Hello Canada | Discover wild Nature and best places to go for a Hike

Another month, another country. From warm and exotic Nigeria we traveled straight across the globe, packed some hiking shoes and cozy sweaters, and went to discover the beauty of Canada. 

Well.. of course not to the word. In reality, we never left our office chairs, even though we still wear cozy sweaters. Why? Because this year, we travel virtually! Or.. we can say, we are doing the research before we hit the road. And our students are part of it! We’d like to share some new geological knowledge with you all! 

 Keep reading to explore Canada from a local perspective. 

What to know about Canada

Before we dive into planning the trip around the world, we asked our students to tell us more about Canada. About the people, the life, good and bad, all the wonders and magic. 

“Canada is Diverse, wealthy, and advanced. It’s part of the G7 group of rich countries. When you think of Canada you think of vast, beautiful, and natural.” This is what some of them mentioned. 

Our recent graduate Rukmini Borooah Pyatt said: “Canada and Canadians make great efforts to be fair, just and inclusive, especially when making amends for historical wrongdoings (such as the residential school system where indigenous children and populations were greatly harmed). When 9/11 happened, the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, had to accommodate 6700 passengers that could not land in the U.S.A. The small town came together to take care of these unexpected guests and never charged any money even though they were offered. They fed them warm meals and were very kind to them. There is a play called “Far from Away ” based on this. I also appreciate how much volunteer work Canadians do generally, in and for the larger community (seniors do a lot of volunteer work, too, such as serving sandwiches and juice to cancer patients taking chemotherapy, etc.).” As one of the downfalls of a great country like Canada, she considers the housing situation. And she is not the only one. This was her well-written perspective: “The current housing situation in cities like Toronto could be much better to accommodate the low-income and homeless population. The inflation needs to be controlled so everyday people can live easily.” 

It seems like inflation has affected the entire world lately and it makes me sad to see those who already struggled to struggle even more. During times like these, let’s not forget to be kind to all kinds. So as mentioned, the less attractive characteristics of Canada are inflation and housing pricing, drug policy, and issues with ghetto neighborhoods. On the other hand, Canada has a great health care policy, supports the pride flag, Black Lives, is immigrant-friendly, and is full of opportunities. So before we promise everyone, the USA is the only country where dreams come true, don’t forget about a diverse paradise called Canada. Dreams come true in Canada, and with good health care.

But now back to a happier topic. One of the most interesting things I learned (some of you probably knew), is that these great artists are Canadians! Ph.D. Rukmini shared with us a few of those stars: “Mainstream legendary actors and comedians such as William Shatner, Ryan Reynolds, Jim Carrey, John Candy, Norm Macdonald, and quite a few others are from Canada!”

Canada is a welcoming, polite, and diverse country that’s multicultural and free. You should always beware of traffic and extreme weather conditions. But even with that, it’s a large country full of beautiful adventures and opportunities.

What to pack and how to plan your trip?

Based on our students’ answers, make sure to pack a variety of clothes! 

• “The weather in Canada can be either really cold or really hot and humid, but it’s still considered a country of 4 seasons. Which can bring up a lot of fun activities to our minds. For example hiking, local waterfalls, winter sports, summer camping, etc. The best to prepare accordingly is to make a plan of your activities, check the weather, and pack what is needed.”
• “The weather in Canada varies. From the West coast, the weather can be warm in the summer months and cooler in the winter months. If you visit in the summer, you should pack clothing for warmer temperatures, adding layers for the evenings. The weather and landscape of the west coast are beautiful, featuring mountains, hills, and many lakes. An umbrella and raincoat are essential items if you visit either coast (west or east). If you are visiting one of the prairie provinces during the winter months, you will need a heavy parka, boots, sweaters, and other warm clothing. If you visit during the summer months between June and August, temperatures are generally warm, so you will need to pack accordingly (I.e., shorts and lighter wear). The prairie provinces host many lakes and rivers. All of Canada has an abundance of wildlife and provincial parks. Eastern Canada can have warm to mild weather, depending on the time of year. Summers in eastern provinces are typically humid. Our east coast is beautiful and best known for fishing, scenery, and beaches.” 
• “Depends on the season and location within Canada (for example, the Northwest territories can go down to -40 degrees Celsius in the winter 1). Canada has four distinct seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Summer can get very hot, believe it or not – so check Canada travel websites for appropriate wear for each season before coming!”

