British Columbia-Ucluelet

After being so cold for so long, coming to the temperate rainforest of Canada gets a warm and hearty welcome. Because of the high precipitation and moderate temperatures, it stays decently
warm all year long. There is no winter season, but the summers don't get too warm. The temperature maintains a 10 C to 15 C range.

When we first arrived at 48 57'N by 125 32'W, all I could think of was starfish and betting on barnacles on the coastline. We have finally reached the west coast of Canada. When we went down to the shore, all I could see was the ocean. I looked out into the wide expanse, sparkling like a million diamonds, the soothing meldy of the waves crashing all around me. I was able to forget all about the 1487 people of Ucluelet. Even though there aren't a lot of people, the population density is 227/km . We are in the Pacific Maritime ecozone, and the nearest national park is the Pacific Rim Reserve Natioonal Park.

Here, the only industry is tourism. There is lots of stuff to do though: nature viewing, camping,hiking, surfing, fishing, kayaking, scuba diving, storm watching, and learning about the Haida culture and heritage.

Even as this is the last stop on our journey, I can't help but look back on our journey with awe. Canada is truly a beautiful and magnificent country.

Snowshoeing Pics!

Alberta-Banff

Mmmmmmmmm, I love to breathe in the crisp, fresh scent of the mountains. At 51 10'N by 115 34'W, it is -30 C in the winter with both chinooks and cold snaps, it snows all year round, even in the summer where it gets to 21 C. We are in the Montane Cordillera, in the national park of Banff. The population is 6700with a population density of 1382/km . Who wouldn't want to be here? With majestic mountains, and the

enticing hotsprings. The two main industries in Banff are tourism, and the environment (park care).

There is tonnes of things to do here. In the winter you can hike, take airplane or helicopter rides, go downhill skiing or if you prefer, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, dog-sledding, snowboarding, ice skating, sledding, tobogganing, ice fishing, ice diving (if you're daring), or sleigh rides. In the summer, you can hike, camp, fish, bike, golf at Chateau Banff Springs, play tennis, go swimming, canoe, kayak, go white water rafting, go on boat tours, go scuba diving, go on carriage rides, or go horse back riding. We opted to going snowshoeing in Banff, but also in Lake Louise. Take a look at a few of our pictures in my next blog!

Tomorrow, we take the plane to Vancouver where we will take the B.C. Ferry across to Vancouver Island. I am so excited to see the West Coast!

Saskatchewan-Hudson Bay

We just came back from snowshoeing in Wildcat Hill Provincial Park, and guess what we saw? A moose! We all tried to stay as still and as quiet as possible so that we wouldn't scare him. It was hard . imean, how many of you can stay perfectly srill in -50 C? The skies are always clear, and the snow stays for a long time. Once the snow is gone though, it can get up to 45 C in the summer. There is also a lot of sun. We're kind of near the Arctic circle, us being at 52 51'N by 102 23'W. The population of the town is 1646, and the population density is 95/km . Our ecozone is the Boreal Plains, and the clostest national park is Prince Albert National Park.

There aren't many remarkable landmarks around here, but the villagers speak highly of thier Ruby Lake and Prcupine Hill. The industries include agriculture, small shops, and logging(Weyerhaeuser). There is plenty to do while we visit. Snowmobiling,visiting the Al Mazur Memorial Heritage, or the John Deere collection, or the Museum,looking at town murals, go to the Hudson Bay Regional Park, go fishing, or hunting, or camping, or snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing. Also, tours going to Churchill, Manitoba depart from here.

Tomorrow, the mountains beckon

Ontario-Killarney

It's so beautiful here! So wild, so fresh, so clean! The population here is 454, with a population density of 0.3/km , so you know that it's really small town here. Actually, it is a municipality. At 49 10'N by 99 40'W it can be -15 C in the winter with moderate snowfall, 20 C in the summerwith a moderate amount of sunshine.

Even though it shares some of the same characteristics as other regions in the Boreal Shield, Killarney has a few spine-tingling differences. Take the La Cloche Mountains for example (below). Formed from white quartzite and rose granite, they peek out from behind the backdrop of the evergreens.

The closest national park is Georgian Bay Island National park, but that doesn't stop the local Killarnians from making a living off of tourism. In Killarney, you can go camping, hiking (or you can go on a week long hike and camp), canoeing, kayaking, boating and yurting. Fishing is a more minor industry. Today, my family and I hiked up to this place called The Crack. We could see for miles around. It was hard getting there, but the view was worth it.

Newfoundland and Labrador- Happy Valley Goose Bay

Yesterday, we arrived at our first destination on our vacation across Canada. When my parents told me that we were coming here, I laughed, and told them that no such place exists. My dad then told me to look up 53 15'N by 60 20'W, and lo and behold, there it was. The population is 7572, but the population density is only 25/km.

It is really cold right now, -17 C currently, and I'm told that the temperature stays stable all winter. But I'm also told that Happy Valley Goose Bay (HVGB) has pleasant summers- about 15 C. HVGB is in the Taiga Shield, which means that it is much more northern than St.Catherines.

I just saw the most beautiful thing ever! Have you ever seen the Aurora Borealis? It is truly a breathtaking sight! The closest national park is the Torngat Mountains, and tomorrow we're going hiking and snowmobiling. If it were summer, then we could go canoeing, or kayaking, or hunting, or fishing. Other than tourism, the other industries are mining and forestry.

Tomorrow, we head for Killarney, Ontario.