For any traveler, finding a little piece of home abroad can be incredibly comforting. Ever wonder which cities outside of Canada feel the most “Canadian”? Check out this list of Canadianesque cities and places around the world.
Point Roberts, Washington
Although Point Roberts is technically a U.S. exclave, it is completely surrounded by Canada and sees a lot of Canadian tourism and home-ownership. Located south of Vancouver on the southern tip of the Tsawwassen Peninsula, most people pass through Canada to get there. In 1949, Point Roberts actually considered separating from the U.S. and joining Canada. Every year, Point Roberts holds a big Canada Day celebration at the marina, followed by a Fourth of July parade a few days later. Point Roberts is a great example of the Canada-U.S. friendship and is one of the most Canadian cities in the U.S.
Auckland, New Zealand
This city on New Zealand’s North Island is often compared to Canada’s Vancouver. It is a busy, multicultural metropolitan – just like Van-city. Similar to Vancouver, it is a coastal city with a mild climate. It also has the Sky Tower which looks like a smaller CN Tower (okay so we’ll give that one to Toronto). Oh, and Auckland is an expensive city – just like Vancouver. Regardless of its major city status, Auckland still has lots of parks and greenspace in addition to the many tourist attractions and things to do you’d expect from a big city.
County Monaghan, Ireland
With the highest density of Monaghan descendants (outside of Monaghan, that is) in Prince Edward Island, County Monaghan is like P.E.I.’s baby mama. Monaghan is known for its friendship with Canada and has three Canadian twinned places/sister cities; P.E.I, Miramichi, New Brunswick, and Peterborough, Ontario. County Monaghan also throws a pretty wild Canada Day bash every year!
Holland
This one isn’t a city…it’s an entire country! Did you know that there’s a Canada-Netherlands friendship day? Well, there is and it’s May 5th. In 1945, the Dutch royal family gifted Canada with 100,000 tulip bulbs as a symbol of gratitude for sheltering Queen Juliana throughout World War Two. Canadian forces were also responsible for liberating the Netherlands from German forces at the end of World War Two. Every summer during the Nijmegen Marches, the Canadian-Dutch friendship is honoured and the Netherland’s liberation by Canadian soldiers is gratefully reminisced. Since the gift of tulips, Ottawa now hosts the biggest annual tulip festival in the world. Other Canadian cities have followed suit and host their own tulip festivals every year. So, if you love the spring tulip festivals, you’ll love Holland!
Due to the devastation of World War Two, Frankfurt was rebuilt in a more modern style than most of the rest of Europe. Its high rises and busy buildings are reminiscent of Toronto. In fact, Frankfurt is a sister city of Toronto! Frankfurt, like Toronto, is home to a busy airport, over two million people, tourist attractions, educational institutions, and all the great shopping, nightlife, and culture you’d expect from a big city. Like many Canadian cities, Frankfurt has a cooler climate which ranges from an average of two degrees Celsius in January to twenty-five in July.
Boston, Massachusetts
If you like Canada’s east coast seafood and maritime culture, you’ll love Boston. Like eastern Canada, you can get affordable and delicious seafood in Boston. All the stuffed clams, sautéed mussels, shucked oysters, calamari, fish and chips, surf and turf, and buckets of crabs you can eat… is your mouth watering yet? Boston’s tourism industry also sees tons of Canadians every year so you won’t be hard-pressed to find a fellow Canuck nearby.
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