The most common myths and misconceptions aboot Canada, eh

Truth: That would be insane - Poutine is delicious, but it's a little tough to have it even more than once a week. And as for beaver tails—not real tails of beavers, but delicious warm deep-fried bread coated in cinnamon and sugar—well, Canadians do need to pack on more pounds to keep warm in the winter.

9 / 39 Fotos

Myth: Canada is always cold - And everyone wears Canada Goose parkas year-round.

10 / 39 Fotos

Truth: Canada actually does have summer - It's common for temperatures to reach the mid-30s in July and August.

11 / 39 Fotos

Myth: Everyone is obsessed with hockey - The sport was invented in Canada, and Canadians are really good at it, but...

12 / 39 Fotos

Truth: Statistics Canada has reported a significant decline in people’s interest in hockey -

Golf has surpassed hockey as the most popular sporting activity among adults, and there's also baseball, soccer, football, rugby, lacrosse, curling, and basketball to account for (plus, basketball was also invented by a Canadian).

13 / 39 Fotos

Myth: Canadians live in igloos and ride polar bears - Does anyone ride polar bears?

14 / 39 Fotos

Truth: Does that one really need to be debunked? - Most Canadians prefer houses and cars.

15 / 39 Fotos

Myth: There are no famous Canadians - The Kardashians are still on our news feeds, but Canadians are hiding in plain sight.

16 / 39 Fotos

Truth: There's more than Drake and Celine Dion -

Neil Young, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Seth Rogen, Rush, Jim Carrey, Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne, Shania Twain, Nelly Furtado, Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, Leonard Cohen, etc.

Getty Images

17 / 39 Fotos

Myth: The Queen still runs the country - Her face is on Canadian currency.

18 / 39 Fotos

Truth: Canada has its own thing going on - Queen Elizabeth II might be the head of state, but Canada has a Prime Minister and parliament and, more importantly, independence.

19 / 39 Fotos

Myth: Canadians say "oot" and "aboot" - Instead of out and about...

20 / 39 Fotos

Truth: Television is to blame for that accent - No one's ever heard someone do the accent in real life, yet somehow everyone knows about it.

21 / 39 Fotos

Myth: The money smells like maple syrup - After bills went from paper to plastic, a rumour went around about how the CAD$100 bills had the scent of maple syrup infused into the material.

22 / 39 Fotos

Truth: The bills are not scratch-and-sniff - The Bank of Canada denies any intentional maple syrup smell.

23 / 39 Fotos

Myth: Canada is so safe that no one ever locks the doors - Car doors, house doors, any door to anything valuable—leave them wide open.

24 / 39 Fotos

Truth: Canadians are polite, but not perfect - There is still crime in Canada, and though people try to respect each other, that doesn't mean everyone trusts each other.

25 / 39 Fotos

Myth: Canadians speak French - Est-ce que vous le parlez?

26 / 39 Fotos

Truth: Most of Canada speaks English - Over two-thirds of the country speaks English, and though French is mandatory in elementary school, it's not often used outside of Quebec.

27 / 39 Fotos

Myth: There are wild moose and beavers everywhere - Just walking aboot, minding their own business.

28 / 39 Fotos

Truth: It's more like squirrels and pigeons - You have to trek out into the wilderness for the bears, beavers, moose, loons, and other iconic Canadian animals.

29 / 39 Fotos

Myth: Canada is the 51st State - Because it's attached?

30 / 39 Fotos

Truth: Nope! - Canada's entertainment and culture sometimes piggybacks on the United States, but the northern neighbor uses a different second language, a different currency, and a different political system.

31 / 39 Fotos

Myth: Mounties on horses police the country - In their red coats, tall hats, and high boots.

32 / 39 Fotos

Truth: There aren't any Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Ontario or Quebec - And in the rest of the provinces they only wear the whole get-up for official or ceremonial purposes.

33 / 39 Fotos

Myth: Canadians don't own guns - Because they're too polite to own firearms, probably.

34 / 39 Fotos

Truth: Millions of Canadians have guns, mostly for sport and recreation - Canadians just seem less obsessed with the right to bear arms.

35 / 39 Fotos

Myth: Healthcare is free and amazing - A utopia of regular check-ups, dental cleanings, and surgical operations.

36 / 39 Fotos

Truth: Canadians pay high taxes, and not everything is covered - Not complaining though—Canada still has it easy in comparison to some other countries.

37 / 39 Fotos

Myth: Canada is a small country - The population is just over 36 million (as compared to the United States' population of 323 million), but don't let the numbers fool you.

38 / 39 Fotos

Truth: It's huge - Canada is the second largest country in the world, covering 9,984,670 square km.

39 / 39 Fotos

The most common myths and misconceptions aboot Canada, eh

Check how much—or how little—you really know

21/02/22 | StarsInsider

TRAVEL Canada

When some people think of Canada, they imagine Mounties eating poutine off of beaver tails while drinking maple syrup from the $100 bill and hugging their neighbor who happens to be a doctor who is also giving them a free check-up.

If none of that makes sense, check out this gallery to straighten out the most common myths and misconceptions about O Canada.