A pink elephant balloon, one of the entries in the Canadian Hot Air Balloon Championships, lands in a field in High River September 27, 2013. The event is a qualifier for the World Hot Air Balloon Championships in Sao Paulo in 2014. (Photo by Mike Sturk/Reuters)

For a long time the laws of Canada have explicitly banned gambling in any form. This may be the reason why the country does not have so many gambling establishments as the USA - but their quality surely makes up for the quantity. The first Canadian casino was opened in Dawson City, Yukon, in 1972 - it was the first one after gambling has been banned in the country in 1892. The Diamond Tooth Gertie's Gambling Casino did not operate for long, though. The first permanent commercial casino was opened in 1989, and it was the first of many - there are currently 75 casinos operating on Canadian soil.

A Soyuz MS-11 rocket carrying Russian, American and Canadian astronauts takes off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on December 3, 2018 before reached orbit later, the first manned mission since a failed launch in October. (Photo by Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP Photo)

Canadian actor Percy Hynes White and American actress Jenna Ortega at the 80th Golden Globes After Party Powered By Billboard held at The Beverly Hilton on January 10, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)

Canadian fashion model Winnie Harlow at Atlantis The Royal's Dolce&Gabbana x Ounass takeover at Cloud 22 on October 05, 2025 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Cedric Ribeiro/Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal/ Dolce&Gabbana x Ounass)

Canadian painter Rob Gonsalves surrealistic paintings portrays two seemingly different realistic scenes magically merging into one. As a result, the term "Magic Realism" describes his work accurately.

Canadian artist Ellen Jewett makes extremely detailed animal sculptures that combine realism with curious elements of fantasy.

Canadian photographer Jeff Friesen has created an adorable photo series that depicts the imaginary lives of plastic toy animals.