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Montreal is the
largest city in Quebec, Canada's largest province. It is also the second largest city in
Canada after Toronto with a population of 3,127,000. Montreal was founded by Paul de
Chomedey de Maisonneuvre in 1642. Later Montreal became a center for the fur trade. In the
middle of the 18th century it was Canada's major financial and industrial town.
The city is a mixture of French and English cultures as are most cities
in Canada. More than 80 per cent of the population is French speaking having their own
culture and dialect.
Historical buildings and beautiful parks are situated in the Old City which is the heart of Montreal surrounded by modern
architecture and skyscrapers. The Mont-Royal Park (200 acres) is situated right in the
middle of the city. In the winter people go skiing and skating there.
Speaking of strange looking buildings, there is an apartment complex situated by the
river. In 1967, when Montreal hosted Expo 67, it was built as its pavilion.
The main attraction is the Olympic Stadium,
the site of the 1976 Summer Olympic Games.
Montreal is also
famous for its good food. Crescent Street, Drummond Street, and Prince Arthur Street are
the main restaurant centers
Montreal is a place you should not miss on your way across Canada.
OTTAWA
The federal capital Ottawa is in southeastern Ontario at the confluence of the Ottawa, Gatineau, and Rideau rivers. Ottawa became the capital because there were political quarrels between Quebec City and Toronto and Montreal and so the leaders were induced to call upon Queen Victoria to designate a capital for all of Canada. When Ottawa became the capital it developed rapidly because the national government was based there, and the federal government employs most people nowadays.
When you go to Ottawa you can visit the Federal Parliament Buildings and see the "Changing of the Guard" in summer, the National Gallery, or the Royal Ontario Museum, which is Canada's largest one.
It is North America's most
European city and it is the seat of the only French speaking administration on the
continent. The city is the cradle of French civilization in North America. More than 95
per cent are French speaking. During the 17th
and 18th centuries the location of Quebec City was strategically important. One
of the first constructions was a fortification called the Citadel
which was built in the shape of a star.
The Old Post Office was built in 1871. In
front of it there is the Champlain Monument, built in memory of the founder of Quebec in
1608.
The dominant point is
the Chateau Frontenac Hotel, the symbol of the city built in
1893 as the Pacific Railway Hotel. It is the most famous hotel in Canada.
East of the city there are the Montmorency
Falls which are, at 83 meters, one and half times higher than Niagara Falls.
The most popular festival there is
an international summer festival of music and song. Many folk dance groups from various
parts of the world present their traditions there.
Near the city there are the Laurentian Mountains. In winter they become
major ski centers. Parc du Ste-Anne, which is a part of them, offers many activities and
world class skiing facilities.
BANFF NATIONAL PARK
This is the first and most famous national park. Its remarkable beauty and location as a
key to east-west transportation in Canada led to its establishment in 1885. Banff National Park is divided into two parallel
mountain systems creating the Rocky Mountains. There are three life zones in the park. The
mountain zone is mainly open forest of Douglas fir, white spruce and limber pine. It is
the home of many mammals, such as elk (los), sheep and deer. At the base of this zone many
birds find their nesting areas.
The subalpine forest is more dense and uniform. It is created by
coniferous trees, mainly spruce, larch (modřín) and pine. Many bears, chipmunks and
squirrels live there.
Alpine tundra occurs above 2,200 metres. During the vegetational period
there are a lot of fascinating flowers and animals which have to deal with daily life in a
dry and cold environment.
The park itself has a Natural History Museum. Another place, White
Museum of the Canadian Rockies has fascinating displays of the human history of this area.
It is also possible to see an art gallery, which features a beautiful collection of art
relating to the Canadian Rockies. The Luxton Museum of the Plains Indians is designed to
familiarize the visitor with the cultural activities of North American native people. The
Cave and Basin Centennial Center commemorates the one hundredth anniversary of Banff
National Park's establishment and it is the monument of the beginning of Canada's national
parks system. The cave is full of hot springs and you are able to smell the sulphur
emanations mixed with wet air.
All these possibilities and attractions
are followed by the park services and facilities. Campground kiosks, bulletin boards and
evening programmes are available in several places. The park publishes the Mountain Guide,
which is certainly an interesting source of all kinds of activities and services. Many
commercial publications about hiking possibilities, swimming in the Upper Hot Springs,
horse back riding, sightseeing tours and chair lifts (sedačkové
lanovky) are to be found
in a number of gift shops and bookshops throughout the area. Canoes are allowed on any of
the lakes and rivers so can join some of the commercial tours.
This is a high mountain wilderness park
in the Yukon. Two mountain ranges run parallelly in a south-eastern direction. These
mountains are the youngest and most active in North America and earthquakes are not rare
there. Kluane has four thousand icefields which represent glaciers. These glaciers have a
very active life. They usually travel very slowly to lower levels. Occasionally they can
flow at astonishing rates. In summer 1967 Steeles glacier started moving twelve metres a
day and in two years it travelled more than eight kilometres down the valley. But, of
course, Kluane means more than just mountains and icefields. The Eastern third of the
park, which is called Greenbelt, is rich in animal and plant species. You can see broad
river valleys, marches (močály), dense forests, alpine meadows and tundra there. Kluane
National Park is very famous for the highest concentration of Dall sheep. The population
of grizzly bears (250) is one of the most dense. Black bears stay close to the patches of
forest, because they can be displaced by more aggressive grizzlies.
Until the last century, there was no permanent human habitation in
Kluane. Today a small Indian village lies close to the southern park boundary. Because of
their aboriginal rights, Indians can continue fishing for their own use.
This park is the coldest part of Canada.
It is part of the Eastern High Arctic Glacier Natural region. If you are interested in
great icefields, they are 900 metres thick. Lake Hazen, eighty kilometres long, the
longest lake north of the Arctic Circle is full of north American fish. Because of
increased moisture a polar desert has changed to rich in wildlife country of arctic
wolves, foxes, bears, oxen and caribous. Many nesting birds are seen there. July and
August are the only months when you can have a look at flowering willows, tundra
wild-flowers, tiny mosses and lichens (machy a lišejníky).
