Canada is a popular tourist destination because of the wide variety of choices it offers in fun and recreational activities. This vast country with its bountiful natural resources offers a range of leisure activities apart from its intriguing wild life, lush green parks and endless open wide spaces. Whatever your interest and taste, the country has something unique in offer for everyone.
Made up of ten provinces and three territories, with a total land area of 9 984 670 sq km, Canada is the second largest nation in the world. The country also has the longest coastline in the world. From Cape Columbia to Ontario and Cape Spear to the boundary of Alaska, so much beauty awaits to be explored.
Mountain and Rock Climbing
Canada boasts of many high terrain mountain ranges and peaks, with the Torngats, Appalachians and Laurentians found in the east and the Rocky, Coastal, Mackenzie ranges in the west and Mount St. Elias and the Pelly Mountains in the north. The tallest peak is Mount Logan in Yukon, with a height of 5959 meters. Various establishments provide ample opportunities for exhilarating, out of this world mountain climbing, hiking and backpacking experiences in many of these ranges.
Mountaineering in Canada has a long history and a diversity found nowhere else with experiences in wilderness travel, glacier travel, snow camping and rock climbing often encountered in a single trip. The Canadian alpines such as Rockies, Whistlers and Appalachians are the most famous, well loved trekking trails that provide invigorating, thrilling and adventurous outdoor experiences for the daring traveler.
Wildlife Watching
Canada receives an abundance of wildlife enthusiasts throughout the year, visiting the many wildlife sanctuaries/national parks that are spread throughout the country. The wildlife in Canada is managed by the federal, provincial, and territorial governments. These national parks vary not only in their size, but also in landscape, activities, biodiversity and climate. Amongst them, Banff National Park, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Elk Island National Park, Fundy National Park, Glacier National Park and Grasslands National Park are worth a mention. These parks play a major role in protecting Canada’s diverse wildlife, their habitat and the ecosystem which sustains them.
Parks Canada is the governing agency responsible for the national parks, conservation areas and historic sites and their Parks Canada centres are a valuable source of information and guidance to visitors.
Water Activities
Canada is a haven for out door enthusiasts, and an even better retreat for water lovers. Kayaking, canoeing, white water rafting, fishing and swimming is only a namesake of the variety of water related activities that will undoubtedly make a vacation in Canada the best ever. The abundance of inland lakes (covering an area larger than 400 square kilometers) offers a seasonal range of fun and leisure activities, with lush green surroundings enhancing the experience. The vast coastline also offers a diversity of water entertainment with sailing, water skiing, wind surfing, snorkeling and diving, practiced with much enthusiasm.
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is world famous for its uniqueness, beauty and vastness and attracts large number of visitors’ everyday. It is situated on the border of Canada and USA in the States of Ontario and New York and is made up of two major sections, the Horseshoe Falls and American Falls, parted by Goat Island. This true wonder of nature holds many recreational activities for the visitors, with the ‘Maid of the Mist’ boat cruise, which carries passengers into the whirlpools beneath the Falls, the most famous activity of all.
Winter Activities
Resort Mountains such as Mont Tremblant, Whistler-Blackcomb and Blue Mountain are famous for their various winter games offered throughout the year to visitors. Skiing takes the lead amongst them, with tourists from all over the world visiting these resorts for the best ever winter recreation.
Maple Syrup Festivals
Visitors to Canada love to see the maple syrup making process, a common site during the warm months of spring. Farmers gather the sap from their maple trees and process them into the sweet, sticky syrup we all love. This become a colorful affair with various fun activities based around maple syrup production such as the various techniques, legends and the history, as well as entertainment activities. Horse rides, buggy rides, snow taffy making, snow shoe racing, plank racing and maple syrup sampling are the favorites. The visitors always leave with a wealth of information on Maple syrup production, which has a history that runs back as far as 1000 years.
Various products are made out of the maple syrup such as maple butter, maple taffy, maple walnut ice cream, cured maple bacon and maple fudge. It is also a popular topping for breakfast meals such as pancakes, waffles and cereal. Canada produces about 85 per cent of the world’s maple syrup and is the leading exporter of the product. The highest production is mostly from Quebec, with Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia following close in line.
Canada has emerged as a powerful nation within a short time period and maintains very high standards of living, luring many visitors to this beautiful country of lush landscapes, sparkling waterfalls and splendid parks. |
