DESTINATION CANADA

Environment

Situated north of the USA, between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Canada is the world's second largest country. It extends some 7700km (4775mi) east to west and 4600km (2850mi) north to south. Nearly 90% of Canadians huddle along the 6379km (3955mi) southern border with the USA. Though much of the land is lake and river-filled forest, there are mountains, plains and even a small desert. The Great Plains, or prairies, cover Manitoba, Saskatchewan and parts of Alberta. These former grasslands are now responsible for Canada's abundant wheat crop. Western Canada is known for its Rocky Mountains, while the east has the country's major cities and also its most visited geographic feature, Niagara Falls. The Canadian Shield, an ancient, rocky and glacially-sanded region, formed more than 2.5 billion years ago, covers most of the north of the country. The Arctic region, in the far north, is where you'll find frozen tundra merging into islands that are ice-bound for most of the year.

The Canadian Rockies (25K)

Niagara Falls (17K)

Canada has an incredible mix of native flora and fauna. It comprises eight vegetation zones, most of which are dominated by forest. Some of the common tree species include white and black spruce, balsam and Douglas fir, western red cedar, white pine and the sugar maple, one of Canada's best-known symbols - the maple's leaf appears on the country's flag. Endemic animals include the grizzly, black, brown and polar bears, beaver, buffalo, wolf, coyote, lynx, cougar, deer, caribou, elk and moose. There are also 500 species of birds, such as the great blue heron, Canada geese and many varieties of duck. Canada has over 37 national parks, over 129 national historic parks and 12 areas of such natural significance that they are on the UN World Heritage list.

Grazing elk, Banff (16K)

Horseshoe Canyon, the Badlands, south Alberta (18K)

Canada has four distinct seasons, although their arrival times vary across the country. The single most significant factor in climate is latitude. As a rule of thumb, it gets colder the further north you go, so it's no accident that the warmest areas in the south are also the most populated. The western and eastern coasts are both very wet, though much of the rain falls during winter. In Saskatchewan, Manitoba and eastern Alberta the prairies are fairly dry all year. Canadian winters are long: in more than two-thirds of the country, the average January temperature is a shivering -18°C (-0.4°F). July and August are the warmest months, when temperatures in the south are usually in the upper-20sC (low-80sF).

Spring flowers line the Top of the World Highway, Yukon (18K)

Boya Lake, British Columbia (16K)

History

Well before Columbus 'discovered' America in 1492, prehistoric tribes from Asia had come across the Bering Strait; and around AD 1000, the Vikings, the first European vistors, had tried to settle in northern Newfoundland. By the time subsequent Europeans arrived, Canada's Indian tribes had already developed a multitude of languages, customs, religious beliefs, trading patterns, arts and crafts, laws and governments. Although a number of European countries were interested in establishing settlements in the Americas, it was French explorer Jacques Cartier who made the first claim on the area surrounding the St Lawrence River in 1534.

Better red than dead

Another French explorer, Samuel de Champlain, founded Quebec City in the early 1600s. In 1663 Canada, now home to about 3,000 French settlers, became a province of France. Just as the French started to thrive on the fur trade, the British entered the scene, founding the Hudson's Bay Company in 1670 to add a bit of 'friendly' competition. For a while, the two European cultures coexisted peacefully. Then, in 1745, British troops captured a French fort in Nova Scotia - the struggle for control of the new land was on. The turning point in what became known as the Seven Years' War arrived when the British defeated the French at Quebec City in 1759. At the Treaty of Paris in 1763, France handed Canada over to Britain.

Fishing village near St John's Newfoundland (22K)

By the end of the American Revolution (1775-83), a migration of about 50,000 British 'Loyalists' from the USA created a more even balance between the French and British populations. After the War of 1812 - the last war between Canada and the USA - Britain, fearful of losing Canada as it had the American Colonies, proclaimed the British North America Act (BNA Act) in 1867. The Act established the Dominion of Canada and became Canada's equivalent of a constitution. By 1885 the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway - one of Canada's great historical sagas - joined the country's east and west coasts. By 1912 all provinces had become part of the central government except Newfoundland, which finally joined in 1949.

