Canada is the second largest country in the world. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Arctic Ocean to the north and the USA on the South. It spans a total area that covers almost ten million square kilometers. Canada also has the longest coastline of any country. Canada is a mosaic of regions from the mountains of the West, to the farm communities of the prairies, to the modern French culture of Québec and to the fishing communities of the east coast. Adding to this geographical diversity there are over 200 distinct cultures in Canada. There are two official languages: English and French.
Cool Cities
Vancouver
Vancouver, British Colombia, is one of the world's most spectacular cities is well known for its majestic natural beauty, as it is nestles between the Coast Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently ranked as one of the "best cities to live in" and is a beautiful destination to visit. Port Metro Vancouver is the homeport for the popular Vancouver-Alaska cruise.
Toronto
Toronto is Canada’s largest city is located on the shore of Lake Ontario. Canada is a nation of immigrants, and Toronto demonstrates this abundantly. Toronto is Home to many ethnic festivals each year and has some many eclectic neighbourhoods that a random walk is fascinating in its own right. The city's asset is the Waterfront, and the best place to enjoy simple lakefront pleasures.
Montreal
Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie, or "City of Mary", the city takes its present name from Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city. Montreal is consistently rated as one of the world's most livable cities, was called "Canada's Cultural Capital" by Monocle Magazine and recently was named a UNESCO City of Design
Icons
Lake Louise
Lake Louise is home to one of North America's finest downhill ski areas, and has numerous hiking and walking trails. The region abounds with spectacular scenery, from glaciers to waterfalls. You will find the best powder skiing, unparalleled wildlife viewing opportunities, and the famous Canadian Rockies scenery. The area offers a tremendous diversity of recreational and sightseeing opportunities.
Canadian Mounties
There is no more recognizable and meaningful symbol of a nation than the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They have played a leading role in Canada's history and remain an important legacy. In 1873, the Canadian Government formed the North-West Mounted Police to ensure peace and order in a wilderness that stretched from Manitoba to the Rockies and as far north as anyone dared go.
Polar Bears and Churchill
Churchill “the Polar Bear Capital of the World” is the only human settlement where polar bears can be observed in the wild. The bears tip the scale at over 1,300 pounds, stand 3m tall and can move with surprising speed and agility. In the summer more than 3,000 white beluga whales come to feed and calve in the blue waters of the Churchill River
Natural Landscapes
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the US. Horseshoe Falls lie on the Canadian side and the American Falls and Bridal Falls on the American side. Located on the Niagara River which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world, with a vertical drop of more than 50 m.
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park is about an hour and half driving distance from Calgary. It features mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. Banff National Park numerous large glaciers and ice fields are easily accessed from the Ice fields Parkway.
Baffin Island
Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada. Baffin Island has year-round visitor wildlife. On land, examples of year-round wildlife are Barren-Caribou, Polar Bear, Arctic Fox, Arctic Hare, lemming and Arctic Wolf. Polar bears can be found all along the coast of Baffin Island, but are most prevalent where the sea ice is located as pack ice.
Go Local
Calgary Stampede
The Calgary Stampede the annual rodeo held in July. "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts a million visitors and features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, concerts, chuckwagon racing and First Nations exhibitions. The city takes on a party atmosphere: buildings painted in cowboy themes, residents don western wear and events are held across the city.
Ice Hockey
Ice hockey is hugely popular in Canada and is the official national winter sport. While some say the game is derived from field hockey and brought over with settlers, others point to the rules being closely aligned to lacrosse a game devised by Canada's indigenous population. Ice hockey has become a national obsession and a point of pride for the Canadians.
Spring Festival
The largest festival in Nunavut, Toonik Tyme is a spring festival which is a community tradition. Local residents celebrate the return of spring as a community and it is an opportunity for visitors to experience the unique culture of the Canadian Arctic. A week-long schedule includes traditional Inuit activities such as igloo building, dog team races, Inuit games, and seal skinning.
Treasures of the Past
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province and an island of the same name. It is the smallest in the nation. The author Lucy Maud Montgomery drew inspiration from the land and its lush landscape for the setting of her classic novel Anne of Green Gables (1908). Today, the smaller rural communities and the towns and villages throughout the province, retain a slower-paced, old-world flavour.
Cabot Trail
The Cabot Trail is a highway and scenic roadway in the province of Nova Scotia. It is located in northern Victoria County and Inverness County on Cape Breton Island. The route measures 298 km in length and completes a loop around the northern tip of the island, passing along and through the scenic Cape Breton Highlands. It is named after the explorer John Cabot.
Dinosaur Park
Dinosaur Provincial Park is situated in the valley of the Red Deer River, which is noted for its striking badland topography. The park is well known for being one of the richest dinosaur fossil locales in the world. Forty dinosaur species have been discovered at the park and more than 500 specimens have been removed and exhibited in museums across the globe.
Arts and Culture
Inuit
Inuit are the groups of indigenous peoples who live in the central and northeastern Canadian Arctic. The traditional lifestyle of the Inuit is adapted to extreme climactic conditions; their essential skills for survival are hunting and trapping. Everyday life in modern Inuit settlements reflects the five-thousand year hunting culture which allowed the Inuit peoples to achieve a remarkable human accomplishment, the population of the Arctic.
Quebec Old Town
Quebec City is the capital of the province of Quebec. On cliffs overlooking the St. Lawrence Seaway, Quebec City's Old Town is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only city in North America outside Mexico with its original city walls. Orienting yourself is fairly easy. Many sights of interest are in the Old Town (Vieux-Québec) the walled city on top of the hill.
The Acadians
The Acadians are descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia, a colony of New France. The colony was located in what is the Eastern Canada’s Maritime Provinces. The feast of the Assumption is the national feast day of the Acadians. They celebrate with the tintamarre a big parade where people dress up in Acadian colours and make lots of noise.
Find your nearest Maestro Travel Agent to access great travel deals