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Happy 159th, Canada!

Today, Canada turns 159 years old.

It's easy to focus on what's not working—rising costs, housing challenges, political debates, and all the other things that dominate the headlines. But Canada Day is a chance to zoom out and remember what we've built together.

From the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic, Canada is one of the largest, safest, and most beautiful countries on Earth. We're home to vibrant cities, welcoming communities, breathtaking wilderness, and a quality of life that remains the envy of much of the world.

We've spent the last decade exploring this country from coast to coast to coast, and if there's one thing we've learned, it's that Canada is much more than a place on a map. It's the people, the stories, the landscapes, and the experiences that connect us.

So this week, we're not telling you where to travel next.

We're simply celebrating the country that makes all those adventures possible.

Happy Canada Day, Canada. 🇨🇦

16 Incredible Things Canada Gave the World

Canada doesn't always brag about its accomplishments. We probably should more often.

💉 We discovered insulin.
In 1921, Frederick Banting and Charles Best at the University of Toronto discovered insulin as a treatment for diabetes. The university then licensed it royalty-free because saving lives mattered more than making money. Millions of people are alive today because of that decision.

🏀 We invented basketball.
Before basketball became one of the world's most popular sports, it was just an idea from a Canadian named James Naismith, who grew up in Almonte, Ontario.

🚀 We built the Canadarm.
Canadian engineers created the robotic arm used on NASA's Space Shuttle program and later on the International Space Station. If you've ever seen astronauts moving giant objects in space, chances are a Canadian invention was involved.

🔍 We created the world's first internet search engine.
Long before Google, a McGill University student named Alan Emtage built Archie in 1988, allowing people to search files across the early internet.

🕒 We helped create standard time.
Sir Sandford Fleming helped convince the world to adopt standardized time zones after becoming frustrated by train schedules. Before that, every city essentially kept its own time.

🕊️ We Created Modern Peacekeeping

When the 1956 Suez Crisis threatened to spiral into a larger conflict, Canadian diplomat and future Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson proposed the first large-scale United Nations peacekeeping force. The idea earned him the Nobel Peace Prize and helped establish Canada's reputation as a global peacekeeper.

🌍 We Inspired the Modern Multicultural Nation

Canada was the first country in the world to adopt multiculturalism as official government policy in 1971. Rather than expecting newcomers to abandon their cultures, Canada encouraged them to maintain their heritage while becoming Canadian. Today, many countries have adopted similar approaches.

🦫 We Helped Define International Human Rights

Canadian lawyer John Humphrey drafted the first version of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the most important documents in modern history.

🚑 We Invented the Portable Defibrillator

Canadian physician Frank Pantridge developed the first portable defibrillator, revolutionizing emergency medicine and helping save countless lives worldwide.

📞 We Invented the Walkie-Talkie

Donald Hings, a Canadian inventor from British Columbia, developed one of the first portable two-way radios. They're still used everywhere from construction sites to military operations.

⚡ We Helped Electrify the World

Canadian engineer Reginald Fessenden made breakthroughs in radio broadcasting, including the first audio radio transmission, paving the way for modern radio communication.

🚂 We Built One of the World's Greatest Engineering Projects

The Canadian Pacific Railway united a country that stretched nearly 8,000 km from coast to coast and helped make modern Canada possible.

🌲 We Protect More Boreal Forest Than Any Country on Earth

Canada contains roughly 25% of the planet's remaining boreal forest—one of the world's most important carbon sinks and wildlife habitats. The vast boreal region stretching across much of northern Canada remains one of the largest relatively untouched ecosystems left on Earth.

📺 We invented instant replay.
In 1955, CBC producer George Retzlaff replayed a hockey goal during Hockey Night in Canada, changing sports broadcasting forever. I mean, who wouldn’t want to watch Sid’s golden goal over and over?

♿ We pioneered the modern electric wheelchair.
Canadian inventor George Klein developed one of the first practical electric wheelchairs, dramatically improving mobility for people around the world.

🍁 We produce about 85% of the world's maple syrup.
Mostly thanks to Quebec, where generations of families have tapped maple trees and turned sap into liquid gold. Pancakes, you're welcome!

