The town of Churchill, Manitoba, is situated right on the rim of the Arctic and being so far north; it is frequented by polar bears, who are often seen lumbering through town or holding traffic up.
It is customary for people in this small town to leave their houses and cars unlocked in order to offer some safety for a resident, in case they need to flee from a hungry bear!
Execution
Back in 1648, in a small village of New France in Canada, a military drummer was put on trial for being a homosexual.
The drummer was condemned to death, but after a last-minute intervention by Jesuit priests from the city of Quebec, the drummer's life was saved upon one condition: that he become New France's first official permanent executioner.
Voltaire and Canada
Voltaire was an 18th-century writer known for his cutting remarks as well as his well-put phrases, but he thought very little of Canada.
He belittled Canada, saying that it is a "country covered with snow eight months of the year, inhabited by barbarians, bears, and beavers."
A Country by Any Other Name
The name Canada originates from the language of the Iroquois, which means "village," but this name was not actually favored when it came to naming the young country after it gained independence in 1867.
The names that were initially proposed were Borealia, Laurentia, Ursalia, Victorialand, and Transatlantica. We must say we prefer Canada!
A Serious Choice
Back in 1995, the Canadian province of Quebec had a vote on whether they wanted to remain as part of Canada or leave and form an independent state. A massive 93% of the province came out to vote on the issue.
A very small amount of around 50,000 voters chose "No" on that day.