Sights in Canada
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Capilano Salmon Hatchery
Located in Capilano River Regional Park, about 2km north of the Capilano Suspension Bridge, this fish farm is run by the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans to protect valuable Coho, Chinook and Steelhead salmon stocks. Visit from July to November – October, when the Chinooks return, is the optimum month – and you'll catch adult salmon swimming through fish ladders past the rapids in an heroic effort to reach their spawning grounds upstream, after which they promptly die in a scripted lifecycle that must have been written by Samuel Beckett. Eye-level tanks display the creatures and enlightening exhibits help explain the entire mysterious process. Drivers head north…
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Wreck Beach
Follow Trail 6 into the woods then head down the steep steps to the water and you'll find Vancouver's only official naturist beach, complete with a motley crew of counterculture locals, independent vendors and sunburned regulars. The pants-free bunch are in a continuing battle with the university over the building of residential towers that threaten their privacy, so be sure to offer your support as you peel off. Time your visit well and you can take part in the annual Bare Buns Fun Run. And if you fancy connecting with other local naturists during your stay, check in with the Van Tan Nudist Club for events, including regular swimming meets at local pools.
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Polar Bear Habitat & Heritage Village
Despite the name of the train, and the giant replica at the info center, there are no wild polar bear roaming around the region, although Nanook became Cochrane's furriest citizen (let's hope) when the Polar Bear Habitat & Heritage Village opened its doors in 2004. A loving staff cares for the scruffy beast – the oldest polar bear in captivity – who was brought to the center as a cub after poachers shot his mother. Visitors can interact with Nanook at daily 'meet the bear' sessions, or swim with him in a pool divided by a thick sheet of glass (swim session $5). Voyeurs can check out the live 'Bear Cam' on the website. An on-site mock colonial village, stocked with…
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Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Québec
This basilica got its start as a small church in 1647. In the ensuing years, the churches built here suffered everything from frequent fires to battle damage, especially during fighting between British and French armies in 1759. But no matter what, the church was rebuilt and repaired. Each replacement was bigger than the last until it reached the size you see today – a structure completed in 1925. The interior is appropriately grandiose, though most of the basilica’s treasures didn’t survive the 1922 fire that left behind only the walls and foundations. To have a look at the crypt, you’ll have to sign on to a guided tour. Everyone from governors of New France to…
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En Prison
Unquestionably the most intriguing museum is En Prison, an exhibit housed in an 1822 prison that remained open for business until 1986. Ex-cons bring the harsh realities of the lock-up vividly to life during 90-minute tours that include a stop at dark and dank underground cells known as 'the pit.' The prison exhibit is affiliated with the adjacent Musée Québécois de Culture Populaire, which has a renowned regional folk art collection and changing exhibits, often with a quirky pop culture bent.
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Fur Trade in Lachine National Historic Site
This 1803 stone depot is now an engaging little museum telling the story of the fur trade in Canada. The Hudson Bay Company made Lachine the hub of its fur-tradingoperations because the rapids made further navigation impossible. Visitors can view the furs and old trappers’ gear, and costumed interpreters show how the bales and canoes were schlepped by native trappers. A little office display near the Fur Trade site relates the history of the Canal de Lachine, and guided tours are conducted along the canal on request. This museum has a gorgeous little location, kissing Lac St-Louis, making it lovely to wander the side streets, particularly behind the Collège Ste-Anne…
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Musée de la Civilisation
The Museum of Civilization wows you even before you’ve visited the exhibitions. It is a fascinating mix of modern design that incorporates pre-existing buildings with contemporary architecture. The permanent exhibits, like the one on the cultures of Québec’s Aboriginals and the one titled ‘People of Québec: Then and Now, ’ are unique and well worth seeing. Many of the exhibits include clever interactive elements. The changing shows are also outstanding and this is really the only museum in town that regularly focuses on contemporary issues and culture. This is a big place with lots to see, so you should concentrate on only one or two exhibitions if you’re not planning to…
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Gulf Of Georgia Cannery
Once you've perused the boats hawking the day's fresh catch, check out Steveston's excellent cannery museum, illuminating the sights and sounds (and smells) of the region's bygone era of labor-intensive fish processing. Most of the machinery remains – polished and cleaned of its permanent film of blood and fish oil – and there's an evocative focus on the people who used to work here before the plant closed in 1979. You'll hear recorded testimonies from old workers percolating through the air like ghosts and see large black-and-white blow-ups of some of the staff who spent their days immersed in entrails in order to roll thousands of cans down the production line. Take one…
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Brockton Point
The park's eastern peninsula, this picturesque kneecap of land contains Brockton Oval cricket pitch (both Don Bradman and Freddie Trueman have played here), the squat Brockton Point Lighthouse (where Arnold Schwarzenegger handed the Olympic torch to Sebastian Coe before the 2010 Winter Olympics) and the electrically fired Nine O'Clock Gun. But the highlight is the clutch of eight colorful totem poles. A favorite tour-bus lure, these are actually photogenic replicas of the originals that were moved here from Alert Bay. In 2008 they were joined by three n-shaped carved 'gateways' created to welcome visitors by the First Nations who originally called the park home.
