Most people have at least a little knowledge of Canada, even if it’s merely about ice hockey, maple syrup or Justin Bieber. However, if you’ve never been there before, you can expect some surprises. For a start, there’s the size of the place - immense. The United Kingdom could fit into Canada 41 times over. That’s hard to appreciate until you see it for yourself. Canada’s cities – enchanting Québec, trendy Vancouver, the cosmopolitan Toronto and stylish Montréal – overflow with historical and cultural treasures. Above all, though, Canada is a land of fantastic, out-of-this-world landscapes, from the spectacular rock-fingered coastlines of Newfoundland and the Maritimes, to the glistening lakes and stunning peaks of the Rockies and the undulating grassy waves of prairie in between.
Canada is the second largest country in the world, only exceeded in land-mass by Russia. The majority of the 35 million Canadians live in the southern half, fairly close to the US border. Like its neighbour to the south, Canada comprises a spectrum of cultures, drawing on a mix of immigrant groups who usurped the continent’s indigenous population.
For the visitor, this tolerant multi-cultural diversity will prove an exhilarating experience. Spanning six time zones, Canada offers widely differing cultural, artistic and culinary experiences, such as Vancouver’s Chinatown, the Inuits to the north, the religious enclaves of Manitoba or the warmth of the Maritimes. However, in stark contrast to the USA, some Canadians are often troubled by the lack of a clear identity, tending to emphasize the ways in which their country is different from the US as a means of self-description.
The question “What is a Canadian?” continues to linger. The never-ending debate as to Québec’s secession continues to aggravate that question. Ultimately, there can be no simple characterisation of a people whose nation was not borne out of a single country but of a melting pot of diversity. One thing that all Canadians will agree upon is that they should never be likened to Americans. For a start, they enjoy free health-care and they consider themselves better-mannered. Above all, Canadians have an overwhelming sense of pride in their history, their culture and in their wonderful landscape and they embrace it all with great energy.
Where to go
Ontario
Ontario - the hub of Canada’s manufacturing industry and home to its largest city, Toronto. You’ll also find Niagara Falls here. To the north lie the crystal-clear waters of Georgian Bay, with its little pine-studded islands. You can also get here from the capital, Ottawa. It’s not as exciting a place as Toronto, but still well worth a visit for its galleries, museums and, though small in number, excellent restaurants.
Québec
Québec, characterised by its deeply-embedded French culture, is defined by its biggest city, Montréal, which many consider the most vibrant place in the country. The historic provincial capital of Québec City offers a fascinating mix of old-world style and commercial dynamism, but with a more relaxed feel. It’s even more easygoing in the villages dotted along the St Lawrence lowlands, where the spires of the Catholic Churches are still clearly evident.
New Brunswick
Across the St Lawrence River, the Gaspé Peninsula borders New Brunswick, a densely forested gateway to the three Maritime Provinces, whose population still rely on timber and the sea for their livelihood. The tides of the Bay of Fundy will amaze you, as they rise and fall by 9 metres or more, while the region’s tiny fishing villages are at their most charming around Halifax, the Nova Scotian capital. The pretty land and seascapes of Cape Breton Island are an utter delight, with their rugged topography hinting at that of the island of Newfoundland to the north. Newfoundland’s isolation has led to a distinctive culture that’s at its most lively in St John’s, which boasts the best local folk music around. The island also possesses some of the Atlantic seaboard’s best landscapes, such as the plateaus and glaciated lakes of Gros Morne National Park.
Winnipeg
Back to the mainland, the prairie provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan are considered as rather dull but even in the flat southern parts you have the attraction of Winnipeg, a good place to take a break on that trans-Canadian journey. The many lakes and massive forests are a joy for the canoeist and hiker and, in the far north, beside Hudson Bay, the remote town of Churchill – best accessed by train – is famous for polar bears, beluga whales and easy views of the Northern Lights. To the west, through the wheatfields of Alberta we come to ranching country. The province’s two main cities of Edmonton and Calgary have prospered well by dint of the region’s oil and gas fields. Calgary is especially famous for its cowboys, rodeos and luscious steaks but both cities provide useful starting points for trips into the Canadian Rockies and the resorts of Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, where you’ll find the most spectacular scenery in the country, from mighty glaciers to the calm serenity of Moraine Lake and the wilderness of Icefields Parkway.
British Columbia
Further west, British Columbia is a land of snowy peaks, rivers and forests, pioneering villages and ghost towns harking back to the gold rush. It offers some of the world’s best hiking, skiing, fishing and canoeing. Its urban centre of Vancouver is the country’s third largest city, well known for its spectacular natural surroundings, brilliant food and a laidback West Coast style. Vancouver Island is a microcosm of the province’s abundant natural resources and is home to the stoically anglophile city of Victoria. The rugged beauty of Long Beach, Clayoquot Sound and the surfing town of Tofino make a trip to the island’s west coast well worthwhile.
Yukon Territory
North of British Columbia, tucked in beside Alaska, is the Yukon Territory. It’s half mountain, half tundra landscape evokes the Klondike gold rush, while Whitehorse, its capital, and the gold-rush relic of Dawson City are the major towns. The Northwest Territories and Nunavut, spreading into the Canadian Arctic, form a huge area of forest, lakes, tundra and ice, populated by the Dene and Inuit Aborigines. There are virtually no roads here in the deep north. Only the frontier city of Yellowknife, together with a handful of tumbledown villages, possess the air links and the resources required for exploration of this wilderness.
Title Image Credit: Sue Cantan (Image Cropped)