Canada

Places in Canada

• Abbotsford

  Abbotsford is a city of about 165,000 people in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. It is an agriculture-based city popular as a stopover for U.S.

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• Ajax

  Ajax is a residential suburb of the Greater Toronto Area with nearly 127,000 residents (2021). It offers 150 acres of lakefront parkland, 90 km of trails, and the Veterans' Point Gardens memorial honoring the HMS Ajax warship that inspired the town's name.

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• Alexandria, Ontario

  Alexandria is a small town of about 3,300 residents in Eastern Ontario, primarily notable as a stop on the VIA Rail corridor between Montreal and Ottawa. The town holds historical significance as the administrative centre of North Glengarry township and preserves Scottish Highland heritage from settlers who arrived during the Glengarry Clearances from Inverness-shire.

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• Algonquin Provincial Park

  Algonquin Provincial Park is the oldest and most famous provincial park in Canada, protecting 7,600 km² of wilderness. Located within a day's drive of Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, it offers accessible outdoor adventures from car camping to backcountry canoeing.

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• Amherstburg

  Amherstburg is a small town of about 24,000 people near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario. The town is rich in history with several important heritage sites linked to the War of 1812 and the Underground Railroad.

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• Baie-Comeau

  Baie-Comeau is a mid-sized industrial city (~21,000 residents) on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, 420 km northeast of Quebec City.

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• Baie-Saint-Paul

  Baie-Saint-Paul is the cultural, economic, and administrative centre of the Charlevoix region of Quebec. It is known for its art galleries, shops, restaurants, accommodation and its offer of recreational tourism activities.

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• Banff

  Banff is a tourist town in Banff National Park, part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a convenient base for seeing spectacular scenery with little effort, with a wide variety of restaurants, clubs, and plenty of tours and activities.

• Banff National Park

  Established in 1885, Banff is Canada's first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It offers world-class mountain scenery, turquoise lakes like Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, abundant wildlife, and outdoor activities year-round—from hiking and kayaking in summer to skiing and icewalks in winter.

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• Barrie

  Barrie is a popular tourist destination in Central Ontario, known as the gateway to cottage country. It offers watersports and boating on Kempenfelt Bay in summer, and skiing at nearby resorts like Snow Valley, Horseshoe, Mount St.

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• Barry's Bay

  Barry's Bay is a quiet town of about 1,300 people in the Township of Madawaska Valley in Eastern Ontario. It sits near the eastern entrance to Algonquin Provincial Park, making it the second-closest town east of the park (after Whitney, which is right at the park entrance).

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• Beaupré

  Beaupré is the jewel of the Québec region, offering wide range of recreational and tourist activities in all seasons. At the crossroads of the tourist regions of Québec, Côte-de-Beaupré and Charlevoix, visitors can explore the Canadian ancestral houses of Avenue Royale, Canyon Sainte-Anne, Mont Sainte-Anne ski resort, and the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

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• Belleville, Ontario

  Belleville is a city of 55,000 people on the Bay of Quinte in southeastern Ontario, settled by United Empire Loyalists. It offers a slower pace than Toronto, with Loyalist history, waterfront trails, and easy access to Prince Edward County's wineries and Sandbanks Provincial Park.

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• Beloeil

  Beloeil is a picturesque residential city on the west bank of the Richelieu River, directly facing Mont Saint-Hilaire. The city offers a charming heritage area in Vieux-Beloeil with restaurants and shops, a historic golf club in operation since 1923, and easy access to water activities on the Richelieu River.

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• Bentley

  Bentley is a sleepy farm-town of 1,100 perched on the Blindman River valley, valued mainly as the nearest settlement to Gull Lake's sandy southern shores. It suits travelers seeking a low-key Alberta lake weekend away from the busier crowds at Sylvan Lake, with fishing, sailing, windsurfing, and sandy beaches in summer, plus cross-country skiing and a small ski hill in winter.

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• Blanc-Sablon

  Blanc-Sablon is the easternmost municipality of Quebec, a remote fishing community where the Strait of Belle Isle meets the Atlantic. The main draws are whale and dolphin watching, drifting icebergs visible in season, and access to the Trans-Labrador Highway via Route 510.

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• Bobcaygeon

  Bobcaygeon is a village of about 3,600 people built on three islands at the junction of Pigeon and Sturgeon Lakes. It holds a unique place in Canadian pop culture: The Tragically Hip's 1998 hit single "Bobcaygeon" made the town famous coast-to-coast.

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• Boucherville

  Boucherville is a picturesque town of approximately 42,000 residents in the Longueuil agglomeration on Montreal's south shore. It's becoming an increasingly popular destination for recreational tourism, offering the Îles de Boucherville National Park, historic Old Boucherville (Vieux-Boucherville) with its Sainte-Famille church, marina, and community gardens.

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• Brampton

  Brampton is a fast-growing city in the Greater Toronto Area with a population of over 500,000. It has a significant Sikh and South Asian population, with Jamaicans coming in second.

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• Brantford

  Brantford is a former industrial city of 105,000 people on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. Known as 'The Telephone City', it is where Alexander Graham Bell claimed to have invented the telephone and placed the first long-distance call.

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• Brockville

  Brockville is a historic city on the St. Lawrence River in Eastern Ontario.

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• Burnaby

  Burnaby is a suburb of Vancouver, incorporated in 1892 and achieving city status in 1992. It offers a mix of urban parks, museums, and shopping centres, making it a convenient base or day trip from Vancouver.

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• Calgary

  Calgary is Alberta's largest city and Canada's third-largest, located where the prairies meet the foothills. It serves as the eastern gateway to the Rocky Mountains, making it the best access point for Banff and Jasper.

• Cambridge, Ontario

  Cambridge was created in 1973 by the merger of four municipalities: Galt, Preston, Hespeler, and Blair. The four communities maintain their individual identities, offering distinct historic downtowns and a sense of local character.

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• Campbell River

  Campbell River is a city of about 35,000 on the east coast of Vancouver Island, known as the 'Salmon Capital of the World'. It has little for the average tourist but is heaven for hikers, kayakers, fishers and nature lovers, with a slow, quiet island lifestyle and beautiful scenery.

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• Campobello Island

  Campobello Island offers a rare glimpse of small-town Maritime Canada with deep historical significance. The island was the summer retreat of Franklin D.

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• Canmore

  Canmore is a town of 14,000 people in the Alberta Rockies, 80 km from Calgary, at the southeast entrance to Banff National Park. It is a popular starting point for exploring the Canadian Rockies and offers spectacular scenery.

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• Cape Breton Highlands National Park

  Cape Breton Highlands National Park is the second largest Canadian national park in Atlantic Canada and the largest in the Maritime provinces, covering 948 km² on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. It contains a significant portion of the Cabot Trail, a world-famous overland route offering dramatic coastal views, diverse hiking trails, and opportunities for wildlife viewing, kayaking, and whale watching.

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• Carman, Manitoba

  Carman is a small agricultural town of about 3,000 people in Manitoba's Pembina Valley. It is notable for having a strong artistic community and hosting several annual arts festivals.

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• Castlegar

  Castlegar is a city of 8,000 people in British Columbia at the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers. It's a perfect base for outdoor activities like fishing, hiking, and water sports, with nearby Syringa Creek Provincial Park offering beaches and camping.

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• Cavendish, Prince Edward Island

  Cavendish is the literary birthplace of Anne of Green Gables, where Lucy Maud Montgomery's beloved farmhouse still stands within Prince Edward Island National Park. The town transforms from a quiet farming community into PEI's largest seasonal resort between July and August, when daily population swells to 7,500 and tens of thousands of tourists arrive for the sheltered sandy beaches, warm Gulf of St.

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• Chandler, Quebec

  Chandler is a practical stop on the Gaspé Peninsula's Route 132 circuit, functioning as a village-rélais — a service hub for highway travelers with disproportionate dining and accommodation options for its size. The town holds regional importance as the birthplace of Mary "La Bolduc" Travers, the celebrated 1920s-30s Canadian folk singer, and offers access to Chaleur Bay beaches without the tourist crowds of Percé.

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• Charlottetown

  Charlottetown is the capital city of Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. It's a quaint and pretty town, small enough to be able to walk around, and has lots of good restaurants and bars.

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• Chase, British Columbia

  Chase serves as the Gateway to the Shuswap region, positioned at the outlet of Little Shuswap Lake where Chase Creek cascades through town. The village offers a quieter alternative to busier Shuswap destinations, with access to beaches, hiking trails, and the famous Adams River sockeye salmon run at nearby Tsutswecw Provincial Park in early October.

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• Château-Richer

  Château-Richer is a historic municipality on the Côte-de-Beaupré, about 30 km northeast of Quebec City. Founded in the 17th century, it preserves Quebec's heritage through museums, artisan workshops, and heritage trails.

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• Chemainus

  Chemainus is a small Vancouver Island town famous for its outdoor murals that transform the compact downtown into an open-air art gallery. Beyond the art, the town hosts a thriving summer theatre festival and maintains a pleasant, walkable character.

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• Chéticamp

  Chéticamp is the western gateway to Cape Breton Highlands National Park, making it a natural base for hikers and scenic-drive enthusiasts. The village stands out for its strong Acadian identity: French is the first language for most residents, traditional hooked-rug crafts are world-renowned, and local festivals like La fête nationale de l'Acadie (August 15) draw crowds.

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• Chilliwack

  Chilliwack is surrounded by tall mountain peaks such as Mount Cheam and Slesse Mountain, and large rivers (the Fraser and Vedder). The city offers outdoor activities, festivals, and a mix of urban and rural experiences.

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• Churchill

  Churchill is a community in Manitoba best known as the polar bear capital of the world and the beluga capital of the world. With a permanent population of only 870 people (2021), it sits on the shore of Hudson Bay, offering unparalleled wildlife viewing, northern lights, and a remote sub-Arctic experience.

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• Clermont, Quebec

  Clermont is a small service town in Charlevoix-Est, landlocked between mountains and bordering La Malbaie on Route 138. It functions as a practical stop for travelers crossing Quebec's north shore, offering salmon fishing on the Malbaie River, access to nearby Zec du Lac-au-Sable for hunting and camping, and the heritage Montagne de la Croix with panoramic views.

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• Cobalt

  Cobalt is a small Northern Ontario mining town of 1,100 people with a rich silver mining heritage. At its peak in 1908, it was the world's largest producer of silver and cobalt, earning the nickname "Silver City" with a population over 10,000.

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• Cobourg

  Cobourg is a quieter lakeside town of 19,000 people on Lake Ontario's north shore, positioned roughly midway between Toronto and Kingston. The town offers Victorian-era architecture, a sandy waterfront beach, and small-town Ontario character without big-city crowds.

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• Cochrane, Ontario

  Cochrane is a small Northern Ontario town of 5,400 people whose main draw is the Polar Bear Conservation and Educational Habitat, home to three polar bears (as of 2023) unable to survive in the wild. The town also serves as the departure point for the Polar Bear Express train to Moosonee, one of Canada's few remaining flag-stop train services, making it a destination for wildlife enthusiasts and rail fans alike.

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• Cold Lake

  Cold Lake is a small city of about 15,000 people set against one of Alberta's most beautiful lakes. It offers sandy beach access at Kinosoo Beach, regional events like Exercise Maple Flag and the Cold Lake Airshow, and a unique blend of military heritage and indigenous culture.

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• Columbia Icefield

  The Columbia Icefield spans roughly 325 km² and is the largest region of ice and snow in mainland North America south of the Arctic Circle. Melting snow and ice from here drain into three oceans—Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic—making the summit of Snow Dome one of only two hydrologic apexes in North America.

