1. It’s Canada!

Honestly Canada has it all, we are a relatively neutral country, one of the most culturally diverse and have the friendliest people. I have traveled to almost all the provinces and territories and have never felt like a stranger. I’ve had situations where I was obviously in the wrong and had the other Canadian apologize, where else can you find that?

We have the size of a large country but the population of only 34 million, that’s a lot of room to breathe! Unless you want a big city feel, head over to Toronto, the city has everything you need. If you missed that coffee shop or park, don’t worry you won’t have to turn back, there’s usually one just around the next block. If you want to reconnect to the elements, Canada is the ultimate way to do it!

2. The Land

As Canadians we are fortunate enough to experience almost every type of landscape and season this earth has to offer. From the mysterious coast of the east to the rainforests and Rockies to the west, Canada offers everything your heart desires. Just don’t expect to go swimming in our lakes during January!

Ontario is a must see if you’re traveling this great country. It is pitted with thousands of lakes full of the largest fish you have ever seen, but if fishing isn’t your thing then try one of the many breath taking trails that circle these lakes and rivers. To be quite honest, my retirement plan is a coin flip between Northern Ontario and the Canadian Rockies, both are beautiful places to travel and live.

The Saskatchewan prairies are another must see. I drive across this province a lot, and look forward to it each time. This is the province of the big sky, the sunrises and sunsets seem to last forever, and they never disappoint! With mainly farmland until the horizon, it’s easy to get lost in your head. Don’t forget to stop in Saskatoon, a gem sitting in the middle of the province.

The Rockies and the north are the ultimate destinations for adventure hungry travelers. You can get lost In Alberta’s stony mountain peaks or hike in one of British Columbus’s rain forest. If you’re really looking for an adventure you could snowboard in the morning and surf in the evening, the west offers everything an adventurer is looking for.

Aurora 2012 from Christian Mülhauser on Vimeo.

As for the north, I haven’t traveled to far north myself but from what I’ve been told it doesn’t compare to anything else. You have a natural fireworks display at night with the northern lights and landscapes that stretch on forever. If you thought the Rockies had nature, wait until you see a polar bear, moose and elk all in one day. And if you really want to be extreme and travel far north be prepared for the longest days and nights of your life. Sometimes in the arctic the sun doesn’t come up for days, now that’s the true north.

3. The People

Like i stated earlier, Canada is the most culturally diverse country out there. Living in Toronto, I sometimes take the diversity for granted, not many countries are like this, and because of that you get to sample each culture within the city. There’s almost no racism since everyone is the minority here, but like any country we obviously have some bad eggs. If your single and interested, Canada is a great place to meet that special someone, the women are ridiculously gorgeous that you end up with a sore neck anytime you leave the house, and the men here are real men, we live in the great north and if that doesn’t toughen the skin I don’t know what will. Be prepared to learn some french if you plan to travel to our capital of Ottawa, but trust me it’s worth it, I could listen to them speak french for days.

4. The Summers

The Canadian summers are summers to remember. Days by the lake or lying on the beach is a dream come true. Nights by a warm fire with your friends family is living at its finest. The summer allows you to travel to remote parts otherwise impenetrable during the winters. I cannot tell you how great it was to be able to climb almost any mountain in Alberta without the fear of an avalanche or frost bite. The weather here gets just as warm as any part of the united states, and plenty of fresh water to cool you down. Visit northern Ontario for a weekend if you want to see what real cottage life is all about or for a real treat travel over to Algonquin Provincial Park and portage your worries away.

5. The Winters

The winters are what makes this country great. You can enjoy the winters here anywhere you go. Snowboarding from Montreal all way to British Columbia. I can’t tell you how many great Canadians I’ve met while on the ski lifts. In fact, one of my favorite memories was when I met one of my girlfriends on the ski lifts, she showed me how quick her spit could freeze on the lift bars, now that’s romantic!

Cross country skiing is a must as well. You can really get a good appreciation of the land this way. Plus the amount of wildlife you come across will astonish you. But if you want my advice, again head for the mountains, the best memory I have is hiking early mornings in the mountains for full days. A couple of fires to warm my feet and to melt some snow for water really makes you feel unstoppable, you get to experience the secrets the mountains hide.

