PRPG:

It’s Canada Day!

July 1, 2014

On July 1, 1867, three North American colonies united to form a country, under the realm of England. They called it…Canada. Here are some weird things you might not know about the Great White North.

  • Canada Day TriviaCanada leads the world in natural deposits of potash, and is one of the top exporters of potash. What’s potash? Mined salt that’s rich in potassium.
  • In 2009, Toronto’s Blythe Academy became the world’s first high school to supply students with e-readers (a Sony model) loaded with electronic versions of textbooks, in lieu of printed books.
  • More dinosaur bones have reportedly been discovered in and around Drumheller, Alberta, than in any other city in the world.
  • In 2001, the Canadian cable channel PrideVision went on the air—the first channel in the world ever targeted specifically to gay and lesbian viewers.
  • Canada is about 10 percent water. The country is home to two million lakes—possibly as many as three million. Scientists really aren’t sure. Even the low end of that figure still means Canada has more lakes than every other country…combined.
  • Toronto is the international film capital of the world. Here’s how. India produces more than twice as many movies as Hollywood. Like the Oscars, the Indian film industry holds an annual Indian Film Academy Awards. In June 2011, they were held for the first time in North America, in Toronto…where dozens of Hollywood movies are filmed each year.
  • Insulin was discovered by a Canadian (Dr. Frederick Banting, in 1922). Ironically, other Canadian innovations include the BeaverTail (it’s the Canadian equivalent of an Elephant Ear), Nanaimo bars, and poutine.
  • 80 percent of the world’s polar bears are Canadian, and 85 percent of the world’s maple syrup supply comes from Canada (which means it’s probably the only place on Earth where you could see a polar bear eating maple syrup).

Want more weird Canada? Then check out Weird Canada!