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• Comox

  Comox is a town of about 15,000 people on the east coast of Vancouver Island, approximately 115 km north of Nanaimo. Together with Courtenay and Cumberland, it forms the Comox Valley between the Beaufort Range and Comox Glacier to the west and the Strait of Georgia to the east.

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• Cornwall, Ontario

  Cornwall is a small city on the St. Lawrence River with a rich history tied to the Seaway and the Lost Villages.

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• Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent

  This remote municipality on Quebec's Lower North Shore consists of five scattered villages—Kegaska, La Romaine, Chevery, Harrington Harbour, and Tête-à-la-Baleine—accessible only by air or sea. With just 787 inhabitants and fishing as the dominant economy, visitors come for total wilderness immersion, dramatic coastal landscapes, and encounters with the Coasters (English-speaking descendants of fishing families).

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• Courtenay

  Courtenay is a city of about 26,000 people on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Together with Comox and Cumberland, it lies in the Comox Valley between the Beaufort Range and Comox Glacier in the west, and the Strait of Georgia in the east.

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• Creston

  Creston is a quiet agricultural town at the south end of Kootenay Lake, best known for producing the largest cherries in the Northern Hemisphere. The Creston Valley is a major fruit-growing and dairy region, with Erickson just outside town famous for its apple and cherry orchards.

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• Daajing Giids-Skidegate

  Daajing Giids (formerly Queen Charlotte) and its neighbour Skidegate serve as the main service centre for southern Graham Island on Haida Gwaii. The twin villages offer motels, restaurants, a hospital, and the key BC Ferries terminal connecting the archipelago to Prince Rupert.

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• Dawson City

  Dawson City is a historical town in Yukon that celebrates its heritage as a late 19th-century gold rush town. Visitors can explore frontier buildings and boardwalks, saloons, a vintage sternwheeler, and the Tr'ondëk-Klondike UNESCO World Heritage site.

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• Dawson Creek

  Dawson Creek is the official Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway—every road trip north to Alaska, the Yukon, or the Northwest Territories starts here. It's the only significant service centre for 200 km in any direction, making it a mandatory fuel and rest stop.

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• Diamond Valley

  Diamond Valley is a small town tucked into the foothills at the base of the Rocky Mountains, formed in 2023 through the amalgamation of the former towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley. The town offers a quieter, rural Alberta experience compared to Calgary, with historic sites like the Turner Valley Gas Plant and access to nearby Sheep River Provincial Park.

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• Digby

  Digby is a blue-collar fishing port of 2,000 people on Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy coast, famous for its fleet of sea scallop trawlers. The town has a handful of dive bars and waterfront patio restaurants serving the fleet's catch fresh from the boat.

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• Drumheller

  Drumheller is a small Alberta town famous for the rich fossil deposits of the surrounding badlands. The crown jewel is the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, one of Canada's premier museums, showcasing spectacular dinosaur fossils and exhibits that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

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• Duncan, British Columbia

  Duncan is a small city (population under 5,000) that punches above its weight culturally, serving the Cowichan Valley's 84,000 residents. Its nickname 'City of Totems' reflects over 40 totem poles scattered throughout town, with the Cowichan Historical Society offering free guided tours in summer.

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• Edmonton

  Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta, with a metro population of 1.2 million (2025). It is the northernmost city of at least one million in North America, known for its beautiful North Saskatchewan River Valley park system offering over 100 km of trails.

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• Elora

  Elora is a small town renowned for its stunning 19th-century limestone architecture built by Scottish stonemasons and the dramatic Elora Gorge with 22-metre limestone cliffs carved by the Grand River. The town attracts sightseers, campers, hikers, kayakers, and tubers seeking outdoor adventure combined with quaint village atmosphere.

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• Flin Flon

  Flin Flon is a one-of-a-kind Canadian destination with a story no guidebook could invent: the entire city is named after Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin, a fictional character who piloted a submarine through a bottomless lake in a paperback novel. The town was founded in 1927 by Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting to exploit copper and zinc ore, and its stark, lunar atmosphere comes from being built directly on exposed rock face.

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• Forestville, Quebec

  Forestville serves as a key transit point on Quebec's North Shore where Route 138 terminates at the ferry to Rimouski. The town offers hunting and fishing activities, particularly at ZEC de Forestville, plus beaches along the St.

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• Forillon National Park

  Forillon National Park sits at the final Land's End of Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula, where the Chic-Choc Mountains crash head-on into the sea. The park offers nearly 72 km (45 miles) of trails across ten distinct ecosystems, whale-watching cruises in waters home to seven species of whales, sea kayaking, paddleboarding, and the warm shallow waters of Penouille Beach.

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• Fort Frances

  Fort Frances sits on the international border where Rainy Lake narrows into Rainy River, connected to International Falls, Minnesota by the Fort Frances–International Falls International Bridge. The town of 7,700 people draws visitors primarily for fishing—the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship awards over $80,000 in prizes—and as a gateway to Quetico Provincial Park.

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• Fort McMurray

  Fort McMurray is the largest community in the Athabasca Oil Sands region of Alberta, Canada. Established as a Hudson's Bay Company post by 1870, the town grew from 2,000 people in 1966 to an estimated 88,000 during oil boom periods.

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• Fort McPherson

  Fort McPherson is a small Gwich'in community of about 650 people in the Northwest Territories, accessible only via the Dempster Highway. It serves as the only major settlement and fuel stop between the Yukon-NWT border and Inuvik, making it an essential stop for travelers driving the Dempster.

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• Fort Nelson

  Fort Nelson is a remote northern stopping point along the historic Alaska Highway, roughly halfway between Dawson Creek (the highway's southern terminus) and the Yukon border. The town of about 3,400 residents serves as a servicing center for travelers, oil and gas workers, and those seeking access to wilderness recreation in the Northern Rockies.

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• Fort Smith, Northwest Territories

  Fort Smith is a town of 2,500 people on the Slave River near the Alberta border, serving as the primary access point for Wood Buffalo National Park visitors. The town offers access to one of the world's most renowned whitewater canoeing destinations, with Class 5 rapids on the Slave River between Fort Fitzgerald and Fort Smith.

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• Fredericton

  Fredericton is the capital of New Brunswick, Canada, located along the St. John River.

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• Galiano Island

  Galiano Island is the most accessible of the Southern Gulf Islands to Vancouver, yet remains rustic and untouched. It offers beautiful beaches, forest lands, and a vibrant artist community.

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• Gananoque

  Gananoque is a compact historic town of about 5,400 residents (2021) serving as a gateway to Ontario's Thousand Islands region. Founded by United Empire Loyalists after the American Revolution, the town preserves its 19th-century character with heritage buildings, two museums, and the acclaimed 1000 Islands Playhouse theatre.

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• Gander

  Gander is a small town of 12,000 people on the Trans-Canada Highway in Central Newfoundland, best known for its major international airport (YQX). The town gained worldwide fame for its generosity during the September 11, 2001 attacks when it accepted more diverted passengers than any Canadian airfield except Halifax and Vancouver.

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• Gaspé

  Gaspé is the largest city and unofficial capital of the Gaspé Peninsula, serving as the region's main service centre and transportation hub where almost every visitor passes through. With a population over 15,000 and history stretching back to Jacques Cartier's 1534 landing—the founding of New France—this is where European colonization in what is now Canada began.

• Gatineau

  Gatineau is a city resulting from the amalgamation of Hull, Aylmer, Masson-Angers, and Buckingham. It is the largest city in the Outaouais region, predominantly francophone but bilingual.

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• Gatineau Park

  Gatineau Park is the outdoor playground for Canada's National Capital Region, offering amazing outdoor recreation within a 20-minute drive of Ottawa or Gatineau. Unlike national parks managed by Parks Canada, this federal park is run by the National Capital Commission and provides easy access to 361 km² of forests, lakes, and the Eardley Escarpment.

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• Gibsons

  Gibsons is a picturesque coastal community of 4,600 residents on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast, accessible only by ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. Best known as the filming location for the long-running CBC series The Beachcombers (1972-1990), the town preserves its television heritage at Molly's Reach cafe and the restored Persephone tugboat.

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• Glace Bay

  Glace Bay is a historic coal mining community on Cape Breton Island's eastern coast, offering insight into Nova Scotia's industrial past and Scottish heritage. The town is notable for its mining museums, Marconi National Historic Site where the first transatlantic wireless transmission was sent in 1902, and a preserved 1885 Anglican rectory B&B.

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• Glacier National Park, British Columbia

  Glacier National Park in British Columbia encompasses 1,349 km² of the Columbia Mountains near Revelstoke, offering high peaks, active glaciers, and one of Canada's largest cave systems. The park's dense forests support populations of large mammals, birds, and alpine species.

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• Goderich

  Goderich is a quiet lakeside town of 7,700 people in Huron County, Western Ontario, offering a contrast to nearby urban centres. The town is celebrated for its sunsets over Lake Huron and features an unusual octagonal traffic circle called The Square, designed by founder John Galt in the 1840s using a Roman radial composition.

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• Golden Ears Provincial Park

  Golden Ears Provincial Park protects over 500 km² of the North Shore Mountains north of Maple Ridge, making it one of the most popular provincial parks in British Columbia with 610,000 annual visitors. Its proximity to Vancouver—just over an hour's drive—makes it ideal for weekend getaways or longer wilderness escapes.

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• Golden, British Columbia

  Golden is a small town in the Columbia-Rockies near Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. Since 2000 it has become increasingly tourist-oriented, drawing visitors for its wide array of adventure sports: skiing and snowboarding in winter, whitewater rafting, hiking, mountain biking, and hang-gliding in summer.

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• Granby, Quebec

  Granby serves as a regional centre for the Eastern Townships, combining industrial heritage with tourist appeal. The city draws visitors primarily for the Granby Zoo, one of Quebec's major zoological parks with nearly 1,500 animals.

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• Grand Beach Provincial Park

  Grand Beach is Manitoba's premier lakeside park, drawing thousands of visitors to its fine white sand beaches and impressive 12-metre high dunes. Since the Canadian Northern Railway established an excursion line in the early 20th century, this has been a beloved summer retreat.

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• Gravenhurst

  Gravenhurst calls itself 'The Gateway to Muskoka' and sits on Lake Muskoka as the main supply town for summer cottage-goers. It is most famous as the birthplace of Dr.

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• Gros Morne National Park

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• Guelph

  Guelph, nicknamed the Royal City, is a compact city in Southwestern Ontario on the Speed River. It boasts beautiful limestone architecture, a low crime rate, and a vibrant cultural scene with numerous festivals.

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• Halifax

  Halifax is the capital city of Nova Scotia and the largest city in Atlantic Canada. The city's origins and rich maritime history derive from a strategic location and one of the world's great natural harbours.

• Hamilton, Ontario

  Hamilton is a port city at the western end of Lake Ontario, home to over 100 waterfalls along the Niagara Escarpment. Once a steel town, it now boasts a thriving arts scene, the Royal Botanical Gardens, McMaster University, and is a gateway to Niagara wine country and Toronto.

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• Happy Valley-Goose Bay

  Happy Valley-Goose Bay is a remote northern town of 8,080 people that serves as Labrador's primary transit hub. Founded in 1941 as a military airbase and seaport, it played a crucial role during World War II as a refueling stop for planes en route to Europe.

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• Harrison Hot Springs

  Harrison Hot Springs is a small resort village (fewer than 2,000 residents) at the south end of Harrison Lake, framed by mountains on three sides. The main draw is the public hot springs pool where visitors can soak in mineral-rich water piped directly from the source.

