by Cameron Scott

Created on: September 22, 2008

I am biased. I don't think that there is any Canadian city not worth visiting. They each have a unique flavour, a melange made up of their founding nations and countless immigrant cultures, all blended into its own unique geography and history to create an experience all its own.

Then again, if we consider that cities are only those of a reasonable population size, say, 100,000 or more, and don't go by the official political labels as designated by province, there really are not that many mid-sized or larger cities in Canada. The majority of those lie along the Great Lakes / St. Lawrence River corridor: Sault Ste Marie, Windsor, London, Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, and then, flowing straight into and among the Atlantic provinces, Halifax, Moncton, Fredericton, Saint John, Charlottetown. Further west we find Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton, and on the other side of the mountains Vancouver and Victoria.

Smaller cities which have their own charm include Prince George, Fort McMurray, the many small cities dotting the prairies and the mining regions north of Lake Superior, Stratford and Niagara-on-the-lake for theatre lovers, the relatively small cities of the far north, Whitehorse and Yellowknife and Iqaluit.

So, it really depends what kind of experience you want to have.

For a down-home experience like no other, for fishing boats and seafood dinners and histories as long as any in Canada, you can't beat the cities of Atlantic Canada. The people of Newfoundland, of St. John's and Cornerbrook and many many small fishing communities, may be among the friendliest on earth, though the people of Prince Edward Island and Charlottetown may give them a run for their money. Moncton, Fredericton, and Saint John bring together New Brunswick's dual heritage, the only province in Canada to be officially bilingual. In Saint John can also be seen one of the most famous tidal bores in the world, the famous Reversing Falls, which in turn result directly from the record high tides of the Bay of Fundy. Halifax also offers a strong Scottish heritage, with Highland games every year, and many of its residents have at least some knowledge of Scottish Gaelic.

Arguably the heart of francophone Canada lies in Quebec City, whose old, walled city has been declared a UNESCO heritage site. Montreal is much more ethnically diverse, much more cosmopolitan, and offers everything from a high city experience to quiet contemplative moments on the peak of Mount Royal.

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