| Moving
To Canada |
| Advice
On Traveling Through Canada |
| by Thelma
O’ Connor |
| “Do you
realize that Lake Ontario is the size of Switzerland?” was my question
to a young couple who had enthusiastically suggested to me that they intended
to drive across Canada in October.
“And you
do know you could fit the entire United Kingdom into the province of Alberta!”
My remarks were received with stunned silence and the immediate realization
of the enormity of the task they had set themselves for their three week
driving trip.
Their intention
was to explore Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver as well as other potential
settlement destinations in between. |
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However, what
they failed to grasp was that they would more likely spend three weeks
seeing mile after mile after mile of Canadian highway, and probably return
home tired and disappointed not having achieved their intended goals.
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Canada is as
varied as it is vast, and stretches over 7,000km from the Atlantic to the
Pacific Ocean. Visitors often fail to fully realize the size and geographical
diversity of this country and consequently plan unrealistically for their
short exploratory visits. |
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| If you are
planning a two or three week trip, my suggestion to you would be to fly
into a major city and make side trips from that location, then fly on to
the next major city and do the same. This type of trip will give you better
value for your time/money and you will have an opportunity to explore each
major centre and the surrounding cities and towns in a more meaningful
and unhurried way.
If you intend
to target Toronto (and area) as a possible settlement destination, fly
into Toronto (or Hamilton), rent a car and explore the Golden Horseshoe.
The Golden
Horseshoe is a term historically used to describe the most heavily
developed portion of the province of Ontario, including Toronto, Hamilton,
Durham, St. Catharine’s/Niagara and Kitchener-Waterloo. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| This is where
the bulk of the province's population can be found.
The largest
population centre in the Golden Horseshoe is the GTA, or Greater Toronto
Area, with a population of about 5 million people living in the City of
Toronto and the Regional Municipalities of Peel and York.
If you prefer
the west coast, fly to Vancouver, rent a car and explore the city of Vancouver
and a few of the 18 municipalities that surround the city, which include
Burnaby, Langley, Richmond, Surrey and Delta.
Vancouver
Island is a 1.5 hour ferry ride away from Vancouver. Take your car
on the ferry and leave yourself some time to explore the beautiful island
and Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia.
If you prefer
to explore the Prairie Provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba),
begin your trip by flying into Calgary (Alberta) where you can explore
the dynamic vibrancy of Calgary, the splendid majesty of the Canadian Rocky
Mountains, and the cosmopolitan charm of Edmonton. |
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| Calgary to
Edmonton (294 kms) is a three hour drive. Calgary to Banff (128kms) takes
just over an hour, and Lethbridge is also within a 200 kms 2 hour drive
of Calgary.
Don’t forget
to factor in the time of year you intend to take your trip and remember
that driving through the mountains (or on any major highways ) in snowy
and icy conditions is not recommended for inexperienced ‘snow’ drivers,
in fact most Canadians won’t even attempt this!
Plan your
trip strategically and set realistic goals for your visit. This will
prevent you from going home with a high visa bill and a distorted view
of what Canada has to offer you.
Two trips that
are well planned and in different seasons will be of greater benefit to
you than one rushed trip in which you try to ‘see and do it all’. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| The following
are Thelma's previous articles for the magazine:
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Article
Index ~ Canada
Index ~ |
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