Canadian Sports and Recreation

Water sports are especially popular in Canada on the lakes and streams of the Canadian interior and on both coasts. Sailing is a common recreational occupation on the coasts. Canoeing enthusiasts enjoy paddling the interior. In some places, especially in the more remote north of the country, travelers rent canoes the same way motorists rent cars. The canoe can be picked up at one place and dropped off at a different location.

Nova Scotia is a popular destination for divers. There are more than 3,000 wrecked ships off Nova Scotia, and some are said to contain treasure.

Spectator sports

Lacrosse

Lacrosse was designated the national game of Canada in the 19th century. The game has its origins in competitions among the native peoples. In some cases, teams from different tribes played the game in order to settle disputes. The early French settlers called it lacrosse because the stick used in the game reminded them of a bishop's staff or crozier. In the 1990s, an act of parliament named lacrosse Canada's national summer sport, and named hockey the national winter sport. There are more than 100,000 members of the Canadian Lacrosse Association. The game is played mostly by club and school teams, though the Toronto Rock, Vancouver Ravens and Calgary Roughnecks are professional teams.

Hockey

There are hockey teams throughout Canada. The Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Canucks are members of the National Hockey League. The Hamilton Bulldogs, Edmonton Roadrunners, St. John's Maple Leafs, and Manitoba Moose are in the American Hockey League.

The Toronto Raptors represent Canada in the National Basketball League, and the Toronto Blue Jays are the lone Canadian Major League Baseball team.