Provinces & Territories

Canada has ten province: Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. It also has three territories: Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory and Nunavut.

The main difference between provinces and territories is their constitution. Provinces exercise constitutional powers in their own right, whilst territories exercise delegated powers under the authority of the Parliament of Canada. Any changes to the constitution in the provinces is voted on, but in the territories it is not.

Capital Cities

The capital of Canada is Ottawa, located in Ontario. But strangely Ottawa is not the capital of Ontario, Toronto is. Each province and territory has its own capital city and some may not be the city you think.

• Alberta – Edmonton
• British Columbia – Victoria
• Saskatchewan – Regina
• Manitoba – Winnipeg
• Ontario – Toronto
• Quebec – Quebec City
• New Brunswick – Fredericton
• Nova Scotia – Halifax
• Prince Edward Island – Charlottetown
• Newfoundland & Labrador – St John’s
• Yukon Territory – Whitehorse
• Northwest Territories – Yellowknife
• Nunavut – Iqaluit

Every province and territory also has its own flower

Flowers

Every province and territory also has its own flower. If you don’t know what these look like refer to the image accompanying the article.

• Alberta – Wild Rose
• British Columbia  – Pacific Dogwood
• Saskatchewan – Western Red Lily
• Manitoba – Prairie Crocus
• Ontario – White Trillium
• Quebec – Blue Flag Iris
• New Brunswick – Purple Violet
• Nova Scotia – Mayflower
• Prince Edward Island – Lady’s Slipper
• Newfoundland & Labrador – Pitcher Plant
• Yukon Territory – Fireweed
• Northwest Territories – Mountain Averns
• Nunavut – Purple Saxifrage

All provinces and territories also have their own provincial birds

Birds

All provinces and territories also have their own provincial birds , again please refer to the images to put a name to a feather.

• Alberta – Great Horned Owl
• British Columbia – Steller’s jay
• Saskatchewan – Sharp Tailed Grouse
• Manitoba – Great Grey Owl
• Ontario – Common Loon
• Quebec – Snowy Owl
• New Brunswick – Black Capped Chickadee
• Nova Scotia – Osprey
• Prince Edward Island – Blue Jay
• Newfoundland & Labrador – Atlantic Puffin
• Yukon Territory – Common Raven
• Northwest Territories – Gry Falcon
• Nunavut – Rock Ptarmigan

Mottos

Did you know that each of the provinces also has a motto? Some are a little odd, but the one which we feel suits the province best is Prince Edward Island.

• Alberta – Strong and free
• British Columbia – Splendour without diminishment
• Saskatchewan – From many peoples, strength
• Manitoba – Glorious and free
• Ontario – Loyal she began and loyal she remains
• Quebec – I remember
• New Brunswick – Hope was restored
• Nova Scotia – One defends the other conquers
• Prince Edward Island – The small under the protection of the great
• Newfoundland & Labrador – Seek ye first the kingdom of God

Only Nunavut of the territories has a motto: Our land, our strength.

Senator Daniel Lang made the announcement today with Patrick Rouble, Yukon Minister of Education and Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources. Senator Lang spoke on behalf of Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism and Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.“The Government of Yukon has a role to play in protecting temporary foreign workers from exploitation and in identifying how immigration can help address gaps in its labour ” said Senator Lang. “This agreement formally recognizes these roles.”

Canada and Yukon have signed an agreement that gives Yukon a role in managing the Temporary Foreign Worker Program within the Territory.

The agreement will improve the responsiveness of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program by providing Yukon with a greater role in helping these workers come to Canada. The Government of Yukon will be able to recommend the entry of some temporary foreign workers without requiring a Service Canada assessment of whether there are Canadians or permanent residents available to fill the vacant positions. Such exemptions will be determined according to criteria to be set by the territorial government, in line with its economic plans and priorities.

“This agreement provides one more tool for Yukon’s labour market stakeholders to address Yukon’s labour market opportunities, both now and into the future,” said Minister Rouble. “Our first priority is to work with underrepresented groups in Yukon to meet labour force demands and turn to temporary foreign workers when the need arises.”

