Archive for June, 2010
The second largest country in the world should by no means stand in the shadow of its more boisterous southern neighbor. Canada’s 10 million square kilometers of land, lakes and life brings its own signature flavor to the North American continent. Travel through Canada is a truly mind-opening experience for even the most seasoned vacationer.
The region has been inhabited since the retreat of the last ice age, creating nearly 10,000 years of aboriginal history. Vikings roamed Canada’s arctic shores long before Europeans began bickering over land rights during the 16th century. The French settlers founded Quebec City in 1608 while British explorers populated the Atlantic seaboard and Hudson Bay. European wars exacerbated Franco-British tensions until the American Revolution sent British refugees north, tipping the balance away from the French. Canada was finally unified under a constitution in 1867, while maintaining ties to the British crown. Since then, a large Quebec sovereignty movement has emerged in the French speaking province and has gained momentum at the federal level.
Canada’s Untainted Urban Gems
Canada’s cities are as diverse as its territory is expansive. French-speaking Montreal is the largest city in Quebec and arguably the liveliest in Canada. After the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the Biodome de Montreal filled in the empty stadium with four actively maintained ecosystems and numerous living exhibits. The collection of species is nothing short of phenomenal. Montreal has a thriving museum culture (buy a 3-museum pass) and an irresistible nightlife, boasting the largest dance floor in the country and a pioneering music scene with an eclecticism not to be found elsewhere. Travel west into Canada’s serene backwoods to discover Vancouver, a metropolitan diamond in the rough of British Columbia’s rugged wilderness. Ski Whistler’s nearby slopes or enjoy a day of sailing, then flex your cosmopolitan muscle in the evening with a stroll through the acclaimed Vancouver Art Gallery and appetizers at Canada Place.
Visit Vancouver for a taste of Canada’s blossoming multiculturalism and international flavor. For a slower and more intimate pace, discover Nova Scotia’s capital of Halifax in the northeast. This revamped harbor town has become Canada’s Hollywood, with a large number of movies and shows being filmed along the charming avenues.
Unlimited Supply of Adventure
Canada’s Northwest and Yukon Territories offer some of the most pristine stretches of natural beauty in North America, along with the best light show around complements of the Aurora Borealis. Kluane National Park protects Yukon’s World Heritage Sites and Canada’s highest peak. In Alberta, Banff and Jasper National Parks provide the most spectacular views from the Canadian Rockies and a visit to Canada’s Glacier National Park, British Columbia, is imperative to witness the retreating ancient glaciers. With 39 National Parks and Reserves, Canada provides an infinite stock of breathtaking encounters.
Due to Canada’s extreme northern latitude, travel is best enjoyed during the summer months of July and August, even if the days are extremely long or endless. Winter sports can be enjoyed in many resorts year-round; however, December and January tend to be unbearably cold and dark, particularly in the northern regions.
Originally published here.
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Irish-Canadians are the fourth largest ethnic group in Canada with a population of four and half million or fourteen percent of the total population. The earliest recorded Irish presence in Canada was in 1537 when a group of fishermen form Cork sailed to Newfoundland. Many Irish, especially from Co. Waterford settled in Newfoundland in the early 1800s, from 1820 Irish began arriving throughout Canada, between 1825 and 1845, 60% of all immigrants to Canada were Irish. Irish immigration peaked during and after the Great Irish Famine, a great number settling in the provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The majority arrived in Grosse Isle (in present day Quebec) on which was situated the immigration reception station, many destitute Irish shored up here because the fare was much cheaper to Canada than America. From Grosse Isle most survivors were moved on to Montreal with orphaned children been adopted by Quebec families. These children kept their Irish surnames and a common Catholic religion also allowed Irish immigrants to intermarry with French Canadians, one estimate suggests that as many as 30 percent of the French-speaking Quebeckers have some Irish ancestry. A sizeable proportion of the Irish immigrants settled in both urban and rural areas of Quebec, Montreal and rural areas in Western Canada. The Great Irish Famine had a large impact on Ontario, boatloads of destitute immigrants arrived in desperate circumstances from Quebec to Toronto and Kingston. There was an economic boom in the following years allowing men to obtain employment on the growing rail network, in the construction and logging industries.
Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source: http://www.exploringireland.net
Originally published here.
Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source: http://www.exploringireland.net