Canada didn't become admired because we're the biggest, richest, or most powerful country. We became admired because we've spent much of our history trying to make life better—for ourselves and for others.

In next week’s newsletter, we’re going to continue our love for Canada by sharing 10 places every Canadian should celebrate Canada Day at least once! Stay tuned!

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🇨🇦 Keep Celebrating Canada All Year Long

Canada Day may only come once a year, but adventures are waiting in every province.

Our Must Do Adventures Scratch Cards feature 50 surprise experiences across Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. Scratch one, reveal your next adventure, and start exploring this incredible country one trip at a time.

Whether you're looking for waterfalls, mountain hikes, scenic drives, wildlife encounters, or hidden gems, it's a fun way to discover more of Canada—one scratch at a time.

🎁 Makes a great gift for proud Canadians, too.

👉 Shop the collection and get free shipping during July! (use code “freeship”)

International Departures

A Piece of Canada You Can Visit in France

Most Canadians know about Vimy Ridge. Fewer realize that the land it sits on is actually Canadian soil — gifted to Canada by France in perpetuity as a gesture of gratitude and remembrance.

On April 9, 1917, Canadian soldiers achieved what British and French forces had been unable to accomplish for years — capturing Vimy Ridge in northern France in a single coordinated assault. All four divisions of the Canadian Corps attacked together for the first time in history. The battle is widely considered a defining moment in Canadian national identity — the moment Canada stopped being a British colony and started being a country.

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial stands on 91 hectares of French land that belongs to Canada forever. Designed by Canadian sculptor Walter Allward and unveiled in 1936, the twin pylons rise 27 metres above the ridge, visible for miles across the fields of northern France. The preserved trenches and shell craters are still there, untouched — the ground too unstable and unexploded ordnance-riddled to disturb.

Standing on Vimy Ridge, looking out over the Douai Plain below, is one of the most quietly powerful experiences a Canadian can have. It's not a tourist attraction in the conventional sense. It's a piece of Canada, in France, that exists to make sure we never forget what was given so this country could be what it is.

📍 Vimy Ridge is located near Arras in northern France, about 45 minutes from Lille and easily combined with a broader France trip. Entry to the memorial and preserved trenches is free. Tours available here.

Watch

Back in 2017, when we travelled the country for 150 days, we made a 12-part series featuring all the driveable provinces and territories. Along the way, we interviewed people of all stripes about what they feel makes Canada such a great place. One of those folks was astronaut Chris Hadfield. While the interviews can be found throughout the series, we also put them all together in a video dedicated to Canada. Happy 159th!

Beaver Bites

• Niagara Falls Is Going All Out: Niagara Falls is lighting up red and white on July 1 with a special extended 9-minute fireworks display at 10 pm synchronized to Kiss 98.5 FM — launched over the Falls themselves. Bring a portable speaker. It's absurd in the best way.
  
  

• Parks Canada Just Had a Record Year: Parks Canada welcomed more than 26 million visitors from over 100 countries during the past year, generating billions in economic activity for communities near national parks and historic sites.
  
  

• Canada Fever Is Sweeping the Country: With Canada hosting World Cup matches and the men's team earning historic victories, cities such as Vancouver have seen massive crowds decked out in red and white. Soccer is quickly becoming one of the country's biggest spectator sports.
  
  

• Big Investments Are Coming to Canada's North: The federal government is advancing major transportation and infrastructure projects in the Arctic, including new roads that could improve access to some of Canada's most remote and spectacular regions in the years ahead.
  
  

• Canadians love a good story: A Canadian filmmaker is also bringing Anthony Bourdain’s story to life in this new biopic.
  
  

• Not all Canadian businesses want to be in the USA: This is why Harvey’s has refused to expand outside of Canada.

💡 WORK WITH US

We’re starting to feature more destinations, attractions, and travel experiences like these across our newsletter, website, and social channels.

If you’re part of a tourism board, hotel, or experience and want to be featured in front of 60,000+ Canadian travellers each week, feel free to reply or reach out—we’d love to collaborate.