 

Must see and do in Canada!

What do our students who are located in Canada recommend seeing? Grab a travel map, and marker, and keep reading!

• “Toronto. It is the New York of Canada.” 
• “Canada is a vast country with varying landscapes and weather. Canada offers much of everything – from skiing to hiking on the prairies or paths through mountains to rock-climbing, nature-watching, fishing, and boating on various sports activities. Hockey is Canada’s number one sports game, but there are numerous other sports activities and opportunities, such as basketball and soccer. “
• “Canada has many wonderful parts so it is hard to select one. The part that is nicest depends on the activity you want to do. If you want vibrance, then Toronto is a city that offers this feature. If you enjoy hiking, nature, and mountains, the west coast along the ocean, or in the interior of Canada offers these aspects.” 
• “Sightseeing, going to the CN tower, Niagara Falls, skiing, snow tubing, tobogganing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing in the winter! Each season and province in Canada is beautiful, and there are lots of local activities to do season-wise and province-wise – Canada is very vast, so each province has its charm.”
• “Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge (Tri-cities area) in Southwestern Ontario. It is the technology triangle of Canada and at the same time you will see old-order Mennonites in their horse buggies as well as a multicultural population (new and old immigrants to the area) – all co-existing harmoniously!” 
• CN Tower – an architectural icon, a tower in Toronto that is 346 meters high.
• Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada – an amazing aquarium with 16 thousand of animals and the longest observation tunnel.
• Casa Loma – a historic attraction in Toronto, a mansion from the Edwardian era. 
• Royal Ontario Museum – contains exhibits from 4.5 billion years ago, dinosaurs, meteors, Chinese culture and many other exhibits. I return here often to see the beauty I find here again.
• Toronto Zoo – over 5 thousand animals, something amazing just to see, not all that much to trade yet.
• Ontario Science Centre – 500 interactive exhibits, organized science talks, space demonstrations, conferences, and much more. 
• And much more: City Cruises Toronto – offers a 60-minute cruise around the harbor.
• In addition, we have a large and detailed network of libraries, very elegant and beautiful. Toronto Public Library is one of the best places I have studied in.
• Beaches: Bluffer’s Park and beach; Scarborough Bluffs; Centre Island Beach; Cherry/Clarke Beach; Gibraltar Point Beach; Hanlan’s Point Beach; Kew-Balmy Beach; East Beach at Marie Curtis Park; Rouge Beach; Sunnyside Beach; Ward’s Island Beach; Woodbine Beach. 
• Woodbine Beach and Scarborough Bluffs Beach.

 

And what is the food like?

As a passionate traveler, I love to try food everywhere I go. But to be honest, Canada, USA, and England are so similar. Which can be a good thing – just order your favorites! But really, based on our students’ answers, the food in Canada is just like the food in North America. See for yourself!… 

“Caribbean food, like curry goat, hamburger with fries, Poutine, pancakes with maple syrup, Beaver tail (fried dough with a variety of sweet toppings).” … Now I am definitely craving a burger. But wait, have you heard of Beaver tail or Poutine? Me neither.. Looks like my assumptions were wrong, there is always something new to discover! A good reason to visit Canada.

It always comes down to the food. But well, we are human aren’t we? We hope you enjoyed the students’ insight about their home country and we will see you in Toronto, what’s apparently the best city to see!

What’s next? Stay tuned for another next month’s destination!

Author: Nicole Kleinova