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Oh Canada, Eh! Well doesn’t that sound like the adventure of a lifetime. Aside from my profound love for cold weather, maple syrup, and ice hockey, Canada has always been a dream destination spot for me due to the incredibly diverse range of attractions. Convincing my family to embark on this peculiar choice of destination for spring break 2019 journey with me was not an easy task, thankfully Canada had everything I needed to plan the perfect trip for me and my family of four; plenty of rich historical sites for my dad, tons of shopping for my mom, out of this world cuisine for my little brother, and breathe taking views and experiences for me.
An extra bonus is that this trip will be very eco-friendly. My family and I will be on foot most of the days because all the place we are visiting are walkable cities and we are planning to eat meals at local restaurants that serve locally grown produce and staying at environmentally friendly hotels! Why not try to save the planet as we explore it!
Area History and Customs
Canada is a country birthed from European exploration, imperialism, and colonization. Canada began as a civilization ruled by the aboriginal people of North America who crossed the Bering Land Bridge to develop communities of sophisticated political systems, strong spiritual belief, and rich culture. European settlement officially began in 1534, when the French explorer Jacques Cartier sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence. He attempted to establish a permanent settlement, but it wasn’t until Samuel de Champlain came that the Europeans truly began to disturb original civilization. The indigenous people were pushed from their homes and forced to relocate to isolated areas. Canada’s natives soon began to die off due to the diseased brought over by the Europeans and the ones who remained were forced to work as soldiers, hunters, and traders.
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After the American Revolution many British loyalist began to migrate to the English-speaking areas of Quebec, which caused great concern to the colony’s French residents because they viewed it as a threat to their culture and lifestyle. Britain attempted to alleviate these concerns by splitting Quebec into two colonies: Upper Canada for the English and Lower Canada for the French. Each colony was allowed to develop their own government and create their own political and cultural independence from one another.
Although colonies had their own elected parliaments, they were extremely week and most power remained in the hands of the British-appointed governor. As civilization began to switch from illiterate farmers and fur traders to larger and richer societies, both Upper and Lower Canada began to demand a greater say in how their colony was being governed. The 1830s mark a time of political unrest for the Canadas in which the Reformers, the middle-class French and catholic emerged. They fought against the authoritarian rule and had the hopes to abandoned British rule all together or join the United States.
In 1838, Lord Durham was elected emergency governor of Upper and Lower Canada and he identified the two major problems of the colonies; the colonies needed a democratic system of government and the French colonist needed to be assimilated into the English society. He advocated for an end in supporting French traditions and hoped to merge Upper and Lower Canada into a single colony governed by a proper British parliamentary system. In 1841, the British passed the Act of Union, which created the Untied Province of Canada!
In the mid- 19th century, Britain began to look at the larger picture and develope a strong interest in expanding its empire into India and Asia, which caused them to turn an eye to Canadian affairs. In the1860s Canadian politicians developed the idea of creating a constitution to merge all England’s remaining North American colonies into a unified, self-governing colonial confederation. This would allow the colonies to experience a stronger economic and military system due to the fact that they would be allowed to combined land and resources. On July 1, 1867 the British government approved the constitution and the Dominion of Canada was formed. This day is now and forever celebrated as Confederation Day and marks the day the Canada officially became a country!
Through history Canada has developed many customs and laws that are very important to keep in mind as a tourist. Since 9/11, it is necessary that you have a passport to cross the border into Canada, even though America and Canada are such close neighbors. In addition, a U.S. driver’s license is valid in Canada, but it is important to keep in mind that the speed limits are posted in metric kilometers and driving conditions during the winter are extremely dangerous, so there is a handsfree cell phone policy strictly enforced.
Although Canada is well known for being a hunting hot spots, Canada has very strict gun laws. Canadians do not have the constitutional right to be armed and carrying concealed weapons are highly illegal, so if you plan on going hunting in Canada you must adhere to their strict policies. For the nonbelievers, the Canadian stereotypes of being the friendliest country and having being hockey fanatics is true, so it’s very important to say sorry, always use your manors and NEVER insult hockey. Lastly, French and English are Canada’s two official languages and spoken in every province, which is wonderful for me and my family because we won’t have any trouble communicating with the locals. Overall, Canadian laws and customs are fairly similar to those of the US.
Tourist Attractions
Canada is very well known for its variety of attractions that satisfies the wants of any type of traveler (Toby, 2017). From natural wonders to spectacular cities, Canada is a year-round affordable vacation spot that allows for a once and a life time experience. If you are feeling outdoorsy and want a more thrilling and adventurous trip this is the perfect place for you.
The most popular outdoor activity to do while in Canada is paying a visit to Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls is one of Canadas most iconic natural and thrilling attractions that push you out of your comfort zone and allow you to take in the landscape from a different perspective. You can choose to go on the “Maid of the Mist” boat tour that takes your all through the falls or you can even go ziplining over the gorges of the falls!
