In July 1996, Eddy and I set out to drive across Canada to Vancouver. Our first hurdle, and I mean that literally, was getting across Ontario! What a huge province! We left on Friday, after work and made it as far as a town called Deep River, on the first night. The following night, we stopped in Thunder Bay, and the night after that, we slept in Sault Ste Marie. FINALLY on the third day, we made it to Winnipeg, Manitoba!!! Now, the scenery in Northern Ontario is mildly interesting. Some sights, such as the giant nickle in Sudbury, or the Terry Fox memorial in Thunder Bay are also worth mentioning. But, what we did not appreciate, was the fact that the so-called Trans-Canada highway was nothing but a two lane road with the occasional passing lane. Perhaps it has evolved since then, but at the time it was very dangerous.
On a better note, we loved Winnipeg! We stayed only one night, but after settling into our youth hostel we set out to explore. Worthy of mention is the legislative building and its surrounding grounds, where one can find, among other things, a statue of Louis Riel, the Métis leader,
who is very prominent in Canadian history. Also, across the Red River, the historical St. Boniface Cathedral is a gem.
The following day, we got to Calgary, Alberta, in the late afternoon. It just happened to be the weekend of the Calgary Stampede, so everything was booked up. We had not reserved ahead of time, but we were lucky and found a reasonably priced motel on the edge of the city.
We stayed two days in Calgary, and found it to be a beautiful city, with many interesting sights and places to explore. We loved strolling along the Bow River, visiting the Chinese Cultural Center, exploring the many parks and downtown areas.
Tall StatuesWe thought these sculptures in a downtown park were sort of cute!
Canada's Flag
Map of Canada