We’ve compiled a list of fascinating facts about Canada. We’ve done our research on various features of this country, from basic safety to entertainment.
1. Canada has a UFO landing site.
St. Paul, a small town in the province of Alberta, is home to the world’s first UFO landing site. It is a massive pedestal that is meant to be a place where aliens can land. It was built in the 1960s when space exploration first began and even has a time capsule that is to be opened in the 2060s.
However, it has a more touching meaning than this: the people of Canada do not actually expect any aliens to land there one day, but rather, this monument symbolizes their openness and acceptance of everyone, whoever may come.
2. People are polite.
It’s common to believe that Canadians are extremely polite, as this belief comes from the fact that Canadians apologize a lot. And it’s true — in fact, in the province of Ontario, the government passed an “Apology Act” that states if a person says “sorry” in court, it does not necessarily mean an admission of guilt, it’s just manners.
3. Canada has one of the world’s largest immigration rates.
Being a foreigner in Canada is nothing uncommon. According to statistics, over 20% of the Canadian population was born abroad. Although immigration to the country is not an easy process, many people succeed, so there is always a chance for you too, if you ever decide to move there.
4. Canada is one of the most educated countries in the world.
In 2019, Canada recorded an all-time high record for the number of Canadians who earned some sort of post-secondary degree, with an impressive 73% of Canadians aged 25-34. The education quality there has received high praise from experts, naming it one of the best.
5. Canada holds bathtub racing competitions.
The annual bathtub racing competition has been around since the 1960s and is held every year in July. It’s a big event that even has its own merchandise due to its popularity.
Anyone can enter the race provided they have a bath and satisfy the age requirements — and can drive for nearly 37 miles (60 kilometers) in their bathtub. Each year, over 100 people participate in the competition.
6. Police give out “positive tickets” for doing something good.
Some police departments in Canada started issuing positive tickets to youngsters to encourage them to do good things. The idea came to life because of the initiative of one police officer who had been working for many years. He thought encouraging young people and letting them know that their good deeds weren’t going unnoticed would get them to start being more responsible and responsive.
7. Canada has relatively low crime rates.
Canada is generally considered to be a safe country to live in and visit. Moreover, its capital, Ottawa, has one of the lowest crimes rates in the country.
8. The weather is not as cold as you think.
You may be used to thinking that Canada is a really cold country with never-ending snow, but it’s not really true. While in the northern parts the weather reaches extremely low temperatures, and summer lasts only 2 months, most Canadians do not live there. In Vancouver, one of the biggest cities, it does not even snow that often, but it’s very rainy.
9. Canada has its own versions of the Loch Ness Monster.
Ogopogo is a lake monster that supposedly lives in Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. The legend behind it comes from the First Nations folklore. While, of course, no such creature exists in real life, it is used as a symbol to promote the province in various media ads.
Among other mythical creatures that are said to exist in Canada’s waters, they have Igopogo, Manipogo, the Turtle Lake Monster, and many others! They all come from Canadian folklore.
10. Canada is home to 62% of the world’s lakes.
That’s right — Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. While lakes play an important part in the environment, they are also simply just a beautiful sight to see. And the country isn’t short on beautiful views.
Bonus: Canadian passports glow under ultraviolet light!
One fascinating thing about the Canadian passport is that every page in it lights up under ultraviolet light and makes it look absolutely gorgeous. Under ultraviolet light, you can also see hidden things there, like the fireworks in the picture above!
What factors would be important to you if you were to choose a country to relocate to? Have you ever been to Canada?