Grain silos, Saskatchewan (12K)

After WWI Canada grew slowly in stature and prosperity, becoming a voluntary member of the Commonwealth in 1931. With the onset of WWII, Canada once again fought alongside Britain against Germany, though this time it also entered into defence agreements with the USA, declaring war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In the years after WWII, Canada experienced a huge wave of European immigration, with a further influx of Asians, Arabs, Indians, Italians, Hispanics and Caribbeans arriving in the 1960s. The postwar era was a period of economic expansion and prosperity. In 1967 the country celebrated its 100th anniversary with Expo, the World's Fair in Montreal, as one of the highlights. Since 1975, a series of land rights agreements has been signed with the country's native peoples, giving them some control over vast swathes of the northern portion of the country.

The social upheavals of the 1960s brought to the surface the festering resentments that French-speaking Quebec had with English-speaking Canada. In 1976 the Parti Quebecois (PQ), advocating separatism, won the provincial election in Quebec, though sentiments on the issue have since waxed and waned. In the 1980 sovereignty referendum, the separatists were defeated by 60% of the vote. In October 1995, the vote was extremely close, with Canada coming within a few thousand votes of breaking up. The prime minister has since attempted to appease the Quebeckers by recognising the province as a 'distinct society'.

Economic Profile

GDP: US$721 billion
GDP per head: US$25,000
Annual growth: 1.4%
Inflation: 1.4%
Major products/industries: Agriculture, minerals, natural gas, oil, hydroelectricity, forest products and motor vehicles
Major trading partners: USA, Japan, UK, Germany and South Korea

Culture

Among the foundations of Canada's cultural identity are the traditions of its native peoples. Arguably the country's most distinctive art is that of the Inuit of the north, particularly their stone and bone sculptures and carvings. Native Indian artists also excel at printmaking, basketry and carving.

In the past Canadians have struggled with their cultural identity, the cultural infusion from their southern neighbour being particularly overwhelming. During the past three decades this sense of unease has produced a torrent of great writers, including Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, Robertson Davies, Michael Ondaatjee, Mordecai Richler, Réjean Ducharme and Brian Moore, as well as a swag of world-renowned musicians, such as Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, k d lang and the Cowboy Junkies.

Quebecois cowboy does it the hard way (19K)

English and French are the country's two official languages, though the province of New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual area in the country. You will, however, notice both languages on maps, tourist brochures and product labels. The French spoken in Canada is not, for the most part, the language of France. In Quebec, where the majority of the population are of French descent, the local tongue is known as Quebecois. Most Quebeckers will understand formal French; it will just strike them as being a little peculiar.

The differences between Quebec and English Canada don't just apply to language. The French influence of Quebec can be seen in architecture, music, food and religion. With little in common culturally it is not difficult to understand how relations between French Quebec and English Canada are problematic at best. Quebec feels its differences and desires are neither understood nor appreciated by the rest of the country. It is for these reasons that many Quebeckers favour the formation of a sovereignty-association relationship with the rest of the country.

Canadian gastronomy in English Canada was long based on the British 'bland is beautiful' tradition, and while there are no distinctive national dishes or unique culinary delights, good food is certainly plentiful. In most cities it is not difficult to find decent Greek, Italian, East Indian or Chinese restaurants. In Quebec, there are some dishes worth sampling: French pea soup, tourtières (meat pies) and poutine (French fries covered with gravy and cheese curds). In the Atlantic provinces the Acadian French make rapie pie (paté  à la rapure) - a type of meat pie (meat, chicken or clam) topped with grated paste-like potato from which all of the starch has been removed. Quebec is also notable as the world's largest producer of maple syrup, produced from the boiled sap of sugar-maple trees. Canada produces some very good cheeses, cheddars in particular. On both coasts, seafood is plentiful, delicious and affordable. Note that there are a range of laws and regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages: as a general rule they must be bought at government stores, which are usually closed at night and always on Sunday and holidays.