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Hôtel de Ville
Montréal’s handsome City Hall was built between 1872 and 1878. Far from being a humdrum administrative center, it’s actually steeped in local lore. Most famously, it’s where French leader Charles de Gaulle took to the balcony in 1967 and yelled to the crowds outside ‘Vive le Québec libre!’ (‘Long live a free Québec!’) Those four words fueled the fires of Québécois separatism and strained relations with Ottawa for years. Peer into the Great Hall of Honor for some scenes of rural Québec and busts of Jacques Viger, the first French-speaking mayor (1833–36), and Peter McGill, the first English-speaking mayor (1840–42).
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Lost Lagoon
This rustic area near the park's entrance was originally an extension of Coal Harbour, but by 1916 the bridge was replaced with a causeway, and in 1922 the new body of water was named, transforming itself into a freshwater lake a few years later. Today it's a nature sanctuary – keep your eyes peeled for beady-eyed blue herons – and its perimeter pathway makes for a wonderful stroll. The excellent Lost Lagoon Nature House provides exhibits and illumination on the park's wildlife, history and ecology. Ask about its fascinating park walks, covering everything from bird-watching strolls to artsy ambles.
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Museum
Be sure to join Babe Ruth as one of the visitors who've signed the guest book at the Banff Park Museum - he did so in 1922. Near the Bow River Bridge at the southern end of town, this lodge-style wood building was built by the CPR in 1903. Check out the surprising inner atrium.
Before trails first led curious wildlife watchers into the bush, the museum housed a zoo and aviary, so Victorian visitors to Banff could catch a safe glimpse of the park's wildlife. The museum, a National Historic Site, contains a collection of animals, birds and plants found in the park, including two small stuffed grizzlies and a black bear, plus a tree carved with graffiti dating back to 1841.…
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Confederation Centre
In a modern building that dominates Queen St between Grafton St and Victoria Row at Richmond St, the Confederation Centre serves not only as Charlottetown's theater complex, but as its art and exhibition hall as well. The Confederation Centre of the Arts hosts concerts, comedic performances and elaborate musicals. Anne of Green Gables - The Musical has been entertaining audiences here as part of the Charlottetown Festival since 1964, making it Canada's longest-running musical. You'll enjoy it, and your friends will never have to know. The Confederation Centre Art Gallery focuses on Canadian Art and has a special exhibit on L.M Montgomery. Check the website for gallery…
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Gibraltar Point
Gibraltar Point, as per Gibraltar in the Mediterranean, was the most easily defensible point in the harbor. Captain John Simcoe ordered a British fort built here in 1800. It was destroyed just 13 years later during the American raid on York. Not far inland stands the photogenic Gibraltar Point Lighthouse (1809), just 25m tall, built with grey limestone quarried at Queenston on the Niagara escarpment. The lighthouse was the first of its kind on the Great Lakes, using sperm-whale oil to fuel its lamp. Its first keeper, JP Radan Muller, disappeared mysteriously in 1815. Years later human bones were unearthed nearby, supporting the theory that Muller was knocked off by…
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Prospect Point
One of Vancouver's most glorious lookouts, this lofty spot is located at the park's northern tip. In summer you'll be jostling for elbow room with the tour groups as you angle for a view of the passing cruise ships – heading down the steep stairs to the viewing platform usually shakes some of them off. Look out for scavenging raccoons here and remember that it's never a good idea to pet these semi-tame, rabies-carrying critters. The cairn here commemorates the 1888 wreck of the SS Beaver, a Hudson's Bay Company steamship that was the first to travel the entire west coast of North America. Prospect Point Café offers refreshments – aim for a table on the deck and a view…
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Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours
Known as the Sailors’ Church, this enchanting chapel derives its name from the sailors who left behind votive lamps in the shapes of ships in thanksgiving for safe passage. The restored interior has stained-glass windows and paintings depicting key moments in the life of the Virgin Mary (for whom Montréal – aka Ville-Marie – was originally named). The attached Musée Marguerite-Bourgeoys relates the story of Montréal’s first teacher and the founder of the Congregation of Notre-Dame order of nuns. The crypt has artifacts dating back 2000 years and foundations of the original chapel from 1773. The observation tower offers grand views of the Old Port.
