13 Canadian History Facts To Read While Drinking Maple Syrup
![13 Canadian History Facts To Read While Drinking Maple Syrup](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/1/878721_320x180.jpg)
The frozen north is a little less frozen than it was 21,000 years ago, which left a big dent in the Hudson Valley region where a massive ice sheet once sat. The chilly mass of frozen water left such an impression onto the area that the crater that remains actually affects the way gravity works in that spot. It's true, if you wanted to lose some weight the perfect spot would be located in Canada – although, you'd only be down about a tenth of an ounce, but still, if you need to make weight for your next boxing match and want a quick cheat, book a ticket now.
It’s safe to say that the average American knows little about their northern neighbors beyond the stereotypes beyond the usual stereotypes and that one South Park song. It’s a shame, because Canada has a dynamic history. From viking visits to the mysterious origins of Poutine, here’s 13 facts from Canadian history.
Poutine's origins are a mystery.
![No one knows the origin of Poutine. The popular Canadian dish just sort of appeared in Quebec during the 1950s. Canadian Jean-Paul Roy claimed that he first served the dish at his drive-in in 1958. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/6/878736.jpg)
The PM has an unusual resume.
![Justin Trudeau has a weird resume. vanal The current Canadian Prime Minister has worked as a snowboarding instructor, nightclub bouncer and camp counselor. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/5/878735.jpg)
Lots of movies are filmed there.
![Many American movies are filmed in Canada. Due to cheaper costs, it's common practice for Hollywood to pose Canadian locations as American. 2019's Shazam for example is set in Philadelphia but was actually shot in Toronto. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/9/878729.jpg)
Canada took in Vietnam refugees.
![Canada took in 120,000 Vietnam War refugees. Fleeing political violence following the war's end in 1973, thousands of refugees from South Vietnam arrived in Canada from 1975 to 1982. A number of refugees arrived by Boat to Canada's shores. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/3/878733.jpg)
Maple sap became a valuable commodity to Europeans settlers.
![Maple Syrup has a long history in Canada. MAPLE SYRUP A FAMILY TRADITION MAPLE SYRUP A FAMILY TRADITION First harvested from maple trees by Canada's first nation peoples, maple sap became a valuable commodity to Europeans settlers. Syrup and sugar became a major export for colonists in the 1700s and 1800s, and it's still a major Canadian industry today. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/5/878725.jpg)
Dumb Americans are responsible for the creation of Mounties.
![Mounties were created to fend off dumb Americans. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were created in part as a response to the shenanigans of Americans trading illegal whiskey along the border between the two countries CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/2/878732.jpg)
WWII pilots trained there.
![Canada was a training hub for WWII pilots. Over 130,000 air crewmen, including pilots from Britain, Australia, and New Zealand were trained in Canada during the second world war as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Program. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/1/878731.jpg)
The proper name is "The Dominion of Canada."
![Canada is technically called The Dominion of Canada. The spooky formal title, which was applied after the Canadian confederation in 1867, was meant to signify Canada' place within the British empire, but has since been steadily phased out as the country grew more independent. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/6/878726.jpg)
There's an area with less gravity.
![There's a region in Canada with slightly less gravity. People in the Hudson Bay region would weigh a tenth of an ounce less than they would anywhere else, in a phenomenon attributed to a dent in the earth left by a massive ice sheet 21,000 years ago. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/8/878728.jpg)
Dozens of indigenous languages are still spoken.
![Over 70 indigenous languages are still spoken in Canada. These languages fit roughly into 12 language families, including Algonquian languages, Inuit languages and Iroquoian languages. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/7/878737.jpg)
A Norse settlement was found off the coast of Newfoundland.
![Vikings settled Newfoundland. In 1961, archaeologists found evidence of a small Norse settlement on the coast of Newfoundland. Archaeologists suspected the settlement, located in what is now L'Anse aux Meadows, was used as a temporary base from which the Norse explored northeastern Canada. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/0/878730.jpg)
Benedict Arnold tried to get Canada to fight with the US.
![Benedict Arnold tried to invade Canada. Before he became a spy for the British, Patriot officer Benedict Arnold was sent to take the city of Quebec In an attempt to force the province of Quebec into joining the fight against the British during the Revolutionary War. Arnold's campaign ended in a disastrous defeat that nearly cost him his life. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/4/878724.jpg)
Canada legalized pot in 2017.
![Canada was the second country in the world to legalize pot. The country legalized recreational marijuana in 2017, four years after Uruguay legalized it in 2013. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/7/878727.jpg)