It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before! O Canada—The Best of Everything is packed with stories and pictures of Canadian people, places, wildlife, cities, culture, feats and innovations. With a hilarious intro by iconic Canadian comedian Ron James, this collector’s edition brings you great inventions, gorgeous landscapes, outstanding animals, cool views and amazing characters—just like Canada itself. From coast to coast to coast—and hundreds of points in between—find out what really makes our country tick.
Geographically, Canada has something for everyone. Almost 10 million square kilometres spanning six time zones and bordering on three seas. In terms of climate, we run to extremes, ranging from arctic to semi-desert, rainforest to prairie.
There are 194 mammal species in Canada, 426 bird species and 1,100 fish species. Some of these have symbolic qualities, the beaver, the loon, the dwindled cod, the Canada goose, the moose. Some play a part in First Nations mythology.
When it comes to achievement, whether it is in the arts, science, politics or sports, Canada has consistently punched above its weight. Marshall McLuhan changed the way the world looks at media. Blackberry changed the way we communicate.
For more than a century, we needed to import culture. Now we export some of the best talent in the world—Cirque du Soleil, Celine Dion, the Ryans (Gosling and Reynolds), Drake, etc., giving the world memorable writers, actors, directors, musicians and artists.
The world would be a poorer place without Canadian ingenuity. Without Standard Time, we would be late and confused, without instant replay, we’d never know for sure if it was a fumble, without the snowblower, we would be exhausted.
Statistics Canada avoids the word “city,” preferring “Population centres,” which come in small (between 1,000 and 29,999), medium (30,000-99,999) and large (100,000 or more). Three cities—Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver—now contain more than a third of the country’s population.
There are plenty of ways to travel in Canada but it started with canoes. Canoes are remarkably efficient, able to move quickly through the country’s vast network of rivers and lightweight but able to carry a lot of freight.
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