Canada is a cultural

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings; * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

representing the country of the same name as part of the World Showcase area of EPCOT at the

Walt Disney World Resort The Walt Disney World Resort is an entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Walt Disney Company. ...

near

Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...

. It is located next to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

pavilion at the northern end of World Showcase Lagoon.

Layout

The Canada Pavilion is designed to remind guests of Canada's natural beauty. It includes a canyon, a

waterfall A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...

, gardens, a

pool Pool may refer to: Bodies of water * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a roc ...

with fountains, and totem poles. Further in to the pavilion, beyond the rustic log cabins, a small thoroughfare is designed to represent the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

influences and heritage through its buildings; the Hotel du Canada dominates the skyline to the right whilst English cottages adorn the left. An iconic Gilbert-Scott

telephone box A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box, telephone box or public call box is a tiny structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience; typically the user steps into the booth and closes the booth ...

stands to the side, and often there is a direct connection on this phone to the boxes in the

pavilion nearby. The main attraction is ''O’ Canada'', a

Circle-Vision 360° Circle-Vision 360° is a film format developed by The Walt Disney Company that uses projection screens which encircle the audience. Circle-Vision 360° developed from the Circarama format, which uses eleven 16 mm projectors. The first Circ ...

movie of Canada's cities, scenery, and people. The pavilion also includes Le Cellier Steakhouse and the former home of the Celtic rock band Off Kilter. North American animal characters from ''

Brother Bear ''Brother Bear'' is a 2003 American animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker and produced by Chuck Williams, f ...

'' (Kenai and Koda) and ''

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...

'' (Meeko and Percy) used to make the occasional appearances to patrons, but have been absent from the pavilion for a few years.

Attraction history

Prior to the construction of the pavilion, the Walt Disney Company sought financial support for the attraction from the

Canadian government The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes ministers of the Crown ( ...

. The company wanted the federal government to fund the cost of building the attraction; in return the government would have input into the design and layout. The Canadian government was concerned about the

stereotype In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalization, generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can ...

of Canada that Disney wanted (i.e.,

lumberjacks Lumberjack is a mostly North American term for workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees. The term usually refers to loggers in the era before 1945 in the United States, when trees were felled us ...

). Funding was refused, and Disney threatened to pull the exhibit, but ultimately did not. At one time during the planning, the entire pavilion was to have been divided by a main street of shops and restaurants, with one side representing

French Canada Francophone Canadians or French-speaking Canadians are citizens of Canada who speak French, and sometimes refers only to those who speak it as their first language. In 2021, 10,669,575 people in Canada or 29.2% of the total population spoke Fren ...

and the other

English Canada English Canada comprises that part of the population within Canada, whether of British origin or otherwise, that speaks English. The term ''English Canada'' is also used for any of the following: *Describing all the provinces of Canada ...

. Today this is somewhat evident as a small thoroughfare. At the opening in 1982, the original musical talent for the Canadian pavilion was a trio called the "Caledonian Pipe Band", consisting of two pipers and one drummer. The performers were Robert (Bob) Proctor (lead, drummer), Kenneth Mauchin (piper) and Robert Mauchin (piper). They were recruited by Ron Rodriguez (talent co-ordinator for Walt Disney World) from the Rosie O'Grady's Pipe Band of Orlando. Because all three had ties to

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, they also performed in the British pavilion at various times. In 2007, Disney updated the movie ''O Canada!'', filmed in 1979. For several years, the

Canadian Tourism Commission Destination Canada, formerly the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC; (CCT)), was created in 1995 to promote tourism in Canada. It is a Crown corporation, wholly owned by the Government of Canada, which reports to the Minister of Small Business ...

lobbied to have the movie updated, partly to remove outdated stereotypes of Canadian life. On August 31, 2007, the updated edition opened with a new host, Canadian actor

Martin Short Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian and American comedian, actor, and writer. Short is known as an energetic comedian who gained prominence for his roles in sketch comedy. He has also acted in numerous films and television ...

, and ''

Canadian Idol ''Canadian Idol'' is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show '' Pop Idol''. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Do ...

'' winner

Eva Avila Eva Avila (born Eva Gougeon-Ávila on 25 February 1987) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and actress. She won the fourth season of the CTV reality show ''Canadian Idol'' in 2006. Early life Avila was born in Gatineau, Quebec. Her father intr ...

reprising the original film's theme song, "Canada (You're a Lifetime Journey)". The attraction closed in late 2019 to make adjustments for the new update; Canada Far and Wide, which opened in 2020. On March 25, 2025, following the announcement, since Hotel du Canada as the old space was permanently closed, Disney Vacation Club announced that the opening of the first in-park Welcome Home Center, called Château de Voyage, as the new space, in the Canada pavilion, which was opened on April 20, 2025. This new space serves as a Disney Vacation Club Welcome Home Center, where guests can learn about DVC memberships and tour a model room of the Island Tower at Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.

Attractions and services

Attraction

* ''Canada: Far and Wide'' Circle-Vision film (under seasonal operation)

Dining

* Le Cellier Steakhouse provides sit down restaurant service. The interior is to give the impression of a wine cellar as its name suggests. Food offerings include seafood and steaks, along with popular Canadian wines and beer. It is located in the main building of the pavilion, Hotel du Canada modeled after the

Château Laurier The Fairmont Château Laurier is a hotel with 429 guest rooms in the downtown core of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Located near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive, it is designed in a French Gothic Revival Châteauesque style to co ...

hotel in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

. The building is presented (with the aid of

forced perspective Forced perspective is a technique that employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is. It manipulates human visual perception through the use of scaled objects and the correlation bet ...

