There are numerous annual festivals and other events in Canada in celebration of the country's rich culture heritage and diverse population. Highlights include a 10 day festival period at the end of June which includes National Aboriginal Day, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, Canadian Multiculturalism Day, and Canada Day on July 1st. At this time, Yellowknife celebrates its Summer Solstice Festival, Calgary its Reggaefest, Toronto its Caribana and Charlottetown its Jazz and Blues Festival, to name just a few!

There are also numerous music, theatre, literary and film festivals held in different parts of Canada throughout the year. The Toronto International Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Montreal Film Festival are very popular with movie fans.

All of Canada's provincial capitals are major entertainment centres with many theatres, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels and shopping malls. World-class entertainment choices range from the ballet, opera and classical music to internationally-famous rock and pop acts.

Hockey, curling, American-style football and baseball are the most popular participant and spectator sports across the whole of the country. Outdoor leisure pursuits such as hiking, cycling and canoeing are also very popular. Canada has 39 national parks across Canada and hundreds of provincial parks which offer beautiful environments and many choices of leisure pursuit. For cultural interest, there are around 850 national historic sites across the country.

--

Got something to add to this section? Spotted something which should be changed? Please let us know!

Click here to return to the contents page for "Canada - an expatriate guide."