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• Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park

  The park protects one of Quebec's most spectacular river gorges, cutting 700 metres deep through boreal forest along the Malbaie River. It is one of two central areas of the UNESCO Charlevoix biosphere reserve (the other being Grands-Jardins National Park upstream), making it a hub for conservation-focused wilderness recreation.

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• Havre-Saint-Pierre

  Havre-Saint-Pierre is a tiny fishing village (population 3,337) on Quebec's North Shore (Côte-Nord) in the Minganie region. It serves as the gateway to the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, known for its unique monoliths, puffins, and the rare Mingan Thistle.

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• Hay River

  Hay River is a small northern Canadian town on the shore of Great Slave Lake, serving as the transportation hub of the Northwest Territories. It offers excellent ice fishing in winter and sport fishing in summer for whitefish, lake trout, and perch.

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• High River

  High River is a small Alberta town of about 13,500 people, best known as a filming location for the CBC series Heartland, parts of Fargo, and Smallville in Superman III. It offers a quiet prairie heritage experience with historic murals, the 1911 Canadian Pacific Railway station-turned-museum, and access to excellent birdwatching and flyfishing in the surrounding area.

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• Hinton

  Hinton is a small town of almost 10,000 people in the Athabasca River valley, 80 km along the Yellowhead Highway from Jasper National Park. It markets itself as a gateway to the Rockies with a notable Beaver Boardwalk around Maxwell Lake.

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• Hope, British Columbia

  Hope sits at the confluence of three rivers surrounded by mountain peaks, serving as the critical junction where four major highways meet. Outside of the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and Whistler areas, reaching anywhere in British Columbia by road requires passing through Hope.

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• Hornepayne

  Hornepayne is a small township of roughly 1,000 residents in Algoma District, Northern Ontario. It holds the distinction of being the closest settlement to the geographic center of Ontario, which lies in a remote bog north of town.

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• Hudson, Quebec

  Hudson is a quieter, lakeside escape from Montreal, sitting on the south shore of Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes near the confluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers.

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• Huntsville, Ontario

  Huntsville is the largest community in the Muskoka District and serves as the hub for cottage country vacations and outdoor adventures. The town sits at the junction of Highway 11 and Highway 60, offering access to Algonquin Provincial Park and numerous lakes.

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• Huron-Kinloss

  Huron-Kinloss is a quiet rural township on Lake Huron’s shoreline, made up of small communities like Ripley, Lucknow, and Point Clark. It’s a place for road-trippers seeking a slower pace: Mennonite farm gates with fresh produce, a historic lighthouse with panoramic lake views, and seasonal events like the Lucknow Strawberry Summerfest.

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• Île d'Orléans

  Île d'Orléans is a National Historic Site of Canada located about 5 km east of Quebec City in the St. Lawrence River.

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• Îles-de-Boucherville National Park

  Îles-de-Boucherville National Park is a rare urban escape: five islands in the St. Lawrence River just 18 km from downtown Montreal, yet feeling entirely wild.

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• Îles-de-la-Madeleine

  The Îles-de-la-Madeleine are a windswept chain of islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence where Acadian culture thrives alongside dramatic landscapes of red cliffs, green valleys, lagoons, and long sand dunes.

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• Inuvik

  Inuvik is the most populous town in the Canadian Arctic with about 3,400 permanent residents, standing out from other Arctic settlements with paved streets, permanent buildings, churches, a mosque, bank branches, and a hospital. Its location at the inland end of the Mackenzie Delta and northern terminus of the Dempster Highway makes it the gateway to some of Canada’s most remote wilderness.

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• Invermere

  Invermere is a small mountain town of about 3,400 residents in the East Kootenays region of southeastern British Columbia. Nestled between the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Purcell Mountains to the west, it serves as a year-round recreation hub at the north end of Lake Windermere.

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• Iqaluit

  Iqaluit (ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ, "place of many fish" in Inuktitut) is Nunavut's capital and only real settlement of scale—a town of 7,700 where pickup trucks share gravel roads with arctic foxes and the Northern Lights crackle overhead in winter. It's not cheap (expect Toronto-level hotel rates in a place where everything is flown in), but for travelers who want raw Arctic wilderness with actual restaurants, galleries, and a brewery, Iqaluit delivers something no southern city can: backcountry access a short boat ride from a microbrewery.

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• Jasper

  Jasper is a small tourist town of about 4,700 residents (2021) nestled in Jasper National Park in the Alberta Rockies. Unlike its bolder, brassy neighbor Banff, Jasper offers a more serene experience for visitors seeking outdoor adventures.

• Jasper National Park

  Jasper National Park is the largest of Canada's Rocky Mountain Parks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, spanning 10,878 km² of broad valleys, rugged mountains, glaciers, forests, and alpine meadows. With over 1,200 km of hiking trails and spectacular mountain drives like the Icefields Parkway, it offers wilderness experiences ranging from casual viewpoints to challenging backcountry expeditions.

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• Joliette

  Joliette offers a slower-paced Quebec city experience compared to Montreal, with historic architecture, cultural venues, and access to outdoor activities along the L'Assomption River. The city serves as the administrative seat of the Joliette regional county municipality and provides a mix of heritage sites, local festivals, and regional gastronomy for visitors seeking an authentic Lanaudière experience.

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• Kamloops

  Kamloops bills itself as the Tournament Capital of Canada, having hosted world-class events including the Strauss Canada Cup of Curling, Skate Canada, World Fly Fishing Championships, and World Junior Hockey Championships. The city sits at the confluence of the North and South Thompson rivers (the Shuswap name Tk'əmlúps means "meeting of the waters"), making it a natural hub for outdoor activities.

  Atlas entry

• Kelowna

  Kelowna is the largest city in British Columbia's tourist-oriented Okanagan Valley, with about 142,000 residents in the city and 215,000 in the metropolitan area. The main draw is Okanagan Lake, a 135 km jewel perfect for boating, swimming, and kite-boarding in summer.

  Atlas entry

• Kenora

  Kenora is a small city of 15,000 people at the northern tip of Lake of the Woods, Ontario's cottage country heartland. The area draws summer visitors for swimming, biking, fishing, hiking, and boating, while winter brings ice fishing, snowboarding, downhill and cross-country skiing, and snowmachining.

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• Kensington, Prince Edward Island

  Kensington draws literary pilgrims and Anne of Green Gables enthusiasts to the north shore of Prince Edward Island. The town serves as a gateway to Lucy Maud Montgomery country, with sites connected to the beloved author and her fictional heroine scattered across the pastoral landscape.

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• Kincardine, Ontario

  Kincardine is a small Lake Huron town that draws visitors for its clean sandy beaches and unique Scottish cultural traditions. The Saturday night pipe band parade through downtown, with crowds following the kilted drummers and pipers from Victoria Park to Queen Street and back, is unlike anything found elsewhere in Ontario.

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• Kingston, Ontario

  Kingston is one of Canada's most historic cities, nicknamed the 'Limestone City' for its heritage buildings constructed from local limestone. It hosts two universities (Queen's University and Royal Military College) and offers 19th-century fortifications, museums, and summer events.

  Atlas entry

• Kingsville, Ontario

  Kingsville is a quiet town of about 22,000 people on the north shore of Lake Erie in Essex County, Ontario. It serves as a gateway to Pelee Island via ferry and sits near Point Pelee National Park, Canada's southernmost point on mainland.

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• Kitchener

  Kitchener and neighbouring Waterloo form the heart of Ontario's "Twin Cities" (K-W), a tightly-integrated metro area within the Region of Waterloo. The city shines with strong German heritage, most notably hosting the world's largest Oktoberfest celebration outside Munich.

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• Kootenay National Park

  Kootenay National Park offers dramatic Canadian Rockies scenery without the crowds of neighboring Banff. The park spans 1,406 km² (543 sq mi) of mountain wilderness, featuring colorful mineral Paint Pots, dramatic canyons, and natural hot springs.

  Atlas entry

• La Malbaie

  La Malbaie is the jewel of Charlevoix, a small riverside city straddling the Malbaie River along Route 138 on Quebec's north shore. The city is renowned for its two historic sectors, Pointe-au-Pic and Cap-a-l'Aigle, both designated among Quebec's Most Beautiful Villages.

  Atlas entry

• La Mauricie National Park

  La Mauricie National Park protects 536 km² of Laurentian wilderness in Quebec, with 150 lakes and countless ponds scattered through Canadian Shield forest. Unlike developed parks, this one offers a backcountry canoe camping circuit accessing 200 remote sites by boat—unique among Canadian national parks.

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• La Tuque

  La Tuque is a town of over 11,000 people in Haute-Mauricie, Quebec, best known as the birthplace of Canadian singer-songwriter Félix Leclerc. Its economy is based on pulp and paper production and hydroelectric power, but it serves as the gateway to vast wilderness for hunting, fishing, and outdoor tourism.

  Atlas entry

• Labrador City

  Labrador City and its suburb Wabush are a remote mining twin-town in western Labrador, near the Quebec border. With about 9,350 residents, they are the largest urban area in otherwise sparsely populated Labrador.

  Atlas entry

• Lac-Édouard

  Lac-Édouard is a picturesque forestry municipality in Haute-Mauricie, Quebec, with only 191 residents spread across 916.5 km²—the third largest municipality in Mauricie by area yet the smallest by population. The village sits on the edge of Lake Edward, offering access to pristine wilderness, multiple ecological reserves, and three outfitters specializing in hunting, fishing, and outdoor activities.

  Atlas entry

• Lac-Mégantic

  Lac-Mégantic is a resilient francophone town of 6,000 in Quebec's Eastern Townships, near the Maine border. Built on forestry and granite, it survived a catastrophic 2013 crude oil train derailment that incinerated downtown, and has since rebuilt with new construction and public spaces.

  Atlas entry

• Lacombe

  Lacombe is a small Alberta city of 13,000 set in the rolling parkland between the Rocky Mountains foothills and the prairie. Named after Father Albert Lacombe, a French-Canadian missionary who brokered peace between the Cree and Blackfoot nations, the city preserves its history through 40 downtown murals, a historic blacksmith shop museum, and the birthplace of Canada's 20th Governor General.

  Atlas entry

• Lake Louise

  Lake Louise is one of Canada's most iconic mountain destinations, featuring a vivid turquoise glacial lake backed by the Victoria Glacier and surrounded by the peaks of Banff National Park. The spectacle of colour and scale draws millions annually, but visiting before 8AM or near dusk reveals the lake nearly empty, with dawn light illuminating the glacier in gold.

  Atlas entry

• Langford

  Langford is the business hub of Westshore, the cluster of municipalities west of Victoria on Vancouver Island. The city offers lakes, trails, and parks that are notably less busy than comparable attractions near downtown Victoria, making it ideal for outdoor recreation without crowds.

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• Langley, British Columbia

  Langley is the 'Birthplace of British Columbia' — Fort Langley served as the first capital and first significant non-native settlement on the mainland BC colony when Governor James Douglas proclaimed the colony here in 1858. Today it offers a unique blend of historic fur trade sites, Fraser Valley wine tasting, equestrian culture (Langley calls itself the 'horse capital of BC'), and outdoor recreation in regional parks.

  Atlas entry

• Laurentides Wildlife Reserve

  The Réserve faunique des Laurentides offers 7,861 km² of untouched Quebec wilderness with over 2000 lakes and rivers. This SÉPAQ-managed reserve provides exceptional wildlife viewing, big-game hunting, and sport fishing opportunities unavailable in typical national parks.