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Parc de la Chute Montmorency
This waterfall is right by the Taschereau Bridge on the way to Île d’Orléans and is worth a stop if you’re in the area. It’s 83m high, topping Niagara Falls by about 30m, though it’s not nearly as wide. What’s cool is walking over the falls on the suspension bridge to see (and hear) them thunder down below. The park is free but parking ($10 per car) and the cable car (adult/child $11/6) can add up over the average one-hour visit. You can opt to walk the circuit instead of taking the cable car up. This is an interesting stop even in winter. When the spray from the falls freezes, it creates a 30m-high toboggan hill. The falls are about 12km from Québec City.
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Dionne Quints Museum
North Bay has never seen the mining-related booms and busts inherent to most towns in northern Ontario. In fact, the area was rather unremarkable until five little girls briefly turned the city into the most visited destination in Ontario after Niagara Falls. These little girls were the Dionne Quints – identical quintuplets. Born during the Great Depression, they were exploited as a tourist attraction by the provincial government. Their fame became so widespread that they even starred in four Hollywood films. Today, the Dionne Quints Museum contains a fascinating collection of artifacts from their early years. (Their later years haven't been such a happy story – growing…
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Mt Pleasant Cemetery
Rest assured, we have space' is the slogan here, and indeed, it's hard to imagine a more pleasantly assuring place for the ultimate rest. Since the 19th century, many of Toronto's brilliant and best (or at least richest) citizens have concurred, including classical musician Glenn Gould, former prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie, Eaton's founder Timothy Eaton, Titanic survivor Arthur Godfrey Peuchen, and Foster Hewitt, Canada's 'Voice of Hockey, ' who coined the phrase, 'He shoots, he scores!' The cemetery is north of Moore Ave, between Yonge St and Bayview Ave. Guide maps are available from the office near the south gate on the east side of Mt Pleasant Rd, which cuts…
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Christ Church Cathedral
Completed in 1895 and designated as a cathedral in 1929, the city's most attractive Gothic-style church is nestled incongruously among looming glass towers. Undergoing extensive renovations in recent years, it's a busy site and is home to a wide range of cultural events, including regular choir and chamber music recitals and the occasional Shakespeare reading. Self-guided tours of the 32 stained-glass windows are available, but if you're short of time just head down to the basement for the highlight: a colorful Edward Burne-Jones beauty created by the William Morris Company. Also check out the church's dramatic hammerbeam ceiling as well as its newest window: the stunning…
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Steam Clock
Halfway along Water St, this oddly popular tourist magnet lures the cameras with its tooting steam whistle displays. Built in 1977, the clock's mechanism is actually driven by electricity while only the pipes on top are fueled by steam (this might cause a riot if you reveal it to the patiently-waiting tourists). It sounds off every 15 minutes but marks each hour with a little whistling symphony. Once you have the required photo, spend time exploring the rest of cobbled Water St. One of Vancouver's most historic thoroughfares, its well-preserved heritage buildings house shops, galleries and resto-bars: cast your gaze above entrance level and check out some cool old-school…
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Trinity College
The most famous University of Toronto college is the ultratraditional Trinity College, where entering collegians are anachronistically required to wear academic robes to meals. It's worth looking around the traditional quadrangle and the Anglican Chapel, which was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, the same man responsible for Britain's ubiquitous red telephone booths. Pick up a self-guided tour pamphlet from the rack near the door. The leafy Philosopher ' s Walk leads north along the east side of Trinity College towards the stone-and-iron Alexandra Gates on Bloor St W, just east of the Royal Conservatory of Music.
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Musée McCord
With hardly an inch to spare in its cramped but welcoming galleries, the McCord Museum of Canadian History houses nearly one million artifacts and documents illustrating Canada’s social, cultural and archaeological history from the 18th century to present day. The eclectic collection has large sections on Canada’s earliest European settlement and the history of Québec’s indigenous people; other display highlights include embroidered gowns, toys, prints and First Nations’ works. The 2nd-floor gallery neatly encapsulates French-Canadian history in Québec. There’s also a gift shop and an inviting café. In summer it’s also open Monday.
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Vancouver Art Gallery
The VAG has dramatically transformed since 2000, becoming a vital part of the city's cultural scene. Contemporary exhibitions – often showcasing Vancouver's renowned photoconceptualists – are now combined with blockbuster international traveling shows. Check out Fuse (admission $19.50), a quarterly late-night party where you can hang out with the city's young arties over wine and live music.
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Église Madonna della Difesa
Our Lady of Protection Church was built in 1919 according to the drawings of Florence-born Guido Nincheri (1885–1973), who spent the next two decades working on the Roman-Byzantine structure. The artist painted the church’s remarkable frescoes, including one of Mussolini on horseback with a bevy of generals in the background. The work honored the formal recognition by Rome of the pope’s sovereignty over Vatican City in 1929 and was unveiled a few years later as Hitler came to power. During WWII, Nincheri and others who had worked on the building were interned by the Canadian authorities. The fresco, still controversial, can be viewed above the high marble altar.
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