10 Canadian Car Facts

Living in one of the largest countries in the world means that Canadians rely heavily on their vehicles to get around. Not only do we all use cars for work, leisure, and transportation, but the automotive industry is one of Canada’s largest economic contributors and has a long and interesting history. In honor of Canada day here are 10 facts you might not have known about all things automotive and driving in Canada! 

1. Trans Canada is the 4th largest highway in the world, spanning from British Columbia to Newfoundland. It took 21 years to build! 
2. Saskatchewan has more road space than any other province at 250,000 km. That’s a long road trip! 
3. Auto manufacturing contributes over $16 billion to the Canadian GDP each year. 
4. Every winter, approximately 4.9 million tonnes of salt is applied to Canadian roads. That’s about 38 times the weight of the CN Tower! 
5. Before the second world war, the parts of the country controlled by the English drove on the left side of the road. It wasn’t until 1947 that the last province, Newfoundland, switched to conform to the rest of the provinces. 
6. In 1867, the first Canadian automobile was built by Henry Seth Taylor. The steam buggy never gained traction , similar to the Fossmobile which was constructed in 1897 by George Foote Foss.  
7. Canada has one of the highest ratios of automobiles to inhabitants in the world. As of 2019, the number of light motor vehicles including passenger cars registered was 23.5M while total motor vehicles were recorded at 35.7 million.
8. There are 247 car accidents each year in Canada involving a moose. Those animals can do some big damage at an average of 1400 pounds! 
9. It is illegal to lock your doors in Churchill, Manitoba in case someone runs into a polar bear in the middle of the street. Makes you wonder how that law came to be – yikes! 
10. The Northwest Territories has the only non rectangular license plates in North America. This territory is famous for it’s polar bear shaped plates. How Canadian, eh? 

Happy Canada Day from everyone at the Morris Group! Check out our dealerships to find your new or used vehicle this summer.