The name Canada derives from an Iroquoian word for “village” kanata, that French explorers heard used to refer to the area near present day Quebec City.
Canada contains 3,855,103 square miles.
Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world at 151,600 miles.
Canada’s national animal is the beaver.
Canadians consume more Kraft Macaroni & Cheese per capita than any other nationality on Earth.
On July 1, 1867 the British North Americas Act created the Dominion of Canada as a federation of four provinces. This event is known as the confederation of Canada. The anniversary of this date was called Dominion Day until 1982. On October 27, 1982, the name was changed from dominion Day to Canada Day. July 1st is the 182nd day of the year, and there are 183 days left until the end of the year, making it close to the halfway point of the year. The Canadian Government does not count Sunday as Canada Day under the federal Holidays Act, if the first of July falls on a Sunday then July 2nd is the statutory holiday instead.
On July 1st, 1923, the Canadian Government enacted the Chinese Immigration Act, stopping all immigration from China. Chinese-Canadians began to refer to July 1st as Humiliation Day and refused to participate in Dominion Day celebrations, until the act was repealed in 1947.
In Quebec many people spend Canada Day moving their possessions from one house to another. This is because in the Province of Quebec, may home leases start on July 1 and last for exactly one year. Hence, many people in Quebec spend Canada Day moving and therefore in this province Canada Day is also known as Moving Day.
Famous Canadians born on Canada Day are: Estee Lauder, Jamie Farr, Dan Ackroyd and Pamela Anderson
Since the 1950’s the cross-border cousin cities of Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario have celebrated Canada Day and the United States’ Independence Day with the International Freedom Festival. A massive fireworks display is held each year, with fireworks exploding over the Detroit River, the strait that separates the two cities by less than one mile.
On Canada’s Centennial in 1967, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attended the celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Here are some Great Canadian Inventions:
Crispy Crunch
Baseball – First Game June 4, 1938 in Ingersoll Ontario
Lacrosse
Hockey
Basketball – invented by James Naismith
Apple Pie
Standard Time was invented by Canadian, Sanford Fleming
Velcro invented by Georges de Mestral in 1959
Zippers by Gideon Sundback
Insulin in 1920 by Dr. Frederick Banting
yes and last but not least……………….Superman
Hope you enjoyed these quirky insights into Canada
Tales and Travels of the Tinman 
Of all the interesting, and surprising, information presented here why is it that the one thing which keeps coming to mind is…..Really?! More Kraft Macaroni & Cheese per capita than any other nationality on Earth?!
I know……….that was the most fun and interesting thing!
Canada consumes more Kraft Mac & Cheese than Americans? I must be off my game. I’ll have to step it up.
Yes, let’s get going! I have my box ready to go right now………..this just isn’t right!
There are simply some things I’m not willing to do….not even for national pride. 😉 Couldn’t we just eat apple pie instead?
LOL……….right on . ………… let them have powdered cheese!
Very interesting! We sometimes take our neighbors to the north for granted and do not give them enough credit. I thought apple pie was all-American. And velcro, zippers and insulin…who knew?
Yes, I was quite surprised about the apple pie and superman……….things I always thought of as All American…………even basketball surprised me.
I learned a lot about Canada, and I’m quite impressed! Really interesting information – thanks!
so glad you enjoyed……
Nice!! Baseball invented by Canadians? I thought it was an American sport!!! Love Baseball…..
I know…………and APPLE PIE………..OMG
Good post.
I’m a big fan of the Canadian Rockies, if you get the chance you should visit.
I’ll also give them the macaroni cheese one (although I do like it), but do we really have to start saying “as Canadian as apple pie”???? Yikes!!!
Yes, it really is Canadian as Apple Pie……..we have much to learn.
Jamie Farr? Funny he doesn’t look Canada, eh! All joking aside THANK YOU Tin Man for tooting our horn. Canadians are so self effacing they don’t know how to blow their own horns. Now off to the kitchen to open a box of K.D. as it is affectionately known among the cognoscenti Virginia..
Yes, and I did not add soooooooooooooo many more important discoveries made by Canadians! You are so very correct in stating that Canadians are self effacing………..as you can see from the comments, many Americans are quite taken aback that “they” did not invent many of these things. It was very interesting research for me, as well. …………. and as for me Jamie Farr does look more like a Brit…….I was thinking he may have set the standard for hat wearing among the royales………….okay now I have gone a bit too far…….hehehehe cannot help myslelf!
I receive a certain amount of fashion advice from Jamie. It is one the reasons I watch Mash every day. I am also a big fan of William Christopher. When he performed dinner theatre in Regina, Saskatchewan he dined at our restaurant many times. It was surreal to answer the phone and hear that familiar voice from Mash asking us to be his guests at the dinner theatre. Virginia
WOW how wonderful was that………to be the guests of Father Mulcahy! What lovely memories. Wish I could have had the opportunity to dine at your restaurant!
Thank you for the info Emil
I thought the mac and cheese had to be an american speciality in all its shapes, forms and names
I know………funny isn’t it! I learned a great deal from this research myself.
So close but when the weather is so nice on the lake in Maine it is hard to leave. I’m thinking maybe Christmas this year.
Send some of that nice weather to poor parched Texas1
Oh…I wish I could.
Pam Anderson is a Canadian!?
Yes, she is!
Interesting fact about Canada. I never realized that Pam Anderson and Jamie Farr were from Canada.
Where DO you come up with these things? But do you seriously believe that about mac’n’cheese????
Love this stuff, Emil. (Not mac’n’cheese, your posts!)
LOL……………I told you the twisted metal mind of the Tin Man can conjure up all sorts of things! Yes, it is a documented fact that the Canadians consume more mac’n’cheese than the rest of us! Wait for the next post…………..”Strange Superstitions about Death”……….oh shades of Barnabas Collins……….