Canadian Firsts

Canadians don't spend a lot of time bragging, but as this collection shows, our citizens have a lot to be proud of--the many amazing firsts that have come from this country and its people and their impact on our culture and the world: * Alexander MacKenzie was the first recorded explorer to complete the transcontinental crossing of North America * In 1885, Banff National Park was the first patch of land ever recognized as a national park * Canadian-born Gideon Sundback was the first to patent a ''separable fastener,'' a.k.a. the zipper, in 1913 * The first kidney transplant performed between identical twins took place at Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital in 1958 * Montreal's Maurice Richard was the first hockey player to record a 50-goal season in 1944-45 and the first to score more than 500 goals in his career * The Hudson's Bay Company, established on May 2, 1670, is the oldest, continuously operating company on the continent * The 12.9-kilometre-long Confederation Bridge between mainland Canada and Prince Edward Island is the world's longest uninterrupted span * In 1962, at just 15 years old, Petra Burka became the first woman figure skater in the world to complete a triple Salchow * And so much more.