Canada's cities [antikvár]

Canada is the second largest country in the world, and one of the least populated. The great areas of Canada have a population density of less than three people for each square Kilometre. But averages can be deceiving. The vast expanses of the northwest Territories are almost uninhabited, while in the south fertile plains support a dense farming population and, of course, the cities.naturally, the cities in the east are the oldest and most established, for it was here that settlement began. European seamen were fishing off the coast of I^ewfoundland many centuries ago, and fishing is still an important industry in the Atlantic Provinces. Saint John's began as a haven for fishing craft and still retainsthat flavour today.Far from the gentle, provincial atmosphere of Saint John's the bustling, and very French, city of Quebec stands on the SL Lawrence River. The city bears the unmistakeable marks of its French history. Huddled beneath the ramparts of the citadel the narrow, winding streets of the old city weave between ancient buildings. The relaxed pace of life and ambience ofthe city are reminders ofthe culture that the French settlers left behind them, and that no longer exists in their homeland. The past forty years have brought great prosperity to Montreal. The city centre has changed dramatically as the demands of commercial and industrial concerns have taken over, tall office blocks now dominating the skyline.Despite the size and importance of Montreal and Quebec, it is Ottawa that is the capital of the nation. Unlike French Quebec and English Toronto, the 600,000 strong population is almost evenly divided, but there is little fusion of cultures. The town owes its prosperity to its designation as the capital in 1867 by Queen Victoria. Until that date the town had been a peaceful canal town of some 8,000 inhabitants.The main English city of the nation is the capital of Ontario, Toronto. The city is positioned on the Great Lakes and is an important port for trade with the United States and, through the St. Lawrence Seaway, the rest ofthe world, i^ot only that but it is a major industrial and financial centre as well. About half of all Canadian manufactured goods are produced here, including three quarters of exports.Beyond Toronto and the Great Lakes stretch the endless spaces of the Great Plains. The cities on the prairies have an atmosphere all their own, a feeling perhaps most keenly felt in Calgary, where the pioneer flavour stillpervades the whole city.The mighty Rockies, understandably, contain no great city, but nestling at their western feet is the city of Vancouver. With a population of well over a million this important port and maritime centre far outshines the Provincial capital of Victoria. The latter stands on Vancouver Island and retains a gracious air of civilised livingso often absent in its larger neighbours.The cities of Canada are a unique reflection of the influences that have wrought themselves on the emerging nation of Canada, developing, as the nation matures, into thriving, vital communities of great charm and individuality while retaining the essential Canadian character.