“Today marks an important step in making the Temporary Foreign Worker Program more responsive to Yukon’s particular labour needs. Meeting those needs translates into more opportunities for all Yukon residents,” the Senator added.

The agreement provides a framework for closer cooperation between the two levels of government to better educate employers and potential workers about their rights and responsibilities.

A number of innovative pilot initiatives are also planned as part of the agreement. These initiatives are designed to respond to region-specific issues concerning temporary foreign workers, and are aligned with the economic and social development priorities of Yukon.

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is driven by employer demand and aimed at filling identified labour shortages where no suitable Canadian workers or permanent residents are available.

Find out more about emigrating to the Yukon

What do they mean?

The name Canada is derived from the word Kanata, a Huron-Iroquois word for settlement or village. Jacques Cartier came to the New World looking for a Northwest Passage to the Spice Islands and the promise of exotic goods. He was directed to the village of Stadacona by aboriginals who used the word Kanata. From that time on, Cartier referred to the village as Canada, as well as the entire land mass he was exploring. Many of the territories, provinces, cities, lakes, rivers, parks, and mountains reflect their aboriginal roots.

Provinces

Manitoba – The word Manitou means spirit, and originally referred to the land areas along the Red River. It is likely from the Cree expression maniot-wapow, or Ojibwe’sManitou-bau which means the strait of the spirit. Along the narrows of Lake Manitoba the sound of the pebbles made a noise that was said to be the sound of the spirits, or of the spirits banging drums. It is also thought that the name came from the Assiniboin expression mine-toba or Lake of the Prairies.

Nunavut – This is Canada’s newest territory, having been incorporated on April 1, 1999. The name Nunavut comes from the Inuktitut language of the Inuit, the indigenous peoples of the area, and means our land.

Ontario – There are three accepted theories as to the origin of the name Ontario: kanadario meaning sparkling or beautiful water, onitariio meaning beautiful lake, and Skanadario meaning very pretty lake. In all three cases, the land area was named for the body of water known as Lake Ontario of the Great Lakes.

Québec – The name Québec comes from an Algonquin word kébec meaning the narrowing of the river. The geographical expression likely refers to the narrowing of the river around Québec City.

Saskatchewan – The Cree word kisiskāciwani-sīpiy, meaning a swiftly flowing river, became the name of the body of water (Saskatchewan River) before it became the name of the prairie province.

Yukon – This territory derives its name from the Gwich’in word Yu-kun-ah, which means great river.

Capital cities

Many of the capital cities of the provinces and territories also have names with aboriginal origins:

• Toronto (Ontario) – tkaronto – place where trees stand in the water
• Winnipeg (Manitoba) – win-nipee – muddy water
• Iqaluit (Nunavut) – iqaluit – many fish

Great Canadian road trips

If you can’t see our entire country by highway, pick one province, a piece of blacktop and take the nearest entry ramp.

Here’s your Canada road-tripping list:

Heritage Discovery Circle Route, BC: This 2,423-km (1,506-mi) epic road trip begins in Vancouver, zigzags north to 100 Mile House, heads to the historic gold-rush town of Barkerville, then on to Prince Rupert, where you can access (by boat only) the Khutzeymateen (Canada’s first grizzly bear sanctuary) as well as take a spectacular ferry ride to Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands).

The Icefields Parkway, AB: Sure, you can drive one of North America’s most scenic roads (Hwy 93) that bisects 100 glaciers, two national parks (Banff and Jasper) and sweeps past dozens of peacock-blue lakes. But even more impressive is to cycle this wide-shouldered, hostel-studded highway. Be sure to cool down with a tiptoe up to the Athabasca Glacier.
Qu’Appelle Valley, SK: If you’re speeding along the Trans-Canada Highway, remember to veer north at the tiny community of Qu’Appelle. The endless swath of golden wheat fields splits open on Hwy 210 into a spectacular valley laced with a series of lakes, coulees and groves of trees—a recreational mecca for Reginans, who live 45 minutes away.

Prairie Parkland, MB: If you’re slicing across Canada on the Yellowhead Highway (#16), don’t whiz by the prettiest town on the prairies: Neepawa. Just west of the town, veer north on Hwy 10 through Riding Mountain National Park to Dauphin and west to Inglis, home of five historic grain elevators—a fantastic site at sunset.

