Things to Do in Canada 178 (Canada Day)

Good morning!

Did you know? Canada became a country on July 1, 1867, when the British Parliament passed the British North America Act. However, our beautiful flag wasn’t created until February 15, 1965, almost 100 years later. Until then, we were still flying the Union Jack.

Speaking of July 1st, Canada’s 157th birthday is just around the corner. For those that don’t know, our YouTube show started in 2017 when we did a 150-day road trip across Canada to celebrate the big 150. It’s a big day in Canada and a good time of year to brush up on your Canadian facts. You could even start with the easiest Canada-themed questions ever asked on Jeopardy, and see how good you do!

So, grab a little flag, wear something red, and enjoy the 178th edition of the Weekly Goose!

Read

We learned so much about Canada when we drove across the country in 2017. However, it’s much easier to start with some fun and interesting facts…

Beaver Bites

  • Canada Day is normally a big celebration across the country, so it’s sad to see the celebrations cancelled in Montreal this year, due to alleged bureaucratic issues between the organizer and the city.

  • The newly expanded BMO Centre officially opens in Calgary. With more than one million square feet of floor space and the ability to host 33,000 guests at once, it is now Western Canada's largest convention centre.

  • National Geographic’s list of the most beautiful lakes in the world is out and one Alberta lake made the cut.

  • Did you know you can travel between Canada and the USA by train? Well, maybe not this summer. Amtrak and CN have cancelled train service between Montréal and New York.

  • Finally, a chance to be a virgin again. After a 10-year hiatus, Virgin Atlantic is returning to Canada in 2025 with daily flights between Toronto and London, England! Fares are starting from about CAD 675.

  • Lethbridge might be known for coulees and train bridges, but now they can add popsicle stick towers to their list. At a height of 88.9 feet, a group of students aim to reclaim the Guinness World Record for the tallest popsicle stick tower after it was nabbed by a guy in Brazil.

  • After striking ice and sinking in 1962, Explorer Ernest Shackleton's last ship was found off Labrador's south coast.

Watch

As mentioned, we travelled across the country for 150 days for Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017. After creating a 12-part video series about each province and territory, we also made a video about why people love Canada and a video about how the series got its start. Enjoy!