Fact file

• Canada has the 11th largest economy in the world; the country’s richest person is David Thomson (chairman
of Thomson Reuters), worth around $30 billion.

• It’s true: the Canadian province of Québec is by far the largest producer of maple syrup in the world (accounting for three-quarters of global output).

• Established in 1964, Tim Hortons is a Canadian icon, with over 3000 doughnut and “double-double” (coffee with two sugars and two creams) stores nationwide.

• Unbeknown to most Americans, Hollywood is crammed with Canadians: Michael Cera, Ryan Gosling, Evangeline Lily, Rachel McAdams, Mike Myers, Ellen Page, Keanu Reeves, Ryan Reynolds, Seth Rogen, Kiefer Sutherland and William Shatner (Captain Kirk!) among them.

• Since 1952, Saturday nights have been home to “Hockey Night in Canada” on CBC, when thousands are glued to the TV to pay homage to the national sport.