Did you know…?
- Nunavut became Canada’s third territory April 1, 1999. Carved entirely out of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut covers 2 million sq km, or approximately one-fifth of Canada’s surface. Of the 30,000 residents, 85% are Inuit. “Nunavut” is an Inuktitut word meaning “Our Land.”
- Canada’s most beautiful beach isn’t on the west coast. Surprise! It’s Grand Beach in Manitoba, widely recognized as one of North America’s 10 best beaches.
- Speed skater Cindy Klassen is Canada’s most decorated Olympian of all time. She is from Winnipeg, MB. Klassen won five medals at the Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, where she was dubbed “Woman of the Games” by Jacques Rogge. She started as an ice hockey player and is a descendant of Mennonite immigrants.
- Québec City, QC, known for its romantic architecture, cobblestone streets, beautiful parks (some former estates), formal gardens and rich history, turns 400 in 2008.
- Chefs in Newfoundland and Labrador are using salt fish, caribou and cod tongues in pursuit of an exciting and new regional haute cuisine.
- Canada has a desert, and it’s in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. The 25-km-long desert is part of a system that extends right through the US and into Mexico’s Sonoran Desert. It’s home to over 100 rare plants and 300 rare invertebrates.
- Linda Evangelista, one of the original five “supermodels,” hails from St. Catharine’s, ON. One of the newest international supermodels is Jessica Stam from Kincardine, ON; she was discovered in a Tim Hortons.
- Charlottetown, PEI, is the historic “Birthplace of Confederation.” Founders’ Hall is a new, 2,000-sq-m heritage attraction that houses the “Time Travel Tunnel,” which takes visitors from 1864 to Nunavut’s inception in 1999.
- British Columbia’s film and TV industry is a $1 billion industry. It is the third-busiest film and television production centre in North America in terms of foreign productions.
- Montréal, QC hosted the Olympic Games in 1976; Calgary, AB hosted in 1988; Vancouver, BC is next in 2010.
- Canada is the largest producer of ice wine — a refreshingly sweet dessert wine with high acidity — in the world. The ice wine industry is centred in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley and Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula. Pillitteri Estates Winery and Inniskillin are the top producers.
- Whistler Blackcomb, BC, is home to the longest ski season in North America, from November to June. The resort also boasts the largest skiable terrain in North America at 3,307 ha. In April, Whistler plays host to the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival.
- Toronto, ON is the third-largest live theatre centre in the English-speaking world after London, UK, and New York, NY.
- Spirit Island on Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, AB is the most photographed island in the world.
- Flirty and fun-loving despite its age, Lunenburg, NS was founded some 250 years ago, making it one of Canada’s oldest cities. “Old Town Lunenburg” is an acclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a colourful history, eccentric architecture and lively atmosphere.
- Ottawa, ON’s Rideau Canal is the world’s largest skating rink. It’s a 202-km-long waterway that links Lake Ontario at Kingston with the Ottawa River. Today, the canal is a playground — for skaters in the winter and for boaters in the summer. But its beauty belies a fascinating history full of struggle and triumph. The oldest continuously operated canal in North America — it celebrates its 175th anniversary in 2007 — it is Canada’s entry to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- When there is a wind-chill warning in Newfoundland and Labrador, how long does it take for exposed flesh to freeze? Five minutes or less.
- One of the main promulgators of the ski exploration boom in the 1930s was Cougar’s Milk, a Canadian original cocktail that combines hot water, rum and condensed milk. (Summits and Icefields by Chic Scott) Here’s the recipe, courtesy of Rhondda Siebens:
1/4 c sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c hot water
2 oz dark rum
nutmeg to taste
In a mug, combine the sweetened condensed milk, hot water and rum. Sprinkle with nutmeg. (A 300-ml can of sweetened condensed milk makes approximately five servings.)
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