20 Facts About Canada That Should Surprise You

In a country so vast as our own, you might expect that some weird things might happen here and there. If you did expect this, you'd be right. Canada is home to some seriously strange facts. Here are twenty of them that should surprise you:

1. We are the snake capital of the world - Well, Narcisse, Manitoba is the garter snake capital of the world. The Narcisse Snake Dens are home to tens of thousands of the harmless red-sided garter snake.

2. There is a crater on the planet Mars named after Gander, Newfoundland - The crater was named for Gander because the smaller craters on Mars are only named after towns with a population less than 100,000. Gander has always been committed to the development of aviation and spaceflight, so it was chosen to be the namesake for a little Martian crater.

3. Banff National Park has spent millions building animal overpasses. The Trans Canada highway can be a dangerous place for even the largest of wild Canadian animals. In Banff, they’ve poured money into building overpasses that prevent road accidents and save the lives of thousands of animals and humans each year.

4. There’s a U.F.O landing pad in St. Paul, Alberta. It was the very first U.F.O. landing pad built in the world, and subsequently put St. Paul, Alberta on the map. Next year is the fiftieth anniversary of the landing pad, and big plans to celebrate are already underway.

5. There is a polar bear prison in Churchill, Manitoba. Polar bears outnumber the human population in this tiny Manitoba town of 800. These great white bears are known to roam the streets and strike terror into the hearts of the locals. The town has resorted to capturing the bears, housing them in an old hangar converted into a prison, complete with cells, and then airlifting the massive beasts so far out of town they won’t be able to find their way back any time soon.

6. We are ranked the most educated country in the world. That’s right. More people in Canada, per capita, have a post secondary education than any other nation on earth.

7. Santa is Canadian - Canada claimed Santa’s address and all letters to the jolly old fella get sent to the Great White North. Immigration Canada even declared the rotund myth a Canadian citizen.

8. Canada became independent in the eighties. Canada did not earn its independence until 1982, meaning we have only been completely free of British rule for 34 years.

9. The Germans invaded the St. Lawrence River during World War 2. Yes, several times German U-boats made their way up the St. Lawrence and, while they were never able to land on Canadian shores, they did manage to sink 23 Canadian merchant ships and 4 Royal Canadian Navy ships, killing over 300 people. Nonetheless, it is considered a Canadian victory, as the Canadian armed forces were able to prevent the Germans from landing on Canadian soil.

10. It is possible our leader could lead for as long as he lives. That’s right, there are no term limits to the highest office in Canadian politics. As long as we keep electing our Prime Minister, he can continue to lead our country, until he dies.

11. Canadian dairy cows are never given hormones, so our dairy products are hormone free. We also have the cleanest tap water, often graded well above that of bottled water.

12. During World War 2, the Dutch Royal family moved to Ottawa to stay out of harm’s way. The Germans had occupied the Netherlands. While living in Canada’s capital, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands became pregnant. In order for the child to be a Dutch princess, she needed to be born in Dutch territory, though, so Ottawa agreed to deem one hospital room extraterritorial, which ultimately means International territory, for the newborn to keep her title as a Dutch Princess. As a result, every year the Dutch send Ottawa thousands of tulips to keep thanking Canada for our accommodation, hospitality and understanding.

13. The Westboro Baptist church is not allowed entry into Canada. When Ottawa learned of the WBC’s plan to picket the funeral of Tim MacLean, the victim in a horrific and very public murder case in Winnipeg, they shut that down faster than you can say, “Double Double”.

14. We have a glow in the dark, special edition dinosaur quarter. Yep. Only a quarter of a million have been made. They were minted in 2012, and worth about thirty dollars each, now.

15. There’s a town in Saskatchewan called Forget, Saskatchewan. What were we talking about?

16. Alberta has a provincial park named Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. Sounds like something that might have been named in the wee hours of a Calgary Stampede after party, but alas, it actually fits. Named a UNESCO World Heritage site, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is a monument to an ancient style of hunting. The jump is where local natives would stampede bison off a cliff, cashing in on a bounty of fresh protein.

17. You can walk 18 kilometres through downtown Calgary without going outside. Their +15 walkway is 15 feet above ground, and was built to help pedestrians get around in brutal winter temperatures.

18. Vancouver Island has a radio station that plays the sounds of whales 24/7. Unsurprisingly, it’s named Orca FM.

19. Winnie the Pooh was, in a roundabout way, named for the city of Winnipeg. A.A. Milne often visited a Canadian black bear at the London Zoo, who had been named Winnie, for its original owner’s hometown of Winnipeg. Milne subsequently named his character bear after the real bear.

20. Sudbury is home to a 2km deep neutrino observatory. While no longer in use, it was built to detect solar neutrinos, and was so high-tech that Stephen Hawking himself had to come visit.

Are there any strange facts about Canada that you know? Let us know in the comments!