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Discover Canada: Top Tourist Attractions by Province & Territory · Travel Mug Podcast

• 0:00
  Jenn: Hey everyone, and welcome back to the Travel Mug Podcast.
• 0:04
  Jenn: I am Jenn and I'm joined as always by my partner in podcasting, meggan.
• 0:11
  Jenn: we are very excited to talk about our home country of Canada today.
• 0:16
  Jenn: So we are a big and diverse country with so much to do.
• 0:21
  Jenn: So we've decided to go province by province, territory by territory, and talk about the top rated attractions according to TripAdvisor.
• 0:31
  Jenn: So the rankings are informed by TripAdvisor data, considering traveler reviews ratings, number of page views, and user location.
• 0:41
  Jenn: So keep in mind, we aren't saying these are the best attractions, just that they've been rated such by TripAdvisor, so,
• 0:51
  Meggan: Don't come for us.
• 0:52
  Meggan: If you're like, that isn't the funnest thing to do.
• 0:55
  Jenn: yeah,
• 0:56
  Meggan: not.
• 0:56
  Meggan: we're just going by the old TripAdvisor.
• 0:58
  Jenn: You gotta take it up with TripAdvisor.
• 1:01
  Jenn: So, so we to are gonna start with our province of Nova Scotia and we're gonna head west and north.
• 1:10
  Meggan: great.
• 1:11
  Meggan: You kick us off, Jenn.
• 1:12
  Jenn: All right, so Nova Scotia is Canada's second smallest province, but there's still so much to do.
• 1:19
  Jenn: Of course, we're obviously a bit biased because we live here, but having explored nearly every corner of this province, it is beautiful.
• 1:27
  Jenn: So around 1 million people call Nova Scotia home with nearly half of them living in the Halifax Regional municipality.
• 1:35
  Jenn: We have lots of historic sites, hiking trails, beaches, and restaurants of course, because we definitely love food here.
• 1:43
  Jenn: But the highest rated tourist attraction is Peggy's Cove Lighthouse, about an hour from Halifax.
• 1:50
  Jenn: I'm not surprised by this at all.
• 1:52
  Jenn: What about you, Meggan?
• 1:53
  Meggan: No.
• 1:54
  Meggan: No, me either.
• 1:54
  Meggan: I mean, it's one of my favorite places here, so I, I, I agree with the TripAdvisor, although it's one of many, but I'm not surprised.
• 2:03
  Meggan: It's highest rated.
• 2:04
  Jenn: Yeah, so as the name suggests, it is obviously a lighthouse, but it is one of Nova Scotia's most recognizable landmarks and perhaps the most photographed lighthouse in Canada.
• 2:18
  Meggan: I love how it says perhaps,
• 2:20
  Jenn: I mean, how do you prove that?
• 2:22
  Meggan: I, I guess, I don't know, but we're, we might as well just say it is perhaps,
• 2:26
  Jenn: perhaps if we're not claim for legal reasons, we're not gonna say it is,
• 2:30
  Meggan: allegedly.
• 2:31
  Jenn: so the lighthouse itself was built in 1915, and it stands about almost 15 meters or 49 feet high.
• 2:40
  Jenn: So it is built on these large granite rocks.
• 2:43
  Jenn: So unfortunately it can't go in the lighthouse anymore.
• 2:46
  Jenn: It used to be a Canada Post outlet where you could send a postcard, but sadly that closed, I think back in 2009.
• 2:54
  Jenn: So it's been a little while.
• 2:56
  Jenn: But you can spend some time wandering around taking in the beautiful ocean scenery.
• 3:01
  Jenn: So unfortunately, we must warn you to be so careful when you visit and stay off of the black wet rocks.
• 3:09
  Jenn: As people have gotten seriously injured or died after being swept out to sea.
• 3:15
  Jenn: So.
• 3:16
  Jenn: Stay on the white dry rocks, and then also spend some time in the village of Peggy's Cove.
• 3:22
  Jenn: It's a, it's a nice little place to walk around.
• 3:25
  Jenn: Uh, some of the other highest rated things to do and see are the Halifax Public Gardens, the Halifax Citadel National Historic site, and of course, the Cabot Trail, uh, which we have episodes about all of those things, so we can help you out.
• 3:42
  Meggan: Go check those out.
• 3:43
  Meggan: We definitely talk about all of Nova Scotia more in depth, and I think it's worth mentioning here too that where you park to visit the rocks in the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove, there are facilities, so washroom.
• 3:54
  Meggan: A gift shop and there's also a seafood restaurant there, so if you do go hungry, those are some options.
• 4:00
  Meggan: Plus, down in the village, there's gift shops or like quaint Nova Scotia things to purchase
• 4:05
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 4:05
  Meggan: I think there's an ice cream shop, so there are definitely things happening there as well.
• 4:10
  Jenn: Yeah, you don't, you don't have to just go and take your picture of the lighthouse and leave like there's other stuff to do.
• 4:15
  Meggan: Definitely, definitely.
• 4:18
  Meggan: So we're gonna move on to Newfoundland and Labrador.
• 4:21
  Meggan: Now, this of course, is our most Eastern province.
• 4:26
  Meggan: Am I saying that correctly?
• 4:28
  Meggan: Northeast.
• 4:29
  Meggan: So I would have to say, Maybe some of Quebec is in there.
• 4:32
  Meggan: But anyway, it's our, we're gonna call, allegedly, it's our most Eastern province.
• 4:36
  Meggan: Um, now did you catch how I say it?
• 4:39
  Meggan: It's Newfoundland not new found land.
• 4:43
  Meggan: You don't need to pronounce all the syllables individually, just run 'em all together.
• 4:48
  Meggan: , so look, you've already learned something new.