  Atlas entry

• Laval

  Laval is a suburban island city covering Île Jésus and smaller islands northwest of Montreal, conglomerated from 14 municipalities in 2000. While largely consisting of bedroom communities and big-box retail with limited downtown appeal, it offers practical advantages: hotels are considerably cheaper than downtown Montreal, and it provides a quieter base for exploring the greater Montreal region.

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• Leamington, Ontario

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• Les Bergeronnes

  Les Bergeronnes is a picturesque village on Quebec's North Shore where the St. Lawrence River meets prime whale habitat.

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• Les Éboulements

  Les Éboulements is a cluster of villages and hamlets in Quebec's Charlevoix region, most famously featuring Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive on the Grande-Côte with exceptional St. Lawrence River panoramas.

  Atlas entry

• Les Escoumins

  Les Escoumins is a member of the Association des plus beaux villages du Québec (Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec), offering well-restored ancestral houses and a charming coastal atmosphere. The village serves as a relay stop along Route 138, providing all essential services for travelers exploring Quebec's North Shore.

  Atlas entry

• Lethbridge

  Lethbridge is a mid-sized Alberta city of about 124,000 people serving as a commercial hub for surrounding farming and ranching communities. The landscape is defined by stark coulee valleys eroded by the Oldman River, providing shelter from the famously strong winds.

  Atlas entry

• Lewisporte

  Lewisporte is a small town of approximately 3,400 residents on Notre Dame Bay in Central Newfoundland. It serves primarily as a deep-water port and shipping centre, functioning as a distribution point for supplies destined to Cartwright and Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Labrador via coastal ferry.

  Atlas entry

• Lillooet

  Lillooet is a small historic town in British Columbia's Fraser Canyon that was briefly the largest town during the 1858-1860 Fraser River Gold Rush. Colonial Governor James Douglas called it "the prettiest spot for a town on the Fraser I have seen," and early travelers compared the dramatic cliff walls and towering mountains to the Himalayas.

  Atlas entry

• Lincoln, Ontario

  Lincoln sits in Ontario's Niagara Peninsula wine region between Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment, offering dozens of wineries, orchards with pick-your-own fruits, and conservation areas with waterfalls. The moderate climate and rural charm attract Toronto visitors seeking wine tastings, fall foliage, and farm-fresh produce.

  Atlas entry

• Lindsay

  Lindsay is the cultural and business hub of the City of Kawartha Lakes, serving as the centre of the region with a population of about 22,000 people. The town offers theater performances, local festivals, historic sites, museums, and artisan studios, all within a compact downtown area lined with locally-owned shops, galleries, and restaurants.

  Atlas entry

• Lion's Head

  Lion's Head is a small Bruce Peninsula town named for a partially-collapsed lion-shaped rock formation on its cliffs. With only ~1,000 winter residents, the population explodes each summer with seasonal visitors and day-trippers.

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• Liverpool, Nova Scotia

  Liverpool offers a quieter, more intimate alternative to Nova Scotia's busier coastal towns. Founded in 1759, the town was built by New England Planters and became famous for its privateering fleet that raided enemy ships during the American Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, and War of 1812.

  Atlas entry

• London, Ontario

  London, Ontario is a mid-sized city of 378,000 nicknamed the "Forest City" for its abundance of urban parks and woodlands. Founded in 1793, it served as a potential capital for Upper Canada before that honor went to Toronto.

  Atlas entry

• Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan

  Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan is a small recreational tourism municipality of 434 residents on Quebec's North Shore, serving as the gateway to the Mingan Archipelago. The village offers 27 km of fine sand beaches along the Gulf of St.

  Atlas entry

• Longue-Rive

  Longue-Rive is a small waterfront municipality on Quebec's North Shore where the main attraction is the sheer scale of its beaches—sandstone flats that stretch for kilometers at low tide and evoke Canada's finest shores. The town sits along the Route des Baleines (Whale Route) and Route Nature aux mille délices (gourmet route), making it a natural stop for road trippers.

  Atlas entry

• Longueuil

  Longueuil is a suburban city of 240,000 people on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, offering nature parks and outdoor activities while providing easy metro access to Montreal.

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• Louiseville

  Louiseville is a small Mauricie town straddling the historic Chemin du Roy route, offering a glimpse into Quebec's rural heritage without the crowds of larger destinations. The town serves as a gateway to Lac Saint-Pierre, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve famous for migratory bird watching, with hundreds of thousands of birds stopping during spring and fall migrations.

  Atlas entry

• Magog

  Magog is a resort town at the northern tip of Lake Memphremagog, serving as a base for visitors exploring Quebec's Eastern Townships. The town appeals to travelers seeking outdoor recreation (skiing, hiking, lake activities), culinary experiences (local wineries, craft beer, poutine), and scenic countryside drives along the Chemin des Cantons.

  Atlas entry

• Maple Ridge

  Maple Ridge is a quiet suburban city in the Fraser Valley, about 40 km east of Vancouver. It appeals to visitors interested in equestrian culture ("horse country" with riding on dykes and trails), Golden Ears Provincial Park hiking, film-location trivia (Rambo, The X-Files, Smallville shot here), and affordable local shopping.

  Atlas entry

• Marathon, Ontario

  Marathon is a quiet town of 3,100 people on Lake Superior's north shore, best known as the largest settlement on the Trans-Canada Highway between Sault Ste Marie and Thunder Bay. It serves as a convenient stop for road trippers and a base for accessing Pukaskwa National Park, Neys Provincial Park, and the unique multicoloured stone Pebble Beach.

  Atlas entry

• Marieville

  Marieville is a small picturesque municipality of about 11,000 residents on the east side of Montreal. It offers a tranquil alternative to city life with restored heritage buildings including the Saint-Nom-de-Marie church, rural panoramas of the St.

  Atlas entry

• Markham

  Markham is a high-tech hub and multicultural suburb directly north of Toronto that offers a quieter, more affordable base for exploring the Greater Toronto Area. The historic village of Unionville within Markham features heritage buildings dating to the 1800s, a main street lined with boutique shops, and cultural events throughout the year.

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• Matane

  Matane is a small seaside city on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, serving as one of the main entry points to the Gaspé Peninsula.

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• Mattawa

  Mattawa (pop. 2000) sits at the 'Meeting of the Waters'—the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa rivers—in Northern Ontario's Franco-Ontarian heartland.

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• McMasterville

  McMasterville offers a peaceful break on Quebec's Arts and Flavours Route, with built heritage reflecting several eras and access to outdoor recreation along the Richelieu River. The town won the "Du jardin dans ma Ville." contest in December 2021 for developing the Boisé du Ruisseau Bernard natural space, showcasing its commitment to green urban planning.

  Atlas entry

• Merrickville

  Merrickville claims to be Canada's prettiest village, and the title is not self-granted: Communities in Bloom, a national non-profit organization, bestowed the honor in 1998. The village sits on the Rideau Canal with picturesque Victorian-era stone houses lining the streets, artisan boutiques, and a small-block fortress museum.

  Atlas entry

• Milton, Ontario

  Milton is a fast-growing suburban town of 110,000 people in Southern Ontario, located about 40 km west of Toronto along Highway 401. While primarily residential and commercial, it offers a pleasant downtown core on Main Street with local shops and restaurants, plus access to the Niagara Escarpment's conservation areas.

  Atlas entry

• Mississauga

  Mississauga is Canada's seventh largest city and Toronto's largest suburb, making it a practical base for exploring the Greater Toronto Area. The city offers diverse multicultural dining, waterfront parks along Lake Ontario, and historic villages like Port Credit and Streetsville with their own character and annual festivals.

  Atlas entry

• Moncton

  Moncton is the largest city in New Brunswick and the self-proclaimed Hub of the Maritime Provinces. The city rose from the ashes of a railway-centric collapse with a diversified economy featuring bilingual workforce strengths in transportation, education, healthcare, and technology.

  Atlas entry

• Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park

  Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park is the third most visited park in Quebec, drawing approximately 750,000 visitors annually. Located on the south shore of Montreal in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, this protected territory on the Monteregian hills offers nature access without venturing far from the city.

  Atlas entry

• Mont-Saint-Hilaire

  Mont-Saint-Hilaire is an apple-growing heartland with over a dozen orchards and cider houses clustered at the foot of the mountain. The town offers three museums including the major Fine Arts Museum on the south shore, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (Gault Nature Reserve) with 18 km of trails, and agrotourism experiences like alpaca farm visits and vineyard tastings.

  Atlas entry

• Mont-Tremblant

  Mont-Tremblant is Quebec's most famous ski resort, built by Intrawest starting in 1992 at the foot of a 875m mountain in the Laurentian range. The pedestrian village features pastel-colored houses with maple logs on the fire and twinkling window lights in winter.

  Atlas entry

• Montreal

  Montreal is Canada's second largest city and the largest francophone city in the Americas. It has a rich history as a fur-trade centre and later as a hub for culture and arts.

• Moose Jaw

  Moose Jaw is a prairie city of about 34,000 in Southwestern Saskatchewan, about 45 minutes west of Regina. It gained fame during Prohibition in the 1920s when its proximity to the US border and rail access made it a hub for bootlegging.

  Atlas entry

• Moosonee

  Moosonee is a remote town of 1,500 people in Northern Ontario, serving as the 'Gateway to the Arctic' for goods transferred from trains to aircraft and barges heading to more northerly communities. Unlike larger northern cities, it offers an authentic isolated northern experience with Cree cultural heritage, bird sanctuary excursions, and access to James Bay coastal communities reachable only by boat in summer or ice road in winter.

  Atlas entry

• Mount Revelstoke National Park

  Mount Revelstoke National Park is a compact 260 km² protected area in the Selkirk Mountains of southeastern British Columbia, famous for its rare inland temperate rainforest. The park offers old-growth cedar boardwalk trails, a scenic mountain parkway through sub-alpine wildflower meadows, and proximity to the town of Revelstoke.

  Atlas entry

• Nanaimo

  Nanaimo is the central hub city of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, the second largest city on the island with the second biggest harbour. Unlike the more tourist-focused Victoria, Nanaimo has a working-city authenticity with a coal-mining heritage, a compact downtown waterfront, and easy ferry connections to mainland Vancouver.

  Atlas entry

• Napanee

  Napanee is a small Ontario town of about 17,000 people, historically significant as the county seat of Lennox & Addington and tied to United Empire Loyalist heritage. It serves as a practical stop on the Highway 401 corridor between Toronto and Montreal, with heritage buildings, local museums, and nearby wineries along the Loyalist Parkway.

  Atlas entry

• Natashquan

  Natashquan is a remote fishing village on Quebec's North Shore, known as the birthplace of celebrated Quebec poet and singer-songwriter Gilles Vigneault. The village preserves its heritage through museums, restored historical sites, and the annual Fête de la Mi-Carême carnival.

  Atlas entry

• Nelson, British Columbia

  Nelson sits on the west arm of Kootenay Lake in British Columbia's West Kootenay region, a compact walkable city of 11,000 celebrated for its exceptional collection of restored Victorian-era heritage buildings from the silver-rush era. The city is nicknamed "The Queen City" and was the filming location for the 1987 Steve Martin comedy Roxanne.

  Atlas entry

• New Westminster

  New Westminster is a city of 79,000 people in British Columbia's Fraser Valley, offering a distinct alternative to typical suburban sprawl. Its Victorian-era houses and buildings along Columbia Street and the Fraser River waterfront give it historic character uncommon in Greater Vancouver.

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• Newmarket, Ontario

  Newmarket is a heritage town of 84,000 people in the centre of York Region, Ontario, sitting halfway between Toronto and Barrie along Highway 11/Yonge Street. Its main tourist draw is the Main Street Heritage Conservation District, where late-19th-century 'Boom Town' architecture lines a walkable 1-km strip.