If the outdoors isn’t for you, Canada is still a perfect hot spot due to its fabulous inner-city life. Canada has many modern, multicultural cities, each with their own distinct personality that reflect the history and development of the nation. Most Canadian cities are smaller in comparison to the America which makes them significantly easier to navigate and explore. In addition, these cities tend to be tourist friendly and crime is proven to be significantly low, so it’s a safe trip for solo travelers and/or families with younger children, which is very important to my Dad.
Located in Montreal is the Notre-Dame Basilica which is the staple of Canada’s religious heritage (D’Alimonte, 2016). It is one of the world’s greatest examples of Gothic Revival architecture and it offers a glimpse into the city’s development over the centuries. All Canadian cities are deeply rooted in the history and culture of the nation and give tourists multiple ways to amerce themselves in it through historical tours, museums, and markets.
Canada is also well known for its markets and shopping. My mom and I are hoping to be able to visit the Toronto Eaton Centre, which is in located in downtown Toronto. It contains more than 250 stores, making it the third largest mall in Canada, and it is Toronto’s largest tourist attraction. It connects underground with Toronto PATH network of shops and business’s which means it is still an easy walk on cold and rainy days. This mall contains a variety of stores from upscale shopping to budget conscious stores, so there is something for everyone. In addition, Toronto Eaton Centre has a large selection of excellent food to satisfy any tourists hunger. Hopefully we have time to visit all the wonderful place Canada has to offer!
Overview of Tourism Development
Tourism is vital part in the flourishment of the Canadian economy in recent years. It is the largest service export and represents more than 8.3% of the overall GDP. 1 in 11 jobs in Canada solely depend on the tourism of the economy and this sector is the number one employer of the Canadian youth. More than 20.8 million people traveled to Canada in 2017 and those numbers are continuing to increase every year. International travelers have accounted for $20 billion in tourism revenue and the industry is now valued at over USD $1.5 trillion. Tourism has helped build cultural exchange, trade opportunities, and foreign investment (Delisle and Venne, 2017).
Public infrastructure is a vital part of Canadians everyday life and impact the quality of life in communities. In 2013, the federal government owned less than 2% of the roads, bridges, public transit, water, wastewater, culture, recreation and communications infrastructure (Public Infrastructure in Canada, 2016) because provincial governments held 41% of the public infrastructure and municipal governments held the remaining 57%. Now, the federal government’s core public infrastructure is composed of international bridges, sections of the highway inside national parks, ports and airports, and national rail passenger and ferry service.
In 2014, the government introduced the New Building Canada Plan in which the government provided $33 billion of funding to support the infrastructure products that will enhance economic competitiveness, job creation, strengthen trade corridors, and reduce commuting times. Canada’s government values infrastructure so highly because it helps get goods to market, helps connect people and businesses, and helps the flow of traffic on roads and highways.
Tourism has had a significant and steady impact on superstructure of Canada throughout the years. The hospitality industry in Canada mainly rests upon two sectors: food and beverage and hotels. The hospitality industry alone employs over 1.6 million Canadian residents, 9.4% jobs in Canada. A tourist on average of spends 22% on accommodation expenditures and 23% on food and beverage expenditures during their trip (Delisle and Venne, 2017).
Tourists have driven the competitiveness of the hotel industry and food industry by encouraging them to take in the factors of size, location, ownership and affiliation, level of service, and amenities that will give/ make their consumer they are receiving the best possible experience. The variety of pull factors in Canada has attribute to the need for various different hotels styles to fulfil each unique traveler needs which has allowed the industry to grow immensely.
Currency/ Visa Requirements
U.S. citizens visiting Canada for less than 180 days do not need a visa. However, Canadian law requires that everyone entering Canada must have both proof of current citizenship and identity, so a passport would satisfy these requirements. There are no currency restrictions for entry and exit and you are not required to have any special vaccinations before traveling.
Most markets take the US dollar, but the majority of Canada uses the Canadian dollar (CAD). Since 2014, the Canadian dollar has been worth about 70 or 80 cents compared to one US dollar, but this does fluctuate often. When the Canadian dollar is low, shopping in Canada is prime for those who use American currency. Canadian bills come in $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 dollar denominations.
The $1 and $2 bills are known as loonies and toonies and are coins. Canadian bills are brightly colored, making the value of each individual bill easy to identify. Credit cards and debit cards are widely accepted and preferred across Canada and ATMs are very easy to locate as well. ATMs will normally charge a $2 to $5 user fee when withdrawing Canadian money. Although it’s not necessary to have a lot of cash when visiting, it is good to have a little for small purchases and tipping.
