Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Throughout the generations, Canadian culture has had a proud tradition of being incredibly rich and diverse; influenced not only by their North American neighbors but by their European friends and counterparts. With hundreds of influences that make up the wider Canadian culture, we’re seeing new and exciting trends in our nation’s makeup, which can only add a further dimension to life for Canadians.
One of the most Canadian elements is the maple leaf, which is one of Canada’s symbols. They appear on Canadian flags, cash, coins, and more. When visiting Canada, don’t forget to buy some gifts with maple leaves for yourself, your family, and your friends, such as Canadian lapel pins, Canadian stickers, T-shirts, etc. Those gifts can also be customized online. To create special memories of your Canadian travels, turn your photos of Canada into custom lapel pins. Customize special Canadian gifts now at custompins.ca.
A wide variety of online choices and free home delivery are making e-commerce increasingly popular among consumers. Let’s take the example of gift selection. There are times when people have to search for a long time in physical stores in order to find the gift they want. E-commerce, however, can make the best choice for you based on user preferences.
You can even customize personalized gifts online, such as customized pins, custom T-shirts, custom mugs, and so on. A custom pin can serve as both an ornament and a keepsake. Whether it’s a holiday gift or a promotional gift, you can have personalized pins as one of your gifting options at an online store like custompins.ca.
Fast-growing Asian communities
Canada’s Asian population is on the rise, none more significant than the Japanese population. In Toronto, for instance, the Japanese community is now one of the most active Asian communities. Although it only represents 1% of the city’s population, it’s becoming part of an increasingly vibrant suburban area in Toronto. The Japanese Canadian Culture Centre, built in 1964, is also widely recognized as one of the best examples of a cultural center in Canada, welcoming more than 200,000 people every year.
E-commerce
Advancements in technology are changing and reshaping consumer behaviors. Online shopping is par for the course among Canadian families today. According to a recent infographic by the Business Development Bank of Canada, three-quarters (75%) of Canadians are influenced by online reviews and ratings during the buying process. Bricks-and-mortar retailers are increasingly pressurized to compete with online retailers as smartphone users can quickly compare in-store prices with online deals. With Canadian e-commerce sales totaling $5.4bn in 2012, the forecasts suggest it could reach $10bn by the turn of the next decade.
Gaming
The latest figures from the Canadian Gaming Association suggest that iGaming is a fast-emerging market throughout our nation, with a gross output totaling $31bn. The Canadian government has taken a relaxed stance towards iGaming, allowing individual provinces and territories to set their gaming laws at a state level. Quebec – the widely recognized hub of iGaming in Canada – became the inaugural state to grant licenses to iGaming operators, with many more poised to follow the same path and allow people access to real money games online with sites such as Lottoland, which offers a choice of six table games as well as live dealer table games that offer interaction with a human dealer online. With advancements in mobile tech and VR becoming ingrained into iGaming technology, it’s quite likely that these virtual gaming communities will dominate over the brick-and-mortar casinos in the coming decades.
Health and wellness
The Canadian health and wellbeing sector has taken off in a big way. Acute awareness of health has completely transformed food demand and eating habits. According to the same infographic previously mentioned by the BDC, a third of Canadians are prepared to pay a premium for health-enhancing products. With a genuine shift toward wellness and more Canadians getting active, a new fitness culture is developing, with health-monitoring equipment and mobile apps more prevalent than ever before.
Soccer
Soccer in Canada is now the most popular sport in terms of the overall participation rate. Hosting the 2007 FIFA under-20 World Cup proved to be the kick-start the sport needed in the country, including the building of BMO Field. Toronto FC is now a key figure in the Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise, as well as Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps. The trio of Canadian MLS sides recorded the largest year-on-year attendance growth, with MLS itself becoming the sixth-biggest soccer league on the planet in terms of overall attendance. The next logical step for Canada would seem to be a bid to host the FIFA World Cup.
There is so much to be proud of in our great country and so much more to look forward to in the coming years.