October 11, 2019 · By James Peters
Travel
Oh, Canada, eh!
There’s a lot of things Canada can be blamed for, but a wealth of beautiful and exciting destinations is not one of them. Visiting the world’s second largest country by size is not an easy feat, and it’s best handled over many trips. Well-known for the stunning views and most-unspoiled natural environment, many people visit Canada for the outdoors. But there’s more to the maple syrup nation than wilderness.
Canada boosts several amazing cities worth visiting, each with their own unique character. And while we’ve visited our share of places in Canada, there’s more to the city experience than just in Toronto. Montreal is a European gem infused with French-Canadian culture. Vancouver hosts a mix of city life and easily accessible nature. Both have even hosted the Olympics and a World Exposition (Toronto has host neither). From Montreal you can visit Quebec City, a 400+ year old capital located on the St. Lawrence, or travel up to the nation’s capital Ottawa for the country’s best collection of museums and galleries.
The East coast, or maritimes region, features some of the most beautiful smaller-sized cities in the country—St. John’s, Newfoundland, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick are just three key destinations in the region, but with enough time it’s worth also taking in Fredricton, Saint John and Charlottetown.
The cities
Out of all the cities to visit in Canada, our top three would be Montreal, Vancouver, and Winnipeg, as we have already written at length about these Canadian gems. Our full list would also include the Maritime provinces, Ottawa, and the Rocky Mountains.
The train
The federally run VIA rail service stretches from the maritimes to BC and is split into three main regions—Atlantic Canada, the Windsor-Quebec City corridor across Ontario & Quebec, and Western Canada. The two best loved by tourists are the Ocean (Halifax to Montreal) and the Canadian (Toronto to Vancouver). The Windsor-Quebec City corridor, while an excellent way to hop between regions on routes running multiple times a day, the service is aimed local travel. The Ocean and Canadian routes let you experience the majesty of Canada’s distinct regions, boosting the most scenic views. (And it’s possible to see even more hinterland on VIA’s Scenic Adventure Routes).
The Ocean Halifax to Montreal service cuts through some of the most beautiful and stunning country-side between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before following the St. Lawrence River to Montreal.
The Canadian takes two Northern paths through the wilds of the Northern Ontario Canadian Shield, across the awe-inspiring vistas of the Prairies up through Edmonton, and through the epic beauty of Jasper National Park and the Rocky Mountains down the Fraser River canyon to Vancouver. The full route is over 4,000km, and can be taken in shorter segments. Both routes take days (the Canadian covers 4 nights and days), with departures several times a week. The Skyline dome rail cars are a popular way to see the full beauty of Western Canada and the Rocky Mountains.
The outdoors
Canada has a wide-range of national and provincial parks spread across the country. Some are difficult and expensive to reach, while others like Banff National Park, can be busy in summer months. The Rockies are not the only breath-taking vistas to behold, but they are the most popular. Across the various mountain ranges in the BC interior or on Vancouver Island, hiking trails abound at all skill level, but many campsites and the most popular trails need to be booked months or years in advance. Jasper and Banff National Parks contain many of the instagrammable views, including popular Lake Louise. A drive former into the Rockies yields a host of equally stunning national parks featuring glaciers and alpine meadows.