A little over 40 million people live in Canada, and in 2024, it still ranked 15th in the World Happiness Report. Although that's pretty good, it's a slip two places down from last year. For young people, however, life doesn't seem to be so good, as Canada placed 58th in the happiness ranking for people under 30.

Older people, however, think that living in Canada is the bee's knees, as in the category of happiness of those 60 years and older, Canada was in 8th place. Still, Canada ranks high among other countries in metrics such as racial equality and quality of life, as in 2023, The U.S. News placed Canada 2nd among 87 countries for racial equality and 3rd for quality of life.

Life in Canada is pretty good. And how can it be bad when there are so many unique things to appreciate? If you thought that Canada was "just America, but colder," you probably need to think again. Canada has some things that make it pretty unique, so let's go over some of them, shall we?

First, the amazing nature of Canada. Banff National Park is one of the most famous nature spots in all of Canada. With its turquoise glacier-fed Lake Louise, the park offers skiing, hiking, canoeing, yoga, and other recreational activities all year round. While many people opt for Niagara Falls or go see the Aurora Borealis in Manitoba, Banff is an almost out-of-this-world beautiful place that offers much more.

Canada is famous for making maple syrup, but did you know that more than 80% of the world's syrup is made in Canada? What's more, 90% of Canadian maple syrup comes from the province of Quebec alone. 

The Quebecois have a unique dish they make with maple syrup, called "pouding chômeur," which translates to "unemployment pudding." It's simply biscuit dough poached in maple syrup caramel, and it originated during the Great Depression when people were looking to make something sweet with limited resources.

Hockey is not just a sport for Canadians; it's one of their biggest sources of pride. Canada has 23 Olympic medals in men's hockey, 14 of which are gold. Women have won four consecutive gold Olympic medals in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014, then won again in 2022. The other side of the Canadian $5 bill even has kids playing hockey on it!

If you've ever had Hershey's chocolate in Canada, you'd notice that it tastes a bit different than it does in America. Canadians have reformulated Hershey's chocolate so that it tastes smoother and sweeter. The American version is more cheesy in flavor because, according to Hershey's senior chocolate specialist Gina Shroy, Americans like it that way.

"Canadian chocolate is higher in fat, and it is a larger particle size, but Americans tend to gravitate towards a little bit more of a grittier or even cheesier flavor," she explained.

If you're thinking of moving to Canada (for whatever inconspicuous reasons), you might consider these two cities Canadian cities. Calgary and Vancouver came in fifth and seventh place, respectively, in The Economist's top 10 most liveable cities in the world.

Canada also boasts its significance to all the sweet teeth of North America. Hamilton, Ontario, is where the magic of Swedish Fish happens. It's the city that houses the factory where the candy for all of the North American market is made. Never mind the betrayal that the fish don't come from Sweden at all!

When we think of fortified cities, many old European towns probably come to mind. However, Canada has its own walled city, Quebec. It's the only fortified city north of Mexico City in North America that has proper walls all around. It's not medieval, like, say, Dubrovnik, but it has its own charm, with horses and carriages passing by from time to time.

Lastly, let's tackle the Canadian weather. Those who've never been there think that Canada is probably always cold, icy, and snowy. And while winters can get brutal in the most northern cities, it's not winter all year round. In Toronto, it gets up to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) during summer. In Vancouver, the temperatures don't drop below freezing even during winter, and summers get as hot as 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius).

What's your take on Canada, Pandas? Like it, love it, or adore it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and if you're a Canadian Panda, share some more interesting things only true Canadians know! And, if you're still looking for some more Canadian curiosities after that, visit our previous posts about this wonderful country here, here, and here!