'What to show visitors to Canada?'

Subject: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 01:02 PM

It looks like some friends will be coming from France to visit Canada, my home, and they'll be coming next September. They have asked me what Canadian sights and locations they should be sure not to miss when they come.

Anyone got any ideas on that? Fellow Canadians, what do you think? Americans, what do you think?

I thought about it some, and some obvious things came to my mind like the CN Tower in Toronto, Niagara Falls, the Parliament in Ottawa, the Bay of Fundy, Banf, and so on...but other than that I'm not sure what to advise them.

These are fellow Mudcatters or friends of same, so I figure they'd be interested in hearing some good music too.

I'm awaiting useful suggestions.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: meself
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 01:09 PM

La ville de Quebec?

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,999
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 01:16 PM

How long they staying for, how they getting around, how much they got to spend, etc, LH?

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: kendall
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 01:20 PM

Canada covers a lot of ground! What do they find interesting?

I like the tidal bore in Moncton, the magnetic hill, the Cabot trail, Quebec city. Never been west of Montreal so can't say.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 01:29 PM

The Brock memorial   a stroll from the falls where you can explain MacDonell on the Heights, or even sing it to them.

There are some great museums

Go busker watch in Kingston

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 01:39 PM

If they are still here in mid October the Celtic Colours Festival may be of interest. The performer listings and schedule should be posted here in a few months:
Celtic Colours

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 01:39 PM

I'm not sure how long they're coming for, 999. Maybe they'll get on this thread and talk about it.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,999
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 01:57 PM

Sounds good, LH.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: fretless
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 02:29 PM

Will they get to the West? There's a beautiful campground at Long Beach on Vancouver Island. And on the other side of the country, L'Anse aux Meadows, assuming they have an interest in landscape and history.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Bert
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 02:30 PM

Isn't there a monument to Wolfe in Quebec??
HEE HEE

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Charmion
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 02:54 PM

The Wolfe Monument continues to stand on the Plains of Abraham despite an FLQ attempt to blow it up in 1965.

Can't think why you'd think that funny.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Bert
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 03:08 PM

It is just that I would NOT show that to a French visitor.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,Long Lankin
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 03:11 PM

Don't take them to Quebec - they still haven't forgiven the French for abandoning them in 1756!

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: bobad
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 03:19 PM

There's the giant pierogi on a fork in Glendon Alberta, not to be missed.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: bobad
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 03:22 PM

Then there's Brother Andre's pickled heart at St. Joseph's oratory in Montreal.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,Larry Saidman
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 03:23 PM

They should really come to the free Princeton Traditional Music Festival August 16-18, in Princeton B.C.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: mayomick
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 03:35 PM

The northern lights should be visible in September

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Bob the Postman
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 05:08 PM

The main thing to show them is the vast emptiness. This can be experienced along the north shore of Superior, along the Red Coat Trail across the southern prairies, west of the Fraser in the BC interior, and in thousands of other places too.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 05:52 PM

Yeah, and there's the Giant Lobster in Shediac, New Brunswick!

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,Nick E
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 07:16 PM

I would not show them the Bay of Fundy, I saw it and thought who cares how fast a bathtub fills up? I did love the Cabot trail in the fall.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,flush
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 02:42 AM

The Old Triangle in Halifax, go see The Gig Bogs and McGinty

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Monique
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 05:06 AM

Thanks guys and thanks LH for starting the thread. I don't know exactly when we'll visit even if I know it'll be end of Sept and part of October or the like -we want to see red maples! We're supposed to land in Montreal because we have a friend there but we will neither stick to Montreal nor go to the Western part of the country because we won't stay months.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 07:40 AM

But in spring (March-April) you can enjoy the maple syrup festivals!

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 10:20 AM

Hi, Little Hawk.

I believe the first question to ask is "Are they nature lovers or not?" If they are, they will like the parks, the rivers, birdwatching, etc. One special thing I remember is Ontario is the Oumet Canyon.

If they are not nature lovers, then museums, restaurants, picturesque neighborhoods, come to mind. And of course, Le Shopping.
I have a brother-in-law who says flatly, "I don't DO nature.")