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• Niagara Falls, Ontario

  Niagara Falls is one of North America's most iconic natural wonders, attracting millions of visitors annually to witness the thundering Horseshoe Falls and surrounding cascades. The Canadian side offers superior viewpoints, a vibrant tourist district centered around Clifton Hill, and numerous attractions beyond the falls themselves.

  Atlas entry

• Niagara-on-the-Lake

  Niagara-on-the-Lake is a quieter counterpoint to the chaos of Niagara Falls, 20 km north. The town draws visitors with its impeccably preserved Victorian main street, the Shaw Festival theater (April-November), and more than 30 wineries within a short drive.

  Atlas entry

• Nipigon

  Nipigon is a small, isolated township of 1,500 people on the north shore of Lake Superior, serving as a rest stop along the Trans-Canada Highway between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste Marie. The village is a departure point for fishing excursions onto Lake Superior, the Nipigon River system, and Lake Nipigon, with species including Atlantic salmon, lake trout, speckled trout, rainbow trout, walleye, northern pike, bass, and perch.

  Atlas entry

• North Bay, Ontario

  North Bay calls itself the "gateway to Northern Ontario" and serves as a useful stopover on trans-Ontario road trips. The city of approximately 53,000 people sits on the shores of Lake Nipissing with a pleasant waterfront trail, gardens, and marina.

  Atlas entry

• North Rustico-New Glasgow

  North Rustico and New Glasgow are small rural communities on the north side of Prince Edward Island, offering a quieter alternative to busier Cavendish. North Rustico, known locally as 'The Crick', sits on the northern coast bordering PEI National Park, while New Glasgow lies inland along the Hunter River.

  Atlas entry

• North Sydney, Nova Scotia

  North Sydney is a small community of 5,700 people on Cape Breton Island's eastern shore, serving primarily as the "Gateway to Newfoundland." It functions as the western terminus of the Marine Atlantic ferry service, acting as the marine link for the Trans-Canada Highway to Newfoundland. The town has a number of restaurants and motels catering to ferry passengers, making it a practical overnight stop if crossing to Newfoundland requires waiting for the next sailing.

  Atlas entry

• North Vancouver

  North Vancouver sits across the Burrard Inlet from downtown Vancouver, surrounded by mountains and water on three sides. The area offers easy access to outdoor recreation including hiking on the Grouse Grind, mountain biking on local trails, skiing at Grouse Mountain and Mount Seymour, and kayaking in Deep Cove or Indian Arm fjord.

  Atlas entry

• Oakville, Ontario

  Oakville is a prosperous bedroom community of 190,000 on Lake Ontario's north shore, about 30 km west of Toronto. It offers a quaint downtown with heritage buildings, lakefront parks with views toward Toronto's skyline, and golf courses like Jack Nicklaus-designed Glen Abbey.

  Atlas entry

• Okotoks

  Okotoks is a quiet Alberta town of 29,000 people perched on the banks of the Sheep River, roughly 18 km south of Calgary. It functions primarily as a bedroom community for Calgary commuters but draws visitors to its surprising natural landmark — The Big Rock, the world's largest known glacial erratic — plus 99 parks and over 85 km of maintained trails.

  Atlas entry

• Oliver

  Oliver is a small Okanagan town of about 4,900 people that Tourism British Columbia has named the Wine Capital of Canada. The town sits along the Okanagan River by Tuc-el-nuit Lake between Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls.

  Atlas entry

• Orillia

  Orillia draws visitors as a gateway to Lake Country, cottage country in Muskoka, Algonquin Provincial Park, and the Trent-Severn Waterway. Known as the Sunshine City, it sits on the shores of Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching, both part of the Trent-Severn Waterway connecting to Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario.

  Atlas entry

• Oshawa

  Oshawa sits 50 km east of Toronto as a gateway to Durham Region, best known for its century-spanning automotive legacy. The city makes an easy half-day or overnight trip from the capital, offering car museums, a National Historic Site estate, and lakeside parks without Toronto prices or crowds.

  Atlas entry

• Osoyoos

  Osoyoos is a small town of about 5,100 permanent residents in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley that draws visitors primarily for its summer recreation and wine culture. The area has a semi-arid desert climate that produces Canada's hottest temperatures and the country's warmest freshwater lake, making it ideal for beachgoers and water sports from May through September.

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• Ottawa

  Ottawa is Canada's capital, offering a mix of national museums, historic Parliament Hill, and vibrant neighborhoods like ByWard Market. It's a clean, safe city with a blend of English and French culture, and easy day trips to Gatineau.

• Owen Sound

  Owen Sound is a city of approximately 21,000 people sitting on the Niagara Escarpment in Grey County. It offers a beautiful harbour and bay, winding rivers, tree-lined streets, and a thriving historic downtown.

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• Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

  Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is a rare collision of ecosystems: Pacific surf pounds long sandy beaches while ancient temperate rainforests cloak the coastal mountains just inland. The reserve spans three distinct zones—Long Beach for surfing and beachcombing, the Broken Group Islands for kayaking and wilderness camping, and the legendary West Coast Trail for serious multi-day hikers.

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• Parksville

  Parksville is a popular summer vacation destination on Central Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The city is informally considered a twin city with neighbouring Qualicum Beach and draws visitors for its sandy beaches, provincial parks, and family-oriented attractions.

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• Parry Sound

  Parry Sound is a small Northern Ontario town (population ~7,000 year-round) that transforms into a bustling summer destination when Toronto cottagers arrive. The town claims the world's deepest natural freshwater port and sits at the heart of the 30,000 Islands, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve archipelago stretching from Midland to French River.

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• Peace River, Alberta

  Peace River is a quiet northern Alberta town of about 7,000 people set in a dramatic river valley 1,000 feet below the surrounding plateau. The town serves as a regional hub for the Peace Country, offering access to First Nations, French-Canadian, and Mennonite cultural communities.

  Atlas entry

• Pelee Island

  Pelee Island is the southernmost populated point in Canada, sitting at the confluence of the Atlantic Flyway and Mississippi Flyway bird migration routes. The island is a significant stopover site for monarch butterflies and numerous bird species, making birdwatching a major draw alongside the annual pheasant hunt.

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• Pemberton, British Columbia

  Pemberton is a sleepy agricultural valley surrounded by the Coastal Mountains, serving as an outdoor-recreation gateway without the crowds or price tags of neighboring Whistler. The village sits on the traditional territory of the Lil'wat First Nation, and the valley is famous for its seed potato production and organic farming.

  Atlas entry

• Pembroke, Ontario

  Pembroke serves as the eastern gateway to Algonquin Provincial Park, a 40 km drive west along the Trans-Canada Highway. The city of 14,000 (2021) sits in Ontario's Ottawa Valley near the Quebec border, offering pioneer heritage museums, waterfront trails along the Ottawa River, and access to whitewater rafting, kayaking, and provincial park camping.

  Atlas entry

• Penticton

  Penticton is a slower, cheaper counterweight to larger Canadian cities: beach towns on two lakes, 30+ boutique wineries, and mountain day trips without capital-city chaos. The 'Peach City' doubles its population to 60,000 in summer when tourists flood Okanagan Beach, yet retains small-town safety.

  Atlas entry

• Percé

  Percé is the bustling tourist epicentre of the Gaspé Peninsula, drawing thousands of visitors annually to see Percé Rock, a 20-metre natural arch that has become an iconic emblem of the region. The nearby Bonaventure Island hosts the world's largest accessible colony of northern gannets (100,000 birds), making it a paradise for bird lovers.

  Atlas entry

• Perth, Ontario

  Perth is a preserved 19th-century town of about 6,500 residents in eastern Ontario, established in 1816 as a military settlement for War of 1812 veterans. Scottish, Irish and European stonemasons built the stone buildings that still line Gore Street today, many carefully restored to their original condition.

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• Peterborough, Ontario

  Peterborough is the regional hub of the Kawarthas, serving as the main business, education, cultural, and health care centre for the area. Despite sitting between Toronto and Ottawa, it maintains a small-town friendly atmosphere.

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• Petite-Rivière-Saint-François

  Petite-Rivière-Saint-François is a small Quebec municipality in the Charlevoix region, best known as the gateway to the Astroblème of Charlevoix — the world's fifth-largest meteorite crater. The village sits on the St.

  Atlas entry

• Pincher Creek

  Pincher Creek is a small foothills town of about 3,600 people in Southern Alberta, positioned as a practical base for exploring nearby provincial parks and heritage attractions. The town itself offers heritage sites like the Lebel Mansion and Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village, while its primary value lies in proximity to Waterton Lakes National Park (50 km south) and the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre (44 km west).

  Atlas entry

• Port Alberni

  Port Alberni is a city of about 18,000 people in British Columbia, sitting at the base of Mount Arrowsmith and practically surrounded by mountains. Known as the Salmon Capital of the World, it was designated the World Fishing Network's first "Ultimate Fishing Town 2010" and offers abundant river and ocean fishing.

  Atlas entry

• Port Colborne

  Port Colborne is a quieter, smaller counterweight to Niagara Falls, offering Lake Erie beaches, historic downtown shopping districts, and the Welland Canal's ship watching without the tourist crowds. The city attracts visitors for its local festivals like Canal Days, lakeside recreation, and relaxed Ontario small-town atmosphere.

  Atlas entry

• Port Hardy

  Port Hardy is a small district municipality of about 3,900 residents on the northern tip of Vancouver Island, serving as the primary gateway to the wild Central Coast and Cape Scott. It is the northern terminus for BC Ferries' Discovery Coast run to Prince Rupert, making it a critical transit hub for travelers moving between Vancouver Island and the mainland.

  Atlas entry

• Port-Cartier

  Port-Cartier is a service hub on Quebec's North Shore at the western entrance to the Sept-Rivières region, positioned along Route 138 and the scenic Route des Baleines (Whale Route). The town serves as a gateway for nature travelers seeking the Port-Cartier–Sept-Îles wildlife reserve, 11 km of fine sandy beaches along the Gulf of St.

  Atlas entry

• Portage la Prairie

  Portage la Prairie is a small prairie city of 13,000 people in Manitoba's Central Plains region. It earns its place as a quirky roadside stop and railway enthusiast destination, home to the world's largest Coca-Cola can and one of Canada's rare railway crossroads where Canadian Pacific and Canadian National tracks intersect.

  Atlas entry

• Powell River

  Powell River is a city of 13,000 people tucked away on the upper Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Long dominated by pulp and paper and forestry industries, it has started to become a centre for ecotourism with its abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities.

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• Prescott, Ontario

  Prescott is a quiet Ontario town of 4,000 people sitting on a strategic narrows of the St. Lawrence River, directly opposite Ogdensburg, New York.

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• Prince Albert

  Prince Albert serves as the Gateway to the North, the largest city in Northern Saskatchewan and a primary hub for hunters, fishermen, and wilderness adventurers. The city is transitioning from its historical pulp and paper economy toward call centre employment, offering a practical base for exploring pristine lakes and boreal wilderness.

  Atlas entry

• Prince George

  Prince George is BC's largest city north of Kamloops, serving as a critical service centre for Northern British Columbia along the Yellowhead Highway corridor. While not a traditional tourist destination, it offers practical amenities, cultural attractions like the Two Rivers Art Gallery, and access to outdoor recreation including ski areas and forest trails.

  Atlas entry

• Prince Rupert

  Prince Rupert is a tiny port city of 14,000 on Canada's North Coast, roughly half of whom are Tsimshian First Nations people whose ancestors lived there for at least 5,000 years. The city serves as a regional gateway for ferry connections to Haida Gwaii, the Alaska Marine Highway, and VIA Rail's Jasper–Prince Rupert route.

