Image Source: Britannica
Originally settled by the French, Canada came under British control after the French and Indian War in 1763. Unlike the US colonies that violently gained their independence from Britain during the Revolutionary War, Canada came into her independence from Britain over a long, peaceful, and gradual period of time. On July 1,1867, she became a dominion of the British Empire, but the term "dominion" was finally dropped in 1982. Since that time, Canada has celebrated "Canada Day" every July 1st in much the same way as we celebrate our Fourth of July.
Adagio celebrated Canada Day at the Peterborough, Ontario Marina on the Trent River. To honor the day, we've listed below some fun facts we've learned so far about Canada and its customs. Hope you enjoy, and Happy Canada Day!
Loonies and Toonies - Canadian one-dollar coins are called "Loonies," after the solitary loons on one side of the coin. In 1996, a new two-dollar coin was designed with a bear on one side and Queen Elizabeth II on the other. Some suggested the new coin should be called a "beary," but we find the popular choice of "toonie" much more fun.
Charles and Giant "Toonie" Statue, Campbellford, Ontario
Swanlings or Cygnets?
We've seen lots of beautiful swans and their babies on the Trent-Severn Waterway and were interested to know that baby swans are actually called cygnets, not swanlings. Who knew?
Poutines
We've heard of these dishes but have yet to try one. The basic poutine consists of french fries topped with cheese curds and brown gravy, although we've seen promotions for all sorts of additional toppings and ingredients. Poutines first appeared in rural Quebec in the 1950s and became popular in fine restaurants as well as snack bars in the 1990s. We'll let you know when we find one.
Our favorite treat so far is the butter tart. These are Looper favorites and apparently popular with Canadians as well. They are basically a tart-sized pecan pie without the pecans. Not to be considered a health food, but they do taste yummy when warmed a little in the microwave.
Butter Tart
