Canada was McDonald's first international market, entered when a restaurant opened in Richmond, British Columbia, in 1967.
The Canadian opening marked McDonald's expansion beyond the United States. Richmond became the starting point for a much wider international network, and Canada remains one of the company's most important long-established markets.
This event is part of McDonald's branding history because international growth required the company to carry recognizable visual elements—its name, arches, packaging, and restaurant design—into different national settings.
The opening is sometimes confused with McDonald's first locations in other major overseas markets. Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom all became important markets later. Canada was the first country outside the United States to receive a McDonald's restaurant.