860 miles.
2. Quebec City is the only walled city outside of Mexico in North America
3. Canada is ranked the most educated Country in the world with more than 50% of its population having a post-secondary education.
4. Quebec manufactures 77% of the world’s maple syrup.
5. Canadians consume more macaroni and cheese than any other nation.
6. Canada is the leading Country in the world for mining uranium, which is used in nuclear plants to produce electricity.
7. Hawaiian pizza was invented by an Ontario man.
8. It took the Canadian Government 40 years to decide on Canada’s flag.
9. Basketball, blackberry, IMAX, and the pacemaker were all developed by Canadians.
10. The coldest ever recorded temperature in Canada was -63 degrees Celsius. This was recorded in 1947, in the Yukon.

I hope you learned a few fun facts about Canada in this post. Canada is considered to be one of the safest Countries in the world. If you’re looking for a safe destination to travel, then Canada’s your answer….and it’s a ton of fun, with so many fun things to do!

Welcome to Canada, Eh 🙂

SAVE FOR FUN FACTS ABOUT CANADA

22 Fun Facts You Should Know Before Visiting Canada

A Little Canadian Trivia