• 4:50
  Meggan: And another thing about Newfoundland and Labrador, did you know at one point in its history.
• 4:55
  Meggan: That this province was also its own country fe.
• 4:58
  Jenn: did know that.
• 5:00
  Meggan: Right.
• 5:00
  Meggan: Many of us did.
• 5:01
  Meggan: But if you didn't, you're already learning in my first paragraph here.
• 5:05
  Meggan: So this is a breathtakingly beautiful province with people who are equally as amazing.
• 5:10
  Meggan: Literally some of the nicest people you will ever meet.
• 5:13
  Meggan: Nova Scotia is a super friendly province, and I think Newfoundland just sort of even steps it up another notch.
• 5:19
  Meggan: With a population of around 546,000 people.
• 5:23
  Meggan: It also has 29,000 kilometers or around 18,000 miles of coastline to explore, which helps make it a can't miss province.
• 5:33
  Meggan: St. John's is the capital city with the population itself of about 114,000 people.
• 5:38
  Meggan: And it is also home to the province's main airport, but not the only airport.
• 5:42
  Meggan: There are other, uh, cities you can fly into province.
• 5:47
  Meggan: There are so many small towns and villages dotted throughout the province to visit, and if you do intend to drive, understand it will be worth it, but it's going to be a lot of driving.
• 5:59
  Meggan: Now.
• 5:59
  Meggan: The highest rated attraction of the province is Signal Hill.
• 6:03
  Meggan: It is a national historic site overlooking the St. John's Harbor with its highest point being Ladies lookout at
• 6:10
  Jenn: Mm-hmm.
• 6:10
  Meggan: 167 meters or 548 feet.
• 6:14
  Meggan: It was site of the final battle of the seven years war in 1762.
• 6:20
  Meggan: Today it looks a little different with its visitor centre, um, to help guide you during your visit.
• 6:26
  Meggan: And the visitor centre is open during tourist season, which I'm really gonna guess for St. John's.
• 6:30
  Meggan: It's probably like late spring.
• 6:33
  Meggan: To maybe fall-ish maximum.
• 6:36
  Meggan: you can enjoy eight looped trails, uh, on Signal Hill with informative outdoor displays as you hike and beautiful scenery all around.
• 6:44
  Meggan: And there are guided walking tours available.
• 6:47
  Meggan: People usually spend around one to three hours there and there is a feed to visit.
• 6:51
  Meggan: Adults $9, senior seven 50 and youth are free.
• 6:55
  Meggan: Now, of course, lots more to do in the province.
• 6:57
  Meggan: And some other popular tourist attractions are the Mine and Tour Museum, Gros Morne National Park.
• 7:05
  Meggan: I've not been, but everyone raves about it that's ever been there, that I've ever talked to.
• 7:10
  Meggan: And the pictures are breathtaking.
• 7:12
  Meggan: Cape Spear Lighthouse and the rooms, which consists of art and history museums.
• 7:18
  Meggan: Have you ever been Jenn?
• 7:19
  Jenn: I have not, and it's one of those things where it's like, it's so close.
• 7:23
  Jenn: You'd think that we would just go, but we haven't been yet.
• 7:26
  Jenn: But I feel like planning a trip to Newfoundland, it, there's a lot of components that you have to think about and you know, like we mentioned, Gros Morne is like really far away from St. John's.
• 7:38
  Jenn: Like, it's really hard to kind of do both of those in one trip.
• 7:41
  Jenn: You really need to kind of pick one side or the other if you only have a week.
• 7:46
  Jenn: Right.
• 7:46
  Jenn: If you have, if you've got multiple weeks, then you can drive across the
• 7:50
  Meggan: You are good to go.
• 7:51
  Jenn: it, it, it's a, it's a big province, you know?
• 7:55
  Meggan: Yeah, it's a lot of logistics.
• 7:57
  Meggan: Ferry, plane.
• 7:58
  Meggan: Do I rent a car?
• 7:58
  Meggan: Do I take my own?
• 7:59
  Meggan: Am I gonna, is it gonna be windy?
• 8:01
  Meggan: Will the ferry not run?
• 8:02
  Meggan: Like there's a lot of things to consider, which I think visitors to Newfoundland and Labrador should also consider when they're making their plans as well.
• 8:08
  Meggan: And sort of.
• 8:09
  Meggan: You know, suss that out in advance of what could happen.
• 8:13
  Meggan: Um, I've only ever been to St. John's, so I've not explored outside the main city.
• 8:16
  Meggan: I was literally there for work and got to see a bit of things.
• 8:19
  Meggan: So I've got a lot more Newfoundland and Labrador exploring to do myself.
• 8:22
  Meggan: So now what's up next?
• 8:25
  Jenn: all right.
• 8:26
  Jenn: Let's go to Prince Edward Island, or PEI.
• 8:31
  Jenn: I'm so excited to talk about PEI.
• 8:32
  Jenn: We visited last year over Thanksgiving weekend, and despite being cold and wet and very, very windy.
• 8:42
  Jenn: It was one of my favorite memories from last year, so PEI is Canada's smallest province known for Red Sand, beaches, seafood, and of course, Anne of Green Gables.
• 8:56
  Jenn: So if you drive to PEI from New Brunswick, you'll drive over the Confederation Bridge, which is the world's longest bridge that spans ice covered waters at 12.9 kilometers or eight miles.
• 9:10
  Jenn: It feels long when you're on it.
• 9:13
  Meggan: It feels even longer than 12.9 kilometers.
• 9:15
  Meggan: You're like, will this end?
• 9:16
  Jenn: I, yeah, it doesn't feel like it's going to.
• 9:19
  Jenn: The vibe on PEI is pretty laid back.
