Canada: Culture and lifestyle

With one of the biggest film festivals in the world; a strong sporting culture; a "stunning" opera house; and one of the best indie music scenes in North America; not to mind a "magnificent" restaurant scene, Toronto is a haven for culture vultures says resident Cathy Murphy.

“Toronto is a major metropolis and the most multi-cultural city in the world. You will hear most of the world's languages spoken here. It is a city of neighbourhoods which can be culturally based (Little Italy, Little Greece, Chinatown) or based on industry and history (Distillery District, Design District, Waterfront). It's a very green city--stand a-top the CNTower and be dazzled by the canopy of trees that cover Toronto.”

Vancouver is not short on eating options either. As Ruairi Spillane notes, about 45 per cent of the local population is of Asian descent, which means that the city has an "incredible selection" of Asian cuisine. It's also great for outdoor pursuits.

“Hiking and camping all summer long. Summers are about getting outdoors whether it's on the local beaches or the plentiful lakes and mountains outside the city,” says Spillane.

Fellow British Columbia resident Julian Fleming agrees that the city is well located.

“Vancouver is incredibly located; I live eight blocks from a great beach and can be at a skiing resort within half an hour of leaving work in winter.”

But on the downside, Fleming finds that there isn't much in the way of museum culture, “and the pub culture leaves a fair bit to be desired”.

In Saskatchewan, you might need to leave thoughts of regular theatre or museum outings behind. "When you think about the cultural activities that define our province, they're usually sport-related. Ice hockey, curling, and Canadian football are all very popular in Saskatchewan," says Mark Cooper.