Mobile sensation Pokemon Go officially launches in Canada, crashes app’s servers

Prospective Pokemon trainers can officially download the mobile gaming sensation Pokemon Go in Canada as of Sunday afternoon.

The augmented-reality game launched in the United States, Australia and New Zealand earlier this month.

But before Sunday, Canadians had to find workarounds to play the game north of the 49th parallel.

The game sends players into the real world to search for the mythical digital pocket monsters known as Pokemon, who appear onscreen when users hold up their smartphones in various locations at various times of the day.

On Sunday afternoon, it was announced on the app’s Twitter page that the game is available for download in Canada on Android and iOS devices.

But the app’s servers overloaded in the hour after the announcement, and wannabe players had to wait a little longer before they could register an account.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version said Pokemon Go was released in Japan.