CANADA
DESTINATION GUIDES
CANADA With major ports on both sides of the country, Canada has become well known as a cruise destination. As the gateway to Alaska, one of the world’s most popular cruise routes, the west of Canada is more prominent as a start point for many cruises, while the east coast provides a destination within itself for those wishing to explore some of the most stunning scenery on offer on the east coast of North America. Cruises to the east coast of Canada are common and will often take in parts of the East Coast USA as well, a description of which is covered in one of our earlier destination guides. Key to a cruise in the region is trip down the St. Lawrence river. The St. Lawrence can take cruise guests into the heart of Quebec and Montreal, both of which provide fantastic opportunities for exploring the old town and cultural centres of Canada’s major cities. The cruise also provides stunning scenery including the incredible Montmorency Falls – taller than the Niagara Falls yet only a few kilometres away from Quebec and best viewed from the river. The St. Lawrence is wide but still provides a feel of river cruising, which means ocean customers can get an experience of both styles of cruising. Cruises here will also explore Newfoundland and Labrador, experiencing great ports such as St. Johns, which has magnificent churches, Corner Brook, for its stunning local scenery, and Halifax, a city with a strong seafaring history. Indeed, Halifax’s claim to cruise fame is as the birthplace of Samuel Cunard, founder of the eponymous transatlantic line, and a statue of him can be found by the quayside. On the west coast, Vancouver is one of the largest cruise ports in the region and, along with Seattle, provides a regular turnaround port for those wishing to explore Alaska. However, there are attractions to Vancouver itself. The beautiful Stanley Park, which faces directly onto the Pacific and provides incredible views and space for walking, as well as brilliant museums and cultural attractions are all on offer here. Meanwhile in Victoria, slightly further south from Vancouver, one can find the fascinating Butchart Gardens, some of the most iconic botanical gardens in the world. Becoming more popular now and giving the chance for a completely different view of Canada, the Northwest Passage provides some of the most stunning scenery and locales for cruising in the world. Weaving in between ship graveyards and overwintering sites for intrepid explorers the voyage through the NW Passage provides one of the most remarkable journeys in the world, and shows the lengths and bravery of Arctic expeditioners in the past. Overall, there are a number of incredible options when cruising in Canada, all of which provide a completely different type of cruise depending on what you want to do. Combined with a transatlantic voyage or a stay in one of the brilliant cities in Canada beforehand, a cruise in Canada can offer the best of all types of cruising all in one voyage.
www.cruiseexperts.org
Key Ports
Vancouver, BC Victoria, BC Quebec City, Quebec Montreal, Quebec Halifax, Nova Scotia Corner Brook, Newfoundland
History
Key Attractions Sailing the St. Lawrence River Northwest Passage Stanley Park Vancouver Quebec Old Town Peggy’s Point Lighthouse Halifax Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist St. Johns Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site Cape Breton
Best Times to Go
Peak Season: The best time to
cruise in Canada is usually around Autumn, especially with the fantastic scenery complemented by the Autumn leaves.
Canada was a later blooming area for inhabitation by aboriginal peoples, mostly influenced by its geographical position, meaning Canada only became possible to live in much later than the rest of the North American continent following the ice age. Civilisation of the area became more prevalent in the year’s preceding 1000 CE, as the peoples present in the area started to form tribes with their own distinctive cultures and languages. This was mostly split into those with Algonquian based languages, originating in the American mid-west, and those of the Iroquois, who originated mostly from the American Eastern Coast. These differing native groups often clashed prior to the arrival of colonisers and were the key boundaries to continued expansion further north for colonial troops.
First contact between the European powers and Canada has been widely reported as 1492, although evidence now suggests that the Vikings ventured as far as Canada around 300 years prior to this and established a small settlement. The British arrived in the late 1490s, landing as part of a series of expeditions to find the Northwest passage. At the same time both Portugal and Spain attempted to lay claim to the land, however it was not until the arrival of the French some 30 years later that the attempts of the nation that would come to define this region of Canada began. Despite numerous failures to claim the land for France, they persisted and began a lucrative trade in furs with some of those currently living in the region and simultaneously initiated what would become a hundred-year war with the Iroquois, only concluding with the alliance of the Iroquois with the British. This alliance was key to the future geography of the region, as it was with this that the British secured the lands on the south of the Great Lakes, which today represents the US-Canadian Border. Meanwhile in the west the Spanish had a made a number of settlements, including the first at Vancouver Island. However, growth was much slower in this region – major expansion of the area that later became known as British Columbia happened after they joined the new formed Canadian Confederation in the 1870s. The formation of the Confederation was less aggressive than the formation of the United States. The union was formed between the British owned states of the region due to military, demographic and expansion based reasons, and then negotiated at a number of conferences before the nation of Canada was formed in July 1867 following a declaration by Queen Victoria. Within 100 years all of the current states of Canada became part of the union (apart from Nunavut, only formed in 1999), a unification which benefitted from significant investment in rail transport across the nation.
