My trip across Canada.: January 2011

· Landforms: The landscape of British Columbia is composed of a great variety of landforms. It ranges from soaring peaks in the Rocky Mountains, to the plains in the Lower Fraser Valley and lava plateaus in the central interior. The Rocky Mountains pass through British Columbia and reach down through the United States.

· Climate: Summers are hot and sunny, with daytime temperatures often exceeding 35 °C. During summer clear, dry air allows nighttime temperatures to fall quickly. The city averages about 300 millimeters of precipitation per year, with about 1/3rd of the precipitation falling as snow. The inherent dryness of Kelowna's climate is a factor in the forest fire risk as, for example, during the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire of 2003, a large residential evacuation (over 30,000 residents) was ordered.

· Closes National Park: Myra- Bellevue Provincial Park, the historical artifacts found along the trail system and the wilderness attract many people to the park who enjoy hiking, mountain biking, bird watching, sightseeing and horseback riding in the summer. In the winter months, the trails become cross country ski and snowshoe routes.

· Industries: Service Centre, tourism, agriculture, wines, forestry

· Ecozone: Montane Cordillera

· Tourism: Kelowna Museum & British Columbia Orchard Industry Museum, Father Pandosy Mission, Rotary Centre for the Arts, forestry tours, industrial tours, winery tours, Okanagan Lake Bridge is North America's Longest Floating Bridge, waterslide park, Knox Mountain, Woodhaven Nature Conservatory, Kasugai Gardens, Art Gallery, Stuart Park on the Waterfront Promenade.

Going from Lethbridge to Kelowna, British Columbia

To get to Kelowna, BC took about 10 hours from Lethbridge, we stayed in a cozy lodge in the middle of town. The day after we drove to Myra- Bellevue Provincial Park, we snow-shoed along the routes and trails, it was really fun. We also tried some cross-country skiing which fun but really tiring. We did that during the morning and after lunch we were going to go skating. I even convinced my mom to join us. It was tough at first but once she got the hang out it she didn’t fall too much. My brother and I kept having races on the ice rink trying to see who could go faster, I won.

There wasn’t too much to do there, because it was winter, but we did go see the “Father Pandosy Mission” which was actually pretty interesting. In the 1960s, the Okanagan Historical Society took on the task of preserving the historic Pandosy Mission site on Benvoulin Road in Kelowna. It was here that Father Pandosy, an Oblate priest, established the first white settlement in the Okanagan Valley in 1859. After we got back to the hotel we all just sat around the fireplace and drank hot chocolate. It was really relaxing and we talked about trip and how we all really enjoyed it. Now all that was left was the drive back home.

Lethbridge, Alberta Information

· Latitude: 49° 41' 36.564" N

· Longitude: 112° 50' 30.624" W

· Population: 86,659 people

· Population Density: 3.5 /km²

· Landforms: The Mountains in the west help protect this area from receiving large amounts of precipitation. Most precipitation results from convectional rainfall in the summer time. Lethbridge lies southeast of Calgary on the Oldman River. Close proximity to the Rocky Mountains provides Lethbridge with cooler summers than other locations in the Canadian Prairies

· Climate: Lethbridge has a moderate continental climate with warm summers and relatively cold winters that are moderated by the Chinook winds. The area has a temperature range of about 26 degrees C and annual precipitation of around 400 mm. Lethbridge winters have the highest temperatures in the prairies, reducing the severity and duration of winter cold periods and resulting in fewer days with snow cover.

· Ecozone: Prairies Ecozone

· Closes National Park: Waterton Lakes National Park is located 270 km south of Calgary, Alberta, and 130 km Southwest of Lethbridge, Alberta.

· Industries: Initially built around agriculture and coal-mining, Lethbridge now has a diverse range of key industries within private, public and non-profit organizations. While agri-foods continue to thrive and remain one of our key industries, new and emerging sectors such as alternative energy are also gaining strength. There was also the Core Industry – what sectors provide most of the gas for the local economic engine – agriculture, transportation, manufacturing Information and Communications Technology, aerospace, alternative energy etc.

· Tourism: Some tourism areas are the interpretive centre at the reconstructed replica of Fort Whoop-Up as well as the serenely Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden created in 1967 as a centennial project and symbolizing Japanese and Canadian friendship. Also, the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, the Bowman Arts Centre and the Sir Alexander Galt Museum and Archives are good places to go when visiting Lethbridge. You can also picnic and hike the trails in Indian Battle Park.

Going from Thompson to Lethbridge, Alberta.

It only took about 17 hours or so to get to Lethbridge, Alberta. So, again, when we got there we checked into the hotel and the next day we started exploring. We couldn’t go to the national park because it was too far away but we went to the reconstructed replica of Fort Whoop-Up. There were so many things to see there, like all the old artifacts and such. It was quite a sight to see, the day after we all went to the “Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden” it was so pretty. There was a layer of snow on everything, icicles were hanging from trees, it was like a winter wonderland. There weren’t too many people there the day that we went so that was nice. After we got back to the hotel we had dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant and with that the day ended.

