Coronation Street has been a British institution since it made its debut in black and white in 1960.

Set in the fictional Salford town of Weatherfield the ITV1 soap remains one of the most popular TV shows, and not just here in Britain. Coronation Street is also one of the longest-running and much-loved dramas on Canadian television.

Canada is crazy about Corrie, to the extent cast members fly 4,000 miles to host meet-and-greets, and Canadian fans travel to the UK in a pilgrimage to the set at MediaCityUK in Trafford.

Earlier this year Chris Gascoyne, who plays Peter Barlow, travelled across Canada on a ‘Prodigal Son Tour’, talking to enraptured audiences about his role as the troubled recovering alcoholic bookie turned taxi driver.

During the tour with Nova Scotia-based Stroll Promotions Chris signed his name backstage at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver next to the spot where William Roache, who plays his on-screen father Ken, had also left his signature and message of thanks.

‘Bucket list trips’ to the UK are also organised for Canadian fans eager to go behind-the-scenes and meet the cast and they flock to Corrie star Jennie McAlpine's city centre restaurant Annie's for hotpot.

Jennie, who plays Fiz Brown, said: "I've been to Canada to meet the fans a few times. They're always so welcoming to us, and big fans of the show. So many people who live in Canada originate from the UK or their grandma or great grandma did. So Corrie is like a little bit of home for some.

"We just hosted a big Canadian Corrie fan club at our restaurant Annies. They come on a pilgrimage to the UK every year."

(Image: Jackie Butler)

In November Kemptville Travel in Toronto will host its 28th World of Coronation Street Tour with a group visit to MediaCityUK and dinner with a "surprise special guest."

Jackie Butler, from the Twitter fanpage @Corrie_Canada,organises her own trips is coming back to England next summer for her fourth visit.

Jackie explained: “Canada’s fascination with Corrie comes in part from our strong affiliation and affection for the UK.

“I believe initially, Corrie’s popularity was that people could relate more to real life storylines as opposed to many American soaps aired here.”

(Image: Vincent Cole)

In 2015 Jose Bingham, 41, popped the question to partner Kira Lavoie, also 41, on the Coronation Street tour after travelling from their home in Canada.

Many cast members have visited Canada for in-demand meet-and-greets including Chris and Katie McGlynn and Lisa George, who play Underworld machinists Sinead Tinker and Beth Sutherland.

Jennie and Graeme Hawley, who played Fiz’s murderous late husband John Stape, held a Canadian tour in 2012. When fan Jackie tweeted that she was going to miss the show near her home in Newfoundland because she was in New York, Jennie asked to meet her and Jackie ended up rescheduling her flight home to attend a show in Nova Scotia instead, more than 600 miles away.

And the diversion was well worth it because both Jennie and Graeme invited her to meet them and have tea.

(Image: Jackie Butler)

Canada's 'number one Corrie fan' Sylvia Nolan said: "I love Corrie so much because it is about common people with low paying jobs and they have problems like anyone would have.

"I love the fact I can meet them because they tour Canada."

Expat Stella Booth, originally from Salford, says watching Corrie provides her with a "sense of home."

She said: "I always watched it before I emigrated. When people over here hear me talk and ask where I'm from, as soon as I say Manchester they instantly associate it with Coronation Street.

"They seem to like the drama with the humour injected in too and I'm not aware of any other soap over here that offers that balance."

Corrie is screened in Canada Monday to Friday and, like in the UK, the show is screened at 7.30pm in Canada, except in the Newfoundland Time Zone, where programmes air 30 minutes later. And there’s a catch up marathon for two and a half hours on Sunday mornings from 8am.

The show is screened on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and viewers watch on the telly, at CBC.ca or some watch UK sites online to be totally up-to-date.

In recent years Canada was approximately 10 months behind, but then CBC started screening double episodes so viewers are now only one week behind.

(Image: Jackie Butler)

This week Eileen suspected that Phelan was seeing someone else and Michelle bumped into her ex Will in the Bistro.

Coronation Street began airing in Canada in the late 1960s but not continuously and in the 70s and 80s it was quite far behind UK episodes. Now it is televised across the entire vast country.