Currencies: Canadian Dollar –
The participation of the Canadians in the 1st World War helped foster strong relations between the British and the Canadians, which had been previously damaged by disagreements around the sale of Alaska to the Americans. This participation also increased the national identity of Canada and strengthened their claim to be a more powerful nation in negotiations. Despite strong initial opposition, Canada fought and won their battle to be part of post war discussions, strengthening the nation’s position as a key part of worldwide politics. The Great Depression soon followed causing mass unemployment in Canada, however prosperity returned during the Second World War as the country implemented more rigorous pensions and healthcare policies. The 1960s brought widespread dispute between the French & English speaking parts of the nation and the introduction of the maple leaf flag, as well as significant steps towards multiculturalism, bilingualism and increased immigration were made in these years. Today, Canada continues its policy of Multiculturalism, which provides a “sense of an equal celebration of racial, religious and cultural backgrounds” and is regarded as one of the most successful examples of the implementation of these values as a part of government.
Visa Required:
Cuisine
Shoulder Season: The summer
season is usually the shoulder season in this region, but the pleasant temperatures mean this is still a highly enjoyable time to travel.
Key Information
Languages: English is the standard language across the nation, however French is also spoken as the national language in certain states.
CAD ($)
As of March 2016, British Citizens will require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), which can be purchased beforehand for $7 CAD.
As with so many nations, Canada’s cuisine is a mix of many different cultures – although this should not be so surprising in a country that prides itself on its multiculturalism. Very old, traditional dishes in Canada are rare now as the country has changed so much from its original inhabitants, however Arctic dishes such as Muktuk & Kiviak are still prevalent amongst the Inuit culture, especially as much of the culture of these people has not changed significantly over time. This involves freezing or fermenting meat and is a staple part of the diet due to the long winters and difficulty of procuring fresh food. The most prominent dish that is native to Canada is Poutine – originating in Quebec, Poutine is made from potato chips, cheese curd and brown gravy. While Quebec is well known for being traditionally very French, Poutine’s closest relative is a dish from the North of England and Scotland, although it is now most well-known in this iteration.
www.cruiseexperts.org
CANADA With major ports on both sides of the country, Canada has become well known as a cruise destination. As the gateway to Alaska, one of the world’s most popular cruise routes, the west of Canada is more prominent as a start point for many cruises, while the east coast provides a destination within itself for those wishing to explore some of the most stunning scenery on offer on the east coast of North America. Cruises to the east coast of Canada are common and will often take in parts of the East Coast USA as well, a description of which is covered in one of our earlier destination guides. Key to a cruise in the region is trip down the St. Lawrence river. The St. Lawrence can take cruise guests into the heart of Quebec and Montreal, both of which provide fantastic opportunities for exploring the old town and cultural centres of Canada’s major cities. The cruise also provides stunning scenery including the incredible Montmorency Falls – taller than the Niagara Falls yet only a few kilometres away from Quebec and best viewed from the river. The St. Lawrence is wide but still provides a feel of river cruising, which means ocean customers can get an experience of both styles of cruising. Cruises here will also explore Newfoundland and Labrador, experiencing great ports such as St. Johns, which has magnificent churches, Corner Brook, for its stunning local scenery, and Halifax, a city with a strong seafaring history. Indeed, Halifax’s claim to cruise fame is as the birthplace of Samuel Cunard, founder of the eponymous transatlantic line, and a statue of him can be found by the quayside. On the west coast, Vancouver is one of the largest cruise ports in the region and, along with Seattle, provides a regular turnaround port for those wishing to explore Alaska. However, there are attractions to Vancouver itself. The beautiful Stanley Park, which faces directly onto the Pacific and provides incredible views and space for walking, as well as brilliant museums and cultural attractions are all on offer here. Meanwhile in Victoria, slightly further south from Vancouver, one can find the fascinating Butchart Gardens, some of the most iconic botanical gardens in the world. Becoming more popular now and giving the chance for a completely different view of Canada, the Northwest Passage provides some of the most stunning scenery and locales for cruising in the world. Weaving in between ship graveyards and overwintering sites for intrepid explorers the voyage through the NW Passage provides one of the most remarkable journeys in the world, and shows the lengths and bravery of Arctic expeditioners in the past. Overall, there are a number of incredible options when cruising in Canada, all of which provide a completely different type of cruise depending on what you want to do. Combined with a transatlantic voyage or a stay in one of the brilliant cities in Canada beforehand, a cruise in Canada can offer the best of all types of cruising all in one voyage.
www.cruiseexperts.org
Key Ports
Vancouver, BC Victoria, BC Quebec City, Quebec Montreal, Quebec Halifax, Nova Scotia Corner Brook, Newfoundland
History
Key Attractions Sailing the St. Lawrence River Northwest Passage Stanley Park Vancouver Quebec Old Town Peggy’s Point Lighthouse Halifax Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist St. Johns Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site Cape Breton
Best Times to Go
Peak Season: The best time to
cruise in Canada is usually around Autumn, especially with the fantastic scenery complemented by the Autumn leaves.