The next day we all went to the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, there were some interesting pieces of artwork there but still fun to look at. After lunch we went to the Sir Alexander Galt Museum which was pretty fun as well as the Bowman Arts Centre which wasn’t that bad. Around 5 we went back to the hotel and watched some movies that we brought with us because the weather was getting pretty bad. During dinner we went to the restaurant in the hotel and had a nice big family meal. When the day was coming to an end we all decided to go back to the room and go to bed early, tomorrow was going to be the last destination of our trip.

Thompson, Manitoba Information

· Latitude: 55° 45' North

· Longitude: 97° 45' West

· Population: Approximately 13,446 people

· Population Density: 3.9 /km²

· Landforms: Located in the Canadian Shield, an area known for its rugged natural beauty and abundance of natural resources. The landscape consists of many lakes, deep river valleys, boreal forest and plains which are located in the southern part of the area.. The vegetation of the area consists mainly of Boreal forest where hardy coniferous trees such as the black spruce and some broadleaf trees like the white birch are able to survive.

· Climate: Thompson, Manitoba experiences a Continental climate, that is characterized by warm temperatures in the summer and the winters are fairly cold, with quite low precipitation in both winter and summer. The temperature range is about 40°C, while the annual rain fall is around 600 millimeters, which is low, and occurs mostly in the summer months.

· Ecozone: Boreal Plains

· Closes National Park: Paint Lake Provincial Park is characterized by the waters and shores of Paint Lake, a portion of the Grass River system. Classified as a Natural Park, its purpose is to preserve areas that are representative of the Hayes River Upland portion of the Precambrian Boreal Forest Natural Region, and to accommodate a diversity of recreational opportunities and resource uses

· Industries: The primary industries are Mining and Forestry, hydro-generation, and fisheries are all important contributors to the Thompson economy, Extensive logging also occurs

· Tourism: The Northern Canadian boreal forest the city of Thompson is surrounded by wildness, creating a unique outdoor experience for locals and visitors; to the south is the Paint Lake Provincial Recreational Park which envelopes Manitoba's largest marina. Even further south are the majestic Pisew Falls, Manitoba’s highest waterfalls accessible by road. There is a golf course in town and also a river air-base where planes can be chartered to reach some of the more remote parts of the province. Mystery Mountain Winter Park hosts the town's downhill skiing, snowboarding, and cross country skiing facilities. Snowmobiling is another popular activity around Thompson, boasting more than 200 groomed trails. Another attraction is Thompson Zoo and Lights in the Wild teaches traditional ways and a chance to experience the mysterious and beautiful Northern Lights.

Going from Montreal to Thompson, Manitoba

We drove from Montreal to Thompson, Manitoba, which took about 2 days of driving to get there. We drove for one night and the other we spent in a Motel. We had to go through the USA to make the drive over to Thompson shorter. When we finally got there it was only 8 pm but we were all so tired that we checked into a hotel and went straight to bed. When we woke up the next day we went to “Mystery Mountain Winter Park” and went skiing. I fell a lot, and my mom stayed inside but Simon and Melanie were surprisingly good at it. My dad on the other hand stayed on the bunny hill with me. We tried going on a bigger hill but then I fell and one of my skis slid half way down the hill while I rolled beside it. Once I came to my feet my dad and I had a contest of who could make it down the hill first, sadly my dad won.

During the next few days, we visited some of the nature parts of the city. There were a lot of sights to see, we also went snowmobiling which was really fun, and I’ve never done it that before. As we started leaving Thompson we went to a Provincial Park called “Paint Lake Provincial Park” it had a lot of forests, but not too many hills and defiantly no mountains. We also did some shopping while we were there; there were a lot of neat stores and restaurants. There was also this little bakery that sold freshly baked muffins each day, it was the best muffin I’ve ever tasted, needless to say we bought a lot of them. So, with that, we went off to our next destination.

Montreal, Quebec Information

• Longitude: 73° 35' W
• Latitude: 45° 30' N
• Population: 1,620,000
• Population Density: 4,438.7/km²
• Landforms: The Gaspé Peninsula juts into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the East. The Saint Lawrence River Valley is a fertile agricultural region, producing dairy products, fruit, vegetables, maple sugar (Quebec is the world's largest producer), and livestock
• Climate: varies a lot over the year. The city is known for its cold winters, but its summers are hot and generally sunny, with occasional muggy days. May and October are arguably the pleasantest months for outdoor activities and walking. Evenings will often remain a little chilly except on the hottest days.It begins to snow in late November and, while quickly removed from roads and sidewalks, snow piles up everywhere else and remains part of the landscape until it begins to retreat sometime in mid-March. Average temperatures vary from -13° to 5°C in January to 18°-27°C in July.
• Ecozone: Mixedwood Plains Ecozone
• Closes National Park: A few kilometers from Montréal, is the Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville. This park offers green spaces, channels teeming with life and waterside trails.
•Industries: include aerospace, electronic goods, pharmaceuticals, printed goods, software engineering, telecommunications, textile and apparel manufacturing, tobacco and transportation. As one of the most important ports in Canada, it remains a trans-shipment point for grain, sugar, petroleum products, machinery, and consumer goods. For this reason, Montreal is the railway hub of Canada and has always been an extremely important rail city; it is home to the headquarters of the Canadian National Railway,
• Tourism: A visit to Montreal can be exciting and fun. Montreal Five most important attractions are: The Montreal Casino, The Underground City, Notre-Dame Basilica, Mount Royal, The Olympic Stadium and environs. Major museums are: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Musée d'art contemporain, Canadian Centre for Architecture

Going from Hopedale to Montreal, Quebec.

