Oh, Canada

Canada is one of the largest and most diverse countries on Earth. Depicting that scope and breadth within the limits of a World Showcase pavilion was a huge challenge for the Imagineering design team. The result is a delicious sampler platter of cultural and geographic influences. Let's take a look, eh?

The totems toward the front of the pavilion pay tribute to the native peoples who called this land home for centuries before the arrival of Europeans. The totems to the right of the steps have been there since the pavilion opened in 1982. The large totem on the left (below) is a more recent addition.

In 1998, artist David Boxley was brought to Florida to carve this totem onstage while interacting with Epcot Guests. During carving, the log was laid on its side on a raised platform (what is now the stage for performances of Off Kilter). The final piece tells three traditional stories of the Raven.

Nearby is the Northwest Mercantile, representing the explorers and adventurers - not to mention trappers, prospectors, loggers and traders - who helped forge the great Canadian frontier. The shop is dressed as an outpost, a last stop for supplies before heading into the wilderness, and is filled to the roof with props that help tell the story.

Lining the street that leads back to the Circle-Vision theater are structures that call up the British and French heritage of Canada. The stone cottages on the left, a common sight in English-speaking Canada, were once home to a Tourism Information Center. The French Gothic Hotel du Canada on the right is patterned after the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa and at one time housed the collectibles shop La Boutique des Provinces. The architecture remains, although the locations have since closed due to a lack of foot traffic (the pavilion's retail was shifted to locations closer to the promenade).

In the base of the hotel can still be found Le Cellier Steakhouse, one of the most popular restaurants in the entire Walt Disney World Resort.

Another remnant of the past is the Canadian National Hotels plaque affixed to the side of the structure. Chateau Laurier was originally part of the Canadian National chain, a group of hotels built by Canadian National Railways in the early 20th century to accommodate cross-country travelers. Canadian National sold off their hotel properties in the late-80s. Today, Chateau Laurier is operated by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

Returning to the World Showcase promenade from a satisfying meal or a visit with Martin Short-in-the-round, we pass through Victoria Gardens, inspired by the famous Butchart Gardens near Victoria, British Columbia. The gardens are breathtaking, and they're backed by a stand of maple trees, the national symbol of Canada.