Canada was the first country McDonald's entered outside the United States.
McDonald's opened its first Canadian restaurant in Richmond, British Columbia, in 1967. The opening marked the beginning of the company's international expansion and established Canada as the first market in McDonald's worldwide restaurant system.
The Canadian launch came after McDonald's had developed a recognizable American identity built around its arches, standardized service, and familiar restaurant design. International expansion required the company to reproduce those brand features while adapting operations to local markets.
Canada is sometimes confused with other early overseas markets, including Japan and Australia. Japan joined the system in 1971, while Australia also received McDonald's in 1971. The Canadian opening therefore has a special place in the company's branding history: it was the first test of whether the McDonald's identity could travel beyond the United States.