The guidebooks always cover hot, loud music, whisky and gay bars, but I don't suppose that's what they are crossing the ocean for. That can be had anywhere.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 10:31 AM

The South shore of Nova Scotia, can't be beat for beautiful seascapes..just grand.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 10:37 AM

They want to see Red Maples, so they obviously like Nature. There are plenty of Red Maples around the Orillia area where I live, so it should be easy to take care of that. Orillia is a marvelous place to see Fall colors in the trees...you just have to time it right.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: meself
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 10:43 AM

("The Gig Bogs" - I believe that would be "Dogs").

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,chris
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 10:45 AM

we had a couple of great weeks in an RV driving round the rockies - might be too cold late in the year but it was fantastic in May/June
chris

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,pete from seven stars link
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 03:00 PM

when we visited friends in canada we booked hotel overlooking niagara falls.the american falls as well ,looking spectacular illumunated at night.the highlight for me was the boat trip into the spray,awe inspiring and exilerating.
we enjoyed great breakfast at the cheapey cafe to the rear of hotel.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 03:47 PM

I've been studying the map.

Take them up Hwy 69, the one that goes NW along Georgian Bay. It has the dots which mean it is scenic. Go to Sudbury and visit the earth and mining museum. Eat fish fresh from the lake.

Do the streams on Georgian Bay plunge over the cliff on the north side of the road and make a short journey to the lake? That's what I saw on a trip along Lake Superior, and it's a sight I will never forget.

Your visitors will be thrilled by the huge size of Canada, by its forests, streams and clean air. Also, they will be glad to have a local person along to give them confidence.

On the way out of town you can show them Shane McBride's place, so they know they are not just seeing the sugar-coated tourist side of your country. Better take a banjo along, just in case.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 03:59 PM

I forget to mention the colorful pre-cambrian rocks.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 04:09 PM

From east heading out west;
Music in Cape Breton
Dressing in Thousand Islands
Lift lock at Peterborough
Toronto Maple Leafs and Blue Jays
Shaw Festival Theatre, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Fort George National Historic Site, Niagara
Shakespeare at Festival Theatre, Stratford on the River Avon
Fred Eaglesmith in Port Dover, Ont
Wildlife in Point Pelee, Ont - which is further south than the northern border of California
Mariposa Folk Festival, Orillia
Lake Superior Provincial Park
Edmonton Oilers
Calgary Stampede and Tower
Reflections in Lake Louise
Fruit in the Okanagan Valley
Totem poles on Vancouver Island

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 04:11 PM

Maples will be changing colour by that time.
Montreal has MUSIC! Old Montreal is interesting. Lots of museums here.
Trip to Ormstown is essential: music, apple harvest, wineries.
Algonquin Park in Central Ontario is spectacular, far surpassing the Laurentians, with an amazing visitors centre and a logging museum.
Thousand Island Tour is beautiful.
That's enough for a couple weeks.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: kendall
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 08:49 PM

I find the tidal bore in the Bay of Fundy fascinating.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: meself
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 11:52 PM

What are those big falls called, those ones on the Ontario-New-York border?

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Bob the Postman
Date: 14 Jan 12 - 12:10 AM

"What are those big falls called?"

Um, the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Further to the "vast emptiness" file, send 'em to Chibougamou on the Greyhound. It'll be an experience they'll remember for the rest of their lives.

Subject: RE: 'What to show visitors to Canada?'
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Jan 12 - 02:16 PM

Driving the Canadian route from Ontario through to Winnipeg also was an experience to remember. Conifers, lakes, more lakes and conifers, etc., etc. Then the fog came, and we were nearly rammed or we nearly bashed someone (all at less that 30mph) before we found a safe off-road resting place. Then night fell. Damp and cold (July).

Never again!

Completely beyond the time frame of these visitors is the Polar bear Express from Cochrane to Moosonee on James Bay but this is an experience I remember with pleasure. Interesting people to talk to and some odd sights - such as the overturned rail car with complex equipment destined for an early warning site (DEW line). The train had been the victim of "sun kinks." These are the name for the spreading and twisting rails that result from melting of the rail bed.
This was on a trip while I was doing field work, before the train became more up-to-date to attract tourists. A full dining car has been added and the seating is better. But it was the old snack car in which people congregated and swapped stories and complaints about the Ontario governnment, many proposing secession from southern Ontario.