15 Years, 15 Favourites: One Newcomer’s Canadian List
July 1: Canada Day. Also mid-year resolutions day. And if you’re in Quebec? Moving day (IYKYK).
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This is now my 15th Canada Day in Canada. As my gift to you, below are 15 Canadian favourites as chosen by me. Warning: some opinions may be presented as fact, and many “bests” come from a person who has seen a tiny fraction of this great land.
Favourite month: September
Warm days, cool nights. The lake water is still perfect for swimming. The leaves are just about to turn. Ice cream still feels appropriate.
Favourite street: Avenue Mont-Royal in summer
The City of Montreal first closed this east-west thoroughfare to cars during the pandemic so people could gather (and spend) safely, and thankfully they’ve repeated the trick every year since. Now it's three kilometres of art, buskers, terrasses (patios), and joy.
Favourite market: Greenwood Park in Leslieville, Toronto
Every time we visit in summer or autumn, we somehow spend hours there. Food stalls, great produce, local music in the background, and a beast of a playground to burn off calories at any age.
Best town or village to visit: Ucluelet, BC
Vancouver Island’s west coast is stunning, but Ucluelet is something else.
Best pub: The Manx in Ottawa
Yes, Canada's best pub is in Ottawa. No TV. No music. Great beer selection. Ideal for catching up with a friend or reading solo. I popped in again after a work trip last week and loved it as much as ever.
Best café: C’est la vie in Val-David, QC
Cute as anything, and the perfect spot to carb load before cycling the P’tit Train du Nord — a wonderful rail trail in the Laurentians.
Favourite show: Tout le monde en parle
I started watching to improve my French, but quickly realised that TLMEP is basically the gateway for newcomers to figure out what makes Quebec tick across economics, politics, sports, the arts, and more. I’d encourage anyone in Canada to tune in once in a while so we can share at least some stories across the two solitudes.
Favourite musician: Dan Mangan
I was listening this morning, so today it’s him. But tomorrow I’ll have a different answer.
Favourite novel: Nikolski by Nicolas Dickner
Three seemingly unconnected cross-Canada stories converge in Montreal’s Plateau neighbourhood. I read Nikolski just before moving to Canada and knew exactly where I wanted to live. As a result this is probably the book that has had the most practical impact on my life so far.
Favourite impromptu meeting with a Canadian: Roméo Dallaire
In 2016 I was on a VIA Rail train to Quebec City, and Roméo Dallaire, force commander of the UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda between 1993 and 1994, happened to be sitting beside me. I had read his book “Shake hands with the devil” and become sort of obsessed with the events in that place at that time. Mr Dallaire indulged me in a chat about all sorts things, for which I am forever grateful.
Favourite member of the men’s national soccer team: Moise Bombito
Son of Congolese immigrants. From Montreal suburbs and US college leagues to Ligue 1 in France with Nice. He’s become a rock for Team Canada and a reminder of how immigration shapes this country for the better.
Favourite policy: $9-a-day daycare
A shining example of what government can do that the private sector can’t — at least, not at this scale. Quebec now has the highest female labour force participation rate in Canada and among the highest in the world. And the quality? My kid does not look back when running in, and tomorrow they’re all going on a field trip to a farm.
Favourite road trip: Vancouver Island
Even in January. The trees! The ocean! Swimming in Tofino in winter is firmly lodged in the memory bank.
The moment I felt most Canadian (so far): February 2025, beating the U.S. in OT at the 4 Nations
Electric.
Favourite app: Canoo
Obviously. You know why? Because the Canoo app is one of the best ways for newcomers to explore Canada for free.
What are your favourites?
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