B. About Canada

Students who have never been to Canada often have an image of it as the land of snow and hockey. What they find when they come to the country is quite different. Polar bears are only found in the northernmost regions and in most parts of Canada, winter only lasts a few months of the year. Hockey is our national winter sport but there are a thousand other sports and activities to choose from—some on sunny beaches, some near vast lakes or oceans, and some in the midst of busy modern cities.

Canada is a land of rich diversity, encompassing urban sophistication and abundant nature and wildlife. It is safe yet exciting; stable yet filled with adventure. It features cutting-edge technology, inspiring cultural icons, and a vibrant society that is open to everyone. Canadians tend to be modern, welcoming, and open-minded.

Across Canada are examples of excellence, innovation, and beauty, all of which—along with top-notch educational institutions—make Canada one of the leading study abroad destinations in the world.

In this section, agents will learn what makes Canada attractive to students considering study abroad—beginning with quick facts about Canada, and progressing to a more detailed look at the country’s history, economy, government, people, culture, geography, and climate.

Here are some quick facts about Canada:

Canada Is a Wonderful Place to Live and Study: Since 2004, the United Nations has regularly ranked Canada highly in its Quality of Life Index. Combining excellent educational institutions, an innovative economy, a tolerant and safe culture, and extraordinary beauty, Canada is an ideal destination for international students.

Canadian Education Is World Class: Canada is also ranked #2 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for higher education achievement—60% of its citizens between the ages of 25 and 64 have a post-secondary education. The Times 2021-22 World University Rankings placed 11 Canadian universities in the top 250 (and five of these in the top 100). As well, Shanghai Ranking’s 2021 Academic Ranking of World Universities placed four Canadian institutions in its top 100, and 20 in the top 500.

Canada’s secondary school students excel in science, reading, and mathematics. In the 2018 PISA results testing Grade 10 students from 65 countries around the globe, Canada ranked 6th on the Reading Scale, 8th in Science, and 12th in Maths ahead of the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and France. High-quality French and English language teaching are also reasons students choose Canada.

Canada Is Multicultural and Open to the World: Canada is officially bilingual (English and French), and across the country, more than 200 languages are spoken. The biggest cities – Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal – are home to many immigrant communities. A tolerant culture is among the top Canadian values—informally, on the streets and public venues, and formally, in Canada’s laws and government. Of particular note is the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that enshrines equality for all.

Canada Is Innovative: Canada’s educational institutions have long been incubators for innovation. The BlackBerry, flat-screen technology, SMART boards, voice compression applications for cell phones and computers, and IMAX film are among the many revolutionary technologies invented and developed by men and women who studied and conducted research in Canada.

Canada Produces Leaders: Among these are the environmentalist David Suzuki; the famous architect Frank Gehry (Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, Walt Disney Concert Hall, etc.); the economist John Kenneth Galbraith (who served in the administrations of US presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson); the cinematographer James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar); the author Margaret Atwood; musicians Justin Bieber, Sarah McLachlan, and Shawn Mendes; and actors Rachel McAdams, Jim Carrey, Kiefer Sutherland, and Ryan Gosling.

Canada Is a Highly Competitive Economy: Canada has one of the world’s most stable economies. The country also boasts one of the fastest economic growth rates among the G7 countries, and the International Monetary Fund projects this trend to continue through 2023. Canada is similarly high-ranked for its business environment among international observers.

Canada Is a Major Player in Collaborative Research and Development: Many of Canada’s educational institutions are engaged in international research partnerships to address major issues facing our world today. Canadian institutions recognize that Canadian research receives a crucial boost in terms of reputation and impact when quality international partners contribute. Many of the world’s most pressing problems are international in scope, and Universities Canada notes:

“Canada’s universities are known for conducting world-class research. Globally, we punch well above our weight in output: we rank sixth in terms of average citation levels across all fields among the top scientific countries and produce four per cent of the world’s scientific papers despite representing only 0.5% of the world’s population. Canada’s universities, are key economic drivers of regional and national prosperity, and a powerhouse of research and development activities, performing 41% of the nation’s total R&D, valued at $14.5 billion each year. University researchers collaborate on more than $1.5 billion worth of research with community and non-profit community groups every year and conduct almost $1 billion worth of research in collaboration with the private sector annually, providing the ‘intellectual raw material’ that drives innovation and builds prosperity.”Examples of projects include the innovative NEPTUNE ocean floor laboratory; the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative; ArcticNet, a revolutionary approach for studying the effects of climate change; and Canada’s Advanced Research and Innovation Network (CANARIE Inc.), which facilitates research and development around the world.”

Meanwhile, colleges and institutes from across the country led over 6,400 applied research projects in 2019/20 in all key sectors of the economy. These partnerships involved businesses and community organizations of all sizes, including students who gained innovative work experience. Colleges and institutes received over $354 million in 2019/20  to support applied research activities, an increase of 19% over the previous two years. This growth is mainly driven by the private sector, which invested $111 million. According to Colleges and Institutes Canada, In 2019/20, research activity at colleges and institutes led to more than 5,500 new processes, products, prototypes and services.