Clearly Superior, ON: Now you’ll know why Canada’s Group of Seven artists lingered around this necklace of wide sandy bays on Lake Superior’s east shore in Ontario. Take Hwy 17 north from Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa, and be soothed by all that freshwater, the Lego-like blocky cliffs and spots like Pancake Bay—where voyageurs stopped to fry up some pancakes before restocking supplies in “the Soo.”

Route de fleuve (The St. Lawrence Route), QC: Linking Baie-Saint-Paul to La Malbaie, Hwy 362 meanders through the artsy villages of Charlevoix and over mountains that tumble into the St. Lawrence—the result of a meteorite two km (1.25 mi) in diameter that crashed here 350 million years ago.

Dempster Highway, YT: Drive the Dempster, one of this continent’s loneliest strips of loose gravel, and you’ll cross the Continental Divide (three times), two mountain ranges and touch the Arctic Circle. Begin in Dawson City and head northeast for 736 km (457 mi) to Inuvik, NWT—you’ll feel like you’re driving to the ends of the earth. (You kinda are.)

The Top of the World Highway, YT: Only open in the summer, this unpaved road—running from Dawson City, YT, to Alaska (USA)—is so named because much of it runs along the tops of mountains providing amazing views.

The Cabot Trail, NS: Drive along the skirts of Cape Breton Island, and you’ll breeze through beech forests and swoop over ocean bluffs. Dotted with fishing ports, craft barns (noted for their hooked rugs), quirky road stops and absurdly stunning ocean views, look for pods of whales in the water and moose along the forest trails.

Fundy Coastal Drive, NB: We love this maritime journey especially in the fall, when the forests look like they’ve been shellacked with marmalade. Besides the fiery colours, you can marvel at some of the highest tides on earth.

Viking Trail, NL: Inhabited by Aboriginals centuries ago and landed on by the Vikings 1,000 years ago, the land this weeklong road trip slices through was later populated by 16th-century Basque whalers and is now home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: spectacular Gros Morne National Park and L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site.

Video Highlights:

• Riding Mountain National Park
• The Arts of Baie-St-Paul, Quebec
• Charlevoix Maritime Museum
• Historic Dawson City
• Hopewell Rocks and the Bay of Fundy
• L’Anse aux Meadows (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• Outdoor Adventures: Ferry Ride
• Outdoor Adventures: Hiking
• Outdoor Adventures: Kayaking
• Outdoor Adventures: Wild Flowers (Flora)

Article courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission Media Centre:

Writers Bio: After a false start as an entertainment writer, Debra Cummings (“Deb”) spent six months kicking around southeast Asia—trekking up mountains and mastering the multiple meanings of the head-wobble in India—before returning to Calgary, AB, to take up the travel beat. That was 20 years ago. Since then, she’s worked as a newspaper features writer and travel editor, covered travel for CBC Radio and spent a year “voluntouring” around the planet with her husband and two children.

The Whitewater Sessions

Nahanni River, NWT
I might as well put this on the table right away: the Nahanni tops my list. The namesake of a treasured national park reserve, a Canadian Heritage River, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the unparalleled Virginia Falls and a recent six-fold park expansion easily win a spot for this iconic destination.

Kicking Horse River, BC
Carving through Yoho National Park in the Canadian Rockies, the Kicking Horse River is a classic glacier-fed mountain river popular for whitewater rafting. Trips are short—half- and full-day excursions—and the icy water is a constant reminder of the river’s frozen origins. Yee-haw!

Shubenacadie River, NS
Instead of standing on the shore watching Bay of Fundy’s world-famous high tides come in, I’d rather ride this surprisingly turbulent phenomenon. Who knew there was such a thing as tidal bore rafting?

Tatshenshini/Alsek River, YT/BC
The storied Tat-Alsek river system punches through a giant coastal mountain range and crosses the largest international protected area in the world. Icebergs calve into the river, while grizzlies and mountain goats are common sights. Oh, did I mention that the surging Lowell Glacier threatens to dam the Alsek once again? Could be a unique year to go.

