Interesting Facts About Canadian Culture
Interesting Facts about Canadian Culture
I am an Indigenous Canadian who was born and raised in Canada.
Canada is a very interesting and eclectic country
I am going to share with you some interesting facts about Canadian culture.
Canadian Foods
What is Canadian food actually?
It is a lot of things… with a lot of variety.
If you’re in a big city like Vancouver or Toronto, you can pretty much guarantee that you will find food from so many different cultures.
Canadian cuisine combines other cuisines into the Canadian style.
Pizza, pasta, hamburgers, salads, roast beef, turkey, mashed potatoes, BLT sandwiches, stuffing, eggs, chicken vegetable soup, sandwiches, subs… I could go on and on…
The Classic Canadian Food
There are some classic foods that a lot of us grew up eating or maybe even make now.
Grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup! I know many people that remember watching The Flinstones cartoon at noon as they ate their grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch!
Poutine is another Canadian classic. Basically, you top your french fries with cheese curds then pour gravy over top of it all.
Another Canadian tradition is BeaverTails. This is not a tail at all, but a fried bread. If you would like to learn more about BeaverTails you can read 16 Epic Things To Do in Niagara Falls. There are BeaverTails shops in most tourist destinations in Canada.
Back in the day I remember eating Shepherd’s Pie for dinner. It’s a 3-layered casserole dish with ground beef or other meat of your choosing, then mixed vegetables like corn and carrots, then mashed potatoes on top.
Some people add cheddar cheese , then bake it in the oven.
A classic Canadian drink is a caesar.
This is a cocktail that is similar to the American’s Bloody Mary. The difference is that the Bloody Mary uses tomato juice, whereas the caesar uses clamato juice.
This is actually considered Canada’s National cocktail!
2nd Largest Country
As of 2024, there are 38,948,378 people living in Canada.
Canada is the 2nd largest country in the world, with only Russia being bigger than Canada.
Some people say that Canada is the most diverse country in the world.
It’s true that there is a huge population of people who have immigrated to Canada and people who are in Canada to work or study.
The diversity is also from the colonization and the effects of colonization too.
Canada and the United States share the largest land border in the world. It’s almost 9000 kms long!
Canada is also known for having the most amount of lakes than any other country.
Parks
There are so many amazing parks, conservation areas, hiking, mountains, escarpments and more.
There are way too many parks to possible list in 1 travel blog.
I recommend checking out the national, as well as provincial and territorial park pages.
You can check out the federal parks in Canada Parks Canada.
You can look for hiking, camping, special events, sports, accessible locations, pet-friendly locations, Indigenous experiences, historical experiences and much much more!
Some animals that you may see at some parks in Canada. There are areas of Canada that do not have these animals, but areas that do…
- bear
- deer
- moose
- elk
- raccoon
- skunk
- squirrel
- snake
- beaver
- fox
- lynx
- reindeer
- wolf
- cougar
- wood bison
- coyote
- chipmunks
- marten
- porcupine
- groundhog
- bat
- lemming
to name a few…
Of course, you will see different types of forests, lakes, rivers, hills, mountains, escarpment, trees, plants, flowers, and more depending on which area of Canada that you are in.
I made this large print word search book that is all about Canada! It features tourism, Indigenous culture, Canadian landmarks, sports and much more! Check it out at the link above!
Languages
The 2 main languages of Canada are English and French. Most people know this, but did you know about the other languages?
There are many Indigenous languages that exist in Canada. The Indigenous languages were around on the land long before Canada was called Canada.
Many Indigenous languages have survived the effects of colonization and residential schools. Many Indigenous Nations have programs or classes to help to revitalize and continue the language.
There are over 70 different Indigenous languages that are used across different parts of Canada.
Indigenous Land - Turtle Island
Before Canada was Canada, there were no borders between the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada.
This continent was and is called Turtle Island.
It’s called Turtle Island because the area (North America) looks like a turtle. The tail is the Mexico area, the side of Canada is the turtle’s arm.
You can learn more about Turtle Island here.
The many groups of Indigenous people mingled through different areas on Turtle Island following the seasons, food, water, and more.
It is now customary, although some places are not yet doing this, to acknowledge that Canada is on Indigenous land through a ‘land acknowledgement’.
The story of the name 'Canada'
Canada was originally called ‘Kanata’. ‘Kanata’ comes from an Indigenous language.
It means ‘village’, or some say ‘settlement’.
Jacques Cartier heard some Indigenous people that were walking in Canada. They referred to a village of Stadacona as kanata. He interpreted this to mean that the land was all called Kanata.
Maple Syrup
Maple Syrup is another Canadian tradition.
Tapping maple trees to get the ‘sweet water’ to make maple syrup.