  Atlas entry

• Quadra Island

  Quadra Island is the largest island in and gateway to the Discovery Islands off British Columbia's coast. The surrounding waters draw boaters and kayakers, with orca viewing tours a major seasonal attraction.

  Atlas entry

• Qualicum Beach

  Qualicum Beach is a quiet retirement and vacation community of about 9,000 residents on Vancouver Island's eastern coast, sitting at the foot of Mount Arrowsmith along the Strait of Georgia. The town is informally considered a twin city with neighbouring Parksville and draws visitors to its long sandy beach, rental cottages, and provincial parks.

  Atlas entry

• Quebec City

  Quebec City is the capital of Canada's Quebec province, sitting on 65-meter-high cliffs overlooking the St. Lawrence Seaway.

• Radium Hot Springs

  Radium Hot Springs is a tiny village of about 800 people famous for its natural hot springs located in nearby Kootenay National Park. The village sits at the intersection of Highways 93 and 95, making it a convenient gateway for exploring the East Kootenays region.

  Atlas entry

• Red Deer

  Red Deer is Alberta's third-largest city (population 100,844 in 2021), positioned halfway between Calgary and Edmonton along the QE2 Highway. For backpackers, it's primarily a transit stop or regional base rather than a destination in itself.

  Atlas entry

• Regina

  Regina is the capital of Saskatchewan province with about 215,000 people, located on the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) in the southeastern part of the province. The city is home to the RCMP Training Academy and the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders, whose loyal fans are known for prominent displays of green and white.

  Atlas entry

• Resolute

  Resolute is one of Canada's most remote inhabited places, sitting at almost 75°N on Cornwallis Island in Nunavut. It serves as a gateway for polar expeditions and Arctic adventures, with the Polar Race and Polar Challenge both starting here on 350-nautical-mile races to the North Pole.

  Atlas entry

• Revelstoke

  Revelstoke is a mountain city of 6,700 people in British Columbia's Columbia-Rockies region, where skiing has emerged as the most prominent attraction. The city sits on the banks of the Columbia River near the Revelstoke Dam, flanked by the Selkirk Mountains to the east and the Monashee Mountains to the west.

  Atlas entry

• Richmond, British Columbia

  Richmond is a riverine city south of Vancouver in British Columbia's Lower Mainland, comprising several islands protected by a dike system from the Fraser River. Over 60% of the population is non-white, giving Richmond the country's largest Asian-Canadian population by percentage, with many Cantonese speakers.

  Atlas entry

• Riding Mountain National Park

  Riding Mountain National Park offers a striking contrast to the surrounding prairie farmland—2,969 km² of forested parkland protecting three converging ecosystems: grasslands, upland boreal, and eastern deciduous forests. Established in 1929 and designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1986, the park provides backcountry wilderness experiences with over 400 km of trails, Clear Lake for boating and sailing, and wildlife including black bears and moose.

  Atlas entry

• Rigaud

  Rigaud is a small Quebec town of 7,854 people (2021) in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region, situated 67 km west of Montreal along the Trans-Canada Highway (Autoroute 40). While a typical rural Quebec town in many ways, it features Mont-Rigaud, a small mountain rising from the flat Ottawa River valley.

  Atlas entry

• Rimouski

  Rimouski is eastern Quebec's maritime university city, often overlooked by travelers rushing to the Gaspé Peninsula but offering significant attractions in its own right. The city is home to the Site historique maritime at Pointe-au-Père, featuring Canada's second-tallest lighthouse, the HMCS Onondaga submarine open for overnight stays, and the Empress of Ireland Museum commemorating the worst maritime disaster in Canadian waters.

  Atlas entry

• Rivière-à-Pierre

  Rivière-à-Pierre is a small Quebec municipality of 584 permanent residents in the heart of the Laurentians, known for its granite quarries and stonemasons who cut granite on the mountainside. The locality covers 538 km² with over 200 lakes, making it paradise for recreational tourism including camping, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, and snowmobile excursions.

  Atlas entry

• Rivière-au-Tonnerre

  Rivière-au-Tonnerre (population under 300) is a tranquil relay village on Quebec's North Shore where the sound of waterfalls crashing through a 50m drop gave the settlement its name meaning "Thunder River." It serves as a gateway to Anticosti Island and sits on both the Route des Baleines and the gourmet Route Nature aux mille délices. The village is part of the Fédération des Villages-relais du Québec, a network of welcoming stopovers for travelers.

  Atlas entry

• Rivière-Saint-Jean

  Rivière-Saint-Jean is a quiet riverside municipality in Minganie on Quebec's North Shore, perfect for travelers seeking to escape crowds and immerse in coastal nature. The area offers Magpie Bay for safe navigation, sandstone flats revealed at low tide over 620 m, and views toward Anticosti Island (38.3 km away at its closest point).

  Atlas entry

• Rockwood Park

  Rockwood Park is a conservation area operated by the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) featuring a dramatic karst landscape of rocky cliffs, natural potholes, caves, and a lake. The park receives over 65,000 visitors annually and is popular for hiking, weddings, and watersports.

  Atlas entry

• Rocky Mountain House

  Rocky Mountain House is a small town of 6,600 people at the crossroads of Highway 22 (Cowboy Trail) and Highway 11 (David Thompson Highway). It serves as the gateway to David Thompson Country, a wilderness recreational area west of town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

  Atlas entry

• Rossland

  Rossland is a small mountain city of 3,700 people (2016) nestled inside the crater of a dormant volcano in the Kootenay Range of Southern British Columbia. Originally built in the 1890s as a gold mining town, Rossland has evolved into a year-round outdoor destination famous for its excellent ski and mountain bike trails.

  Atlas entry

• Rougemont

  Rougemont is a landlocked agritourism paradise in Montérégie, Quebec, celebrated as the apple capital of the province. Its rural areas draw tens of thousands of visitors in September and October for U-pick orchards, while its sugar shacks serve maple-forward meals and its vineyards produce ciders and wines.

  Atlas entry

• Rouyn-Noranda

  Rouyn-Noranda is the administrative capital of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, a region of forests and lakes on the Canadian Shield. The city blends French-Canadian mining heritage with immigrant communities: the distinctive St.

  Atlas entry

• Saguenay

  Saguenay offers a rare blend of industrial heritage and natural beauty in a strongly francophone region. The city serves as the main gateway to the dramatic Saguenay Fjord and a base for exploring the vast wilderness of northern Quebec.

  Atlas entry

• Saguenay-Saint Lawrence Marine Park

  Saguenay–Saint-Laurent Marine Park is one of the world's premier destinations for observing marine mammals in their natural habitat. The park encompasses the confluence of the Saguenay River and the St.

  Atlas entry

• Saint John

  Saint John is Canada's oldest incorporated city, founded in 1785, sitting on the Bay of Fundy where the world's highest tides create the dramatic Reversing Falls. The city welcomes over 1.5 million visitors annually, including 200,000 cruise ship passengers, drawn to its historic uptown district of heritage buildings, the oldest continuing farmer's market in Canada, and growing arts and dining scene.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs

  Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs is a quiet residential municipality in Charlevoix-Est, wedged between mountains formed by the Charlevoix meteorite astrobleme. The village centers on forestry and recreational tourism including vacationing, hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, snowmobiling, and mountain biking.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu

  Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu is a small riverside municipality in Montérégie, Quebec, facing Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu across the Richelieu River. It serves as a recreational tourist destination with a rich historical heritage, including 42 documented historic sites in a self-guided heritage circuit.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Basile-le-Grand

  Saint-Basile-le-Grand serves as a quiet residential suburb ideal for outdoor enthusiasts seeking day-trip activities near Montreal. The city offers nearly 20 km of cycling paths, community parks, and access to the Richelieu River for boating.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville

  Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville serves as the gateway to Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park, one of the Montérégie hills in Quebec. The town combines picturesque built heritage with modern charm, offering gourmet dining, commercial amenities, and extensive outdoor recreational opportunities.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu

  Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu is a small picturesque municipality on the east bank of the Richelieu River in Montérégie, Quebec. It serves as a recreational, nautical, and agricultural destination with well-preserved heritage buildings, including a historic Catholic church and the former presbytery now housing the town hall.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu

  Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu is a picturesque riverside village on Quebec's Richelieu River, winning the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec Recognition Award in 2019. The village combines heritage charm with recreational activities including pleasure boating, cycling circuits, and seasonal festivals.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges

  Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges is a town of 3,800 people (2021) in the eastern suburbs of Quebec City in Quebec, Canada. Located at the foot of Mont Saint-Anne and Mont Ferréol (summit at 762 m), it is an essential destination for resorts and recreational tourism activities in all seasons.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Irénée

  Saint-Irénée is a member of the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec, offering a magnificent village beach, imposing coastal cliffs, and access to the Domaine Forget International Music Festival with about thirty concerts each summer in a 600-seat concert hall. The village combines well-restored historic houses with modern buildings and opulent villas built by French-Canadian vacationers attracted by its coastal charms.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

  Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu is a mid-sized Quebec city (pop. 100,000) that serves as the agricultural heart of Montérégie.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu

  Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu is a tranquil riverside village in Montérégie, Quebec, recognized as one of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec. The municipality offers 12.8 km of Richelieu River shoreline for pleasure boating, access to the Bois de Saint-Amable wooded area, and heritage sites including Maison Janotte (1760) and the old presbytery.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Ours

  Saint-Ours is a small riverside municipality on the Richelieu River plain in Montérégie, Quebec. The town draws tens of thousands of visitors annually to its historic canal and lock, which serves as the 10th lock of the Richelieu River waterway.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Paulin

  Saint-Paulin is a small parish municipality in Quebec's Maskinongé Region, serving as a gateway to outdoor activities in Basse-Mauricie. The area is primarily agricultural, with forestry heritage, and includes the hamlet of Hunterstown with access to the falls of Trembles.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Tite

  Saint-Tite is a small Quebec town in Mauricie that transforms into the 'cowboy capital of Eastern Canada' each September during Festival Western de Saint-Tite. The rest of the year, it offers camping, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and mountain biking in a picturesque setting at the edge of the Laurentian Shield.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Ubalde

  Saint-Ubalde is a small rural Quebec town of 1,412 residents that doubles in population each summer thanks to seasonal residents and the Lac Blanc campsite attracting tens of thousands of visitors. The municipality covers 147 km² at the southeastern limit of the Laurentian Shield, offering hilly landscapes, numerous lakes, and access to recreational activities including camping, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, and snowmobiling.

  Atlas entry

• Saint-Urbain

  Saint-Urbain is a small rural municipality in the Charlevoix region, nestled in the magnificent valley of the Rivière du Gouffre within the Laurentian mountains. The community serves as the gateway to Parc national des Grands-Jardins and the Charlevoix hinterland.

  Atlas entry

• Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts

  Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts serves as a service centre for the surrounding Laurentian region, offering a quieter alternative to busier ski destinations like Mont-Tremblant. The town is characterized by its history and tradition of B&Bs, inns, hotels, and spas, making it an ideal weekend escape from Montreal.

  Atlas entry

• Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré

  Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a small Quebec village famous for its massive Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, one of the oldest and most important pilgrimage sites in North America. The village of 2,850 residents lies along the St.

  Atlas entry

• Sainte-Anne-des-Monts

  Sainte-Anne-des-Monts is a town of about 6,100 residents (2021) on the south shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The town serves as the primary gateway to Gaspésie National Park, where Highway 299 begins its ascent into the Chic-Choc Mountains.