West Magpie River, QC
Plunging from the Labrador Plateau across boreal forest to the Saint Lawrence River, the Magpie is one of those wild gotta-see Canadian rivers. This year, the seldom-paddled West Magpie is available for a commercial rafting expedition.

Chilko River, BC
Glaciers in the Coast Mountains feed turquoise Chilko Lake and its crystalline river in British Columbia’s Cariboo-Chilcotin. Known for lengthy stretches of whitewater, salmon runs and a lava gorge, the Chilko can be a day trip or a longer expedition continuing on the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers.

Firth River, YT
Flowing north through Yukon’s Ivvavik National Park, the Firth River winds for 130 km (81 mi) through taiga forest, canyons and expansive tundra to the Beaufort Sea. The Porcupine caribou herd migrates across the Firth, and grizzlies, wolves and muskox are often seen. If there’s room on your list for an Arctic river, this is it.

Ottawa River, QC/ON
The legendary Ottawa River, known for its adrenalin-pumping rapids and impressive whitewater, is the granddaddy of rivers east of the Rockies. They say spring is the time to go, when snowmelt fuels the flow. But autumn can be just as much fun, with the potential for flashes of fall colour.

Stikine River, BC
One of these days, I’ll descend the mighty Stikine with its abundant wildlife, eye-popping scenery and the impassable Grand Canyon. Glacial melt fuels the upper river, and the lower stretch is lined with valley glaciers. If I were a mountain goat, this is where I’d want to live.

Checkout these videos:

Slave River Kayaking Beginner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTE5vEcOwJU
Class V Kayaking on the Slave River
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VZXEeL1nLw
Rafting at its Best in the Ottawa River
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Rm6Pmx-HE

Article courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission Media Centre:

Writers Bio: Writer Teresa Earle grew up in Vancouver, BC, and headed north a dozen years ago after dog-mushing sojourns in Minnesota and the Northwest Territories. A freelancer who now lives in Whitehorse, YT, she also consults to the tourism industry and teaches writing workshops. Earle has travelled Canada coast to coast to coast, and her adventture-travel articles have appeared in Up Here, The Globe and Mail and Canadian Geographic. teresa@earle.ca

Here’s a roundup of activities and places to play in the snow across the country:

Ski & snowboard (X-C, cat-, resort, heli-)
Skiing? Boarding? Hell, yeah! Canada’s got a veritable buffet of skiing options, with many flavours to enjoy: resort, heli-, cat- and Nordic/cross-country. Whatever your preference, Canada has no shortage of world-class choices:

• Although British Columbia’s Whistler-Blackcomb regularly steals the limelight as North America’s über-ski resort, there’s a lifetime of other hills to explore, spreading across to Alberta, Quebec and as far east as Marble Mountain near Corner Brook, NL.
• The world’s first heli-skiing operation, Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH), now operates 12 heli-ski areas and lodges in British Columbia (where an estimated 90% of the world’s heli-skiing takes place). 
  
• The world’s first commercial cat-ski operation also hails from British Columbia: 35 years old now, Selkirk Wilderness Skiing is still a family business operating near Nelson, BC. 
  
• There are 500-plus cross-country ski areas across Canada, with standouts including Alberta’s Canmore Nordic Centre, developed for the 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games, and Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club in the Yukon, with 75 km (47 mi) of trails accessible five minutes from downtown.

Snowshoe

Initially born out of necessity for travel and hunting in deep snow, the snowshoe has evolved in form and use to something enjoyed by those more interested in getting some exercise in the crisp air while absorbing some of the splendour of the outdoors. Pretty much anywhere you can hike during the summer, you can snowshoe in winter. Some ideal locales to strap on snowshoes include:

• Gatineau Park, a short jaunt from Parliament Hill in Ottawa, ON, our nation’s capital. Here 45 km (28 mi) of lakeside trails range from easy to challenging.
• On the east coast, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Gros Morne National Park butts against the Atlantic Ocean, making for some dramatic coastal trekking.
• A prime example of boreal forest mixed with prairie landscape is Moose Mountain Provincial Park in southeastern Saskatchewan.

