Things to do in Canada

Vancouver, on the Pacific coast, sits between mountains and sea, with Stanley Park, Granville Island and the North Shore peaks close to downtown, and the Sea-to-Sky Highway leading to Whistler. Ferries cross the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island and Victoria, British Columbia's gracious harbour capital.

The Rocky Mountains, with Banff and Jasper national parks, offer turquoise lakes and glaciers, and Niagara Falls thunders on the border near Toronto, a multicultural metropolis. Montreal and Quebec City bring the French language, cobbled streets and European charm, while the Maritime provinces have lighthouses, seafood and the Cabot Trail. In the far north, the northern lights and polar bears draw adventurous travellers.

Pacific salmon, poutine, maple syrup and Montreal bagels each belong to a region, and the Okanagan and Niagara produce fine wines, including sweet ice wine pressed from frozen grapes. In spring, Quebec's sugar shacks boil maple sap into syrup, autumn sets the eastern forests ablaze with red and gold, and winter brings skiing in the Rockies and Quebec City's Winter Carnival.