Canada Day (French: Fête du Canada), formerly Dominion Day, is Canada’s national day, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act (today called the Constitution Act, 1867), which united two British colonies and a province of the British Empire into a single country called Canada. Canada Day observances take place throughout Canada as well as internationally.

Frequently referred to as “Canada’s birthday”, particularly in the popular press, the occasion marks the joining of the British North American colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867. Although Canada is regarded as having become a kingdom in its own right on that date, the British Parliament kept limited rights of political control over the new country that were shed by stages over the years until the last vestiges were surrendered in 1982 when the Constitution Act patriated the Canadian constitution.

In London today, Canada Day in London is taking place in Trafalgar Square. The event will kick off at 10:30 am with the Singing of O Canada by the Canadian Tenors and dropping of the puck by His Excellency James Wright, High Commissioner for Canada. Put on some red and white to show your Canadian spirit and join them for the Trafalgar Street Hockey cup, traditional Canadian delicacies, beer and wine as well as live music and performers all day. Canada Day is a Free event and enjoyable for all ages, so if you can get there -its worth doing! There are events happening until it ends at 10:15pm so if you want to experience a bit of Canada in the UK, see if you can get yourself there!

For more information about Canada Day in London have a look at their website http://www.canadadaylondon.com/… or how about going crazy – booking a last minute flight out to Canada – 8 hour flight, 5 hour time difference, so you can take off just after lunch and be in Canada for dinner! .. Ah if it wasnt for work… and money hehe..

So finally, Happy 143rd Birthday Canada! And us at Canada trip wish all Canadians a Happy Canada Day!

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Action packaged 13 night Alberta adventure exploring the home of the Canadian Rockies.

The Wild West is a 13 night fly drive taking you on an exciting circular tour of Alberta. Starting and ending in Calgary, home to the marvellous Stampede, you’ll discover the wonders of Drumheller and the flatlands, onto Edmonton the provincial capital city and home to Canads’s largest shopping mall, before heading onwards to explore the wondrous National Parks of Jasper and Banff where you’ll have plenty of time to get outdoors and get active! This is an adventure not to be missed for all ages and all interests. Giddy up and get booking!

Price is 13 nights from £849pp fr £346 per child between 1 May – 12 Oct 2010. Going to Alberta, located on the western side of Canada between British Columbia and Manitoba. Home to the magnificent Canadian Rockies set amidst the wondrous National Parks – an adventure playground waiting to be explored.

Package Details:

* Package includes Car rental (Intermediate car- fully inclusive package)
* 13 nights standard accommodation Discover Banff & it’s wildlife tour (3.5 hrs)
* Spirit Island Cruise on Maligne Lake from Jasper (1.5 hrs)
* Athabasca River Raft/Float trip- Jasper (2.5 hr)
* a personalised Roadbook, maps, local information and trip planner
* Not included: meals other than those listed, Park entrance fees (payable locally), flights

For more information about this package as well as other related packages – check out Canada Travel’s website here

And of course don’t forget to check out Canadian Affair!

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Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons is a coffee shop, doughnut shop and a place to eat all rolled into one – and on top of that it’s Canadian! These places are dotted absolutely everywhere, so stop off, relax and enjoy their hot chocolate with a doughnut or two. Or, try their timbits, which are doughnut holes – you can either choose what flavours you want or you can ask for a random variety. The other fantastic thing about Tim Hortons, other than everything tastes so good – is the price. While we were out a couple of weeks ago, we got two extra large Tim Hortons Hot Chocolates (1pt cups), and a box of 10 timbits – and it came to exactly $5!

Doughnuts are a big thing at Tim Hortons, and they’re always fresh – as their slogan says – and there is a huge variety to choose from – one which I’d recommend if you like sweet is the Blueberry Bloom Doughnut – which is out right now, quite possibly for a limited time, so look out for it if you’re heading out to Canada in the next month or so!

So, that’s coffee, hot chocolate and doughnuts.. how about the food? Well, although i have meant to on two separate trips now, i have yet to try the BLT from Tim Hortons.. i have talked to a lot of people and everyone says these are fantastic sandwiches – so although i haven’t had one – I’m going to mention it anyway! .. And get out of bed early one morning and make your way to Tim Hortons for breakfast. Something very normal in north American food – is a Biscuit. And no i’m not talking about your average digestive. A biscuit in this context is effectively a savoury scone – and this is what i’m reccomending you get.. it is absolutely my all time favourite takeaway breakfast… The Tim Hortons Hot Breakfast Sandwich.

