Canada
Here are some commentary, tourism info, and Canadian trivia from the associates of Spanitz Consulting.
Also see our information about Newfoundland!
Check out a well-organized collection of Canada and Canadian Government data.
Additional facts about Canada and Canadian people.
Or search the Internet through our Canadian search engine.
How about a live view of Parliament Hill...
More Webcams of Canada are collected here.
Always consider the local holidays when planning business travel. Many US business people forget that while Canada has a lot in common with the United States, they don't share the same holidays. Not only do the days-off affect you, but the holiday travel can really throw you off. Check out TimeAndDate to discover holidays around the world.
Canadian Thanksgiving is in October (on a Monday), while the United States has Thanksgiving in November (last Thursday). Canada has Thanksgiving a month earlier than the US because of the exchange rate.
Remembrance Day (Canada) is on the same day as Veterans Day (United States), but seems to be a much bigger event up in Canada. (In the US, government workers get the day off, but most private companies still work that day. In Canada, almost everyone has the day off.)
Boxing Day is the day after Christmas, and a no-work holiday for Canada. This is somewhat like the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States (a bonus day off).
Several industries and unions have negotiated "extra" holidays, such as the summer one-week break for construction, which changes, depending on which Canadian province you are in. (In Quebec, it is two weeks of no construction.) The health-care industry has many such negotiated holidays, depending on the level of the workers, province, and specific part of the health-care industry the workers are in.
...and don't forget the St. John's, Newfoundland "Regatta" which is held on the third Wednesday of August, if it is "fine" (otherwise it is the next "fine day" after that). This event is the oldest continuing sporting event in North America, and has the entire city shut down for the festivities.
The corner on which the Rideau Center is built used to be the location of a boxing ring. This boxing ring was put up because of the numerous fist-fights between the French trappers and the English settlers. ...remember this the next time you see a fight break out in the Rideau shopping center...
Canadian Inventions (a selection of): Hockey, Trivial Pursuit, paint roller, mini-skirt, Geiger counter, flight simulators, the zipper, snowmobile, kerosene, insulin, the jet airplane... Some historians argue that the bikini was also "invented" in Quebec...brrrrrr, that seems a bit chilly.
Y do Canadian airports have initials beginning in Y? Uh, because they do. Actually Canada has codes Y, U, Z, and W...but only the Y is used for commercial airports in Canada.
For current news, sports, weather, and travel information about Canada, visit Canada.com. This handy portal has links to just about anything you might need to know about, well, Canada...eh?
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