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Five Interesting Facts About Canada
Canada is one of the most popular countries in the world to move to. With plenty of wide open spaces and stunning scenery, it ranks consistently well in quality of life surveys among expats.
If you are interested in international removals to Canada, here are five intriguing facts about the second largest country in the world. Only Russia is bigger.
Winnie-the-Pooh Originally Came from Canada
The famous stories by AA Milne were inspired by a Canadian bear cub. Named Winnipeg, or Winnie for short, the young bear came to England in 1915 with his owner, a Canadian lieutenant who was on his way to fight in the First World War in France.
Although Winnie became a regimental mascot, it was considered too dangerous to ship him over to France for active service, so he was kept at London Zoo, which is where AA Milne’s son, Christopher Robin, first saw him. He named his teddy bear after the real-life Winnie, inspiring his father to write the world-famous children’s stories.
The Country Has Six Time Zones
As Canada is one of the largest countries on earth, it has six time zones – running from west to east, these are the Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern, Atlantic and Newfoundland time zones. Pacific is usually eight hours behind Greenwich Mean Time, while Newfoundland is three and a half hours behind. For an added complication, all clocks go forward an hour on the second Sunday in March, and back an hour on the first Sunday in November.
Perhaps it is not so surprising that the country led the world in advocating the use of the 24-hour clock. An engineer called Sandford Fleming, who was born in Scotland but who emigrated to Canada when he was a teenager, promoted its use. He had missed a train following confusion over the timetable, which was still using the 12-hour system.
Trivial Pursuit was Invented Here
The board game Trivial Pursuit was created in December 1979 by two journalists in Montreal. They had originally intended to play a game of Scrabble but found some pieces missing, leading them to create a game of their own.
After some initial difficulties, Trivial Pursuit soon became one of the world’s most popular board games, with sales running into many millions. In the standard edition, players must answer questions on geography, entertainment, history, arts and literature, science and nature, and sport and leisure, although there are many specialist versions of the game on the market now as well.
It’s Full of Lakes
Most people have heard of the Great Lakes on the border of Canada and the United States. However, what you may not know is that Canada has the highest number of natural lakes in the world.
There are more than two million lakes across the country, meaning that around 8% of Canada’s surface is covered with water. This means you can enjoy many of your favourite water sports here.
It’s the Most Educated Country in the World
Even though Canada does not really have a national school system – the provision is set down by the individual provinces – the country is widely recognised as having the best educated people in the world.
More than half (56%) of adults aged between 25 and 65 have had the benefit of some form of higher education, usually a degree or equivalent. And the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development rates the country’s teenagers as the best educated across the globe. Results are believed to be so good due to the lack of poverty (and disadvantaged pupils) across the country, and because all students are given plenty of opportunities to succeed.
International Removals to Canada with Hamiltons Removals
Hamiltons Removals is the place to come to for international removals to Canada. We have many years of experience in organising commercial and domestic moves to destinations across the country, including the major cities of Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton and Hamilton. Follow the link above if you would like to know more.
We can also help you with moves to other international destinations, including the USA, Australia and New Zealand.
Removals Norfolk | Hamiltons 25th Anniversary Interview
Removals Norfolk | Hamiltons Removals 25th anniversary interview with Mike Sawyer discusses the journey the company has been on over the last quarter century.
As Hamiltons Removals reaches its landmark 25th anniversary – a remarkable achievement in any industry – Mike Sawyer, Managing Director of Hamiltons, discusses the journey his company has been on over the last quarter of a century.
What were you doing in 1993 and what had you been doing up until that point?
In 1993, we had retail furniture stores in Bury St Edmunds and Eye, Suffolk. Previously I was a director of my father’s furnishing business.
What made you decide to start a removals company?
My father Brian had run small removal companies since the early 1960s. Firstly, in conjunction with his career as an auctioneer and later, as part of his retail furniture outlets in Ipswich, Norwich and Dovercourt.
Removals were a good fit with the furniture stores which had vehicles and delivery men available. Independent furnishings retailers were struggling to compete with the larger out-of-town outlets and the company looked more and more towards the removal sector.
Once Hamiltons Removals was up and running, how did your family grow the business?
My father Brian, my brother Nick and myself together with shareholder, Paul Walsh, were completely hands-on and totally dedicated to the removal business. We were able to grow the business by diversification.
Initially, Hamiltons were a domestic removals company. Today, we also have a strong European operation, together with deep-sea container and groupage moves. Commercial and office moves grow year-on-year and our moves for the MOD personnel remain constant.
Is Brian still involved in the company?
My father Brian is still involved in the company and is our current chairman.
Have there been any setbacks along the way?
Yes, we have had setbacks. In 2007, we suffered a major flood at our Harleston warehouse. It could not have come at a worse time; mid-August, which is our busiest time of year!
Have you noticed any major changes to the removals industry over the last 25 years? How has Hamiltons adapted to these changes?
The financial crisis in 2007/8 had a major impact on the removal industry and we saw our UK market decrease by 57%. This resulted in pricing being more important than ever to the public and we found ourselves striking a balance between providing competitive pricing and maintaining the quality of service our customers have come to expect – which, for us, is a major priority.
The company has always recognised the need to constantly monitor, change and improve in this competitive industry. Extra revenue streams are as important as the main part of the business. The latest addition to the company is its ‘Safe ’N Stored with Hamiltons’ brand which offers self-storage rooms at its Harleston headquarters, container storage at the industrial estate in Suffolk, caravan and motorhome storage, as well as our recently-added indoor classic and vintage car storage. Other services available are insurance, house cleaning and currency exchange, which all form an important part of Hamiltons’ business model.
You’ve grown the company over 25 years – where do you see the company in another 25 years?
Hamiltons is in tune with the advancements in technology and this year, we took the decision to invest and manage our own IT systems in-house. Social media forms an important part of our marketing strategy and in February this year, we filmed a promotional video called ‘The Perfectly Orchestrated Move’.
This move into video marketing seemed natural following the introduction of video surveys. These surveys can be carried out 24/7 and have been well-received by clients that, for one reason or another, cannot accommodate a survey by one of the company’s surveyors.
What achievements from the last 25 years are you most proud of?
We are very proud of the number of local people we have been able to employ over the past 25 years. Many came as young lads from the local high school and have stayed; some driving our 40-ton road trains all over Europe!
How many vehicles do you have in the fleet and how many people does Hamiltons Removals now employ?
The Company has grown over the past 25 years. We currently employ 54 people with a fleet of 25 vehicles.
After 25 years, I expect you’ve seen every kind of removals job under the sun. Can you remember any notable, funny or remarkable jobs over the years?
During the past 25 years, we have encountered moves from the bizarre to the spectacular! A recent move (Berkshire to Edinburgh) included a pair of geese that required three comfort breaks en route with a period of exercise. Walking up and down a layby with two geese on leads attracted a high level of amusement!
This summer, we were privileged to complete a move costing in excess of £70,000. The entire contents of a substantial English country manor house were packed and moved from the UK to destinations in Scandinavia, the Caribbean, France and London. Such a move would have been beyond our comprehension 25 years ago.