Outdoor skating

Skating is a fundamental skill needed to play ice hockey, which is why many Canadians have skates put on them not long after they’re able to walk. Originally a mode of transportation for First Nations and early settlers, ice-skating soon became a recreational pastime during long winter months. Although indoor rinks abound, the full Canadian experience is to skate outdoors in the fresh air.

• The famed Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, ON, is the world’s largest groomed outdoor ice-skating surface (7.8 km or 5 mi).
• A few of the longest ice-skating venues in Canada include: Assiniboine Credit Union River Trail, the world’s longest naturally frozen skating trail, in Winnipeg,MB; Sylvan Lake Track in Alberta; and Rivière L’Assomption’s Skateway in Joliette, QC.
• Two of the most picturesque outdoor skating areas include: Place d’Youville in Québec City, QC, amid the Old Town’s historic buildings in front of Palais Montcalm; and when it’s sufficiently frozen, Alberta’s iconic Lake Louise, ringed by glaciated peaks and the fairytale-esque Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
• In the north, Frame Lake, right in the middle of the Northwest Territories’ capital,Yellowknife, gets a good grooming for winter skating.
• Many downtown cores in Canada sport outdoor rinks, including Victoria Park in Regina, SK and Nathan Phillips Square, outside city hall in Toronto, ON.

Tobogganing

Of all the winter activities, none crosses as many age groups and abilities as tobogganing (from the Algonquian term odabaggan). Simply get on something that slides; a sled with runners, toboggan with flat bottom, even a piece of plastic, then succumb to gravity. Anywhere there’s a decent hill (and a good run out) is fair game. But some places to consider:

• Les Glissades de la Terrasse Dufferin (Dufferin Terrace Toboggan Slide) in Québec City, QC, beside the stately Fairmont Le Château Frontenac hotel. A holdover from a bygone era of manmade toboggan slides, the 82-m-high (269-ft) platform yields a 152-m (499-ft) ride. It costs only a couple of dollars, but you have to haul the wooden toboggan to the top yourself.
• Canada Olympic Park, site of the 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, AB, allows you to view or experience the bigger brothers of tobogganing: luge, bobsleigh (you can try these two) and skeleton.
• Just about every ski resort has a good tubing or tobogganing area, official or otherwise.

Snowmobiling
It should come as no surprise that the father of the modern snowmobile was Canadian.Joseph-Armand Bombardier from Valcourt, QC, developed a caterpillar tracks design especially suited to varied snow conditions—a design adopted by all other major manufacturers. Present-day machines, with 150-plus horsepower engines capable of reaching speeds in excess of 240 k/hr (150 mph), provide access to some of the wildest, most remote regions of the country. But there’s no need for anything extreme to make for serious snowmobiling fun. Some of the most popular Canadian snowmobiling destinations include:

• Bombardier’s province, Quebec, is also birthplace of the first snowmobiling club in the world. The Laurentians and Abitibi-Témiscamingue, with their 3,518 km (2,217 mi) of snowmobiling trails, are considered two of the top destinations in the province.
• Ontario’s network of recreational snowmobiling trails is the longest in the world (at over 43,000 km or 26,000 mi) and includes such destinations as Vermilion Bay.
• New Brunswick’s Great Northern Odyssey carves a 1,000-km (625-mi) trail through four towns in the most snow-blessed province in the Maritimes.
• In the west, top spots include Sicamous, BC, Crowsnest Pass, AB, Whiteshell Provincial Park, MB, and Hudson Bay and Nipawin, both in Saskatchewan.
• The truly adventurous will want to try snowmobiling in wild Labrador; with virtually no roads, it’s only accessible by snowmobile in winter , or in Canada’s remote Arctic, Nunavut

Article courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission Media Centre:

Writers Bio: Masa Takei is a freelance magazine and screen writer based in Vancouver, BC. Publications he’s written for include Canadian Geographic, Westworld, Vancouver Magazine, Western Living and The Globe and Mail. His writing interests range from outdoor adventure, travel and subcultures to, apparently, structuring narrative arcs for mutant mercenaries and half-vampires. mtakei@shaw.ca