There are many different types of maple treats and foods that you can get when you visit Canada.
To list a few, you can get:
- maple cookies
- maple candies
- maple toffee
- maple taffy
- maple sugar
- maple butter
- maple spirits
- maple syrup
There are many maple infused or flavoured foods. Some examples of common foods that are flavoured or infused with maple are: maple bacon, cereals, bagels, coffee, chocolates, donuts, popcorn, ice cream, meats, etc.
Did you know that there are 4 different types of maple syrup? Yep!
The 4 kinds of maple syrup are:
- Golden
- Amber
- Dark
- Very Dark
The taste and the colour is a little bit different with each maple syrup.
Provinces and territories
Canada has 10 provinces. There used to only be only 2 territories, but that changed in 1999.
Canada created a new territory called Nunavut. Nunavut means ‘our land’ in Inuktitut. This is an Indigenous language of that area.
Basically the Northwest Territory was divided, and part became Nunavut because of Indigenous land claims.
I think that this is an interesting fact about Canadian culture. Did you know that each province has its own:
- flag
- flower
- capital city
- government
- bird
- tree
- coat of arms
- animal
- fish
- mineral
It’s true for example, Ontario’s flower is the trillium; Alberta’s bird is the great horned owl; Nova Scotia’s tree is the red spruce; and the Northwest Territories’s mineral is gold.
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is a world wide attraction. People come from so many different countries to visit Niagara Falls and see the Niagara Falls.
Did you know that there are actually 3 falls?
Yep! There is Bridal Veil Falls, the American Fall and the Horseshoe Falls.
The Horseshoe Falls are on the Canadian side, and sometimes called the Canadian Falls.
In my opinion, the horseshoe falls are the most epic waterfall out of the 3.
It is 150 feet high and curves like a horseshoe.
Also, the width of the horseshoe falls is 2590 feet wide!
There are so many great viewing points on the Canadian side to get close to the top of the Horseshoe falls.
If you want to see some of the FUN that you can have at Niagara Falls, check out these blogs. There is so much to do there, it doesn’t fit in 1 blog…
16 Epic Things To Do in Niagara Falls
CN Tower
It took just over 3 years and 3 months to build the CN tower!
They started building it on February 6th, 1973
On April 2nd, 1975 the CN tower was complete!
If you have never seen the CN Tower live, it’s huge!
It is 1815.5 feet tall, that’s 533 meters for those you who work with meters.
Did you know that you can climb to the top of the CN tower with the stairs. Would you do that? It’s only 1776 stairs! 😉
Maybe you don’t feel like climbing all of those stairs. No problem!
If you choose an elevator to get to the top, look down, there is a glass floor so you can literally watch the ground as you go up.
It takes 58 seconds to go from the ground to the main observation deck. 🤯
There is a lot going on in the CN tower too!
There is a gift shop to get your souvenirs.
When you’re at the top you can walk on the glass bottom floor. Not all areas are glass-bottomed so if you’re not up for that. ( no pun intended😉) then you can walk on the regular floor.
There is even a restaurant at the top of the CN Tower that slowly spins as you eat, giving you an amazing view from all angles!
In my opinion the Edge Walk is the most daring of the CN Tower activities.
You walk out on a 5 foot ledge at the top of the CN Tower. You are outside of the tower!
It actually holds the record as the world’s highest outdoor walk on a building.
You can learn more here: CN Tower.
If you are visiting Toronto, I have some Fun Spontaneous Day trips from Toronto to share with you!
Tim Hortons
The infamous place to get food and drinks.
It’s often called “Timmies” by Canadians.
Tim Horton’s can be found in pretty much every city and town, and there are usually many in cities!
Also, they are found at most train stations and airports that are bigger.
They are famous for their coffee, donuts, timbits, sandwiches, and breakfast wraps and sandwiches.
They are fast food, but not like fried burgers and pizza.
I am going to share some Canadianisms for ordering at Tim Hortons.
- Double-double = 2 sugar and 2 milk coffee
- regular = 1 sugar, 1 milk coffee
- timbits = the little circles, the hole from the donut
- 10 pack of timbits = box with 10 timbits, shown in picture
- Smile cookies = cookies with an icing happy face
- Ice cap = Iced Cappuccino drink
- Roll up the rim = unravel the top of the cup to reveal a message. You may win a prize!
If you’re visiting Canada, it’s one of those iconic things to try!
Canada Day
Canada Day is on July 1st.
There are celebrations at most towns, cities, town halls, and backyard parties too.
I went to the 150th celebration in Ottawa, which is the capital of Canada.
There were musical performances, speeches from the Prime Minister or other people.
Of course, there is always fire works on Canada Day too.