You can have it a couple of different ways – my favourite is the Sausage Egg and Cheese hot breakfast sandwich – although you can also swap the sausage for strips of streaky bacon – or if you’re a veggy they’ll keep the meat off and you can have their egg and cheese option. If you get the combo / meal you also get a hot drink and a home made style hash brown which truly puts McDonald’s Hashbrowns to shame! – They’re potato, onion and herbs all made into a neat and crispy hash brown. OH and while we’re talking about the breakfast..
The sausage in the sandwich is herbed – which puts it head and shoulders over its McDonalds rival the sausage and egg McMuffin patty, since in Canada the Canadian sausage patty is not herbed like the UK one.. so Although McDonalds has a secret weapon up their sleve when it comes to breakfast [which i'll cover in another article in the future] – i still think Tim Hortons beats it hands down!

I’ll give you the google map to the restaurant we’ve visited, but trust me – there really is a Tim Hortons nearly everywhere

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To get to this Tim Hortons, if you’re driving North on Highway 12, at the crossroads which you can see (which has traffic lights) turn right, and there’s an immediate left turn to take you into Tim Hortons.

So, Tim Hortons – do not leave Canada without visiting at least once.. or twice! And if you like their Hot Chocolate you can buy a tub of it to bring back with you!.. Oh and if you try the BLT before me – leave us a comment and tell us what you think to it!

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Edmonton’s vibrant population tends to hang out and let loose at the trendy Whyte Avenue district, which is situated next to the reputable University of Alberta. The Muttart Conservatory, an expansive horticultural spectacle, is noted for its unique architecture, as is the remarkable Alberta Legislature Building. Fort Edmonton Park is a large living history museum that recognizes Edmonton’s past through a series of interactive restorations.

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. The city is located on the North Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies. It is the second largest city in Alberta after Calgary, and is the hub of Canada’s sixth-largest metropolitan area. In the Canada 2006 Census, the city had a population of 730,372 and its census metropolitan area had a population of 1,034,945, making it the northernmost North American city with a metropolitan population over one million!

At 684 km2 (264 sq mi), the City of Edmonton covers an area larger than Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto, or Montreal so there’s Massive opportunity for you to find your favourite spot!

If you’re into shopping Edmonton is home to several shopping malls, including Canada’s first mall, Westmount Centre (still in operation but under development) and West Edmonton Mall, The world’s largest shopping and entertainment complex, with a roller coaster, tropical rainforest and an indoor bungee jump, in addition to the over 800 stores and 20 restaurants. Other malls include Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre, Edmonton City Centre (formerly Eaton Centre), Southgate Centre (currently undergoing expansion), Kingsway Garden Mall, Northgate Centre, Abbotsfield Mall, Londonderry Mall, and Mill Woods Town Centre.

Edmonton Downtown Core

Edmonton also has many big box shopping centres and power centres. Some of the major ones include South Edmonton Common (North America’s largest open air retail development), Skyview Power Centre, Terra Losa Centre, Oliver Park, Southpark Centre, The Meadows, Christy’s Corner, and Westpoint. In 2008, construction started on the Windermere power centre.

In contrast to suburban centres, Edmonton has many urban retail locations. The largest of them all, Old Strathcona includes many independent stores between 99 Street and 109th St on Whyte Avenue and area. In the downtown of Edmonton there are a small handful of shopping districts. Areas around Jasper Avenue, 104 street, 109 street, and 100 street have small pockets of retail. Near Oliver there is 124 Street which is home to a bunch of retail.

Edmonton also offers a variety of different things to do and places to see – these include Valley Zoo, Fort Edmonton Park, Mayfield Dinner Theatre, World Waterpark (which is actually in West Edmonton Mall), Fantasyland (the world’s largest indoor amusement park) and many more!

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And if you’re looking for Hotels in Edmonton click here!

If you’re looking for flights to Edmonton from the UK – click here to find flights and prices

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There really is no set weather which you can pin point in Canada. In the winter, depending on where you go the temperatures can drop to below -40 degrees Celsius, and in the summer sometimes up to near +40 degrees! Take a look at the contrasting photos below!

