 |
Area:
9,958,319 sq km (3,844,928 sq miles).
Population: 30,493,433 (official estimate
1999).
Population Density: 3.1 per sq km.
Capital: Ottawa. Population: 1,010,498
(1996, including Hull). |
Geography:
Canada is bounded to the west by the Pacific Ocean and Alaska, to the
east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the northeast by Greenland, and to the
south by the 'Lower 48' of the USA. The polar ice-cap lies to the north.
The landscape is diverse, ranging from the Arctic tundra of the north
to the great prairies of the central area. Westward are the Rocky Mountains,
and in the southeast are the Great Lakes, the St Lawrence River and Niagara
Falls. The country is divided into ten provinces and three territories.
A more detailed description of each province can be found under the separate
provincial entries.
Government: Constitutional Monarchy. Head
of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Adrienne
Clarkson since 1999. Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
since 1993.
Language: Bilingual: French and English.
The use of the two languages reflects the mixed colonial history - Canada
has been under both British and French rule.
Religion: 46.2 per cent Roman Catholic, 17.5
per cent United Church of Canada, 11.8 per cent Anglican, 24.5 per cent
other Christian denominations and other religions.
Time: Canada spans six time zones. Information
on which time zone applies where may be found in the regional entries
following this general introduction. The time zones are:
Pacific Standard Time: GMT - 8.
Mountain Standard Time: GMT - 7.
Central Standard Time: GMT - 6.
Eastern Standard Time: GMT - 5.
Atlantic Standard Time: GMT - 4.
Newfoundland Standard Time: GMT - 3.5. **
Note: From the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, one
hour is added for Daylight Saving Time (except in Saskatchewan).
Electricity: 110 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style
(flat) two-pin plugs are standard.
| When
to Go |
Spring, summer and
autumn are all ideal
for touring, though if you want to ski you'll naturally have to
come in winter or early spring. For campers, and those who want
to visit the far north, the summer months of July and August are
best. Note that the peak tourist season is between mid-June and
mid-September. Although spring and autumn have less crowds, lower
prices and a more relaxed pace than the summer months, some visitor-oriented
facilities and attractions may be closed during these shoulder seasons.
For most visitors, the largest expense will be
accommodation. Food prices are generally much lower than those in
Western Europe, but are a little higher than those in the USA. If
you stay in budget accommodation and eat in cafes, expect to spend
around US$45 a day, not including long-distance transport. If you
stay in motels and eat at restaurants occasionally, you're looking
at around US$80 a day.
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 so you don't get a nasty surprise
at the cash register.
It's considered normal to tip 15% of the bill.
Tips are usually given to waiters, cab drivers, hairdressers, hotel
attendants and, by savvy drinkers, bar staff.
|
| Getting
There & Away |
Overseas
visitors flying into Canada usually head for Vancouver, Toronto,
Montreal or Halifax. Visitors entering the country from major continental
US cities can choose to arrive by plane, train, bus or car. There
are three main rail routes from the USA:
New York-Montreal, New York-Toronto and Chicago-Toronto.
The USA's Greyhound network connects with most major destinations
in Canada. There are numerous road border crossings. Note that popular
crossing points (such as Niagara Falls) can have lengthy queues
on weekends. Queues will be the least of your problems if you enter
by road from Alaska along the Top-of-the-World Highway into the
Yukon.
|
| Getting
Around |
Land
travel is much cheaper and, if you don't mind long
distances, much more interesting than flying. The bus network is
the most extensive public transportation system and is generally
less expensive than the limited train service. The country's most
famous train is the Canadian, a classic 1950s-style beauty that
travels from Toronto to Vancouver (Canada's longest continuous train
route), complete with a two-storyed windowed 'dome car' for sightseeing.