It was a 2 day trip from Hopedale, to get to Montreal, Quebec. We stayed in a hotel for a night and drove all next day and night. Once we got to Montreal we stayed with my great uncle who lives there. It was pretty late when we got there so we went to bed, but the next day we all went exploring through the city. My brother, Melanie and myself were dropped off at “The Underground City” it had the biggest shopping mall I’ve ever seen. The three of us went to so many stores, and saw so many different attractions there that we didn’t know when to stop. Meanwhile, my uncle had taken my parents to see “The Montreal Casino”, I didn’t really know anything about it but my mom told me that it was huge, my parents didn’t really gamble but there was a really good restaurant there.

The next day drove up to the Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville National Park, it was just a few kilometers from Montreal so we decided to look around. There were amazing waterside trails, every few steps you saw a little bit more of nature. There were animals and other hikers, there even thought it was cold. There was a little diner there that we stopped at for lunch and through the window was so a group of deer. We tried to find them after lunch too but they were gone. After, we continued our walk, a few hours later we were back at our uncles house. Before we left we saw the “Notre-Dame Basilica”, it was beautiful. We stayed and looked around for a bit but it was finally time to go. We dropped my uncle off, said goodbye, and we were off.

Hopedale, Newfoundland Information

· Latitude: 55°27'00.000" N

· Longitude: 60°13'00.000" W

· Population: Approximately 625 people

· Population Density: 157.9/km²

· Landforms: It is marked by several large bays that are open to the sea. Along with the large bays, community of Hopedale is surrounded by a rugged landscape with an elevation of approximately 10 meters. Much of the landscape consists of uplands with rolling smooth hills. This, and the fact that the ground is frozen during most of the year, makes the land unsuitable for growing crops. The hills consist mostly of pine trees whose needles help protect them from the extreme cold during the winter. Along the shores and edges of the bays, large jagged rocks, as well as mosses, are common.

· Climate: Hopedale experiences a maritime climate that is characterized by cool temperatures in summer and very cold in winter with significant precipitation in both winter and summer. The temperature range is approximately 27EC while the annual precipitation is around 800 millimeters, which is distributed quite evenly throughout the year.

· Ecozone: Taiga Shield

· Closest National Park: Torngat Mountains National Park is a Canadian national park, located on the Labrador Peninsula at the northern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador.

· Industries: Manufacturing (5%), Educational services (17%), Business services (5%), Retail trade (7%), Agriculture, fishing and other resource-based industries (12%), Construction (10%), Other services (29%)

· Tourism: Hopedale Mission National Historic Site/Agvituk Historical Society. The main attractions are the 200 year old plus buildings that are standing until this day. The church is in use as well as a museum that holds a variety of artifacts. Hopedale also has community events, festivals, picnics and BBQ’s in celebration of Canada day. In addition to the many stores Hopedale also has a gift shop called “D. J. Gift Shop” they sell local handmade Inuit crafts, souvenirs and gifts for all occasions.

The beginning of our trip, starting in Hopedale, Newfoundland.

Today was the first day of our “cross country road trip”. My parents had planned this a few weeks ago when we decided to visit some family up in Newfoundland. So, after the hugs and goodbyes we were finally off. It was the five of us in a pretty cramped minivan, my mom, dad, Brother Simon, his fiancée Melanie and I to be exact.

So, we spent a couple days in Hopedale visiting some tourist areas, we saw some really old looking buildings that were still in use that were called The Hopedale Mission National Historic Site/Agvituk Historical Society. There were also a few celebrations considering it was the holidays. Our family wanted to visit a national park that was called “Torngat Mountains National Park”, it was the closest one to us but considering that my mom had to be back at work in 3 weeks we decided it was too far a drive up north and we wanted to see more of the Canada. I read about it online though, I read that it has beautiful mountains and a river that you can go canoeing in. Where we were, was pretty nice too, there were several bays of water around us and a lot of hills. I also saw a lot of jagged rocks everywhere.

Before we left we visited a nice restaurant that sold fish and chips. I don’t think it was from around here though, seeing as nobodies allowed catching cod anymore. We also visited a gift shop called “D.J. gift shop” it sold some really unique things, such as handmade Inuit crafts and they had a lot of souvenirs. Simon got sick and wanted to go back to the hotel we were staying at. So, my parents left him there and my mom, dad, Melanie and I decided we weren’t going to leave until the next day, so Simon could feel better. To pass the time we went to a museum that had a lot of interesting artifacts. After Simon was feeling better we decided to continue with our trip.