Canada – music
Canada has produced a great many successful musicians. The most successful and well-known include Bryan Adams, Paul Anka, Michael Bublé, Leonard Cohen, Celine Dion, Nelly Furtado, Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morissette, Daniel Powter and Shania Twain. As in the USA, country music is very important in Canada. The most famous country singers in Canada include Wilf Carter, Hank Snow and Gordon Lightfoot. One of the most important music festivals in Canada is the Dawson City Music Festival in the Yukon Territory. The best known and most important composer in Canada is Jacques Joseph Robert Hétu. Canada’s highest musical award is the Juno Award.
Canada – literature
Canadian literature consists primarily of prose and poetry in French and English from Canada. The works of the indigenous people of Canada, such as those of the Inuit, are not counted as Canadian literature.
The best-known Canadian writers are Robertson Davies, Timothy Findley, Margaret Lawrence and Margaret Atwood.
Canada – art
The imposing natural spectacles in Canada offer artists from all over the world interesting inspiration to this day. In addition to the mainly European styles, there are more and more Asian influences, especially in Toronto and Vancouver.
Even art influences from Germany can be found in Canada. Many Germans live in Ontario in particular and have helped shape the cultural and artistic achievements.
Canada is especially known for its great musicians and actors. Musicians such as Bryan Adams, Celine Dion and Neil Young became world famous as outstanding personalities.
Actors such as Keanu Reeves, Pamela Anderson, Jim Carrey, Michael J. Fox and Mike Myers made their breakthrough in Hollywood.
Canada – film
The film industry and history of Canada cannot be compared to that of the neighboring state of the USA, but Canada has also produced considerable film successes and famous actors. Some of the most famous directors in Canada include David Paul Cronenberg, Denys Arcand and Jean-Claude Lauzon. Famous actors who have made it to worldwide fame include Kiefer Sutherland, Keanu Reeves, Pamela Anderson, Michael J. Fox and William Shattner, better known as Captain Kirk in Starship Enterprise. Most of the Canadian actors play a lot in Hollywood productions and therefore cannot be seen in Canadian films. The major production facilities for Canada’s film industry are Vancouver, Montréal and Toronto. The most important film award in Canada is the Genie Award.
Canada – food and drink
Canadian cuisine is very much influenced by the many different ethnic groups. However, it is noticeable that more meat is consumed inland and more fish dishes are consumed on the coast. If you keep your eyes open for alternatives to fast food, you will find a variety of different dishes in Canada, from Asian to Mexican, almost everything is there. In the so-called family restaurants, you can usually eat the typical dishes such as burgers, steaks, waffles and French fries cheaply. Due to the French influence, you can find many specialties influenced by French cuisine in Québec, such as cipâte, a quiche with minced meat filling or poutines, potato sticks coated in cheese and fried with brown sauce.
In the fast food sector, it is not Mc Donalds who lead the market as many think, but Tim Hortons, who are both in the fast food and coffee sector. However, McDonalds and Starbucks are among the toughest competitors in their respective segments.
When it comes to drinks, root beer, a non-alcoholic, brown drink with a bitter aftertaste, is very popular in Canada.
Canada – sports
By far the most popular and national sport in Canada is ice hockey. Accordingly, the national team of Canada is one of the best in international comparison. In addition to ice hockey, lacrosse is the second national sport in Canada. Canada is considered the country of origin of lacrosse. In Canada, ice hockey is the official winter national sport and lacrosse is the official summer national sport.
In addition to ice hockey and lacrosse, baseball, basketball, cricket, curling, soccer, rugby union and softball are also very popular.
Numerous major sporting events have taken place in Canada. Canadian athletes participated in almost all of the Olympic Games. The 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montréal and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. In 2010 Canada will again host the Winter Olympics, which will be held in Vancouver. The Olympic team of Canada is predominantly successful in athletics, swimming, diving and rowing at the Summer Olympics. At the Winter Olympics, Canada is particularly successful in ice hockey, speed skating, curling and freestyle skiing. The most famous Canadian athletes are the Formula 1 drivers Jacques Villeneuve and Paul Tracy, the basketball player Steve Nash.