) to look as if it is six stories in height, but is really three. The restaurant was originally a cafeteria-style dining hall. It actually is a cellar, located underneath the chateau; it was designed to appear as a wine cellar, with simulated stone arches and dark ambient lighting. * Popcorn Cart sells popcorn, soda, Moosehead Lager, La Fin Du Monde on draft and

Labatt's Labatt Brewing Company Limited () is a Anheuser-Busch InBev-owned brewery headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1847, Labatt is the largest brewer in Canada. In 1995, it was purchased by Belgian brewer Interbrew. In 2004, Interb ...

Blue and Blue Light in bottle pour

Shopping

* Northwest Mercantile sells wilderness themed

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

ornaments, a variety of animal plush,

maple syrup Maple syrup is a sweet syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Ma ...

, and a selection of Canadian wines and ice wines. It is located in the trading post building, which is designed to look like a traditional West coast native

longhouse A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America. Many were built from lumber, timber and ...

. * The Wood Cart (located on the promenade) sells a variety of animal plush, flags and other assorted goods. The Cart also features an engraving stand, where guests can have their names engraved onto genuine leather bracelets, cuffs, and Disney character keychains.

Entertainment

* Canadian Holiday Voyagers Began December 1, 2015 * Alberta Bound is a performance of Canadian country, folk and popular music which began May 1, 2016.

Totem poles

The pavilion opened with two North west coast Indigenous totem poles

totem pole Totem poles () are monumental carvings found in western Canada and the northwestern United States. They are a type of Northwest Coast art, consisting of poles, posts or pillars, carved with symbols or figures. They are usually made from large t ...

s, up to 30' (9 metres) in height constructed of fibreglass. Designed by Disney Imagineering, the icons used did not represent any specific nation but rather tried to capture the spirit of the Indigenous peoples of Canada's west coast. In 1998, the park decided to add a third on, this time using wood so as to be more "authentic". It was carved by the

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

n artist David A. Boxley in front of guests over a two-month period and was officially put on display in April 1998. The third totem pole depicts three stories of the Raven tricking the Sky Chief into the release of

sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

and stars from a chest. Then, in 2017,

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

commissioned Boxley to create two more poles to replace the original fibreglass ones.

Gardens

The Victoria Gardens which are adjacent to the Hotel du Canada are inspired by the

Butchart Gardens The Butchart Gardens is a floral display garden in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, located near Victoria on Vancouver Island. The gardens receive over a million visitors each year. The gardens have been designated a National Historic S ...

near

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...

. The gardens are the largest (and most labour-intensive) of all the national pavilions.

Hidden Mickeys

The Canada Pavilion contains two Hidden Mickeys: # Just outside Northwest Mercantile, there is the largest totem pole in the Canada Pavilion. The Mickey is just underneath the elbow of a set of arms near the top of the pole. # Just inside Le Cellier steakhouse there is the counter where one would check in for their meal. Behind that counter is a small

wine storage Storage of wine is an important consideration for wine that is being kept for long-term aging. While most wine is consumed within 24 hours of purchase, fine wines are often set aside for long-term storage. Wine is one of the few commercial prod ...

room. In the very top center of the rack are three bottles of wine, a large one with two small ones on top of it forming a familiar shape. The Hidden Mickey that was on the fish in the Mercantile was created by cast members in 2002 and removed in 2019. An updated fish created by an artist from Dieppe, New Brunswick received approval by Disney Imagineering and was placed in 2023.

Former attractions and services

Dining

* Le Cellier Cafeteria (became Le Cellier Steakhouse) * La Boutique des Provinces (located in Hotel du Canada) sells

Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, t ...

gifts, Blue Mountain pottery, along with various handcrafted

souvenirs A souvenir ( French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and trans ...

. * Beaver Tails kiosk cart, which sold

BeaverTails BeaverTails is a Canadian restaurant chain, specializing in pastries known as BeaverTails, that is operated by BeaverTails Canada Inc. Its namesake products are fried dough pastries, individually hand-stretched to resemble beaver's tails, wit ...

goods. (Closed in 2005 and cart removed in late 2006).

Films

* ''Portraits of Canada / Images du Canada'' – played for a short period after its debut at the Telecom Canada pavilion at

Expo 86 The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo 86, was a world's fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from May 2 until October 13, 1986. The fair, the theme of which was "Transportation and Communicatio ...

in Vancouver. * ''Canada 67'' * ''O Canada!''

Entertainment

* Off Kilter is a Celtic rock band which debuted at the Canada Pavilion July 1, 1997, and closed in 2014. * Canadian Lumberjacks debuted in Fall 2014 – Ended November 30, 2015

References

External links

Walt Disney World Resort – Canada Pavilion

Walt Disney World Resort – ''O Canada!''

Walt Disney World Resort – Le Cellier Steakhouse

Walt Disney World Resort – Off Kilter
{{coord, 28.3715, N, 81.5513, W, source:wikidata, display=title 1982 establishments in Florida Canadian-American culture Culture of Canada Epcot Walt Disney Parks and Resorts attractions World Showcase