• 9:21
  Jenn: It's a really great place to go and enjoy nature and fun fact, I read that PEI is Canada's number one golf destination.
• 9:30
  Jenn: I had no idea.
• 9:32
  Jenn: But they have 30 golf courses on the island.
• 9:35
  Meggan: For an island that size, that seems like a lot of golf courses.
• 9:40
  Meggan: yeah.
• 9:41
  Meggan: I can see why it's number one.
• 9:42
  Meggan: It's 'cause they're, you're just golfing.
• 9:45
  Meggan: You go there, take your clubs.
• 9:46
  Meggan: That's all you can do.
• 9:48
  Jenn: So as for the highest rated attraction, that of course goes to Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish.
• 9:56
  Jenn: In a typical year, over 200,000 people visit Green Gables to in immerse themselves in the world of LM Montgomery.
• 10:05
  Jenn: Of course the author of Anne of Green Gables.
• 10:08
  Jenn: So start your visit at the Visitor's centre where you can learn about LM Montgomery's life and writings and the ongoing cultural impact of Anne of Green Gables, and then visit Green Gables, which is an original farmhouse.
• 10:23
  Jenn: It belonged to the McNeil family who were cousins of the author LM Montgomery.
• 10:31
  Jenn: So we, uh, we visited there in October.
• 10:34
  Jenn: We finished our trip by walking through the famed haunted wood trail and then Lover's Lane.
• 10:41
  Jenn: So even if you aren't like huge Anne fans, it's still a really great place to visit.
• 10:48
  Jenn: And, uh, other highly rated things to do in PEI are the Confederation centre for the Arts, Cavendish Beach and Prince Edward Island National Park.
• 11:01
  Meggan: Excellent.
• 11:03
  Meggan: Now we are gonna stay in Atlantic Canada and we are gonna talk about New Brunswick.
• 11:10
  Meggan: Oh, new Brunswick.
• 11:11
  Meggan: Uh, you get such a bad rap, you know,
• 11:14
  Jenn: We're trying to change that like one podcast episode at a time.
• 11:18
  Meggan: We're fighting for you New Brunswick.
• 11:20
  Meggan: Um, it really is lovely.
• 11:22
  Meggan: So I'm excited to talk about a province that we fell in love with during the pandemic and have continued to visit ever since.
• 11:28
  Meggan: New Brunswick, of course, is located on Canada's east coast, along with the rest of us, and it has two official languages, French and English.
• 11:35
  Meggan: The approximate population of the province is around 857,000 people, and it is nestled.
• 11:42
  Meggan: Into the Bay of Fundy, amongst other bays
• 11:44
  Jenn: Mm-hmm.
• 11:44
  Meggan: Bay of Fundy is just most known.
• 11:47
  Meggan: Um, and of course there you can see the highest tides, which has produced a beautiful and unique coastline.
• 11:54
  Meggan: New Brunswick is connected to Nova Scotia by land, and like Jenn just mentioned to Prince Edward Island by the Confederation Bridge.
• 12:01
  Meggan: You can easily get to Maine from New Brunswick and vice versa through a variety of border crossings.
• 12:07
  Meggan: So come visit.
• 12:08
  Meggan: New Brunswick's culture is highly influenced by Irish, Scottish, Acadian, and, and indigenous populations, and it is a top destination.
• 12:17
  Meggan: For natural beauty, outdoor activities and cultural experiences.
• 12:21
  Meggan: We did actually spend some time in the Acadian Villages, uh, during the pandemic, and the culture was like so strong.
• 12:28
  Meggan: I've never seen so many Acadian flags in my entire life.
• 12:31
  Meggan: and to visit New Brunswick properly, I of course have to mention you need to get off the highway or you will literally miss everything.
• 12:38
  Jenn: Yeah, for sure.
• 12:39
  Meggan: New Brunswick is not its highway.
• 12:41
  Meggan: the most highly rated thing to do or visit in New Brunswick, according to TripAdvisor, is Hopewell Rocks.
• 12:48
  Meggan: Now, again, I, I kind of have to agree with this.
• 12:51
  Meggan: I've never seen, of course, everything there is to offer in New Brunswick.
• 12:55
  Meggan: But Hopewell Rocks is located in a provincial park, which is about 35 minutes south of Moncton.
• 13:02
  Meggan: You can visit from May of September and per adult you can expect to pay nearly 16 Canadian to visit.
• 13:09
  Meggan: The rocks are better known as sea stacks or flower Pots have been formed by the Bay of Fundy and their incredible tides and really are a testament to nature's force.
• 13:19
  Meggan: If you literally just Google, uh, or research Hope Well rocks, you will see exactly what we're talking about.
• 13:24
  Meggan: And that was done by water.
• 13:26
  Meggan: We visited back in 2020 and it definitely was a highlight.
• 13:29
  Meggan: and it's really a must see site for any trip to New Brunswick.
• 13:34
  Meggan: You have to have it on your list, but if you can't make it, some other highly rated places you could or should visit in New Brunswick are also spots that we visited, which is kind of cool.
• 13:43
  Meggan: It's like, Ooh, me and TripAdvisor in sync.
• 13:47
  Meggan: and they are Fundy National Park, uh, Roosevelt Campobello National Park.
• 13:53
  Meggan: you have to go through Maine to get to the island of Campobello, which of course is Canadian.
• 13:58
  Meggan: So that's a pretty cool experience.
• 14:00
  Meggan: Uh, Parlee Beach and the Bay of Fundy, of course, seeing the tides if possible, and then Magnetic Hill Park.
• 14:07
  Meggan: We finally did that.
• 14:09
  Meggan: I, our most recent visit to New Brunswick and I was like, I've heard about it my whole life.
