The name Canada likely comes from the Huron-Iroquois Indian word Kanata, which means village or settlement and it was actually named through a misunderstanding. In 1535, when French explorer Jacques Cartier traveled with Indian youths, they used the word for Stadacona, a village where Quebec City is located today.
Cartier then used the word Canada to refer to the entire surrounding area, and in 1547, Canada appeared on maps pertaining to land north of the St. Lawrence River.
Maple Syrup
Of all the world’s maple syrup, 71% comes from Canada, which probably isn’t that surprising when we think about it. But what is fascinating is that 91% of maple syrup production occurs in Quebec alone, according to Pure Canada Maple.
Canada also makes up 80% of global green lentil exports, with 95% produced in Saskatchewan.
Quebec is a First in More Ways than One
Quebec was builtin 1695, with this city's fortifications reach nearly 4.6 kilometers, which is almost three miles. Québec City sits on the Saint Lawrence River in Canada's mostly French-speaking Québec province.
This means that Quebec is the only walled city north of Mexico. As if that wasn't enough, Quebec was also the first city in North America to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Royal Golf
The Royal Montreal Golf Club was founded in 1873, is the oldest golf club in North America. It's also the oldest in continuous existence. It was established by eight men in 1873. Queen Victoria granted permission to use the prefix "Royal" back in 1884.
The Royal Montreal was one of the five founding clubs of the Royal Canadian Golf Association, founded in 1895 as the governing body of golf in Canada. This governing body organizes the major national championships and the Canadian Open, the first of which was played at Royal Montreal in 1904.
Chuckwagon Racing
For one week in July, the city of Calgary transforms into the home of the Calgary Stampede. The first time the chuckwagon race was held was at the Calgary Stampede occurred back in 1923, with prizes totaling $275.
To get the Canadian Championship title, each ensemble - which consisted of four horses, wagon, driver, and four helpers - were required to make a figure of eight around barrels, head out through a backstretch, then around a track, unhook the horses from the wagon, and first one to finish wins.