Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada

Just because it’s small, doesn’t mean it can’t pack a real punch! Ever heard of Anne of Green Gables? Yeah, the little red-headed orphan who loves to jibber jabber and get into trouble on adventures. The story spawned multiple retellings via television shows and movies — it also put Canada’s tiniest province, Prince Edward Island, on the map.

The small province’s most narrow point is a mere four miles wide, while the overall length is only 140 miles — North Cape to East Point. To give you a better idea, that’s nine cities of Toronto (via square miles).

History

Known as “cradle in the waves” or Abegweit by the Mi’kmaq, who are the earliest residents in the region. While it’s possible there were migrations every season, there’s no evidence of permanent residence. At the very least, the Mi’kmaq have resided on PEI for 2,000 years permanently. On _record, the first to visitor was Jacques Cartier in 1534 but it wouldn’t be for another two centuries that permanent settlements would begin popping up.

The 1720s is when the first colony would appear on the small island and barely reached 700 inhabitants by 1748. The population increased significantly, to around 4,000, when Britain decided to move the residents from Nova Scotia. That 4,000 increased to 62,000 by the year 1850.

Charlottetown is the province’s capital and it was where the country of Canada was founded. The city housed the Charlottetown Conference in 1864, an action which helped get the ball rolling to formally create the country.

Don’t exclude this province from your must-see list. Charlottetown is bursting at the seam with life; shopping, arts and culture, adventure, and fitness/wellness are abundant here.

Arts

Confederation Centre of the Arts sits in the center of Charlottetown, its so large it takes up an entire city block, and has a wide array of exhibits for all to see. They’re able to host at least 1,100 visitors in their main theatre, and a variety of entertainment including art exhibits, live theatre, walking tours and even kids’ camps.

Their goal is to entertain while providing thought-provoking content about the past, present and future Canada. The land upon which they operate is Mi’kmaq unceded territory; and according to their records, it has been their home for over 15,000 years.

The centre has over 16K artistic works in its collection from artists across Canada, both historical and contemporary. Since their founding in 1964, they have produced a record number of 85 original musicals. None of least is Anne of Green Gables, of which they hold the Guinness World Record for running.

If history is more your thing, then head on over to the Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) Museum. Here you will find an abundance of the province’s military history in both photographs and artefacts since the early 1800s. It prides itself on being the only official Canadian Armed Forces Museum in the province, as well as in Charlottetown.

Explore

Try your hand at virtual golf this year with All About Golf. Opened in 2014, they have a fairly vast space in which to play and practice. They boast 4 simulators, that can take you to any golf course in the world, located inside their sports bar. They also have an indoor putting and chipping green that’s an 18-hole championship “field,” and 900 square feet.

Land and Sea tours are available with Harbour Hippos. Their boat tour lasts just under an hour, and you’ll get to see the city in a different way from being on the road. Visitors will get to relax as they cruise by Province House, Peakes Quay, Fanning Bank or Victoria Row.

Shopping

This brings us to one of the best parts of travel…

Victoria Row is etched into a curved, metal arch that leads into the street. On both sides are restaurants and stores that feature 18th century architecture. As you make your way down the road you’ll be guided by live musicians, refreshments and galleries. It’s one of the highlights of Charlottetown.

Then we have Confederation Court Mall where fashion, foods and drinks, beauty supplies and gifts abound! The mall was built in 1979 and quickly became a staple for the small city, livening up the joint, through the work of public and private (businesses) funding. In 1989 it was purchased, along with a tower next door, making the space even larger.

Then, in 2011, they had a further expansion with the completion of their 10-story hotel and even an underground pedway linking it to the mall itself. That path was even further stretched and now you can reach Victoria Row as well.

While the province may be the smallest, it certainly is a surprise of just how big it can feel. Sometimes, thinking about the outer areas of Canada it can feel as if it’s old-timey and old-fashioned. But modernization mixed with the beauty of history is what’s out there to be discovered.