• 14:14
  Meggan: And I'm like, I don't understand, but it is kind of cool and I just went with it.
• 14:18
  Meggan: You know, you roll with magnetic hill.
• 14:20
  Jenn: Yeah, I literally roll with it.
• 14:22
  Meggan: Literally.
• 14:23
  Meggan: Exactly.
• 14:25
  Meggan: Ooh, good one,
• 14:26
  Jenn: good.
• 14:26
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 14:27
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 14:27
  Jenn: Uh, yeah.
• 14:28
  Jenn: I haven't done magnetic hills since I was a kid, but, uh, it is, I mean, it's one of those things that like every, every person visiting New Brunswick I feel like should do it because like why not?
• 14:39
  Meggan: Yeah.
• 14:39
  Meggan: And if you don't know what Magnetic Hill is, give that a a little research as well and you'll be like, really?
• 14:43
  Meggan: And it is.
• 14:44
  Meggan: It.
• 14:44
  Meggan: It's true.
• 14:45
  Meggan: I don't know how it happens.
• 14:47
  Meggan: Alright, where are we off to next?
• 14:49
  Jenn: right, let's move on to Quebec.
• 14:52
  Jenn: So Quebec, as many will know, is Canada's only Francophone majority province.
• 14:59
  Jenn: 82% of the province speak French as their first language, and 47% of the population speak French only according to the 2021 census, which I thought was really interesting.
• 15:11
  Jenn: Um, speaking like 47%, only speaking French.
• 15:16
  Jenn: It's also Canada's largest province by land area, which I get, I didn't know, but like if you look at a map, it's obvious.
• 15:24
  Meggan: I know.
• 15:24
  Meggan: I guess we haven't really looked at it in that context, because even when you said it, I was like, oh, okay.
• 15:30
  Jenn: Look at
• 15:31
  Meggan: Quebec.
• 15:31
  Jenn: look at them.
• 15:32
  Jenn: So, Quebec in general is a unique province, and I have enjoyed visiting both Quebec City and Montreal.
• 15:39
  Jenn: I haven't really ventured outside of the, uh, the cities too much except to drive through.
• 15:45
  Jenn: But, uh, I, I
• 15:47
  Meggan: White knuckled as
• 15:48
  Jenn: Yeah,
• 15:48
  Meggan: drove through.
• 15:49
  Jenn: literally.
• 15:51
  Jenn: As for the highest rated attraction that goes to Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, it is a stunning Catholic church built in 1656.
• 16:04
  Jenn: The inside is truly, truly beautiful on its own.
• 16:09
  Jenn: But I saw you could get tickets.
• 16:12
  Jenn: They do a light show called Aura, which brings the entire church to life and it like, it's beautiful.
• 16:20
  Jenn: I can't even describe it, but if you go on their website, it'll show you what they mean.
• 16:25
  Jenn: You do need to book, uh, tickets.
• 16:27
  Jenn: For both just a regular daytime visit and the nighttime aura show, and you can get a combined ticket to kind of help you save a little bit of money there.
• 16:37
  Jenn: So other top rated attractions in Quebec are.
• 16:39
  Jenn: Old Quebec, which is like a pretty big area, old Montreal, which is also a pretty big area.
• 16:47
  Jenn: And where you'll find, uh, Notre Dame Basilica and then, , Mount Royal Park in Montreal, which gives you really great views of the city.
• 16:56
  Jenn: So yeah,
• 16:58
  Meggan: Yes, I enjoy Quebec as well.
• 17:00
  Meggan: It's a little intimidating in some ways.
• 17:02
  Meggan: I find especially like I know you know more French than me and I can get by, but it's still like, you're still like, oh, I feel like I was back in grade 12, just making sure I use the correct French.
• 17:12
  Meggan: , but people are still, uh, they understand as long as you try
• 17:15
  Jenn: Yeah,
• 17:15
  Meggan: a little and yeah, I was just in Montreal in October and I had a great time so.
• 17:20
  Jenn: uh, I made a mistake today sort of, um, where I watched a couple of videos in French on my Instagram, and now Instagram's like, oh, you're French.
• 17:33
  Jenn: So like, all of my suggested posts are in French.
• 17:36
  Jenn: And I'm like, okay.
• 17:37
  Jenn: I mean, my reading comprehension is, is pretty good.
• 17:42
  Jenn: Like, but my, I guess I need to work on my listening skills and um, Instagram is making me do it.
• 17:49
  Meggan: Oui, oui Excellent.
• 17:53
  Meggan: Well do let us know how that algorithm goes for you.
• 17:57
  Meggan: So let's move on and talk about Ontario.
• 17:59
  Meggan: So, Canada's most popular destination for newcomers is Ontario.
• 18:05
  Meggan: It is also our most populous province with around 13,650,000 people, and it is also our most southern province in the country now, Ontario, borders, Manitoba and Quebec.
• 18:20
  Meggan: To consider the sheer size of Ontario, which I don't think people comprehend or really think about a lot to drive across the province of Ontario, one province, it would take you 24 hours nonstop.
• 18:34
  Jenn: That's, uh, it is.
• 18:35
  Jenn: It's ridiculous.
• 18:36
  Meggan: I never wanna do that.
• 18:37
  Meggan: I mean, maybe at some point in my life I'm retired, we'll drive across this country.
• 18:41
  Meggan: But like, that sounds insane to me.
• 18:44
  Meggan: And, and like torturous, but like also what, So consider that for a moment.
• 18:49
  Meggan: Like it's just, I don't know.
• 18:50
  Meggan: It was one of those statistics, and I know that I've heard it before, but when I was like researching, I was like, oh, right.
• 18:56
  Meggan: It's really big.