A Cabin in Ontario during a 29 degree Summer day

The same cabin during a -25 degree winter day.. yes that is a foot of snow on the roof!

And all this varying temperature just in one place, with Canada being the second largest country in the world, things can be almost as different from one part of the country to another!

So, with this in mind, here’s what you should expect temperature wise in the following locations!

Toronto: Summer: 15-30 degrees C and Winter -9 to 1 degree C

Ottawa: Summer: 15-30 degrees C and Winter -16 to -4 degrees C

Halifax: Summer: 13-23 degrees C and in Winter -9 to 0 degrees C

Calgary: Summer: 10-22degrees C and in Winter -15 to 0 degrees C

Vancouver: Summer: 12-23 degrees C and in Winter 3 to 6 degrees C

Montreal: Summer: 14 – 24 degrees C and in Winter -15 to -5 degrees C

Of coarse – these huge differences in weather are what make Canada the perfect all year round place to visit, whether you’re looking for warm days relaxing or skiing down a hill slope!

Remember though – if you’re going to Canada in Winter time – it is VERY cold. Always check the weather advice given by the Weather Network – And if you’re in the summer, always keep your eye on the weather, as in many parts of Canada, hurricanes and Tornadoes spring up in places – if you’re a weather enthusiast – this may very well be your dream!

And if you’re in the UK you’ve seriously never seen a thunderstorm, until you’ve seen one in Canada.. infact check out this one from the 9th August this year – filmed in High Definition by Roudy! This storm actually had a confirmed Tornado attributed to it! though you dont get to see that in the video, enjoy the lightning though!

So as you can see, whether you like sun, storms or snow – Canada really has everything you’d ever want – the whole spectrum of weather all in one country!

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Calgary

As you can see from the photo, Toronto is not the only city in Canada with a tower! The Calgary Tower which officially opened June 30th 1968, has become the City of Calgary’s most famous and identifiable physical landmark. One of the first Towers of its kind, the Calgary Tower offers the best view in Calgary and is a must-see on any tourist’s to do list

Calgary Tower

This however is by no means an isolated hot spot to visit while you’re out in Calgary though – why not visit Fort Calgary; which brings history to life by telling the stories of the Mounted Police site, the settlement and the people of Calgary through dynamic interpretation and exciting exhibits. Interactive and hands-on opportunities are found around every corner! The site includes the reconstructed 1875 Fort site, an Interpretive Centre with exhibits depicting Calgary from 1875 to the1940s, a replica 1888 Barracks where the Mounted Police story is expanded to1914, The Deane House Historic Site and Restaurant, and a 40 acre riverside park complete with interpretive pathways.

If you’re more inclined for a more nature inclined trip – how about Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre! The wolves of Northern Lights have all been adopted from various facilities. Born and bred in captivity, these wolves are not candidates for release into the wild. You can go see wolves up close and learn about these beautiful and often misunderstood animals – check out their website here

Or for the more Historically inclined – there’s always the Heritage Park, so you can see what you’ve seen in so many western films, what the West really once was! Come face-to-face with the exciting and significant story of Western Canada’s settlement at Heritage Park Historical Village. Travel back in time from the 1950s to the 1860s and engage with the past like never before as we bring history to life with lively costumed interpreters, historic buildings, and a huge collection of working antiques and artifacts. You can have a look at their website here

Of coarse, being located where it is Calgary has some amazing scenery as I’ve mentioned earlier – allowing you to take breathtaking photos.. and if you want, get your hands, and even the rest of you wet – splashing out in rafting or many other outdoor pursuits!!

If you’ve never been to Calgary. . . i would probably reccomend you go in time for the stampede! The calgary stampede is world famous – and i’m going to be purposefully brief about it since we will be featuring it at leangth in a future article! Let’s just say, if you’re looking for a taste of the west? You have the whole 3 course dinner right here!

Calgary is also extremely easy to get to, Canadian Affair fly out to Calgary from many of the main UK airports and hotels are readily available at great prices if you check out our reccomended company to book with

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We’ll be covering many of the massive numbers of attractions in and around Calgary in the next few months, so keep your eyes on this space to find out more about this truly unique place to visit!

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