If you’re coming to Canada to enjoy Canada Day, there will be a long weekend or day off for mostly everyone.
You will find weekend long festivals at many places.
UNESCO sites
There are 20 UNESCO sites from one side of Canada to the other.
They range from mountains, parks and beautiful historical towns.
There is a park and UNESCO site called Dinosaur Provincial Park that is definitely worth visiting.
Also, seeing the Canadian Rocky mountains if you’re on the west side of Canada is a must!
Another UNESO site is Old Quebec, it’s beautiful!
I love visiting there, it feels like I have left Canada when I’m there!
Old Town Lunenburg is another UNESCO site, if you visit Lunenburg, you can also see the famous ship that is shown on the 10 cent coin in Canada.
If you want to know about more UNESCO sites, check out UNESCO.
Travel From coast to coast in Canada
Canada is a great place to take a road trip.
You can literally drive from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean!
The Trans-Canada is the highway that goes through all 10 of Canada’s provinces.
The route doesn’t go through the 3 territories.
You will see amazing mountains, flat plain lands, forest, large hills, farm land, cities and much more!
There is also different options to cross Canada and enjoy the scenery and experiences.
You can take a train across Canada.
A very famous and beautiful train ride is the Rocky Mountaineer! I highly recommend it!
Via Rail is another option that is more economical way to go across Canada.
You can also choose part of Canada, for example, from Toronto to Vancouver.
Wine Regions
An interesting fact about Canadian culture is the wine.
Canada is known for wines!
There is a lot of variety in the types of wines and the regions.
There are wine regions in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia and more.
If you want to learn a little bit more about the Wine regions and routes check out Fun Spontaneous Day trips from Toronto. The wine routes have official signs like the one shown below.
Something that is very unique for Canada is the ice wine.
Canada is famous for ice wine, in fact, there are even ice wine festivals.
You can use Viator to check for tours around Canada, including wineries in different areas of Canada like British Columbia and Ontario.
Canadian Sports
Hockey is a huge symbol and part of Canada. It is the most popular sport in Canada nowadays.
Ice hockey is not the only official sport of Canada though.
Lacrosse is the other official sport of Canada.
Lacrosse is an Indigenous sport that has spiritual connection and strong meaning for Indigenous people.
There is a national lacrosse league that has teams from Canada and the U.S.A. too.
As for hockey teams in Canada they are:
- Montreal Canadians
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Vancouver Canucks
- Edmonton Oilers
- Calgary Flames
- Ottawa Senators
- Winnipeg Jets
French
Another big part of Canadian culture is language.
As French is the other official language of Canada, there are French speaking areas of Canada.
If you speak French , or want to practice your French, you can immerse yourself into the French language in Canada.
Here are some places that I recommend visiting if you want to be around the French language.
Actually, Quebec is the only province to have French as their official language.
There are other areas of Canada that speak French.
New Brunswick is an official bilingual province, meaning that lots of people speak English and lots of people speak French.
There are also some other areas of Canada that have French speaking areas too, but not officially and not as much.
Tours around Canada
There are many fun and interesting tours and excursions that you can find on Viator.
You can check out your options, and even book, right here!
Where to Stay
There are some very interesting hotels in Canada.
Maybe you’re looking for a water park hotel, a cottage or lodge, a fancy hotel or anything in between.
There is even an ice hotel! Yes, an ice hotel!
Your bed and your walls are made of ice and some snow, but don’t worry they also have a jacuzzis, saunas, and fireplaces.
And no, your room doesn’t melt.
It is located in Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, which is close to Quebec city.
There are some really iconic hotels in Canada to name a few:
- La Chateau Frontenac- Quebec City
- Fairmont Royal York – Toronto
- Hotel de Glace (translates to Ice hotel) Quebec
- Tundra Lodge – Winnipeg
- An Aquarium! -Toronto or Vancouver
- A Light house – O’Leary
You can check through booking.com to browse and book your hotel right here.
Want to take a road trip across Canada?
If you fly to Canada, you can rent a car to enjoy the beautiful scenic drives in Canada.
You can make sure that you Always Pack these Road Trip Essentials no matter where you go in Canada.
I’m also sharing some Fun Spontaneous Day trips from Toronto with you in case you’re not up for driving across all of Canada!
If you’re in Ontario, here are some of The Best Natural Attractions in Ontario.
If you’re planning a cross country trip, make sure you know How To Be Prepared for a Long Trip.
Did you learn anything new about Canadian culture?
Did any of these interesting facts about Canadian culture surprise you?
Did any of the information in this blog inspire a future trip to Canada? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Thanks!
Besides being a travel blogger, I am also a travel writer, Amazon author and an English teacher. Check out my services here!