  Atlas entry

• Sainte-Geneviève-de-Batiscan

  Sainte-Geneviève-de-Batiscan is a historic seigneury village in Les Chenaux MRC, Mauricie, with about 1,060 inhabitants. Its appeal lies in the confluence of the Batiscan River and Rivière-à-Veillet, the nearby Parc de la rivière Batiscan with 25 km of hiking trails, and large family campgrounds like Camping Parc de la Péninsule.

  Atlas entry

• Sainte-Julie

  Sainte-Julie is a suburban town in the Montérégie region, best known as the gateway to Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park which shares its southern border. The town itself offers 38 km of cycle paths, several restaurants and bakeries along the commercial strips of Autoroute 20 and Chemin du Fer-à-Cheval, and serves as a convenient base for exploring the Montérégiennes hills.

  Atlas entry

• Sainte-Thècle

  Sainte-Thècle is a picturesque recreational tourism locality in the Middle-Mauricie region of Quebec, sitting at the southeastern limit of the Laurentian Shield on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River.

  Atlas entry

• Salmon Arm

  Salmon Arm is a summer-focused tourist town of nearly 18,000 people on the shores of Shuswap Lake, where the Salmon River empties into the lake. It draws visitors from Vancouver, Calgary, and Asia seeking beaches, camping, and houseboat rentals.

  Atlas entry

• Salt Spring Island

  Salt Spring Island is the largest of British Columbia's Southern Gulf Islands, drawing visitors with its blend of working farms, artist studios, and rural island pace. The population has grown from 10,000 to 13,000 in five years as baby boomer retirees and Alberta oil money arrived, yet the island retains an artist-farmer character from the 1960s-70s back-to-the-land influx.

  Atlas entry

• Sarnia

  Sarnia is a mid-sized Canadian city of roughly 98,000 residents at the south end of Lake Huron, directly across from Port Huron, Michigan. It occupies a natural harbour and was historically significant as the site of Canada's first commercial oil discovery in nearby Oil Springs in 1858.

  Atlas entry

• Saskatoon

  Saskatoon sits on bluffs along the South Saskatchewan River, with early planners reserving the riverfront for parks that create a beautiful urban oasis among wheat fields. Founded in 1906, the city grew through immigration, railway links, and mining wealth, developing cultural sophistication and Art Nouveau architecture that earned it the nickname “Paris of the Prairies.” The economy is powered by potash, oil and gas extraction, and wheat agriculture (abbreviated as “POW”), hosting corporate headquarters of world-leading firms like PotashCorp and Cameco.

  Atlas entry

• Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario

  Sault Ste. Marie is a city of approximately 72,000 people in Northern Ontario, straddling the Canada-US border across the St.

  Atlas entry

• Schefferville

  Schefferville is a fly-rail enclave in northern Quebec's vast wilderness—pop. 244 in 2023, down from 5,000 at its 1960s iron-ore peak.

  Atlas entry

• Sechelt

  Sechelt is a coastal community of 10,200 on the lower Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, bounded by Halfmoon Bay to the west and Roberts Creek to the east. It offers 35 km of Pacific Ocean shoreline, old-growth forests, and access to diving at Skookumchuck Narrows rated by diving magazines and the Cousteau Society.

  Atlas entry

• Selkirk, Manitoba

  Selkirk sits on the Red River 38 km northeast of Winnipeg, serving as the gateway to Manitoba's Interlake region. The city claims the title of Catfish Capital of North America, marked by an 11-metre catfish statue on Main Street.

  Atlas entry

• Sept-Îles

  Sept-Îles is the largest city on Quebec's North Shore and the northernmost significant settlement with paved road access in the province. The city serves as a gateway to remote coastal communities via the seasonal Relais Nordik ferry and offers fresh seafood (particularly scallops and crab), salmon fishing, hiking trails, and Innu cultural attractions at the Shaputuan Museum.

  Atlas entry

• Shawinigan

  Shawinigan is a city of 50,000 people in Quebec's Mauricie region that developed around its tremendous hydroelectric power capacity. Today the city pivots toward tourism, offering visitors a mix of industrial heritage attractions, including La Cité de l'Énergie theme park and the Museum of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, along with access to Mauricie National Park.

  Atlas entry

• Shefford, Quebec

  Shefford is a rural township in the Eastern Townships that serves as an oasis for mountain hiking, camping, and wilderness photography. The main attraction is Mount Shefford, whose 525m summit overlooks the region with panoramic views.

  Atlas entry

• Sherbrooke

  Sherbrooke is the primary economic, political, cultural and institutional centre of Estrie, with eight institutions educating 40,000 students—giving it the highest concentration of university students in Quebec at 10.32 per 100 inhabitants. Since the 19th century a manufacturing centre, the city has transitioned to a service and knowledge-based economy while retaining its regional flavor.

  Atlas entry

• Sidney, British Columbia

  Sidney sits at the north end of the Saanich Peninsula, overlooking the Haro Strait and Salish Sea. It's a practical gateway to the Gulf Islands via Washington State Ferries, and serves the Victoria International Airport just 4.5 km away.

  Atlas entry

• Smithers

  Smithers is an alpine-themed town in British Columbia's North Coast-Nechako region with a population of 5,350 residents (2016). The town requires downtown businesses to construct buildings in an alpine style, featuring a fibreglass statue called the Alpenman or Alpine Al at the main street entrance as its symbol.

  Atlas entry

• Smiths Falls

  Smiths Falls is a small Ontario town of roughly 10,000 people positioned on the Rideau Canal between Ottawa and Kingston. Its main appeal lies in railway heritage—the Canadian Northern Railway once ran through here—and proximity to Ottawa (roughly 80 km south).

  Atlas entry

• Sorel-Tracy

  Sorel-Tracy sits at the confluence of the Richelieu River and the St. Lawrence River, opposite the Sorel Islands—a unique position that draws boaters, bird watchers, and outdoor enthusiasts.

  Atlas entry

• Squamish

  Squamish is a town of about 20,000 people in the Sea to Sky region of British Columbia, halfway between Vancouver and Whistler. The town calls itself "the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada" due to abundant rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, golf, fishing, kayaking, bouldering, white-water rafting, horseback riding, and scuba diving.

  Atlas entry

• St. Albert

  St. Albert offers a rare blend of living heritage—the city was founded in 1861 as a Métis settlement and remains Alberta's oldest non-fortified community.

  Atlas entry

• St. Catharines

  St. Catharines is a city of 137,000 people in the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario, often overlooked by tourists heading to Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

  Atlas entry

• St. John's

  St. John's is the oldest city in North America outside the Caribbean, founded in 1497.

• St. Joseph Island

  St. Joseph Island is Ontario's largest maple syrup producing area, with locals claiming their syrup is Canada's best — making it an essential stop for food lovers and culinary travelers.

  Atlas entry

• St. Stephen

  St. Stephen is a charming border town of 4,400 people in southern New Brunswick, best known as Canada's Chocolate Town.

  Atlas entry

• St. Thomas, Ontario

  St. Thomas is a small city of about 39,000 people in Southwestern Ontario, best known as the place where Jumbo the Elephant was killed by a train in 1885.

  Atlas entry

• Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador

  Stephenville is a small town of 6,600 people in Western Newfoundland with visible French heritage sites, American influence from the former air base era, and ongoing fishing history. It serves as a transit point on the route between Port aux Basques and St.

  Atlas entry

• Stewart

  Stewart is a one-street mining town of about 500 residents tucked into the Coast Mountains at the end of the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. Its main appeal lies in serving as the Canadian gateway to Hyder, Alaska, where the spectacular Salmon Glacier and guaranteed grizzly bear viewing at Fish Creek draw visitors from around the world.

  Atlas entry

• Stratford, Ontario

  Stratford is internationally known for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, which draws more than 600,000 visitors annually to North America's largest classical repertory theatre. The city offers world-class theatrical performances from April through October, combined with charming Victorian architecture, parks along the Avon River, and a compact walkable downtown filled with boutiques and restaurants.

  Atlas entry

• Strathcona Provincial Park

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• Strathmore

  Strathmore is a town of 14,000 people in Alberta's Calgary Region, situated roughly 40 minutes east of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1). Today it functions as an important agricultural community with growing oil and gas exploration.

  Atlas entry

• Sudbury, Ontario

  Sudbury is Northern Ontario's largest city by land area, serving as the region's economic and service hub with approximately 166,000 residents. The city sits on the Sudbury Basin, created by a meteorite impact millions of years ago, leaving behind unique geology and dramatic rocky hills.

  Atlas entry

• Summerland

  Summerland is a small community of 11,600 people in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, known for its wineries, six public beaches along Okanagan Lake, and outdoor recreation. The downtown features Old English Tudor architecture, and Giant's Head Mountain provides panoramic 360-degree views of the surrounding valley.

  Atlas entry

• Summerside

  Summerside is the second-largest community on Prince Edward Island, serving as the cultural and commercial hub of western PEI. The city highlights a unique fur-farming legacy through the International Fox Museum, while its redeveloped waterfront and boardwalk offer relaxed evenings without the crowds of larger destinations.

  Atlas entry

• Surrey, British Columbia

  Surrey is Vancouver's largest suburb (518,000 people in 2016) and one of BC's fastest-growing cities, with a strong multicultural character: 30.9% South Asian (mostly Punjabi from India's Punjab province) and 16.9% other Asian heritage. Unlike glossy tourist Vancouver, Surrey offers working-class authenticity, excellent South Asian food along King George Blvd and 128 St, and quick SkyTrain access to the city.

  Atlas entry

• Sussex, New Brunswick

  Sussex is a quiet farming town nicknamed 'Dairytown' and known as the Dairy Centre of the Maritimes. It's the Covered Bridge Capital of Atlantic Canada, with 8 covered bridges within 10 minutes of downtown.

  Atlas entry

• Sutton, Quebec

  Sutton is a small Quebec village of 3,900 people in the Eastern Townships, offering a quieter alternative to busier regional destinations. The village has strong anglophone heritage (33% English-speaking population) and notable Swiss influence, with Swiss National Day celebrated at Mont Sutton ski resort on the last Saturday of July.

  Atlas entry

• Sylvan Lake

  Sylvan Lake is Alberta's answer to a beach vacation without leaving the province—1.5 million visitors each year come for the warm shallow waters, sandy beaches, and small-town lakeside atmosphere. Located 25 km west of Red Deer on the southeast edge of a 15 km-long freshwater lake, it's a favorite summer escape for Edmontonians and Calgarians alike seeking sunbathing, swimming, water-skiing, and camping.

  Atlas entry

• Tadoussac

  Tadoussac is a small village hidden in the hollow of the mountains, enjoying a privileged site at the confluence of the majestic St. Lawrence River and the Saguenay Fjord—the only fjord in North America.

  Atlas entry

• Tantramar

  Tantramar is a small rural border town in southeastern New Brunswick, formed by the amalgamation of Sackville, Dorchester, and surrounding hamlets. The area is notable for the saltwater Tantramar Marshes around the Bay of Fundy, Mount Allison University in Sackville, and historic sites including Fort Beauséjour National Historic Site in Aulac.

  Atlas entry

• Temagami

  Temagami is a small wilderness town (population 800) in Northern Ontario where old-growth red and white pine stands frame a landscape of lakes and silence. The community sits on the northwest shore of Lake Temagami and serves as the staging point for cottage vacations and multi-day canoe trips into Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park.

