About Canada
Click here to see a map of Canada.Canada’s most popular destinations are Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec City, Halifax, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Charlottetown, and St John's. Ottawa is Canada’s capital located on the tip of Ontario. It is a beautiful clean city with wide streets and many parks. While here you should try to get to the War Museum, the Royal Mint, the National Gallery and Byward Market, which is located east of the canal. Toronto is Canada’s largest city and is extremely multicultural. Here is where the world’s tallest freestanding structure, the CN Tower stands. You absolutely must visit the Niagra Falls, which is only a 2 hour drive away. Also in Toronto is Lake Ontario, the Bata Shoe Museum, the Hockey Hall of Fame, York Old Town and Cabbagetown. Montreal is a charming island city with a strong French flavour. It is home to the
Mont Royal, which is an enormous 232m geological structure that towers over the city's central neighbourhoods. Be sure to visit Old Montreal, downtown Montreal and the Underground. Vancouver is Canada's most beautiful city. It has a hilly terrain and many great bridges that offer stunning views of the ocean, bays and Vancouver itself. While here be sure to visit downtown Vancouver with it’s many attractions, Stanley Park, Wreck Beach and Vancouver Island. Vancouver offers great hiking, rafting and whale watching. You can’t visit Canada without going to Quebec City. The entire old section of town is North America's only walled city, and has been named a UN World Heritage site. It has a cliff-top position overlooking the St Lawrence River, old stone buildings and narrow streets, a citadelle and old port. Upper Town has many great museums and parklands, while Place Royale, the lower town's hub, is surrounded with restaurants, galleries, cafes and the Church of Notre Dame des Victoires - dating from 1688, it's the oldest stone church in the province. Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia, it sits beside one of the world's largest natural harbours, on the south Atlantic shore. While here you should visit the Historic Properties, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Citadel. Winnipeg is located in Manitoba and is named Canada's Wild West. Downtown is the place to go for the historic sites and museums. You should also visit The Forks, The Exchange District and St Boniface. Edmonton is the capital of Alberta, and home of the world's largest shopping and entertainment mall. While here you should go and see the Saskatchewan River, the Provincial Museum, Canada's largest planetarium, Old Strathcona, and the West Edmonton Mall. Charlottetown is the capital of Canada's smallest province, Prince Edward Island. It is an old, quiet country town. The Confederation Centre of the Arts is Prince Edward Island's main claim to fame, however, the town of Cavendish, the setting for Anne of Green Gables, is also very popular. St John's is Newfoundland & Labrador's island capital and North America's oldest city. The hilly town is magnificently located on a series of terraces rising up from the waterfront. The main attractions here are the Newfoundland Museum, the Murray Premises, Signal Hill and the picturesque fishing port of Quidi Vidi. complete with microbrewery and historic fort.
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Culture
The base of Canada's cultural identity is the traditions of its native people. With the country's most distinctive art being from the north, particularly their stone and bone sculptures and carvings. Native Indian artists also excel at print-making, basketry and carving.English and French are the country's two official languages. The French spoken in Canada is not, however, 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, however, will understand formal French. 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. While there are no distinctive national dishes, good food is available everywhere. It is easy to find great Greek, Italian, East Indian and Chinese restaurants. Quebec is also notable as the world's largest producer of maple syrup. Canada produces some very good cheeses. Seafood is also plentiful, delicious and affordable.
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Local_Currency
The Canadian unit of currency is the Canadian dollar.
Coins are available in one, five, ten, and twenty-five cent pieces. There are also one-dollar coins, called "loonies," and two-dollar coins, called "toonies." Bills come in five, ten, twenty, fifty, and hundred dollar denominations.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.
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