Living in Canada as an immigrant not only allows you to enjoy many social benefits but also provides the opportunity to see different landscapes at any time. Canada is home to famous natural sights such as Niagara Falls, the Northern Lights, and autumn maple leaves, as well as numerous historical and cultural sites listed as World Heritage. Every year, thousands of tourists visit Canada, and as an immigrant, you should make the most of your convenient status and explore Canada thoroughly. Below, I will introduce some lesser-known but worthwhile tourist attractions.
1. Queen Elizabeth Park
This park is located at 4600 Cambie Street in downtown Vancouver and is the largest indoor garden in the city. The park is named after Queen Elizabeth II and is situated at the highest point in Vancouver, at an elevation of 167 meters. From the top, you can overlook the entire city of Vancouver. In 1961, it was developed into a quarry park to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Vancouver's incorporation, and later renamed to its current name after Queen Elizabeth visited.
The park features a variety of flowers, including cherry blossoms, poppies, daffodils, magnolias, and more, changing with the seasons. Spring is one of the best times to view cherry blossoms in the Greater Vancouver area, with branches full of blossoms in various colors. The colorful daffodils and tulips compete for attention, making it a popular spot for wedding photography, especially among Japanese visitors!
2. Columbia Icefield
Traveling from Lake Louise to the Columbia Icefield located in Jasper National Park, the famous "Icefield Parkway" is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful drives in the world. You can see snow-capped peaks, magnificent and rare glacial icefields, waterfalls cascading from sharp rocky summits, and lakes shimmering in the vast valleys, all breathtaking sights. Along the way, you may encounter various wildlife, including elk, grizzly bears, cougars, wolves, and eagles.
Continuing north along the Icefield Parkway, you become the protagonist, exploring the natural beauty of the Canadian Rockies. After driving about 80 kilometers west, you can reach the largest icefield in the Northern Hemisphere and the oldest in the Rockies. You can take a snow coach, costing over a million dollars, for a tour, or challenge yourself on the "Glacier Skywalk" for a thrilling experience.
3. Yellowknife
Canada is the closest country to the Arctic and the only one that can easily reach the Arctic observation point by land. Yellowknife is the highest latitude city in the world, located at the center of the aurora borealis. In winter, the sky is clear, and the ground is flat without obstructions, allowing the aurora to be very close to the horizon, as if you could reach out and touch it. As night falls, the aurora appears, with brilliant ribbons of light dancing before your eyes, and in that moment, you witness the dreamlike beauty of the aurora!
Yellowknife also has the world's only laser-tracking observatory, and it is the only place in the world where you have the opportunity to see the aurora for 250 days a year, with the best time to visit being from October to January when the aurora occurrence rate is higher.
4. Yoho National Park
This is a national park very suitable for hiking and leisure. "YOHO" means "awe" and "wonder" in the local Cree language. Although it is small compared to many other national parks, it is by no means inferior to them.
5. Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is a large waterfall on the Niagara River in northeastern North America. It is famous for its beautiful scenery, immense hydroelectric power generation capacity, and challenging environmental protection projects, making it a popular tourist destination. Niagara Falls is a shared natural wonder between the United States and Canada, where you can see the full view of the falls from Canada, while the American side only offers a view of one-third of the falls from the side. Therefore, the best way to view the falls from the United States is by boat. In Canada, there are various ways to enjoy the view, including taking a jet boat ride down the Niagara River to see the breathtaking waterfall up close, or standing on a viewing platform to experience the sensation of the ground shaking, the thunderous roar, and the rush of water!
6. Banff
Banff is located in the heart of Banff National Park and is the most popular sightseeing spot in the Canadian Rockies, often referred to as the "soul of the Rockies." Nestled among majestic mountains and emerald lakes, it attracts many visitors each year to experience the beauty of Canada. Although there are many tourists, the town maintains a quiet and clean environment, with the main street being Banff Avenue. Other streets are named after animals such as deer, bears, and bison, making you feel as if you are in a vast primeval forest.
7. Peyto Lake
Peyto Lake is a sight that is "only to be admired from a distance" due to its narrow and steep cliffs and dense forests surrounding it, making it almost inaccessible to the lakeshore. Visitors can only view it from afar, looking down from the mountains. Peyto Lake is well hidden among the mountains and forests, and as you hike up the forest trails, surrounded by towering coniferous trees, you can only see forests and peaks, with no trace of the lake in sight. It creates a scene reminiscent of the saying "In the empty mountains, no one is seen, but the sound of voices is heard," making you want to venture deeper into the forest to explore.
The cultural sentiment and natural scenery of Canada complement each other. Whether you are an immigrant or not, if you have the opportunity in your lifetime, you must visit these places!