Fun fact.

"not for canada - australian in disguise" (for-canada) 02/07/2018 at 16:01 • Filed to: FUN FACTS

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Several parts of Canada used to drive on the left well into the 20th century. This included British Columbia (pictured above is Granville Street in Vancouver), which switched over in stages from 1920 to 1923.

Atlantic Canada also drove on the left until the Twenties, with New Brunswick the first to switch in 1922, Nova Scotia following in 1923, and Prince Edward Island the last to switch in 1924. Or were they the last?

They were not! While not technically part of Canada until 1949, our fishing and Celtic-folk loving friends in Newfoundland switched to driving on the left in 1947, while still as a colonial entity of the United Kingdom.

And when it comes to our neighbours to the south, part of their country still drives on the left, in the Caribbean island territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

And then there’s Gibraltar, which is officially part of the United Kingdom, but unlike the mainland of the U.K., they drive on the right. Most likely because none of their neighbours drive on the left.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > not for canada - australian in disguise 02/07/2018 at 16:25

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I was part of a Newspaper digitization project here in Nova Scotia and remember reading all the controversy and articles surrounding the switch in the papers from the 20's, haha! :D

gmctavish needs more space > not for canada - australian in disguise 02/07/2018 at 16:33

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I see you found an early stancebro. Interesting that blocking your view with banners came before the actual stancing.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > not for canada - australian in disguise 02/07/2018 at 16:35

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Granville Street currently follows in it’s tradition by running the length of the entire downtown core, but is illegal to drive on. Transit and emergency vehicles only.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > not for canada - australian in disguise 02/07/2018 at 17:49

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What’s freaky about the USVI is that they drive on the left but their cars are all LHD...

Svend > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 02/07/2018 at 20:59

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Same in the BVI, drive one the left in left hand drive cars.

It’s not like RHD cars aren’t around, they are there in Antiqua, Bermuda, St. Mitts and Nevis, Jamaica, etc...

Even in the Cayman Islands, police drive LHD and RHD cars.

Seems most just buy what ever is financially available.

not for canada - australian in disguise > Svend 02/09/2018 at 02:03

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This type of thing is quite common in the Russian Far East, but the other way around. Note all the RHD cars.

Most likely due to the area’s proximity to Japan, and the resulting low cost of JDM imports.

Svend > not for canada - australian in disguise 02/09/2018 at 02:30

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Ye’, it is directly because of Japanese imports

Many of them are islands that drive on the left, but still, that quite a few.

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Brunei, Cyprus, Dominica, East Timor, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Niue, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Thailand, The Bahamas, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu and United Kingdom