Canada, coast to coast 

Canada ranks second among the world's countries by area, and the distances show it. The Rocky Mountains fill the west, the prairies run flat for hours, and the east coast is fishing harbours and fog. In between sit cities where half the people you meet were born somewhere else, and where winter is treated as a season to use rather than survive. If you are still deciding where to start, the notes that follow cover a few headline sights, some active ideas for once you land, tables worth booking, and a handful of quick facts.

Places Worth the Trip

• Banff National Park, Alberta: Banff lies in the Canadian Rockies, roughly ninety minutes by road from Calgary, and holds the title of Canada's oldest national park.
  Walk the shoreline at Lake Louise or Moraine Lake, take the gondola up Sulphur Mountain, then wander back into a small town hemmed in by white peaks.
• Niagara Falls, Ontario: The river plunges around 50 metres here, and from the Canadian bank you stand right in front of the Horseshoe Falls.
  A boat ride takes you to the foot of the cascade, so expect to be drenched. Even standing on the rail, the roar stays with you for days.
• Old Quebec City, Quebec: This is the only fortified city north of Mexico, and the lanes inside the walls are still paved with stone.
  Climb to the Château Frontenac for the sweep of the St. Lawrence, then drift downhill through the boutiques along Rue du Petit-Champlain.

Things to Do

• Spotting Whales off Vancouver Island: From about spring until the leaves turn, tour boats leave the harbours at Victoria and Telegraph Cove.
  You may spot killer whales and humpbacks hunting offshore, plus sea lions, porpoises and now and then a passing grey whale.
• Chasing the Northern Lights in Yukon: Around Whitehorse the Northern Lights show up often enough to plan a trip, usually between August and April.
  Pick a clear night, dress warmly, get out beyond the glow of town and be patient. Those green ribbons sometimes hang overhead for hours.
• Toronto's EdgeWalk on the CN Tower: A harness clips you to an overhead rail while you step onto a narrow ledge 356 metres above the street, with both hands free.
  You circle the whole tower and can lean back over nothing at all, while the city and Lake Ontario spread far below your boots.

Where to Eat in Canada

• Toronto, Ontario – Canoe: Carefully cooked Canadian produce, plated 54 floors over the financial district.
• Montreal, Quebec – La Banquise: A 24-hour poutine house whose single laminated menu lists some thirty versions.
• Brentwood Bay, British Columbia – Dining Room at Butchart Gardens: Lunch or afternoon tea inside the former Butchart family home, with flowerbeds outside every window and a long garden walk to follow.
• Calgary, Alberta – River Café: Seasonal, locally sourced food cooked over wood fire, set on an island in the Bow River.
• Montreal, Quebec – Joe Beef: A compact Quebec kitchen with a handwritten, ever-changing board and a relaxed, unfussy mood.
• Banff, Alberta – Restaurants of the Fairmont Banff Springs: A choice of dining rooms under one castle-style roof, dressy or casual, each with a mountain backdrop, which makes it handy after a day on the trails.
• Vancouver, British Columbia – Edible Canada: Dishes that name the farms and fishers behind them, a short stroll from the Granville Island market.
• Quebec City, Quebec – La Petite Ardoise: A snug bistro with a few dozen seats, French-Canadian comfort plates and a sunny terrace in good weather, tucked inside the old walled quarter.
• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Prairie Harvest Café: Farm-to-table plates that lean on Saskatchewan wheat, lentils and vegetables, mostly raised nearby.
• Vancouver, British Columbia – Five Sails: Seafood from the Pacific Northwest, served at the Canada Place waterfront with the harbour spread out beyond the glass.

A Few Facts About Canada

• Huge by Any Measure: Only Russia has more land. Canada stretches across nearly ten million square kilometres, from Arctic tundra down to the damp rainforests of the Pacific coast, so getting from one region to another takes longer than most first-time visitors expect.
• Bilingual Nation: English and French share official status. Government services are offered in both, packaging carries both, and across Quebec daily life happens in French.
• Hockey Obsession: Hockey is less a sport than a national habit. Kids learn to skate on frozen ponds and neighbourhood rinks, and Saturday night games are a ritual in many homes.