Events

Downtown Calgary (18K)

Facts for the Traveler

Relative costs:

• Budget meal: US$5-10
• Moderate restaurant meal: US$10-25
• Top-end restaurant meal: US$25 and upwards

• Budget room: US$12-25
• Moderate hotel room: US$25-40
• Moderate hotel room: US$40 and upwards

It's best to change money at companies such as Thomas Cook, which specialises in international transactions. If you can't find a money exchange office or booth, try a bank. American Express and Thomas Cook are the best travelers' checks to have, and you should make sure they are either in US or Canadian dollar denominations. Credit cards are widely accepted, especially Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

A 7% Goods & Services Tax (GST) is applicable to all transport, accommodation, restaurant meals and just about anything else you're likely to purchase, including newspapers. On top of this, in most of Canada, a provincial sales tax also must be paid. This can, in some provinces, add 15% to the quoted price, so factor it into your expenses before you reach a cash register.

It's considered normal to tip between 10 and 15% of the bill. Tips are usually given to waiters, cab drivers, hairdressers, hotel attendants and, occasionally, bar staff. Canadians, it might be noted, have a reputation in the USA as being lousy tippers. What's the difference between a Canadian and a canoe? A canoe tips.

When to Go

Montreal

Mont Royal is the peak that towers over the area and more or less gave its name to the city. Zooming in, Montreal's old precinct has some 18th-century gems such as the Pointe-a-Calliere (Museum of Archaeology & History). And when the weather turns sour (January in Montreal is infamous), you can scuttle underground to the city's cosy subterranean rabbit warren of dining, browsing and carousing attractions.

Montreal's main motel district can be found just west of the downtown area - but be prepared for a battle for a bed come summer and Christmas time. Montreal nightlife is pretty damn bouncy and comes in two basic flavors, English and French. It's here that you'll find Canada's longest opening hours too. Recently, some of the best club action has been found around the Plateau at the southern end of downtown.

Vancouver

The ecotourism movement has a long history in Canada, and unlike most countries, the costs involved are reasonable. One of the best trips is to the Magdalen Islands of Quebec, where baby seals await your cooing adoration. There are also many trips specializing in the culture of Native people.

Getting There & Away

If you want to fly direct to Canada, its main international airports are in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax. The departure tax on international flights is US$40, except on those heading to US destinations. Tax on these flights is 7% of the ticket value plus US$4.50 to a maximum of US$40.

Many visitors enter Canada from major continental US cities by plane, train, bus, and car. There are three main rail routes from the USA: New York-Montreal, New York-Toronto and Chicago-Toronto. The Greyhound network in the USA connects with most major destinations in Canada, but involves a bus transfer at the border. There are numerous road border crossings. Note that popular crossing points (such as Niagara Falls) can have lengthy queues on weekends.

Getting Around

New Brunswick's longest covered bridge, Hartland (13K)

Recommended Reading

• The Penguin History of Canada by Kenneth McNaught is a basic but useful primer on the country's history.
• Native Peoples and Cultures of Canada by Allan Macmillan provides a historical framework and raises contemporary issues regarding Canada's Native people.
• City to City (also published under the name O Canada: Travels in an Unknown Country) by Jan Morris is a collection of essays written after she traveled in Canada from coast to coast. Stephen Brook's Maple Leaf Rag is a somewhat quirkier collection of travel essays.
• For a taste of Canadian literature, read Margaret Atwood's Surfacing, Alice Munro's collection of short stories titled Moons of Jupiter, or Robertson Davies' Fifth Business.

• Canada
• Pacific Northwest

Travelers' Reports

• Click here for the latest (but unverified) travelers' reports on Canada

• Take the subWWWay to Canada.