Candid Comment - Summer Vacation Spots By Province And Territory

 

With the summer approaching, there is no better time than now to look at options for destinations in   Canada. There are plenty of places to explore. We still love our American neighbors but, with the way things are going in the United States, it's better to stay home and support local businesses. Americans are still welcome to visit, please just leave the 51st state crap behind when you come to visit if you are an American. With that, I thought, let's find the number 1 place or thing to do in each of the provinces and territories here in Canada while on vacation.

Prince Edward Island: If you are a fan of Anne of Green Gables, then you're in luck. Green Gables Heritage Place is the most well-known attraction in PEI. Even if you are not a fan of the show, this site is still an interesting place to visit. You can step back in time and see what it would be like to live back in the era that Anne of Green Gables is set, the 1880s. The site is part of Parks Canada. There is plenty to do besides visiting the Green Gables Heritage Place. Take a look at The top 10 attractions on Prince Edward Island at travel.desinationscanada.com

New Brunswick: Another Parks Canada location tops the list of attractions to visit in New Brunswick. Known for being in the area where the highest tides in the world are, this park is a must-see. There is lots to do in the park, so visit their site at Parks Canada to get details on all the activities in the park. Also, take note of the fact that there are other sites to visit in New Brunswick. Travel.destinationscanada.com features a list of the top 10 attractions in New Brunswick.

Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia is a beautiful part of Canada, one of the biggest attractions is Bluenose II https://bluenose.novascotia.ca/. This world-famous schooner is a replica of the original Bluenose, which won many sailing races around the world. Visitors can tour, and even sail on the ship. The top 10 attractions in Nova Scotia according to destinationscanada.com include the Bluenose II.

Newfoundland and Labrador: Signal Hill, the site of the first transatlantic radio transmission is located in Newfoundland and Labrador, note most people just refer to the province as Newfoundland. Also of note is the fact that Newfoundland was actually a country before joining Canada. So Canada has two tombs of the unknown soldier. But, let's get back to Signal Hill. Part of Parks Canada, this site features many things to do, including being able to fire the noon day salute from a gun emplacement there. For me, the cool thing is the ham radio station that goes on the air from time to time. Of course, there are other things you can do while in the province.

Quebec: My home province, I grew up in Montreal and still call myself a Quebecer at heart. I have been to Quebec City and if you are looking to get a feel for European culture, particularly French culture, along with the dining experience, you want to go to Quebec City. Though I have not been to Le Petit Champlain, I do note it is one of the top locations in Quebec City and Quebec itself. Shops and restaurants line the district streets, and you really do get a feel for what it would be like if you were in Europe, specifically France. Travel.destinations.com has a list of 9 other attractions you can visit. Take note, the Ice Hotel is only open in winter. 

Ontario: Besides Quebec, Ontario is my second most lived in place. In fact, I consider myself to be an Ontarian. Though, like I said, I am a transplanted Quebecer. Last year I went to Ottawa for Remembrance day, our national ceremony honoring veterans of the first and second world wars, Korea, and other conflicts our military has been in. As well as peace keeping. This is something every Canadian should do at least once. Ottawa is the capital city of Canada, home of our sovereign parliament where our Prime Minister, not governor, along with our representative of the Crown, Governor General Mary Simons, lives. Toronto is the capital of Ontario. So this makes this province unique, but there is more to Ontario than meets the eye. So take a look at some other spots.    

Manitoba: Fun fact, Winnipeg is not only the home of the Winnipeg Jets, and Blue Bombers, but, is also a city built on a swamp. No kidding, it really is built on a swamp, wrong. But, it does lie in an area with significant wetlands and was historically characterized by marshland and periodic wet meadows. One part of the city you will want to visit is the Exchange District. This part of the city features heritage buildings that contain boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries. Manitoba also has many interesting places you can visit besides Winnipeg. 

Saskatchewan: Home of the RCMP Training Depot and Heritage Centre, Saskatchewan offers unique experiences for tourists locally and internationally. The RCMP has a complicated history, especially with indigenous peoples here in Canada. But, there are other aspects of the police force that are fascinating, so a visit to the Heritage Centre is worth the time. There are other fascinating places you can visit as well while in Saskatchewan.  

Alberta: Home of the Edmonton Oilers, and the Edmonton Elks sports teams. One other unique spot is the West Edmonton Mall. It's HUGE, I have been there a couple of times. The place even has a roller coaster in it. Of course, there is Lake Louise and Banff, another place I have visited, in winter. To say that there is a whole of things to do in Alberta is an understatement. Check out some other places you can visit, click here to go there.

British Columbia: Whistler Blackcomb and other scenic sites can be found throughout BC. This province has some of the most beautiful scenic sites in Canada and each offers up unique experiences for any visitor. Even in Vancouver, you can find interesting places to see, like museums, Stanley Park and the Vancouver Aquarium. See the list of other places by clicking this link.

There are also 3 official territories of Canada. The Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories. Each of these regions also has many cool things to do and see, like, the museums, trails and the northern lights and in winter, you can travel around on ice roads. The most interesting thing is that as you go further north, you will notice that there is a distinct difference between day and night. In parts of the north known as the Arctic, 6 months of sunlight vs. 6 months of darkness occurs. Most of the places where tourist attractions are feature either long days in summer or short ones in winter. Plus, you will have to take note that temperatures can be an issue, especially in winter, as many days each of the territories experience temps well below freezing, so prepare before you go. In fact, regardless of where you go, you should be prepared and make sure you have enough money and the proper documents, passports, and visas. Along with appropriate clothing for the time of the year, you are traveling to any part of Canada.

All the lists are from https://travel.destinationcanada.com/en-ca a site with all kinds of information about travel in Canada. I found this site helpful while putting this article together. 

So come to Canada, if you already live here, take a trip to another part of our great not!! 51st state. Our home Canada, true north, strong free and sovereign, has a lot to offer visitors from around the world as well as locally. So visit and enjoy the scene, regardless of where you go in our great country.