The Friday File – Canadian Facts ‘o Fun!!

[photo courtesy of bing.com]

Here is a little list of fun Canuck facts for the start to the weekend!  Let’s take a look now, shall we?

• People in Churchill, Manitoba leave their car doors unlocked in case their neighbors need to make a quick escape from polar bears.
• There’s also a prison for polar bears who break into people’s homes for food.
• No cows in Canada are given artificial hormones for milk production.
• For one day in 1943, Ottawa designated a hospital room to be “extraterritorial” (international) ground so a Dutch princess could be born a full Dutch citizen.
• And every year the Netherlands sends Canada thousands of tulips to show their gratitude [for the part Canada played in liberating the Netherlands from Nazi Germany occupation in WWII].  This inspired Ottawa’s annual Tulip Festival.
• Canada has banned the Westboro Baptist Church members from entering the country and picketing funerals.
• Kraft Dinner (known in the US as, “Mac and Cheese”) is the top-selling grocery item in the country. Canadians consume 55% more of it than Americans do.
• The quality of their tap water is often better than bottled water.
• Canada is the most educated country in the world.
• It has an “Apology Act.” It allows an apology in court to be a sign of compassion and empathy, not guilt.  And no doubt someone in Canada is apologizing for the “Apology Act”!
• In the 1930 World Cup, Canada’s hockey team was so good they didn’t even have to play knockout rounds and were placed directly in the final game. They then went on to win gold.
• Canada’s post office receives millions of letters addressed to “Santa Claus, North Pole” each year. They respond to each one as Mrs. Claus.
• They’ve claimed the address “Santa Claus, North Pole, H0H 0H0.”
• During the holiday seasons, it has a volunteer service that gives free rides to those too drunk or too tired to drive. The program is called “Operation Red Nose” and the drivers are called “sleigh deer”.
• The nation’s official phone number is 1-800-O-Canada.
• George Street in Newfoundland has more bars and pubs per square feet than on any street in North America.
• Canada does not allow pre-employment or randomized employee drug tests.
• An Ontario man invented Hawaiian pizza.
• Alberta, Canada, is the only region in the entire world free of Norwegian rats.
• In 1947, a group of kids protested after the price of chocolate bars were raised from 5 cents to 8 cents.
• The Citizenship and Immigration Minister declared that Santa Claus is Canadian.
• The term “trick or treat” was first used in Alberta.
• Canadian McDonald’s exclusively sell the McLobster.
• You can thank Kiefer Sutherland’s grandpa for bringing the country universal health care.
• The University of Victoria offers a course called the “Science of Batman.”
• In Saskatchewan, a hoodie is called a “bunnyhug.”
• Half of Canada’s provinces (which account for more than 85% of the population) are governed by women.
• Studies find Canadians to be the second happiest people in the world.  And they’re only getting happier.

[photo courtesy of http://1.bp.blogspot.com%5D

Thank to my friend Sandy for bringing this fun information to my attention (and thanks to http://www.buzzfeed.com/tanyachen/delightful-facts-about-canada) for the information.

And there you have it, folks.  A bit of “Crazy Canuck” curiosities to fill a Tim Horton’s mug and then some.  Have a great weekend, everyone!