The second largest country in the world should by no means stand in the shadow of its more boisterous southern neighbor. Canada’s 10 million square kilometers of land, lakes and life brings its own signature flavor to the North American continent. Travel through Canada is a truly mind-opening experience for even the most seasoned vacationer.

The region has been inhabited since the retreat of the last ice age, creating nearly 10,000 years of aboriginal history. Vikings roamed Canada’s arctic shores long before Europeans began bickering over land rights during the 16th century. The French settlers founded Quebec City in 1608 while British explorers populated the Atlantic seaboard and Hudson Bay. European wars exacerbated Franco-British tensions until the American Revolution sent British refugees north, tipping the balance away from the French. Canada was finally unified under a constitution in 1867, while maintaining ties to the British crown. Since then, a large Quebec sovereignty movement has emerged in the French speaking province and has gained momentum at the federal level.

Canada’s Untainted Urban Gems
Canada’s cities are as diverse as its territory is expansive. French-speaking Montreal is the largest city in Quebec and arguably the liveliest in Canada. After the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the Biodome de Montreal filled in the empty stadium with four actively maintained ecosystems and numerous living exhibits. The collection of species is nothing short of phenomenal. Montreal has a thriving museum culture (buy a 3-museum pass) and an irresistible nightlife, boasting the largest dance floor in the country and a pioneering music scene with an eclecticism not to be found elsewhere. Travel west into Canada’s serene backwoods to discover Vancouver, a metropolitan diamond in the rough of British Columbia’s rugged wilderness. Ski Whistler’s nearby slopes or enjoy a day of sailing, then flex your cosmopolitan muscle in the evening with a stroll through the acclaimed Vancouver Art Gallery and appetizers at Canada Place. Visit Vancouver for a taste of Canada’s blossoming multiculturalism and international flavor. For a slower and more intimate pace, discover Nova Scotia’s capital of Halifax in the northeast. This revamped harbor town has become Canada’s Hollywood, with a large number of movies and shows being filmed along the charming avenues.

Unlimited Supply of Adventure
Canada’s Northwest and Yukon Territories offer some of the most pristine stretches of natural beauty in North America, along with the best light show around complements of the Aurora Borealis. Kluane National Park protects Yukon’s World Heritage Sites and Canada’s highest peak. In Alberta, Banff and Jasper National Parks provide the most spectacular views from the Canadian Rockies and a visit to Canada’s Glacier National Park, British Columbia, is imperative to witness the retreating ancient glaciers. With 39 National Parks and Reserves, Canada provides an infinite stock of breathtaking encounters.

Due to Canada’s extreme northern latitude, travel is best enjoyed during the summer months of July and August, even if the days are extremely long or endless. Winter sports can be enjoyed in many resorts year-round; however, December and January tend to be unbearably cold and dark, particularly in the northern regions. For more information, visit http://www.cfares.com.

Canada is located in North America and stretches all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific, being made up of ten Provinces and three Territories. To the North is the Artic ocean; Davis Strait on the North East separates it from Greenland, to the East is the Atlantic Ocean; the South is bordered by the United States of America and the West by the Pacific Ocean and Alaska.

A country of outstanding natural beauty, Canada has a wide variety of landscapes; the mountains, the prairies, lakes and rivers with many national and provincial parks to protect the habitats. With a total land mass of 9,984,670 sq km (3,855,103 sq mi), Canada is the second largest country in the world. There are more lakes and inland waters in Canada than any other country, in fact 7.6% or 755,180 sq km (291,577 sq) is made up of fresh water.

Most images of Canada refer to the Mounties, bears, snow or the Rocky Mountains with the amazing turquoise lakes though there is truly more to this vast landscape. Tourism is a large part of the economy with the abundant natural resources quickly turning Canada into a rich and vibrant country that is a permanent listing at the top of the best places to live. With distinct seasons the winters are cold with plentiful snow and then warm summers, the best way to survive is to make the most of natures offerings. Skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling are popular pastimes and great exercise and fun. In the summer, hiking, camping and exploring the great outdoors are fantastic ways to spend your free time. This is especially true when you are amongst the most breathtaking and fabulous scenery the world has to offer!

The monetary unit is the Canadian Dollar. It is made up of cents with 100 cents making 1 Canadian dollar. There are 1 cent coins usually called a penny, 5 cent coins usually called a nickel, 10 cent coins called a dime, 25 cent coins called a quarter, 1 dollar coins called a loonie and two dollar coins called a twoonie. The notes or bills are in 5 dollar, 10 dollar, 20 dollar, 50 dollar and 100 dollar denominations. The Canadian dollar traditionally trades at a lower value than its American counterpart but is now coming closer to parity.

All motor vehicles are driven on the right hand side of the road and are left hand drive. Each Province or Territory is responsible for its own driving laws and regulations so each has a different system.

Demographics

Canada has a population of 30,007,094 (2001 Census), compared with 28,846,761 (1996 Census) which shows a 4% increase. Most of the population lives in the cities and most of these are located in the South of the country; about three quarters of the population live within about 300 kms of the U.S border. The most populated Provinces are Ontario and Quebec with Toronto (in Ontario) being the most populated city.

There are two official languages – English and French – and Montreal in Quebec is the world’s largest French-speaking city outside of France. All of the services offered by the Federal Government are in English and French. Almost every product you buy has English and French on the labels and most public services are available in both languages. Outside of Quebec the majority of people speak English; about 18 percent of Canadians are fluently bilingual.

