The University of Ottawa’s guide to … Travelling across Canada
Ever thought of travelling across Canada? This country is the second biggest country in the world (by land). We have thousands upon thousands of places to go, people to see and things to do. From the rocky mountains of BC and Alberta, to the beautiful lighthouses of Nova Scotia, and the still plains of Saskatchewan, Canada has stories to tell through its landscape.
As students, we are burdened with school work and co-curriculars. However, we do have two reading weeks a year where, as we all know, not much reading happens. So, let’s go on an adventure!
One of the most mystical and classic ways to travel across Canada is by train. Since 1867 and Sir John A. MacDonald’s promise to Canada to build a trans-Canadian railway, Canadians from coast to coast have travelled on these rail tracks. If you are really up for an adventure, VIA rail offers its Toronto to Vancouver trip. While the adventure may take longer than reading week permits, it will provide you with an experience of a lifetime and allow you to touch and see almost every corner of Western Canada through a panoramic train roof.
What about the other end of the coast? From colourful buildings and homes, to cliffs that literally fall into the ocean, the East Coast is a magical place of this country that I one day hope to visit. However, unlike Vancouver, this adventure calls for a road trip. So, grab your friends, grab a car and drive through all of the Maritimes provinces (even Prince Edward Island) to discover the East Coast.
Living in Ottawa, we have the opportunity of living very close to some amazing cities. Not only is Ottawa itself filled with life and culture, but we can easily travel to the two biggest cities in Canada: Toronto and Montreal. If you either work or go home over reading week, perhaps taking a few days off with your friends to visit these two cities would not be a bad idea. Finding a reasonably priced hotel, living off of the hotel’s breakfast and discovering every club in the city could be a wonderful and deserving break from the chaos of the school year. Perhaps by travelling a bit further to Quebec City, you could visit the Bonhomme festival (the Quebec carnival). This annual festival is happening this year on February 1st through the 17th. Seeing as reading week begins on the 14th, it would be possible to catch the last couple days of this classic Canadian winter festival.
Canada has thousands of nooks and crannies to discover. While we cannot see everything during our university career, we can definitely make it a life goal to see our entire beautiful nation. So, go out there and be adventurous!
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