13 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT CANADA

So I found this article www.readersdigest.ca...

So without further adieu, here is the TOP 13 List of things you didn't know about Canada:

1. Our Parliament Has a Sanctuary for Stray Cats

Originally cats were used in the Parliament buildings to control mice. A colony of strays have lived just behind the Parliament buildings since the 70’s. Fed and cared for by volunteers, today’s residents live in little wooden houses and have their own blog and Facebook page.

2. One of Our Prime Ministers Used a Crystal Ball

William Lyon Mackenzie King (he’s the one on Canada’s $50 bill) also tried to get advice from his dead mother at séances he held in his home. You can still see his crystal ball in the library of Laurier House in Ottawa - now a National Historic Site.

3. We Launched a Secret Project To Build an Aircraft Carrier Made From Ice

Patricia Lake, just a 10-minutes outside of Jasper AB, was the site of 'Operation Habbakuk' a bizarre top-secret WWII military experiment. The 1943 mission was to build a 1-to-50-scale prototype of an aircraft carrier using ice and sawdust. The site is now marked by a roadside plaque and submerged monument.

4. Our Beavers Built a Dam Visible From Outer Space

First discovered by an environmental researcher using Google Earth in 2007, the dam is located just inside Wood Buffalo National Park, the 2nd largest protected area in the world. The dam stretches 2,790 feet.

5. Our Cities Have Some of the Freshest Air in the World

When the World Health Organization studied air quality between 2003 and 2010, in 1,100 cities in 91 countries, they ranked Whitehorse YK as having the freshest. Also in the top ten: British Columbia’s Nanaimo, Terrace, Nelson, Kitimat and Burns Lake, plus Corner Brook, NL and Fredericton, NB.

6. Have a Taste of Home When You Travel

Order a sandwich with Dijon mustard in France or a dressed hot dog in a US ballpark and smile with some national pride: the mustard was likely made with seeds from our Prairies. Canada is the world's largest exporter of mustard seed, 80% is grown in brilliant yellow fields in Saskatchewan.

7. Iceberg Vodka? How about Iceberg Wine?

One of the best places in the world to view icebergs is in the village of Twillingate, NL, and it’s a winery in this community that is now using Iceberg water to make wines: Black Currant Iceberg, Bakeapple Iceberg, etc.

8. Leave Your Door Unlocked in Churchill Manitoba...or Else!

Canada is home to about 15,000 polar bears, and every autumn a few of big white guys wander right into the town of Churchill, MB. Doors are left unlocked so you can duck in if you have an unexpected encounter.

9. You Can Drink a Toe Cocktail in Dawson City, Yukon

It’s true! If you make up to the land of the midnight sun drop by the Sourdough Saloon at the Downtown Hotel and for $5 you can try the Sour Toe Cocktail yourself. This bizarre ritual began in 1973 with a miner’s toe that had been amputated in the 1920’s.

10. One of Our Cities Aims To Be the World's Greenest by 2020

In a recent study of 27 major North American cities Vancouver ranked the second greenest, after San Francisco. Now Vancouver is aiming to be No. 1 in the world by 2020. They have a Greenest City Action Plan, Team, Website, and Greenest City Fund of 2 million dollars!

11. We Have the World's Most Dark Sky Preserves

Missing the stars because of city lights? Jasper AB, at 11,228km2. is now the largest Dark Sky Preserve in the world. It means businesses and residents use shielded lights, etc. to protect nocturnal wildlife habitat and enable night sky viewing. Most are in National Parks, from Cypress Hills and Grasslands National Park SK, to Fundy National Park NB, which will be dark sky compliant by 2013.

12. We've Minted Many of the World's Coins

Carry coins in Cuba, Yemen, Columbia or Iceland and you could be more in touch with home than you realize. Our Royal Mint has produced coins for more than 60 other countries. And, we are known for being innovative: this year we are producing a ‘glow-in-the-dark’ dinosaur quarter.

13. Just Think, Being Canadian Means You Could Be From...

Climax, Conception Bay, Snowflake, Moonbeam, Likely, Pooh Lake, Ripples, Paradise, Punkeydoodles Corners, Eyebrow, Elbow, Dildo, Happy Adventure, Love, Snafu Creek, Garden of Eden or Brilliant!

ex. Dildo, Newfoundland & Labrador


ex. Pooh Lake, Ontario

Awesome. Thanks for sharing. And I always thought America was the crazy county. Look at Canada and everything weird over there!

Don't forget about our best baseball team!

Yes, we sure do love the Blue Jays!

Although the view of Mount Rushmore sucks from this side of the border!

Is it true you guys have a strategic Maple Syrup reserve with high level security?

Originally posted by Josephus
Is it true you guys have a strategic Maple Syrup reserve with high level security?

Yup... its true

Closely guarded by the Royal Canadian Guard




So watch out if you plan to invade our stash... They take no prisoners

I went to Canada for a couple of days back in 1988, had a lot of fun, the strip bar there was legendary

reply to post by Skywatcher2011


The aircraft carrier made from ice was a British idea and not Canadian.

en.wikipedia.org...

Ya 10 out of 13 not bad
But just in case you miss it

Only in Canada
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Oh Canada!


"We all think that it's kind of a drag, that you have to go there to get milk in a bag, they say 'eh' instead of 'what' or 'duh' that's the mighty power of Canada."

Trailer Park Boys, nuff said.

reply to post by Skywatcher2011


Fun and interesting stuff.

Gotta tell ya, though. It needs to be said.

Your Canadian bacon tastes a lot like pork or ham. Did we intentionally give you the wrong recipe?



OMG! I may have just given out a U.S. secret. Look out Snowden, I'm moving in!

P.S. I don't want to hear that bacon dates back to 1500 BC. We Americans invented it! I can't HEAR you!

Originally posted by jiggerj
reply to post by Skywatcher2011

 

Fun and interesting stuff.

Gotta tell ya, though. It needs to be said.

Your Canadian bacon tastes a lot like pork or ham. Did we intentionally give you the wrong recipe?

OMG! I may have just given out a U.S. secret. Look out Snowden, I'm moving in!

P.S. I don't want to hear that bacon dates back to 1500 BC. We Americans invented it! I can't HEAR you!

Sorry, that honour goes to England:-

bacon.wikia.com...

reply to post by Skywatcher2011

Don't forget www.youtube.com... and Doug MacKenzie
Take off Hoser!

Cheers to all you Great White North Inhabitants.

I love you Folks! S&F

Originally posted by Sharingan
I went to Canada for a couple of days back in 1988, had a lot of fun, the strip bar there was legendary

I heard Montreal is good for this part in the entertainment industry...that's just what I heard, don't know if it is true!

reply to post by Skywatcher2011


What a fun thread! Do it again.

You forgot one: Nazi

Originally posted by spartacus699
You forgot one: Nazi

Can you elaborate on this please...?

great post, the history of Canada.