See the world, in Canada
Not ready to travel overseas? Our northern neighbor has alternatives
Beginning Aug. 9, Canada plans to reopen its border to nonessential American visitors — including tourists — as long as they are fully vaccinated. The decision comes after months of public pressure. In recent weeks, Canada’s vaccination rate has surged — Oxford University’s Our World in Data site shows Canada leading the world in vaccinations — with 70% of residents at least partially vaccinated, approaching Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s vaccine targets for reopening.
Americans traveling to Canada must be fully vaccinated with one of the vaccines approved in Canada — including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson — and submit proof via the government’s ArriveCAN app or website. They must also provide proof of a negative COVID19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival in Canada.
With the relaxed restrictions, tourism officials are banking on an influx of visitors, not just to see family and friends, but to travel in a vast country rich with cultural influences from
around the world.
From the 17th-century French founding of Quebec City to the immigrant waves from China to the Vancouver area, many parts of Canada bear the influence of other places. For those Americans who aren’t yet ready to cross an
ocean as the world continues to reckon with COVID19, Canada offers the world without requiring you to leave North America, all at a favorable exchange rate.
Instead of Paris, try Quebec City
In 1608, French
explorer Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City on the rising banks of the St. Lawrence River; the city would become the center of the New France colony in North America, until the British conquest in 1759. That colonial reign left a lasting impression
on local language, architecture, food and culture generally.
“I often call Quebec City ‘Paris without the jet lag,’ ” said Robert Mercure, the general manager of Quebec City Tourism.
There’s no Eiffel Tower, of course, but there’s enough 17th-century ambience to make a convincing case for provenance, particularly in central Old Québec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only walled city in North America outside of Mexico. Here, you’ll find the grand NotreDame de Québec Cathedral-Basilica; the Québec Ursulines Convent, the continent’s oldest school for girls; and nearly 3 miles of walls encircling the city that visitors can walk upon.
Outdoor living is a hallmark of life in Québec. In summer, many of Old Québec’s lanes are closed to cars, allowing pedestrian-only access to shoplined Rue Saint-Jean and the cafes of cobblestoned Rue du Petit-Champlain.
Instead of the Alps, try Banff National Park
In southern Alberta, the Banff region offers mountain majesty with an Alpine connection. Long after Indigenous peoples sought healing in the region’s hot springs, the Canadian Pacific Railway chose the Bow Valley to build a grand hotel, one in a string designed to encourage cross-country tourism. For more than 50 years, beginning in 1899, the company brought in Swiss moun
taineers to safely guide climbers and hikers in exploring the area — now Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park.
“I walk out the same doors they did,” said Jeff Douglas, the lead guide at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise resort, where adventures like hiking and canoeing in summer, and skiing and snowshoeing in winter have supplanted Alpine summiting.
“Banff National Park offers sights you wouldn’t otherwise experience in France, Italy or Switzerland, like our local grizzly bear populations,” said Kim Gray, a Calgary-based writer and publisher of the Canadian travel blog Toque & Canoe.
She recommends taking a medicine walk in the park with an Indigenous guide through Mahikan Trails, and a scenic ride to about 7,500 feet aboard the Banff Gondola.
During the pandemic, a two-block stretch of main street in downtown Banff has been turned into a pedestrian zone with outdoor dining tables for savoring mountain views over meals. Nearby, the new Three Bears Brewery and Restaurant has a retractable roof for stargazing.
Instead of China, try the Vancouver area
When Judy Lam
Maxwell, the owner of Historical Chinatown Tours, guides her threehour food and walking tours of Chinatown in Vancouver, she introduces travelers to the private heritage buildings in the district that once served Chinese immigrants, who came in the late 1800s to build Canada’s transcontinental railroad. They housed associations that provided accommodation, banking, social events and protection against discrimination.
“It’s fun to go in and see the elders playing mahjong and the insides of these buildings, which are like museums,” said Lam Maxwell, who continues the tour with a two-hour lesson in dumpling making, which she describes as central to Chinese culture: “It’s bonding and sharing food.”
A wave of immigration preceded the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule; another more recent wave has been linked to China’s booming economy.
Many newcomers settled in the suburb of Richmond, which is 54% ethnic Chinese, according to a 2016 census, and home to Asian shopping malls, the International Buddhist Temple and, most famously, food, including more than 800 restaurants, a “dumpling trail” of more than 20 restaurants, including Empire Seafood, and a night market reopening July 23.