Canada was a later blooming area for inhabitation by aboriginal peoples, mostly influenced by its geographical position, meaning Canada only became possible to live in much later than the rest of the North American continent following the ice age. Civilisation of the area became more prevalent in the year’s preceding 1000 CE, as the peoples present in the area started to form tribes with their own distinctive cultures and languages. This was mostly split into those with Algonquian based languages, originating in the American mid-west, and those of the Iroquois, who originated mostly from the American Eastern Coast. These differing native groups often clashed prior to the arrival of colonisers and were the key boundaries to continued expansion further north for colonial troops.
First contact between the European powers and Canada has been widely reported as 1492, although evidence now suggests that the Vikings ventured as far as Canada around 300 years prior to this and established a small settlement. The British arrived in the late 1490s, landing as part of a series of expeditions to find the Northwest passage. At the same time both Portugal and Spain attempted to lay claim to the land, however it was not until the arrival of the French some 30 years later that the attempts of the nation that would come to define this region of Canada began. Despite numerous failures to claim the land for France, they persisted and began a lucrative trade in furs with some of those currently living in the region and simultaneously initiated what would become a hundred-year war with the Iroquois, only concluding with the alliance of the Iroquois with the British. This alliance was key to the future geography of the region, as it was with this that the British secured the lands on the south of the Great Lakes, which today represents the US-Canadian Border. Meanwhile in the west the Spanish had a made a number of settlements, including the first at Vancouver Island. However, growth was much slower in this region – major expansion of the area that later became known as British Columbia happened after they joined the new formed Canadian Confederation in the 1870s. The formation of the Confederation was less aggressive than the formation of the United States. The union was formed between the British owned states of the region due to military, demographic and expansion based reasons, and then negotiated at a number of conferences before the nation of Canada was formed in July 1867 following a declaration by Queen Victoria. Within 100 years all of the current states of Canada became part of the union (apart from Nunavut, only formed in 1999), a unification which benefitted from significant investment in rail transport across the nation.
Currencies: Canadian Dollar –
The participation of the Canadians in the 1st World War helped foster strong relations between the British and the Canadians, which had been previously damaged by disagreements around the sale of Alaska to the Americans. This participation also increased the national identity of Canada and strengthened their claim to be a more powerful nation in negotiations. Despite strong initial opposition, Canada fought and won their battle to be part of post war discussions, strengthening the nation’s position as a key part of worldwide politics. The Great Depression soon followed causing mass unemployment in Canada, however prosperity returned during the Second World War as the country implemented more rigorous pensions and healthcare policies. The 1960s brought widespread dispute between the French & English speaking parts of the nation and the introduction of the maple leaf flag, as well as significant steps towards multiculturalism, bilingualism and increased immigration were made in these years. Today, Canada continues its policy of Multiculturalism, which provides a “sense of an equal celebration of racial, religious and cultural backgrounds” and is regarded as one of the most successful examples of the implementation of these values as a part of government.
Visa Required:
Cuisine
Shoulder Season: The summer
season is usually the shoulder season in this region, but the pleasant temperatures mean this is still a highly enjoyable time to travel.
Key Information
Languages: English is the standard language across the nation, however French is also spoken as the national language in certain states.
CAD ($)
As of March 2016, British Citizens will require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), which can be purchased beforehand for $7 CAD.
As with so many nations, Canada’s cuisine is a mix of many different cultures – although this should not be so surprising in a country that prides itself on its multiculturalism. Very old, traditional dishes in Canada are rare now as the country has changed so much from its original inhabitants, however Arctic dishes such as Muktuk & Kiviak are still prevalent amongst the Inuit culture, especially as much of the culture of these people has not changed significantly over time. This involves freezing or fermenting meat and is a staple part of the diet due to the long winters and difficulty of procuring fresh food. The most prominent dish that is native to Canada is Poutine – originating in Quebec, Poutine is made from potato chips, cheese curd and brown gravy. While Quebec is well known for being traditionally very French, Poutine’s closest relative is a dish from the North of England and Scotland, although it is now most well-known in this iteration.
www.cruiseexperts.org