The First Nations or Indian people were the original inhabitants of Canada and the name comes from their language and means “Village” or “Community”. The Vikings, who arrived in the 11th century and didn’t stay for long, were the first Europeans to land in Canada.

More Europeans arrived in the 16th century bringing with them manufactured goods which they traded for furs and native products – because of this they were made welcome by the indigenous people. The two main groups of European settlers were the French, who came first, and then the English. Despite France losing its part of the territory to Britain in a war in 1760, many of the French speaking people stayed. In 1867, three colonies of Britain merged in an event called Confederation; this created a partially independent state of four Provinces. Six more Provinces and three Territories have since been added and in 1931 full independence was achieved. Canada still belongs to the Commonwealth of Nations.

Canada is a Democratic Federation and has both a Federal and Provincial Governments. The responsibilities and powers are divided between the Federal and Provincial Governments which make for a complex political system (see http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com/canadian_political_system.html for more details).]

Education

Public education is the responsibility of each Provincial Government (please refer to our Provincial pages for more information) and is paid for through taxes. Public education is free and all children are required by law to attend school from the age of 6 years until they are 15 or 16, the majority of students continue until they are 18 and graduate high school with a high school diploma.
The main languages of instruction are English and French.

Healthcare

Canada has a public health care system; essential medical treatment is available to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Although the health care systems are run by the Provincial ministries of health, the Federal Government sets the standards for health care across the country.

There are three Provinces that charge healthcare premiums (BC, Alberta & Ontario). In the other Provinces and Territories healthcare is paid for through taxes. In some Provinces there is a three month waiting period before you qualify for healthcare, (refer to http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com/healthcare.html for more information) so you should make sure that you have insurance to cover any medical expenses for this period.

In essence such an article can never describe such a vast and beautiful country in adequate detail so if you are planning a visit or move go to http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com/canada.html for detailed information.

You are not reading this wrong. There is really life after bankruptcy. And people in Canada have realized this early on.

Bankruptcy in Canada can be stressful and distressing. This is why many Canadians tend to succumb more to the negative effects of it rather than trying to put their life back again.

One of the reasons why bankruptcy is Canada is not solved that easily is because of the not-so-good credit standing that many people have. Oftentimes, they think that repairing their credit will take time and money and that it does not guarantee that they will be provided with the mortgage or loan that they need.

This is not true. Anywhere around the world, credit standing is one of the major considerations that lender take into account once a person has applied for loans after bankruptcy. Some of these lenders are more than willing to give you the loan in the condition that you repair your credit for duration of time.

If you are serious on your intent to put everything back in order, below are some suggestions on how you can repair your credit to compensate you when you find yourself bankrupt in Canada.

1. Make a plan.

Your plan should include a list of things on how you can reestablish your credit payments. You can note down important dates when you need to pay out your debts and loans.

To avoid the pitfalls that you have fallen before, you need to follow your plan to the letter. It may seem impossible but if you are really serious about everything, then you can make your plan work.

2. Money borrowing options.

Ok, so there are load of financial institutions you can borrow money from. But are you sure they are helping you? They might be burying you deeper in debt. And it would be too late when you find out that you are into more trouble.

Bankruptcy in Canada means that you need to be careful about where you borrow your money from. If you have been presented with some options, it is best to check each of them out first so that you will know how reliable they are.

3. Start small and slow.

When you find yourself bankrupt, you will realize that your interest rates are higher than they used to. This is usually the case not just in Canada but in any part of the world. Keep in mind that lender are still wary of your payment history so they have to make sure that they will not be put into a situation they will regret later on.

The best thing to do is to start small. If you want to loan an amount, make sure that it is not so high that the interest rates will be higher too. By loaning smaller amounts, your interest rates will not hurt you that much. By starting small, you can establish yourself slowly. By the time you can ready to go after big money, your credit history will be more reliable and lenders will readily provide you with refinances or loans that will suit you.

Bankruptcy in Canada is only a matter of knowing what steps you need to take to start over. There are other steps you can take besides what was given to you. Begin with these things first if you want to see some improvement in your credit standing.

Are Free Dating Websites in Canada Better Than Pay Sites?

The debate continues with whether free dating websites in Canada are better than pay dating websites. While there are pros and cons to each, it’s ultimately up to each individual person to decide which type of dating service is best suited to them. So, as we weigh the advantages and disadvantages, decide which are worth taking seriously, and which are more important to you.
The first and most obvious advantage of free dating websites in Canada is the cost. In addition to avoiding the need to spend money by signing up for one of these free dating websites, there’s no need to disclose your credit card information. For people who are concerned about giving such sensitive personal information to an unknown company, this can certainly help improve the likelihood of creating an account.
There are some who may argue that having to pay for dating sites increases the quantity and quality of the members who belong to pay dating websites. This, however, is not always the case. Free sites encourage a wider range of members to sign up, from all walks of life, and all financial backgrounds. Although people who speak for pay dating sites believe that financial status is an indicator of a personals quality, this is not necessarily true in the least. Furthermore, free sites are open to all people, which can lead to greater numbers of members in Canada, and greater diversity.
Supporters of pay dating websites in Canada also argue that free dating websites are open to spammers, since you don’t need a credit card to sign up. As the online dating industry adapts and improves, however, more privacy and security features are at the disposal of those who run them. Credit cards don’t necessarily guarantee security, and spammers can still find their way onto pay sites. Also, as mentioned before, since there’s no need to disclose credit card information, the chances of credit card fraud are practically eliminated. Finally, for those who are unsure about online dating websites in Canada, and how to begin, free dating sites are an enjoyable way to take the first steps into meeting people over the internet.