If you never experienced Christmas without snow, Canada will definitely fill that void. During our winters the streets are covered and decorated with lights and and streamers. Vancouver really outdoes it every year, I was blown away by the beauty of that city when I visited during the 2010 winter Olympics.

6. The Lakes

The world is envious of Canadian fresh water. The country is covered with lakes, each one better than the next. I spent most of my summers basking on beaches and living the cottage life here in Ontario, but you don’t need to be rich to be able to live luxurious here. Most summers my friends and I would gather what money we had and rent a cottage for a week or two during the summer months and it didn’t cost me more than $40 a night. If that still is to much for a adventurer you can always do a one nighter and crash on the beach, but be warned, you will wake up with sand in strange places.

Canadian fishing is the ultimate rest and relaxation, the further north the better. It’s a great way to bond with your kids and with today’s short attention span, a great way to learn patience. Water so clean you can see the schools of fish flying through the water, and white rapids so dangerous that when you clear them you feel unstoppable, Its like you have a secret no one else knows, it’s a fantastic feeling.

7. The Marijuana

I know that for most of you this is a taboo topic, but Canada is slowly becoming the marijuana capital of the world. Almost on par with Amsterdam, Canada is slowly broadening it’s laws and opening the doors for legalization, in some cities the laws are virtually void, like Vancouver and Toronto where many officers will ignore marijuana users and focus primarily on harsher crimes. This is a huge opportunity for the country since Marijuana is quickly becoming Canada’s number one cash crop and has improved our tourism as more people are learning about these law changes. Some people have gone as far as calling parts of Vancouver “Vansterdam” and entire stores now dedicated to the sales of smoking pipes, bongs and seeds. so for those of you looking for a different experience outside of the bars and don’t feel like buying a ticket to cross the pond, Canada is the place to go.

MSTRKFT - Photo courtesy of Cory Downing www.corydowning.com

8. The Parties

Where to start? Well I’ll begin with what I can remember. The Canadian party scene is one of the most energetic and lively scenes around. Since our cold winters keep most of us indoors, we have resorted to gathering in clubs, bars and of course house parties. Canadians always find a reason for a celebration and usually without much work you can find yourself knee deep in a foam party or drinking beers with friends while partying with girls you met on the slopes the night before. Just remember to go taboozing before you leave this great country!

9. The Wildlife

This is my favourite part about this country, the wildlife. This country is teaming with it, you can take the subway just outside of Toronto and run into animals like the coyote, fox and deer. In fact, last week I went to Twyn Rivers and saw just that. If you decide to go further north you might be lucky (or unlucky) enough to encounter grizzly bears, Lynx and or cougars. I cannot tell you how it feels to have a cougar pass in front of your car, those cats are so big that they begin at the passing line and end on the shoulder.

I remember waking up early mornings in Bow Valley provincial park to go hiking and to do some photography. While I stopped to photograph the Kananaskis river one morning, I could feel someone looking at me, as I turned around to go home I saw the wolf. I will never forget that moment, the animal looked at me and then just walked back into the woods. I felt so exposed right after he vanished, to know that those things could just disappear right before your eyes, feet in front of you. It scared the hell out of me. To know that the forest could kill me was terrifying, but it made me feel excepted once i realized that it chose not to. It’s not humans versus nature, we are nature. I think people have forgotten that and that’s something I think more people need to realize and experience. A reconnect with nature.

Basia Bulat - Photo Courtesy of Jenna Wakani www.jennawakani.com

10. The Music

Canadian music is blossoming and everyone is noticing. Canada has a great selection of music, you can find any genre of music in this country. If you travel to one of the larger cities, definitely stop into a pub and sample some of the local music. Being fortunate enough to have some connected friends I had the opportunity to attend some amazing concerts across Canada and honestly I’m blown away every time. Even in towns of 200 and less you can usually find a bar with some good music every night, something I personally figured out. If you like to set your plans in advance, try buying tickets to festivals or concerts well before you travel to your destination so you won’t be disappointed when you arrive. From hip hop, blue grass to electronic music, whatever you’re into Canada will surely meet all your expectations.