The Prairies

Primarily located in southern Saskatchewan but sprinkled into lower Alberta and Manitoba are the Canadian Prairies. The Canadian Prairies are the northernmost section of the Great Plains of North America. Once a thriving wild grassland the Canadian Prairies have since been converted into almost exclusive...

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Moose

Photo By Bell Ronald L, Moose are the largest of all the deer species. Males are immediately recognizable by their huge antlers, which can spread 6 feet from end to end and are used to fight off other moose that try to steal his girl during mating season. Moose have long faces and muzzles that...

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Killbear Provincial Park

Killbear Provincial Park is immortalized in many Group of Seven paintings and a visit to the park feels like you are stepping into the canvas. Rocky shores jutting into Georgian Bay; clear, weedless water; weatherworn trees gripping for purchase on the rocks; and an array of earthy colours that change...

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Canadian Winter Festivals

We Canadians have learned to embrace what others typically hide away from. The frigid cold of winter is one of those things we cannot escape (until we are 65+ and become snowbirds) so we make the best of it by having a big party! All across Canada, cities, towns and communities host winter festivals...

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Cirque du Soleil

The word circus was once synonymous with kitsch and frivolity. While it was always about spectacle, the word for many conjures up visions of caged animals, questionable workers and greedy schemes to give people little entertainment for maximum profit. Photo by TBWABusted  Cirque...

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Toques

We Canadian’s have weird words for normal things. Some examples include: a 3 seater sofa being called a chesterfield, the great folk in Saskatchewan call hooded sweatshirts bunnyhugs and a 24 count case of beer is called a two four.                    ...

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Poutine

In a small town in rural Quebec in the 1950's a hero was made. With the simple act of adding cheese curds to their french fries and gravy, this mysterious person created an entire food group for future Canadians. Glorious Poutine By Yuri Long from Arlington, VA, USA - road_trip-9349.jpg, CC BY 2.0,...

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Trans-Canada Highway

A POST BY MIKE CIUFFINI The Trans-Canada Highway connects all ten provinces of Canada from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. The main stretch of the highway runs 8,030 km, and in total, about 12,800 km of road are classified as the Trans-Canada Highway, making it one of the longest road...

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Quebec Swear Words

I have often laughed at actors in movies portraying a frustrated French Canadian yelling out a loud "Tabernak!!" I laughed, but I never really understood the meaning behind the french curse words. This post is for those who have ever wondered why Quebec swear words have a religious tone to them. photo...

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Elijah McCoy

Ever wonder where the saying "The real McCoy" comes from? Canadian inventor Elijah McCoy's automatic lubricating system out preformed the competition by such a large margin that railroad engineers would be sure to avoid imitators by requesting "The real McCoy" system. By Rights Held by: Ypsilanti...

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The Montreal Bagel

The Montreal bagel, is a extraordinary variety of handmade and wood-fired baked bagel. In contrast to the New York-style bagel, the Montreal bagel is smaller, thinner, sweeter and denser, with a larger hole, and is always baked in a wood-fired oven. It contains malt, egg,...

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Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mont Royal

In 1904, Saint André Bessette (Brother Andre), began the construction of St. Joseph, a small chapel on the slopes of Mont Royal near Notre Dame College. Soon the growing number of the congregation made it too small. In 1917 a larger church was completed that had a seating capacity...

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Bay of Fundy

The Bay of Fundy stretches out over 320 km across Canada's epic East Coast. Separating Nova Scotia and New Brunswick it is home to the highest tides on earth, the rarest whales in the world, you can even find dinosaur fossils; convincing an international panel of well respected experts in 2014 to choose...

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The Red Green Show

Red Green DVD Home Screen The Red Green show is about a handyman who tries to find shortcuts to most of his projects, trusting most of his work to duct tape, which he calls "the handyman's secret weapon." In one episode, he tried to duct tape the Ontario-Quebec border as a potential...

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Kraft Dinner

No Canadian Childhood is complete without the delicious bright orange cheese sauce of KD also known as Kraft Dinner. When it comes to the consumption of boxed mac and cheese, Canadians eat a whopping 55 per cent more of it a year than Americans do. Out of the 7 million boxes sold weekly around...

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Canada's Wonderland

Located in Vaughan, Ontario (about 20 mins north of downtown Toronto on a good traffic day) is Canada's largest theme park, Canada's Wonderland. The park has over 65 rides, 16 of those being high thrill, pure adrenaline roller coasters. Interestingly enough, Canada's Wonderland is ranked second in the...

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The Honda Indy Toronto

Going fast is a lot of fun, there is no doubt, but the best place to go fast is on the track and it's probably best to leave it to the professionals, like the ones that drive at the Honda Indy.  A few years back I enjoyed two laps in a ride along as part of the Honda Indy Experience on the...

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The North American Beaver

Photo from CBC article The Beaver (castor canadensis) was key to our country's creation. Beavers topped the wildlife most wanted list in the 1600s and early 1700s when fur hats became ''So hot right now'' in the world of European fashion. Because North America had an impressive beaver...

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BeaverTails

Photo from Wikipedia I will take ''Delicious fried Canadian treats'' for $800 Alex. That's right fellow Canadians, ''What is a BeaverTail'' was once an answer on the TV game show Jeopardy. They are a pretty big deal in Canada. The BeaverTails pastry is fried dough individually hand stretched...

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Thousand Islands National Park

Imagine windswept white pines and picturesque granite islands intertwined along the Saint Lawrence River where you can explore secluded bays by kayak or powerboat. Enjoy your time by the river or spend the night in one of the waterfront oTENTik's (One part cabin, one part tent). Thousand Islands...

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Montreal Smoked Meat

Photo from Serious Eats While it's true origins are as hazy as the hot smoke that brings this kosher brisket to completion, Montreal Smoked Meat (or just smoked meat if you are in Montreal) has been popular in Montreal delis since the 19th Century. Served with mustard on a couple of slices of...

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Mr. Dressup

Photo from CBC article Mr. Dressup is a children's television show that aired every weekday morning on Canadian television sets across the country from 1967 - 1996, and if you missed it you would be so mad at yourself because you missed out on all of the songs, stories, arts, crafts, and imagination...

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The Canadian Patch

Used under creative commons. Creator: meddygarnet A POST BY MIKE CIUFFINI Around the world Canadians are thought to be polite, happy-go-lucky and generous. When people hear you are from Canada, they seem to treat you the same way we would treat them. For Canadian travellers backpacking...

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Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky scores his first NHL goal, a weak dribbler between the legs of Vancouver Canucks goaltender Glen Hanlon, in a 4-4 tie at Pacific Coliseum. Photo from Vancouver Courier Wayne Douglas Gretzky  born January 26, 1961  played twenty seasons in the National Hockey League for...

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Canadian Soccer

A POST BY MIKE CIUFFINI A more distinctive Canadian identity for soccer is beginning to take shape. The success of Canadian teams in North America’s top professional league, Major League Soccer (MLS), the rise of our women's national team into fourth place in FIFA rankings and...

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All Dressed Chips

In 2015 the USA became the First country besides Canada to offer up the delicious taste blend that is, All Dressed. Combining the flavours of the 4 pillars of Canadian potato chips world, Barbarcue,  Sour Cream and Onion, Ketchup, and Salt and Vinegar, All Dressed has been a Canadian favourite...

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