• 18:57
  Jenn: so big.
• 18:58
  Meggan: It's so, it's so big.
• 18:59
  Meggan: Um, Ontario is made up of many cities, of course, including the capital of Canada.
• 19:04
  Meggan: Ottawa, obviously.
• 19:05
  Meggan: There's also Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener, just to name a few.
• 19:10
  Meggan: And the top rated attraction in Ontario will likely also come as no surprise, and that is Niagara Falls.
• 19:16
  Meggan: Are you shocked by this one?
• 19:17
  Jenn: No,
• 19:18
  Meggan: No, so the actual waterfalls are located in a city by the same name, Niagara Falls.
• 19:24
  Meggan: The city is a bustling town centreed around the falls themselves with many tourist spots.
• 19:29
  Meggan: It, it borderline at some area, looks a little like, I don't know, too touristy
• 19:36
  Jenn: Kitchy.
• 19:37
  Jenn: I would call it Kitchy.
• 19:38
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 19:39
  Meggan: I, that's one word for it.
• 19:41
  Meggan: Yes, but the ability to see like the falls up close is unlike anything else.
• 19:47
  Meggan: And you can do it via elevator.
• 19:49
  Meggan: I think They actually go back in down the falls and back of the falls.
• 19:53
  Meggan: There's look off points and there's boat tours, and there's also the Skylon tower, which can also give you a view of the falls.
• 19:59
  Meggan: Niagara Falls is connected to the US in the city of Niagara Falls, via the rainbow bridge and not that rainbow bridge, it's just, that's what the bridge is called.
• 20:11
  Meggan: , it is touristy for sure, but it's worth a visit as it is a site to behold, and I am forever glad that I've been able to get there twice.
• 20:19
  Meggan: Like it really is extraordinary.
• 20:22
  Jenn: Hmm.
• 20:22
  Jenn: It's, it's beautiful.
• 20:24
  Meggan: Yes, other popular attractions in Ontario and there are many, the CN Tower in Toronto, St. Lawrence Market, Casa Loma, Toronto Island Park.
• 20:33
  Meggan: I was there in 2007 for like a festival concert.
• 20:37
  Meggan: It had a really great time.
• 20:39
  Meggan: It's also really convenient to fly in there if you're able to do that as well.
• 20:43
  Meggan: And of course there's Parliament Hill and buildings connected to that, which are located in our, , capital Ottawa.
• 20:50
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 20:51
  Jenn: All right.
• 20:52
  Jenn: So Manitoba is next, and we've officially entered the Prairie provinces, and I haven't been to this one either, so I got added to my list.
• 21:03
  Meggan: There you go.
• 21:04
  Jenn: Manitoba is pretty much the middle of Canada right in the middle.
• 21:09
  Jenn: So it features a widely, varied landscape.
• 21:13
  Jenn: There's the Arctic Tundra and the Hudson Bay coastline in the north to dense boreal forest, large freshwater lakes and prairie grassland in the central and southern regions.
• 21:25
  Jenn: Honestly, if you're looking to explore the outdoors, like Manitoba is a great place to do that.
• 21:30
  Jenn: As you mentioned a few episodes ago in our cool-cations episode Churchill is one of the best places to see the Northern Lights, so that's an option.
• 21:41
  Jenn: But, the top rated attraction goes to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.
• 21:48
  Jenn: So the museum offers 10 core galleries on seven floors, so make sure you have plenty of time to take it all in.
• 21:56
  Jenn: The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is the first museum solely dedicated to the evolution, celebration, and future of human rights.
• 22:05
  Jenn: So core galleries include what are human rights, indigenous perspectives, exhibits on residential schools, and the forced relocation of the Inuit.
• 22:15
  Jenn: Protecting human rights in Canada and inspiring change.
• 22:18
  Jenn: So honestly, it sounds like a museum that we should all visit.
• 22:22
  Meggan: It does indeed.
• 22:23
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 22:23
  Jenn: So other top rated attractions in Manitoba include the Leo Mole Sculpture Garden, the Assiniboine Park, and the Royal Canadian Mint, all of which are also in Winnipeg.
• 22:37
  Meggan: Excellent.
• 22:38
  Meggan: Well, moving on from Manitoba, we are gonna head to Saskatchewan.
• 22:42
  Meggan: So Saskatchewan is bordered by Alberta, Manitoba, and in the north by the Northwest Territories.
• 22:49
  Meggan: The population of Saskatchewan is approximately 1.23 million people.
• 22:55
  Meggan: Its provincial flower is the Western Red Lily.
• 22:58
  Meggan: I knew you'd wonder, um, and its provincial slogan is from many people's strength.
• 23:04
  Meggan: Summers here aren't long, but they are usually warm and dry with the height of summer being, of course, July and August.
• 23:12
  Meggan: They have really cold winters,, that much you can bank on.
• 23:16
  Meggan: , Saskatchewan officially joined Canada as a province in 1905.
• 23:20
  Meggan: Although the land was settled of course, many years before, as was our entire country by our indigenous peoples.
• 23:26
  Meggan: , it is very agriculture oriented where you can really get away from it all, and they are known as well for their friendly people, parks, history, and outdoor activities.
• 23:36
  Meggan: I really think, honestly, we could talk about Canada and say, just go outdoors.
• 23:40
  Jenn: I mean, that's true.
• 23:41
  Jenn: =Yeah.
• 23:44
  Meggan: The most popular attraction in the province of Saskatchewan is Stone Hall Castle.
• 23:49
  Meggan: So it is located in the city of Regina.
• 23:52
  Meggan: It is Canada's only medieval style castle, so it was built by a real estate magnate, Francis Nicholson Darke originally from Humble Beginnings on Prince Edward Island, and he built it for his wife who was frightened by a cyclone that swept through Regina in 1912.
