Canada is waiting for you!

This is the 3rd Newsletter of Global Passenger Network. GPN is an elite group of networks representing the best motor coach and travel companies in the world. We offer our clients high quality coach services and travel opportunities all over the globe through a single website: www.gpn.travel

GPN - Canada

Canada is represented by International Motor Coach Group, a consortium of 57 motor coach companies located in Canada and the United States. Canadian members include: Ambassatours Grayline, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Autocar Excellence, Quebec City and Montreal, Quebec; Beaver Bus Lines/Moose Mountain Bus Lines, Winnipeg, Manitoba and Regina, Saskatchewan; Charter Bus Lines of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia; and Pacific Western Transportation, Toronto, Ontario. These GPN members can fulfill all you travel needs throughout the country by providing transportation, tours, accommodations and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Canadian Geography

Canada, made up of 10 distinct provinces and three unique territories, is the second largest country in the world after Russia. Canada stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic and from the border of the United States to the Artic.

Although very much a "Northern" country the terrain and geography of Canada is very diverse. As well as the popular image of Canada as a country of pristine forests and snowy vistas, there are also deserts and badlands, temperate rain forests and long and wide beaches. Canada has huge inland lakes, seemingly eternal prairies and evergreen forests, woodlands and meadows. Canada's coastlines are thousands of miles long, with fjords, and long, wild rivers leading to the oceans.

The Atlantic provinces of Eastern Canada are New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Not including Newfoundland and Labrador, this group of provinces is also known as The Maritimes. Here the ocean and the land almost seem to blend, so strongly has the sea influenced the culture and history of these provinces. The region has endless miles of beautiful rugged coastline and great beaches. Enjoy the picturesque port city of Halifax, with one of the finest natural harbors in the world.

Quebec

Although every part of Canada is unique, Québec is particularly so. Obviously, this is largely because of the French heritage. Although the French settled many parts of Canada, nowhere is the presence of French-Canadian culture so evident as it is in this beautiful province. This is reflected in more than buildings and institutions, Québec has an atmosphere and a feeling that can be experienced nowhere else.

Québec's two major cities, Montréal and Québec City are both splendid, with a multitude of novel cultural attractions and festivals, a well-preserved history, and a sophistication, that in North America is hard to match.

Toronto

Toronto, the largest city in Canada is here, and this is also considered to be one of the finest cities anywhere. The beautiful capital Ottawa is also in Ontario, as is the world famous Niagara Falls. Just these three places alone make Ontario one of the most heavily visited areas in the country. But there is considerably more to Ontario than these this. In contrast to the urban areas there is a lot of open countryside with many different types of landscape, from vineyards in the south to unspoiled wilderness in the north. Four out of five of the Great Lakes have part of their shore in Ontario, so a lot of the province has scenic lakeside views and beaches close by.

The Prairie Provinces include Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. These provinces are sometimes referred to as "the world's bread basket" and provide wheat and other grains to feed millions of people. The seemingly endless miles of grain fields, with the skyline only interrupted by the occasional grain elevator, certainly provide a spectacular landscape, something that will not be easily forgotten. There are large inland lakes with great beaches, such as Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, and Lake La Ronge in Saskatchewan, and these have excellent fishing opportunities too. In the prairie provinces are big, bustling cities, such as Calgary,which holds the world famous Calgary Stampede, Edmonton with the world's largest shopping mall and Winnipeg, home to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

The Rockies

The Canadian Rockies consists of the southwestern corner of Alberta and the southeastern corner of British Columbia. People come from all over the world to experience their splendor. While there are many beautiful mountain ranges in the world, none can compare to the Rockies in terms of big skies, huge majestic peaks, and evergreen forests that go on forever. Here you can truly experience being at one with nature, and feel that you are the only person for miles around. Summer or winter the Canadian Rockies always have a multitude of attractions. A large part of the Canadian Rockies is divided up by different National Parks. The most famous of these are Banff National Park and Jasper National Park in the Alberta Rockies. Each has a townsite of the same name and these are well equipped with all sorts of accommodations from deluxe hotels to simple campsites, excellent shopping and museums, galleries and theatres.

British Columbia

The province of British Columbia has it all. There is a very wide range of types of country here. The City of Vancouver has a stunning location, situated right on the coast with a lovely backdrop of high mountain peaks. There is a countless selection of things to see and do in this city. The shopping is excellent including some great markets, and there are fine museums and galleries and some noteworthy parks. The other major city here is the provincial capital Victoria. Vancouver Island has some of the finest ocean beaches anywhere including Long Beach on the West Coast. North of Vancouver is the world famous ski resort of Whistler. Inland is the glorious Okanagan region with magnificent inland lakes and some of the best golfing you can find.

Northern Canada

Northern Canada offers a completely different perspective and to visit here is to experience a part of Canada that is a world of its own. The three territories that make up this region are the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The variety of wildlife here is unsurpassed and the many rivers and ocean coastline are clean and pure and great for fishing. Cultural events are held all over, and you can visit any number of communities and be warmly welcomed, and asked to join in the lives of the people who live here.