In 1967, Canada turned 100 years old and the yearlong Canadian Centennial was the biggest celebration ever to hit the nation. Here are some of the quirkier parts of the party.
• Winchester issued a special Centennial version of its famous .30-30 rifle.
• The commission sponsored a 3,200 mile canoe regatta from the Rocky Mountains to Montreal.
• The Centennial flame was lit on Parliament Hill.
• The Cartier Font was commissioned as a distinctly Canadian typeface.
• New works of art were commissioned, including “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” by Gordon Lightfoot and the Challenge for Change film series.
• Trumpeter Bobby Gimby and songwriter Ben McPeek wrote “The Centennial Song,” also known as “Ca-Na-Da,” because of the distinct way the lyrics were delivered by a choir of children. (Two choirs actually; an English speaking group of Young Canada singers sang one version, and a French group sang the French version, “Une Chanson du Centenaire”). The 45 became the most successful single in Canadian history at the time, selling 270,000 copies.
• Ookpik, the Happy Little Arctic Owl, was a popular stuffed toy made of seal skin.
• In 1967, Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson introduced a unique Canadian toast as part of the Canadian centennial. The toasting word was chimo, which in Inuit means “I’m friendly.” Saying “chimo!” was fashionable for about three months and then disappeared into the dustbin of Canadian trivia.
Canada is a world leader in marijuana use, according a U.N. report in 2007.