• 24:10
  Jenn: Hmm.
• 24:11
  Meggan: She was scrrd, so he was like, let me build you a castle.
• 24:16
  Meggan: I know.
• 24:16
  Meggan: , the castle was constructed of limestone, of course, to keep his wife safe.
• 24:20
  Meggan: It's a very sturdy stone.
• 24:22
  Meggan: Uh, and she did live there until her passing in the mid 1960s.
• 24:26
  Meggan: It has since been purchased for a private home.
• 24:28
  Meggan: It was refurbished and repaired and now it is open to the public for visits to see its grandeur.
• 24:34
  Meggan: Now the tour lasts 1.5 hours and it is not cheap.
• 24:38
  Meggan: I will say, it's $40 for seniors,$50 for adults--for 1.5 hours-- $35 for youth and $25 for kids under 12.
• 24:43
  Meggan: So make sure you really want to see the castle.
• 24:59
  Meggan: Other notable things to do in Saskatchewan: The Tunnels of Moosejaw--I did not look that up, so it sounds, interesting.-- Forestry Farm Park and Zoo and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage centre,
• 25:06
  Jenn: Hmm.
• 25:06
  Jenn: Hmm.
• 25:07
  Jenn: Interesting.
• 25:08
  Jenn: Well, I didn't know we had a medieval style castle, and now I do.
• 25:12
  Meggan: only one in the whole country.
• 25:13
  Meggan: Pass it on.
• 25:14
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 25:17
  Jenn: All right, so let's talk about Alberta, which is Canada's fastest growing province.
• 25:25
  Jenn: Many people are moving to Alberta.
• 25:28
  Jenn: So Alberta has long been known for its natural beauty, stunning landscapes, and being home to the largest deposits of oil and natural gas in Canada.
• 25:37
  Jenn: It's a beautiful province, so much to do, especially if you like hiking at the outdoors.
• 25:42
  Meggan: Yes.
• 25:43
  Jenn: we, we love the outdoors.
• 25:45
  Jenn: So the Banff Gondola is the highest rated tourist attraction in Alberta, of course, located in Banff.
• 25:52
  Jenn: You can take an eight minute ride to the summit of Sulfur Mountain in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, and you are rewarded with stunning views of six different mountain ranges.
• 26:03
  Jenn: You can visit the highest Starbucks in Canada.
• 26:06
  Meggan: Ooh.
• 26:07
  Jenn: I know, uh, walk the boardwalk and visit the Banff Interpretive centre.
• 26:12
  Jenn: I did this in 2006, and I was surprised to read that it was eight minutes because it felt like a lifetime, and I literally kissed the ground after I got off the gondola.
• 26:25
  Jenn: I.
• 26:26
  Meggan: Now, was it, did something happen on the gondola ride or you're just not a fan of the gondola?
• 26:31
  Jenn: not afraid.
• 26:31
  Jenn: I'm afraid of heights, I
• 26:33
  Meggan: Oh.
• 26:34
  Jenn: And we were in a, um, you could either do, at that time, this was 2006.
• 26:39
  Jenn: I don't know what it's like now.
• 26:41
  Jenn: You could get in an enclosed gondola or you could get in like a ski lift, ski chair type gondola.
• 26:47
  Jenn: I got in the enclosed gondola, I think it was me and my dad and maybe two other people.
• 26:52
  Jenn: And it did stop halfway up for whatever reason.
• 26:55
  Jenn: And then
• 26:56
  Meggan: They often do.
• 26:57
  Jenn: And you're just, you're just swinging.
• 26:59
  Jenn: And
• 27:01
  Meggan: You just out there hanging out.
• 27:04
  Jenn: I, I did not have a good time,
• 27:07
  Meggan: Okay, well do keep this.
• 27:09
  Meggan: Do keep this in mind.
• 27:10
  Meggan: If you go to Switzerland, Austria,'cause there's thousands of gondolas here and there.
• 27:14
  Jenn: I mean, maybe it'll be different now that I'm not 16, but it's, uh, it was scary.
• 27:22
  Jenn: So other top rated attractions include Moraine Lake and Peyto Lake, both within Banff National Park.
• 27:30
  Jenn: Fun fact, after my trip in.
• 27:33
  Jenn: 2006, when we visited Peyto Lake when I was a teenager, I took a photo, had that photo developed as you did back then, uh, went to our local paint store and had them color match it so I could paint my bedroom the gorgeous turquoise color of Peyto Lake.
• 27:51
  Jenn: So
• 27:51
  Meggan: Wow, that really left an impression on you.
• 27:54
  Jenn: was pretty convinced I was gonna move to Canmore, Alberta, um, when I was done.
• 28:00
  Jenn: Being a kid,
• 28:02
  Meggan: There's, there's still
• 28:03
  Jenn: there's still time.
• 28:04
  Jenn: I'm still a kid.
• 28:05
  Jenn: Right.
• 28:07
  Meggan: Please don't ever stop being a kid.
• 28:10
  Meggan: Um, excellent.
• 28:11
  Meggan: Well, I, I have to say Alberta is stunning.
• 28:14
  Meggan: My sister lives there.
• 28:15
  Meggan: It's a beautiful province.
• 28:17
  Meggan: I've spent a lot of time there and I'm actually going back in July July with my dad to see my sister
• 28:23
  Jenn: fun.
• 28:24
  Meggan: So I will get to visit hopefully even some of the spots you've mentioned as well.
• 28:28
  Meggan: We've done some of it, but we'll revisit and have a good time.
• 28:32
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 28:33
  Meggan: Let's move on to British Columbia.
