Top 9 Reasons Why Canada Rules
No doot aboot it, Canada is a cool country. US News & World ranked it number one for quality of life from among 73 countries in 2020. There are the obvious benefits of living in Canada (universal health care, low crime rates, high standard of living, hockey dominance) and the not-so-obvious benefits (rat-free zones, low incarceration rates, over 1200 roadside attractions, emerging gaming industry). There is a reason that US News & World has ranked Canada as the #1 country for immigrants, thanks in part to its welcoming nature.
From its polite and apologetic populace to its primo skiing to its stunning cottage country, Canada has got it going on! And Canadians even get to enjoy their awesome nation longer than average (given that Canadians on average live to the ripe old age of 82, as compared with the global average age of 80). Here are nine fun facts that prove just how cool this massive landmass truly is.
9. Canada is responsible for some pretty delish food…
Look no further than Canada for some of the tastiest eats out there. Canadian bacon. Ketchup chips. Donairs. Nanaimo bars. Canadian Hickory Sticks. Ginger beef. Swedish Berries. Kraft Dinner. Montreal-smoked meat. Coffee Crisp. Hawaiian pizza. All Dressed chips.
And of course, their national dish, poutine. This dish, French fries smothered in cheese curds and gravy, first made its appearance in Quebec in the 1950’s and rose to fast food fame in the 1990’s when major chains like McDonalds and Burger King added it to their menus. Poutine even, rightly so, has its own national day – April 11th.
Get in my belly!!
8. …and some pretty yummy drinks!!
On the non-alcoholic front, Canada is the country that brought us Canada Dry ginger ale and cream soda. On the alcohol front, we can thank Canada for the Caesar (the far more successful, wealthy, and intellectually superior cousin of the Bloody Mary), Canadian Club whiskey, ice wine, and more beer than you can shake a stick at (Labatts, Alexander Keith’s, Molson). Cheers!!
7. No shortage of picnic spots
Canada’s national parks are nothing short of spectacular, and cover over 340,000 km of area. Canada’s largest national park, Wood Buffalo National Park, alone could fit the entirety of Denmark in it. Canada’s parks are home to boreal forests, beaches, and waterfalls.
And animals! Don’t even get us started on the animals! Canada’s national parks are pivotal to the preservation of several species of endangered animals, including whooping cranes, plains bison, and the Western screech owl, among others.
Canada’s first urban national park, Rouge National Urban Park, opened up in Toronto in 2015, making it one of the largest urban protected areas on the globe. Several conservation projects are underway for the park, ranging from wetland and stream restoration to frog monitoring to tree planting.
Canadians also love their trees. Over 34% of Canada is made up of forest area, translating to over 300 billion trees (or almost 9,000 trees per resident).
6. Canadianisms rule, eh?
Take off ya hoser. Get off the chesterfield, put on your bunnyhug and runners and go get us a two-four. Translation: Go away you unsophisticated person. Get off the sofa, put on your hooded sweatshirt and sneakers and go get us a case of twenty-four bottles of beer.
Although Canada’s two official languages are English and French, like most countries, it has its own vernacular.
Common Canadian colloquialisms include:
- Canuck – slang term for a Canadian (not to be confused with a Vancouver hockey player)
- Queue – sounds like the letter ‘Q’, and refers to a lineup
- Toque – a wool knit cap, similar to a beanie, often with a pom-pom on top
- Klick – short for kilometer, our preferred metric system unit of length of choice
- Snowbirds – Canadian retirees who live half the year in Canada (the warm half of the year, that is) and half the year in a climate where the cold weather isn’t trying to actively kill them (oftentimes Arizona or Florida)
Adorable, amiright?
5. Winter living
Winter in Canada is c-c-cold! Canada has been known to get snow in July. Winnipeg, Manitoba averages 113 days per year where the temperature is below freezing (just for context, this equates to sub-zero temperatures EVERY DAY from November 15 – March 8). Thunder Bay, Ontario’s average annual daily minimum temperature is -3.4 C (or 26 F). There is a reason that toques are so popular in Canada.