  Atlas entry

• Temiskaming Shores

  Temiskaming Shores is the largest community in Northeastern Ontario despite its modest population of under 10,000, serving as a regional hub where the nearest cities—North Bay, Timmins, and Rouyn-Noranda—are all over 100 km away. The tri-town area (Dymond, Haileybury, and New Liskeard) sits along the scenic north shore of Lake Temiskaming, offering affordable accommodations, local craft beer at Whiskeyjack Beer Company, and access to outdoor activities like Devil's Rock and boat trips to Burnt Island.

  Atlas entry

• Terra Nova National Park

  Terra Nova National Park is Canada's most easterly national park, established in 1957 to protect the Eastern Island Boreal Forest natural region. The park covers 399 km² (154 sq mi) of diverse terrain including sheltered Atlantic fjords, boreal landscape, and coastal areas along Bonavista Bay.

  Atlas entry

• Terrace

  Terrace sits at the meeting point of the Skeena River and the Coast Mountains in northwestern British Columbia, serving as the region's retail and service hub for communities across the north. The city was once the cedar pole capital of the world—over 50,000 telephone and power poles were manufactured here annually, and the world's tallest pole (50 metres) cut in Terrace still stands in New York City.

  Atlas entry

• Tete Jaune Cache

  Tete Jaune Cache is a tiny village of about 500 people in the Robson Valley of Northern British Columbia. Its main claim to fame is the annual Chinook salmon run up the Fraser River in August—when up to 1200 km of spawning migration culminates here at Rearguard Falls.

  Atlas entry

• The Battlefords

  The Battlefords are twin communities in West Central Saskatchewan—North Battleford (a city of about 14,000 permanent residents) and Battleford (a town of about 4,000)—separated by the North Saskatchewan River. The area serves as an administrative and service hub for the region, offering a blend of Cree cultural heritage, agricultural history, and outdoor recreation.

  Atlas entry

• Thunder Bay

  Thunder Bay sits at the far northwestern point of the Great Lakes, serving as a transportation bridge between the Canadian Prairies and the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The city combines a rugged frontier heritage with a surprising cultural depth—it's home to the largest Finnish community outside Finland with roughly 15,000 people claiming descent.

  Atlas entry

• Timmins

  Timmins is a northern Ontario city of nearly 41,000 people sitting on one of the richest mineral-producing areas in the Western Hemisphere. The city sprawls across 2,962 km² of land—larger than Luxembourg—surrounded by boreal forest.

  Atlas entry

• Tofino

  Tofino (population 2,500) is a former logging and fishing village that has become a center for ecotourism on Vancouver Island's Pacific coast. The town offers whale watching, surfing, kayaking, and camping against a backdrop of temperate rainforests and long sandy beaches.

  Atlas entry

• Toronto

  Toronto is a diverse, energetic city with over half its residents born abroad, offering world-class museums, ethnic neighbourhoods, and a vibrant food scene. It's a great base for exploring southern Ontario, with easy day trips to Niagara Falls and the Great Lakes.

• Trenton, Ontario

  Trenton is the primary city in the southeastern Ontario municipality of Quinte West, adjacent to Belleville. It is home to Canada’s largest air force base, CFB Trenton (8 Wing), making it a significant military town.

  Atlas entry

• Trois-Rives

  Trois-Rives is a tiny forest resort municipality of just 400 residents in the Mauricie region of Quebec, offering an authentic wilderness escape on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River.

  Atlas entry

• Trois-Rivières

  Trois-Rivières is the second-oldest city in Quebec, founded in 1634, making it a historic stopover midway between Montreal and Quebec City. The compact old quarter around Rue des Ursulines survived the 1908 fire and preserves 18th and 19th century buildings.

  Atlas entry

• Truro, Nova Scotia

  Truro is a small city of about 12,000 people in northern Nova Scotia, often called the 'Hub of the Maritimes' due to its strategic position on the Trans-Canada Highway and rail lines. The city is unique for displaying six large sections of the Berlin Wall along the Cobequid Trail on Dalhousie University's Agricultural Campus.

  Atlas entry

• Tuktoyaktuk

  Tuktoyaktuk (Tuk) is the only Canadian community on the Arctic Ocean connected to the rest of Canada by road, making it uniquely accessible for travelers seeking authentic Arctic experiences. This Inuvialuit village of approximately 900 people offers a rare glimpse into northern Indigenous life, with attractions including the famous pingos (domes of earth-covered ice), the historical Ice House dug into permafrost, and the famous Arctic Ocean sign marking the northernmost point on the North American mainland driveable road.

  Atlas entry

• Twillingate

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• Ucluelet

  Ucluelet is a small town on the west coast of Vancouver Island that serves as a quieter, less surf-focused alternative to neighbouring Tofino. While Tofino draws the crowds for its big beaches, Ucluelet holds its own with storm watching, the Wild Pacific Trail, and proximity to Long Beach and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

  Atlas entry

• Vancouver

  Vancouver is blessed with coastline, mountains, and lush vegetation. It is a cosmopolitan city of glass towers, Vansterdam, gateway to Asia, and haven for outdoor enthusiasts.

• Varennes

  Varennes is a quieter riverside destination on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, offering 10 km of shoreline with numerous nautical activities.

  Atlas entry

• Vaudreuil-Dorion

  Vaudreuil-Dorion is an off-island suburb of Greater Montreal with 38,000 residents, located on the south shores of Lake of Two Mountains at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers.

  Atlas entry

• Vaughan

  Vaughan is a vast suburban and rural area in York Region, north of Toronto. Its principal draws are Canada's Wonderland, a major theme park with 17 roller coasters open May to October, and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, devoted exclusively to Canadian art.

  Atlas entry

• Vernon, British Columbia

  Vernon sits at the north end of the Okanagan Valley, offering a slower-paced alternative to Kelowna with 45,000 residents. Summer draws visitors to Kalamalka and Okanagan Lakes for swimming and beach activities, while winter turns the area toward Silver Star ski resort and local hockey.

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• Victoria, British Columbia

  Victoria is the capital of British Columbia, offering a distinctly British atmosphere with Victorian-era architecture, manicured gardens, and a walkable downtown centered on the Inner Harbour. Unlike the gritty energy of Vancouver, Victoria feels genteel and resort-like—perfect for a relaxed city break with strong ferry connections to Washington State.

• Vulcan, Alberta

  Vulcan, Alberta, has built an entire tourism identity around a coincidence of names with the fictional planet from Star Trek. Incorporated in 1912 and originally a grain-shipping hub for surrounding farms, the town pivoted when someone noticed the Star Trek connection.

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• Wakefield, Quebec

  Wakefield is a picturesque predominantly English-speaking village on the Gatineau River in Quebec's Gatineau Hills, just 30 minutes from Ottawa. Founded in 1830 by Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants, it evolved from a lumber town into a bedroom community for the capital region.

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• Wasaga Beach

  Wasaga Beach draws over two million visitors each summer to its 18-km white sand beach—the world's longest freshwater beach—along the shores of southern Georgian Bay. The town offers a classic beach vacation experience with six numbered beach sections, boardwalks, beach volleyball, and a lively strip on Beach 1 with bars and beach-themed shops.

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• Waterloo, Ontario

  Waterloo is a mid-sized Canadian city (pop. 121,000) forming one half of the Kitchener-Waterloo metro area in Southwestern Ontario.

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• Waterton Lakes National Park

  Waterton Lakes National Park is the Canadian half of Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and Biosphere Reserve. Covering 505 km² in Alberta's southwestern corner, it protects the southernmost portion of the Canadian Rockies.

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• Wawa

  Wawa (pop. 2,700) is a compact, former mining town on the Trans-Canada Highway in Northern Ontario.

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• Welland

  Welland is a mid-sized Ontario city of 56,000 people centered on the historic Welland Canal. The city offers canal-side biking and rollerblading trails, freshwater flatwater sports at the International Flatwater Centre, and an eclectic murals trail.

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• West Kelowna

  West Kelowna is the Okanagan's wine-touring hub, with seven wineries within city limits and 22 more within a half-hour drive. The city sits on Okanagan Lake's west shore, offering beaches, mountain biking trails, and hiking paths around extinct volcano Mount Boucherie.

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• Wetaskiwin

  Wetaskiwin is a small Alberta city best known for the Reynolds-Alberta Museum, which houses an outstanding collection of vintage cars, airplanes, tractors, and industrial machines. The city name derives from the Cree word wītaskiwinihk, meaning "the hills where peace was made," commemorating a historic peace pact between the Blackfoot and Cree nations.

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• Whistler

  Whistler is North America's largest ski area, combining Whistler and Blackcomb mountains into one resort with over 8,000 acres of terrain. Beyond skiing, the area offers mountain biking, hiking, golf, bear watching, and the 2010 Winter Olympics legacy venues.

• Whitby, Ontario

  Whitby is a suburban town in the Greater Toronto Area, offering heritage sites, conservation areas, and waterfront trails as a quiet counterpoint to nearby Toronto. It works best as a day trip or stopover for those exploring Durham region, with 140,000 residents and ties to Whitby, England.

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• White Rock

  White Rock is a compact beach community that serves as a popular weekend escape for Vancouverites. The town is dominated by the Semiahmoo Bay waterfront, anchored by the iconic 400-tonne white boulder that gives the city its name.

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• Whitehorse

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• Williams Lake

  Williams Lake is a small town of about 11,000 people in BC's Cariboo region, serving as the gateway to the Central Coast. It offers access to numerous lakes, ranches, and outdoor recreation including hiking, fishing, and wildlife viewing.

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• Windsor, Ontario

  Windsor is a mid-sized Canadian city on the southwest tip of Ontario, directly across the Detroit River from the United States. With over 20% of its 230,000 residents born outside Canada, it offers rich multicultural neighborhoods featuring Middle Eastern, Italian, and Asian communities.

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• Winkler

  Winkler serves as the economic heart of southern Manitoba's Pembina Valley, a region renowned for its extraordinarily fertile agricultural soils. The city is distinguished by its large Mennonite community whose German-speaking ancestors arrived from Russia in 1874, shaping the area's distinctive cultural fabric.

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• Winnipeg

  Winnipeg is Manitoba's capital, a gateway to the West, known for its architecture, museums, and broad retail market. It is off the tourist trail but offers an authentic Canadian Prairie city experience.

• Wolfville

  Wolfville is a quaint university town of 4,200 people in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley, perched on the dramatic Bay of Fundy with the world's highest tides. The town centers on Main Street and serves as a hub for exploring the valley's renowned wineries, the Acadian heritage site of Grand-Pré, and 110 km of the Harvest Moon Trailway.

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• Woodstock, New Brunswick

  Woodstock is the oldest incorporated town in New Brunswick, established in 1785, making it a significant historical destination for visitors interested in Canadian heritage. The town sits along the scenic St.

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• Yellowknife

  Yellowknife is the main entry point for visitors to the Northwest Territories and one of the best places in the world to see the Aurora Borealis. The city sits on the North Arm of Great Slave Lake, North America's deepest lake, with wilderness adventures accessible right from town.

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• Yoho National Park

  Yoho National Park is Canada's smallest Rocky Mountain park but packs incredible natural diversity: the second-highest waterfall in Canada (Takakkaw Falls at 384m), glacier-fed Emerald Lake, UNESCO-listed Burgess Shale fossil beds with 500-million-year-old specimens, and historic rail engineering at the Spiral Tunnels. The park offers everything from gentle lakeside strolls to challenging multi-day backcountry routes, all within easy reach of the Trans-Canada Highway.

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• Yorkton

  Yorkton is a prairie service city of 16,000 in East Central Saskatchewan, founded in 1882 by the York Farmers Colonization Company. The city preserves Ukrainian immigrant heritage from the early 20th century alongside Scottish and English settlement traditions.

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