• 28:35
  Meggan: So we have finally made it to Canada's Western most province.
• 28:39
  Meggan: That is undeniable.
• 28:41
  Meggan: Now BC really does have it all, including the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Ocean, beautiful forests, lakes, and beaches again, go outdoors.
• 28:51
  Meggan: And natural beauty is honestly, in my opinion, sort of the theme of this country.
• 28:56
  Meggan: And BC is no different.
• 28:58
  Meggan: It has a large fishing industry as well.
• 29:01
  Meggan: And they do farming and agriculture plus of course, vineyards there.
• 29:04
  Meggan: And the bc. BC became a province.
• 29:07
  Meggan: In Canada in July of 1871, officially, and it was the sixth province to join our beautiful country.
• 29:14
  Meggan: The capital of British Columbia is not Vancouver, it is Victoria, which again, will likely surprise a lot of people.
• 29:20
  Meggan: I've been to Victoria with my dad back in the day.
• 29:23
  Meggan: It was beautiful.
• 29:24
  Meggan: It's the only place I've been in bc , but I had a great time and I hope to definitely explore more of BC in the future.
• 29:32
  Meggan: the population of BC is around 5.7 million and it is our third most populous province.
• 29:38
  Meggan: It's a beautiful place to visit year round.
• 29:40
  Meggan: They've.
• 29:41
  Meggan: Like I said earlier, they've got it all because summer, I mean of course, , but in the winter there's great skiing.
• 29:47
  Meggan: I do wanna mention the last few years have been tough in terms of wildfires in British Columbia, and this unfortunately expects to be an ongoing problem.
• 29:54
  Meggan: So always be safe and aware when you're visiting, especially if there are active fires.
• 30:00
  Meggan: Now, the most notable attraction according to TripAdvisor for BC is Stanley Park, which is located in downtown Vancouver.
• 30:07
  Meggan: So Stanley Park is a beautiful green space in an urban setting, and it's one of the largest urban parks in the world.
• 30:14
  Meggan: It consists of 400 hectare of a West coast rainforest.
• 30:18
  Meggan: Beautiful trees and forests, mountain views, plus Stanley Park's famous sea wall, and some other notable attractions in British Columbia, in case you're interested, are Granville Island, Butchart Gardens, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Inner Harbour.
• 30:35
  Meggan: Lots to do.
• 30:37
  Jenn: Yes.
• 30:37
  Jenn: Yes, definitely.
• 30:39
  Jenn: Alright, let's head north.
• 30:41
  Jenn: Now, BC is the most Western province, but technically the Yukon goes more Western
• 30:49
  Meggan: Territory, thankfully.
• 30:50
  Meggan: So I'm not being proven wrong here.
• 30:52
  Jenn: I just just wanted to point that out.
• 30:56
  Jenn: , I don't know.
• 31:00
  Jenn: We actually live closer to Europe than we
• 31:02
  Meggan: That is true.
• 31:03
  Meggan: Please excuse our, our mild ignorance, or mine, I guess I
• 31:07
  Jenn: I'm really excited to talk with the Yukon because I am going there in just a few months.
• 31:12
  Jenn: I'm going there in May, and I can't wait to see it for myself.
• 31:17
  Jenn: So the Yukon is the smallest of Canada's three territories and moose far outnumber humans.
• 31:25
  Jenn: So there you go.
• 31:26
  Jenn: There are about 65,000 to 70,000 moose and 45,000 people.
• 31:32
  Meggan: There's a statistic for you.
• 31:35
  Jenn: Uh, additionally, the Yukon is home to the second tallest peak in North America, Mount Logan in Kluane National Park is at 19,551 feet or 5,959 meters.
• 31:52
  Jenn: So the Yukon Wildlife Preserve is just outside White Horse and is the top rated attraction where you can see 12 plus iconic Yukon species such as moose, elk, Arctic fox and wood bison in large natural landscapes.
• 32:10
  Jenn: They are a nonprofit charitable organization, plus the facility includes the Wildlife Research and Rehabilitation centre where injured wild animals are cared for by specialists and they work to release healthy, capable animals back to the wild.
• 32:25
  Jenn: I'm not a hundred percent sure if I'll get to visit when I go.
• 32:30
  Jenn: Hard to fit everything in.
• 32:32
  Jenn: It wasn't initially on my list, but now I'm having like a little bit of FOMO now that TripAdvisors told me it's the highest rated attraction.
• 32:39
  Meggan: Well, it sounds amazing.
• 32:40
  Meggan: I would be there in a heartbeat.
• 32:41
  Meggan: I hope you get to go.
• 32:43
  Meggan: I know it's hard to like narrow stuff down though.
• 32:45
  Jenn: Yeah, so Miles Canyon and Emerald Lake, both close to Whitehorse are other top rated attractions in the Yukon, and I can't wait to tell you what I get up to in May.
• 32:57
  Meggan: I am very excited for you.
• 32:58
  Meggan: I've never been to a territory,
• 33:00
  Jenn: This is my first one as well.
• 33:01
  Meggan: so that's very, very exciting.
• 33:04
  Jenn: yeah,
• 33:05
  Meggan: Excellent.
• 33:05
  Meggan: Well, let's move on to another territory.
• 33:07
  Meggan: So at nearly twice the size of Texas, I.
• 33:12
  Meggan: Northwest Territories includes three main geographic regions, so the Arctic Archipelago, the Arctic Mainland, and the MacKenzie Valley area.
• 33:22
  Meggan: So joining Canada through the British transfer of land and the sale of land by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1870.
• 33:29
  Meggan: They were ushered in to our lovely country.
• 33:33
  Meggan: Uh, well, they were already there, but you know what I'm saying.
