Potatoes Have Made Their Contribution To World Peace
The potato’s influence stretches out well beyond French fries and tater tots. In fact, there was a study in 2017 that said the potato helped keep the peace in Europe for centuries.
How Canada’s Flag Ended Up With A Maple Leaf Instead Of Union Jacks, Beavers Or Mounties
Happy Canada Day! The flag you’ll see at events across the country today has quite an origin story: one guy, one red pen and a lot of potential roadblocks.
Defense Scheme No. 1: The Secret Canadian Plan To Invade The US
This year has not been a record one for US/Canadian ties, but at least it's not like 1921, when a Canadian military official worked up a secret plan to invade a bunch of northern US cities. (And, for that matter, the US had a northern invasion plan too.)
The Plan To Build A New US Highway With Nuclear Bombs
This week in 1964, the US Atomic Energy Commission presented a report to Congress on an eye-opening idea: clearing land for a highway in southeast California with nuclear bombs.
A Lawmaker Tried To Get Americans To Eat Hippo Meat, AKA “Lake Bacon”
About this time in 1910, a member of Congress thought the next big food trend would be hippo meat.
Norwood, Ontario Had A Water Tower That Looked Like A Crushed Can
Today in 1957, the water tower in Norwood, Ontario, which looked like a big can of soda or beer, suddenly looked like a big crushed can of soda or beer.
Embo, Scotland, Declared Itself Independent For A Day
Today in 1988, the community of Embo, in the Scottish Highlands raised money for a community center by declaring independence from the rest of the UK… but just for one day.
Some American Hockey Players Develop Canadian-Ish Accents
There’s some linguistic research that suggests that American hockey players sometimes start to sound more like Canadians as their hockey careers continue.
Kids In Canada Went On Strike Over The Price Of Candy Bars
Today in 1947, the start of a big moment in the history of sweets: kids in Canada protested a hike in chocolate bar prices with what would eventually become known as the Candy Strike.
Every Year The Netherlands Sends Thousands Of Tulips To Canada
The Canadian Tulip Festival is getting underway in Ottawa. Here's the history of the annual event, which (pun intended) has its roots in the history of World War II.