When you live in a winter wonderland for a good portion of the year, you learn how to embrace it! And Canadians sure have. In Newfoundland one can kick off the summer season by kayaking on past some icebergs. In Cochrane, Ontario one can stand in a wading pool and have their picture taken with a polar bear. In Quebec City one can sleep, and enjoy fine dining, in a hotel made of ice. And in Alberta, tourists flock every year to the Columbia Icefields to hike along a glacier. From the world’s largest winter carnival (Carnaval de Quebec) to dog sledding to ice fishing to their rich ski and snowboard culture, those living in the Great White North aren’t about to let some frigid blizzard conditions hold them back!
4. The good ol’ Canadian brand
Canada’s brand is on point. Ever been travelling abroad and seen a maple leaf on a backpack? Of course you have. Did you know there is a 67% chance that the traveler in question isn’t even from Canada, but merely trying to piggyback off of Canadian’s international reputation for being friendly, fun and welcoming? Did you know that 81% of all statistics are made up? Did you know that I just made up both of those statistics?
Anyhoo, it isn’t unheard of to come across Canadian imposters while abroad. And with good reason. The international community by and large loves Canadians. Intelligent, but not arrogant. Patriotic, but not fanatic. Inclusive and welcoming. Appreciative and respectful. Non-threatening and humorous. If Canada was a person it would be the internet’s boyfriend, Keanu Reeves.
3. Legalization
In October 2018, Canada became the second country in the world (behind Uganda) to legalize cannabis. In so doing they have taken strides towards eliminating the cannabis black market, and the health risks that come along with unregulated product, have reduced cannabis-related arrests, and have provided a new tax revenue stream for the government. While legalization hasn’t been without its hiccups, a couple of the major concerns expressed in the lead-up to October 2018, namely an increase in the frequency of cannabis use among youth and increased impaired driving incidents, have not materialized.
2. Big and smart
Canada is big. Like, second-biggest country in the world big (behind Russia and just ahead of China and the US). Like, 6.1% of the world’s total landmass big. Like, you could fit the United Kingdom in Canada 40 times big. However, their population is wee, comparatively speaking. Canada has approximately the same populations as Poland and Morocco, at roughly 37 million, however these nations are much smaller size-wise, 120,726 square miles and 172,413 square miles respectively as compared with Canada’s vast 3,855,102 square mile footprint. And when you consider the populations of the world’s third and fourth largest nations (with China at 1.4 billion and the US at 330 million), Canadians definitely have no shortage of space. Even with the average Canadian home coming in at 1,792 square feet (placing Canada in third place on the house size global scale, behind Australia and the US), Canadians still have room to spare.
Canada is also a highly educated nation – the most educated country in the world, in fact. 62% of 25 – 34 year-old Canadians have a post-secondary education. Having an abundantly educated society comes along with a host of tremendous benefits, from the tangible (increased wages leading to more tax revenue, increased innovation and productivity, and less reliance on social assistance programs) to the intangible (responsible citizenship and heightened political participation).
1. Hollywood North
The film and television production sector is on the rise in Canada – the industry grew 88% between 2009 and 2018. Vancouver is the third largest film production centre in North America, earning it the moniker Hollywood North.
A number of highly successful movies have been filmed in Canada. Titanic, Means Girls, Suicide Squad, X-Men are just a handful of the blockbuster hits that were filmed in the Great White North.
Canada has also produced some notable contributors to the entertainment industry. Ever laughed at a Ryan Reynolds Aviation Gin ad? Watched an episode of Schitt’s Creek or Workin’ Moms? Enjoyed the comedic stylings of Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, Russell Peters, or Mike Myers? Appreciated performers Drake, Rachel McAdams, Michael J. Fox, Justin Beiber, or Celine Dion? Sat through a James Cameron, David Cronenberg, Atom Egoyan, or Ivan Reitman-directed film? Fun fact: you know Keifer Sutherland? Well, his grandfather Tommy Douglas was responsible for implementing universal health care in Canada, while serving as Premier of Saskatchewan in 1947. Canada is less about reality stardom and more about brilliant, authentic (and often hilarious) talent. You’re welcome.