Air fares are fairly expensive but, if you're strapped for time,
the distances you may need to travel are so great that you'll probably
have to fly. Air Canada (which swallowed Canadian Airlines in 1999)
is the major domestic airline. Other smaller carriers, such as WestJet
Airlines, preclude an Air Canada monoply. In many ways, the best
way to experience the country is to hire a car. Canadians drive
on the right side of the road, as in the USA. A valid driver's license
from any country is good in Canada for three months.
|
| Holiday
Information |
| Holidays |
General
Date |
| New Year's Day |
January 1 |
| Family Day(Alberta
Only) |
third Monday in
February |
| Good Friday |
Friday before Easter |
| Easter Monday |
Monday following
Easter |
| Victoria Day |
Monday before May
24 |
| St Jean-Baptiste
Day(Québec Only) |
June 24 |
| Canada Day |
July 1 |
| Civic Holiday |
first Monday in
August |
| Labour Day |
first Monday in
September |
| Thanksgiving Day |
second Monday in
October |
| Remembrance Day
|
November 11 |
| Christmas Day |
December 25 |
| Boxing Day |
December 26 |
|
| Attractions |
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Toronto
Canada's largest city has long since shrugged off its
frightfully proper, goody-two-shoes tag, thanks to a healthy dose
of multiculturalism. You'll hear a babble of more than 100 languages
spoken on Toronto's streets, and it's estimated that 40% of the
population was born overseas - no wonder UNESCO voted it the world's
most diverse city! Toronto's most obvious symbol is the CN Tower,
the world's tallest freestanding structure. Harbourfront, the (perhaps
overly) renovated docklands area lining Lake Ontario, is a fine
place for an outdoor wander or meal in a refurbished warehouse.
For indoors entertainment the city has a clutch of great museums,
from killer clodhoppers at the Bata Shoe Museum to the Hockey Hall
of Fame, housed in a beautiful old bank building. Some of Toronto's
best-preserved historic buildings can be found in York Old Town,
and there's a peerless collection of fine Victorian domestic architecture
in Cabbagetown. And a mere two-hour's drive away there's one of
North America's top tourist attractions, Niagara Falls.
Vancouver
Canada's most beautiful city wins hearts without
even trying. Its hilly terrain and many bridges offer stunning views
of the ocean, bays and Vancouver itself. The mild climate (by Canadian
standards) and breezy Californian-style atmosphere mean that even
US neighbors rave about the place. Downtown Vancouver offers a busy
patchwork of attractions, from the renovated Victorian charm of
the old Gastown area to the emerald expanses of Stanley Park - one
of the world's great city parks. Then there's famed strips of sand
and surf like Wreck Beach and numerous hiking, rafting and picnicking
oases within easy reach of the city proper. Nearby Vancouver Island
has plenty of natural wonders, including whale watching. Needless
to say, summer in Vancouver can get a bit squeezy.
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of Alberta, the most westerly
of the prairie provinces. While Calgary milks the wild west image,
Edmonton prefers to hit the headlines for housing the world's largest
shopping and entertainment mall. The city enjoys an attractively
wooded riverside setting, with parklands following the snaking rhythm
of the Saskatchewan River. The province's famed mineral legacy is
explored in the Provincial Museum, and there's also Canada's largest
planetarium, unsurprisingly accompanied by an IMAX theater. The
gem south of the river is Old Strathcona, a residential area of
gorgeous old buildings dating from 1891, interspersed with cafes,
bookshops and buskers. Which it appears you won't find in all 48
hectares (118 acres) of the West Edmonton Mall, aka the mall that
ate Edmonton's retail life. The 800 shops are tacky and repetitive,
the chains are too-well represented, and the 'entertainment' includes
an artificial beach and skating rink - but the climate is controlled,
and for the frost-bitten denizens of the Canadian Plains that's
probably reason enough for the mall's success.
Quebec City
Quebec City is the beating heart of French Canada -
its virtually intact European appearance and ooh-la-la ambience
leave Montreal and New Orleans looking pretty patchy. The entire
old section of town is North America's only walled city, and has
been designated a UN World Heritage site. With its cliff-top position
overlooking the St Lawrence River, its old stone buildings and narrow
streets, its citadelle and old port, it's no wonder Quebec City
is a must-do town. The city is divided into Upper and Lower segments.
The walled Old Upper Town is dominated by the fort and its parklands,
and has a bunch of museums documenting the city's military and cultural
history. The busy, narrow streets of Old Lower Town are reached
by break-neck staircases or a funicular from Upper Town's heights.
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. |
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