• 33:35
  Meggan: Um, the population is nearly 45,000 people and the temperature ranges from 14 to 24 Celsius in the summer and minus 20 to minus 40 in the winter.
• 33:46
  Meggan: I didn't figure out Fahrenheit.
• 33:48
  Meggan: You'll have to do that research for yourself, but it's not bad Summer temperatures.
• 33:53
  Jenn: No, that is more mild than I was expecting for the
• 33:57
  Meggan: Yes, winter, everything I ever feared is minus 20 to minus 40.
• 34:02
  Meggan: As you can imagine, the Northern Lights will be prime here and you can see them almost every night.
• 34:08
  Meggan: How spectacular would that be?
• 34:09
  Meggan: And like, would it become commonplace and eventually it would be like, oh yeah, those are just the Northern lights.
• 34:16
  Meggan: Do you think that would happen?
• 34:17
  Jenn: I don't know.
• 34:18
  Jenn: My friend actually moved to the Northwest Territories.
• 34:21
  Jenn: Um, uh.
• 34:22
  Jenn: Over a year ago, and I see her post pictures like pretty frequently, so I don't think she's gotten tired of them yet.
• 34:29
  Meggan: Excellent.
• 34:30
  Meggan: I would hope to never become tired.
• 34:32
  Meggan: so Northwest Territories is also known of course for beautiful parks, unique wildlife, beautiful lakes.
• 34:37
  Meggan: Let's be real.
• 34:38
  Meggan: If you're visiting, you are going for nature, um, and it will be spectacular.
• 34:43
  Meggan: Now, according to TripAdvisor, the most notable attraction is the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage centre.
• 34:50
  Meggan: Again, we're not saying these are the best attractions, it's just rated by TripAdvisor, but this is located in the capital city of Yellowknife, so like its name states.
• 35:01
  Meggan: This centre is the Provincial Governments Museum archives.
• 35:05
  Meggan: It holds a large collection of objects that represent, which of course are very important, the peoples and culture of the Nors West Nors, oh my gosh, of the Northwest Territories.
• 35:16
  Meggan: They have exhibits and attractions and opportunities to learn.
• 35:20
  Meggan: It is very culturally important to the province, so to visit, please check the website for hours and admission is free.
• 35:29
  Meggan: We love that.
• 35:30
  Meggan: Yes.
• 35:31
  Meggan: Other notable attractions are Old Town Bush's pilot Monument, the Arctic Ocean sign.
• 35:37
  Meggan: People get their picture taken with it
• 35:39
  Jenn: that makes sense.
• 35:40
  Meggan: and the Wood Buffalo National Park.
• 35:43
  Jenn: Yeah, fun.
• 35:45
  Jenn: I, I would also like to, I mean, I wanna visit all of the
• 35:48
  Meggan: I know.
• 35:48
  Meggan: Me too.
• 35:48
  Jenn: that's, that's something I wanna check off, you know, for my, my lifetime.
• 35:53
  Jenn: But, uh, once my friend moved there and start posting pictures, I was like, okay,
• 35:58
  Meggan: Right.
• 36:00
  Meggan: Yeah.
• 36:00
  Jenn: All right, so last but certainly not least is Nunavut.
• 36:05
  Jenn: Nunavut is a large territory that spans much of the Canadian Arctic.
• 36:10
  Jenn: In fact, it is the biggest, uh, territory and it's bigger than Quebec technically.
• 36:17
  Jenn: So.
• 36:19
  Meggan: Province versus co.
• 36:20
  Meggan: Province versus territory.
• 36:22
  Jenn: a whole thing.
• 36:23
  Jenn: And it's also the youngest, so Nunavut became its own territory on April 1st, 1999, which like.
• 36:30
  Jenn: Meggan and I remember this happening.
• 36:33
  Meggan: Yeah, exactly.
• 36:34
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 36:35
  Jenn: Uh, it really wasn't that long ago.
• 36:36
  Jenn: So another fun fact is Nunavut is only accessible by air and sea.
• 36:41
  Jenn: There are no roads that lead to Nunavut.
• 36:44
  Jenn: There are of course roads between places in Nunavut.
• 36:47
  Jenn: , but sometimes the only way to get from place to place in Nunavut is to hop on a plane.
• 36:52
  Jenn: Uh, sometimes a snowmobile.
• 36:54
  Meggan: It doesn't make Newfoundland and Labrador sound so logistically crazy anymore.
• 36:59
  Jenn: That's true.
• 37:00
  Meggan: Right.
• 37:01
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 37:03
  Jenn: So the Unikkaarvik Visitor centre in the capital City of Nunavut is the top rated attraction.
• 37:12
  Jenn: So it serves as the regional information centre where you can go and have them help you plan your trip or learn about the destinations that you're traveling to in the territory.
• 37:23
  Jenn: They also have many beautiful displays of Inuit art, artifacts and dioramas of Arctic Life, and then Baffin Island and Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park are other highly rated attractions.
• 37:38
  Meggan: Excellent.
• 37:40
  Meggan: What a rundown.
• 37:41
  Meggan: What a country.
• 37:42
  Jenn: What a country.
• 37:43
  Meggan: I tell ya.
• 37:44
  Meggan: Well, that is it for this week's episode.
• 37:46
  Meggan: We are so proud of Canada and everything we stand for, and we really hope that you come for a visit.
• 37:52
  Meggan: We would love to see you.
• 37:54
  Meggan: But in the meantime, you can find us on social media, including Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram at Travel Mug Podcast, our website at travelmugpodcast.com.
• 38:03
  Meggan: And if you would like to support what we are doing here, you can do so through the buy me a coffee link in our bio.
• 38:09
  Meggan: Every little bit helps these days, but in the meantime, safe travels and bye