And this year, it seems the whole world has caught the Canadian travel bug, with Lonely Planet having named Canada the world’s No. 1 destination for 2017.

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But sadly, it turns out just about everything we thought we knew about Canada is wrong.

Canadian Ben Hutchinson, a travel director with Trafalgar, says many Australians are shocked to discover their beliefs about the country are actually misconceptions.

Here are 11 myths about Canada, busted:

1. THAT IT IS ALWAYS COLD AND SNOWY …

“While we do get some pretty chilly winters in parts of the country, spring and autumn are relatively mild in many places such as the West Coast … and some regions in Canada can be downright hot come summertime. But there is always an ocean breeze or cool mountain lake nearby to cool down in,” Hutchinson says.

2. THAT THERE IS WILDLIFE EVERYWHERE …

“People seem to think we have bears everywhere and they will see a herd of moose grazing on the front lawn of parliament. We do of course have abundant wildlife but you will need to leave the cities to see it. The Rocky Mountains are fantastic for wildlife spotting and our trips that visit the Icefields Parkway often see elk, bear, mountain goats and much more.”

3. THAT MENU OPTIONS ARE LIMITED TO BACON AND MAPLE SYRUP …

“And maple-flavoured bacon! Seriously though, foodies will be in heaven,” Hutchinson says. “Canada is an incredibly multicultural country so you can get everything from sensational sushi to incredible Indian. Being bordered by three oceans and the longest coastline in the world it’s fair to say we also have an incredible range of fresh seafood and, with no shortage of farmland, we have a year-round supply of fresh local produce and quality Alberta beef. Would you believe we even produce some world-class wines? These are generally not exported; you will have to come here to try them. And did I mention the craft breweries? We have plenty of those too.”

4. THAT OUR POLICE WEAR RED TUNICS AND RIDE HORSES …

“The day to day uniform of our Royal Canadian Mounted Police is not unlike what the police wear in your hometown. The famous ‘Red Serge’ is reserved only for formal occasions and special celebrations like Canada Day, and the only horses the RCMP use are in the touring ‘Musical Ride’. But don’t worry! On many Trafalgar trips you can still get that iconic photo beside a real ‘Mountie’ when an RCMP officer comes to give us a private talk about life in the force.’

5. THAT YOU NEED TO SPEAK FRENCH …

“A little over 20 per cent of our population speak French as their first language. The areas with the greatest concentration of French speakers are Quebec and the Maritimes but even here you will have absolutely no problem getting by with English alone. Of course learning a few phrases of French will ensure that your welcome is just that much warmer.”

6. THAT CANADA IS A BIG COUNTRY …

“No, Canada is an ENORMOUS country! It is the second largest country on earth and covers one-15th of the earth’s surface. From the spectacular west coast which boasts cities like Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria; to the stunning national parks of the Canadian Rockies and to the historic and culturally rich eastern capitals of Ontario and Quebec all the way to the charming Maritimes (think Anne of Green Gables), it will take you at least a couple of trips to begin to uncover all that Canada has to offer.”

7. EVERYONE PLAYS AND WATCHES HOCKEY …

“It may surprise you to hear that twice the number of Canadian adults play golf compared to hockey and among young Canadians, those enrolled to play soccer is double that of hockey. Hockey is not even the national sport. That honour belongs to the game of lacrosse which has its origins with our First Nations peoples. All that being said, come the Olympics it seems like the entire country is swept up in hockey fervour.”

8. THAT CANADA IS FAR AWAY …

“Vancouver International Airport is the second busiest North American gateway airport to the Pacific. With direct flights from Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane, and many other Pacific areas, Canada has never been closer.”

9. THAT WE ALL LISTEN TO CELINE DION AND JUSTIN BIEBER …

“While they are two of our more famous musical exports, truth be told Canada has a diverse and thriving visual and performing arts scene. From small town festivals to world class venues in the big cities; Canada has no shortage of theatres, concert halls, museums, and galleries to satisfy any culture vulture’s interest in the arts.”

10. THAT OUR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ALL LIVE IN IGLOOS AND CARVE TOTEM POLES …

“The people and groups of our First Nations have history, traditions, language, and culture as different from one another as the English to the Chinese. Many of Trafalgar’s trips include an opportunity to meet local specialists and interact with members of these different communities where you will learn about the different cultures that together form the patchwork of a truly diverse country.”

11. THAT WE ARE A YOUNG COUNTRY WITH NO HISTORY …

“Nonsense! Not only do we have a rich past but we have settlements dating to the 15th centuries and cities like Quebec are over 400 years old. They’ve even discovered ruins from Vikings over 1000 years old. While perhaps we are quite young compared to some other countries this year we celebrate 150 years of confederation and the government has invested heavily in tourism to make this a very special anniversary. There has been no better time to come than 2017!”