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Discover our true nature
(please rise for the national anthem)
Canada is a magnificent land!!!!!!! The second largest country in the world after Russia, it has an area of nearly 10 000 000 sq km ( 3 860 000 sq miles). Within its borders lies a diversity of life, landscape, and climate that few countries can rival. You can find everything you want. You can find rainforest on the west coast, nearly desert condition in the southern prairies, treeless tundra in the northern territories, and everything from the rugged mountains of the Western Cordillera to the older, more rounded peaks of the Laurentians. Canada is a northern country, but its climate varies dramatically. Winters can be long and cold, the best climate for skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding, and heli-skiing. And the summer can be scorching. What's about hiking, sunbathing or swimming? Or sailing, water skiing and even scuba diving? And it is the only country where you have to deal with two official national languages - and at the Nunavut Territory there is even a third official language. That's are English, French, and Nunavut - the language of the Inuit. And it has to offer a few of the superlatives in this world:
The capital is Ottawa, ONTARIO and Toronto, in Ontario too, is the largest city with just over 2.5 million of about 29.5 million citizen nationwide. National currency is the Canadian Dollar (CAN$) = 100 Cent.
How can anybody understand the natural beauty without living here? A good way to explore Canada is to use our Great Country's Trans Canada Highway 1. He goes from Coast to Coast (A Mare Ad Mare). If you arrive in Vancouver you are already in one of Canada's best Cities. You can find all you want, such as mountain hiking, skiing, swimming, water-skiing. A great idea is a trip to Vancouver Island by a seaplane. And then in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, you join a whale watching tour. Back in Vancouver use the Sky ride to Grouse Mountain to get the best view all over Vancouver. You even can see the Mount Rainier down near Seattle. Then you visit on of Americas largest City parks, the Stanley Park. There you'll find the Nine O'clock Gun, the Vancouver Aquarium, the famous Lions Gate Bridge, the Totem Poles, and lots of trees and raccoons. From Vancouver, then you have to go to Banff and then along the Icefield Parkway down to Jasper. It will lead you to a few of the best places in the Rockies, such as Payto Lake, Mount Robson (the highest peak in Canada), Athabasca Glacier, Castle Mountain, Lake Louise. From Jasper its just over 3 hours to Alberta's capital Edmonton. Walk along the Saskatchewan River, Alberta's Legislature Building (you will find an acoustic surprise), and make sure you go shopping in the worlds largest Mall. The West Edmonton Mall has a indoor Amusement Park, a Water Park, an Aquarium and 40 ha of Shop and Amusement. To get back to Highway 1, we have to go ca. 300 km south to Cowtown Calgary. Americas biggest Rodeo event, the Calgary Stampede, will be celebrated here every July. That means 14 days of Cowboys, Bulls and fun nonstop. A great view over the Prairies to the Rockies offers the Calgary Tower. But the highest point in Calgary is the 90 meter Ski Jump Tower at the Olympic Park from the Winter games back in 1988. Join the Number One Eastbound all across the Saskatchewanian and Manitoban Prairies. Across Thunder Bay on Lake Superior in Ontario I got to Quebec City (or "la Ville de Quebec"). This is Americas ONLY walled city. And its one of the oldest too. If you wander through old Quebec, you could think you got back in time and space. If you wonder about the small Saint Lawrence River, you have to follow him north to the small remote Town of Tadoussac. If you saw Orcas on the west coast you can see Mink whale and even Blue whales just offshore but barely the other riverbank. The most southern Fjord is also located here. A big contrast will be Montreal after you stood at Tadoussac for a Week or so. Such an international flair is hanging all over the City, you feel home as soon as you arrive. As a gay, "The Village" is the right Area for you. The best view over Montreal is from Mount Real, no building can be build higher by law. Other beautiful must sees are:
The list could be endless. But we have to move on. Move to Canada's capital Ottawa and its sister city Hull. The first and most important place to visit in this city has to be Parliament Hill. Canada was found in this Parliament Building on July 1, 1867. It was then, the day of Confederation (the Dominion Day), the British North America Act (BNA) became law, uniting Canada's first four Provinces - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario - and confirming the parliamentary system as Canada's form government. The province of Manitoba joined Confederation in 1870, British Columbia 1871, Prince Edward Island (or PEI) in 1873, Saskatchewan and Alberta in 1907 and Newfoundland in 1949. But until Canada's first Citizenship Act became law on January 1, 1947, there was no such thing as a citizen of Canada. And until a new Citizenship Act took effect on February 15, 1977, Canadians were still identified in law and on their passports by the words, "A Canadian citizen is a British subject". And it took until February 15, 1965 to raise the Maple Leaf flag for the first time officially. And to get a good overview over Ottawa you have to ride Canada's oldest Elevator on the Peace Tower. Then visit the Canadian War Museum (Hitler's Mercedes is parked here), the Royal Canadian Mint - or did you ever see 1 000 000 Dollar in Gold?? You like Horses? Visit the RCMP Stables. The Horses used on the RCMP Musical Ride are trained here. And it is the Canadian Police College too. And the Peacekeeping Memorial is to honor all members of the armed forces of Canada to hold and save peace and to all those wearing the UN Blue Barrett. The Supreme Court of Canada, like Parliament Hill, is located on Wellington St. - part of the Confederation Boulevard. The Confederation Boulevard is an Round course across the most important Buildings, Museums and Institutions of Canada and goes across two Provinces, both Ontario and Quebec (Ottawa and Hull). The interesting Museum of Civilization in Hull tells you more about the history of Canada's civilization. The National Aviation Museum is another important address for aviation enthusiasts like me. A unique place to stay in Ottawa is the Ottawa International Hostel on 75 Nicholas St. Its the former Carleton County Jail and it retains its original Character. You'll even sleep in a Cell. Take a Tour! Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Toronto, Canada biggest city. There is few to say, you just have to be impressed!!! You can even see the Niagara Falls from the CN-Tower, the worlds highest structure. The "Rocket To The Top" bring you in 58 seconds to the top. Experience a spellbinding thrill by walking on the glass floor, with a knee shaking view of 1,336 feet (ca. 400 m) straight down!!! The Sky Pod, the worlds highest observatory is located at 1,450 ft. And Fans of our great National sport will find the Hockey Hall of fame and the Stanley Cup on Front St. The Sky Dome is another Toronto Landmark and home of the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club. The Toronto Maple Leafs , a 11 times Stanley Cup winner, just left his historic Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens for its new home, the Air Canada Arena. My FIRST Trans Canada Trip ended sadly as I crossed border from Niagara Falls (CAN) to Niagara Falls (US). But to see all this water thundering down 17 storeys, 790,000 gallons per second, its just breathtaking.
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