h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have a few links to things Canadian if you are interested. Just lurking about and saw your space with it's Canada reference.

That would be fantastic if you could pass on any info hon I'm hoping to move out there for a few years after I'm done with my degree... so any info would be much appreciated
Thankies

Links on my space, and they are mostly Hootoo if you have a digibox. Where in Canada (we are a very, very big place!)

A digibox? On a computer? Eh? *confuddled*
I was thinking somewhere on the coast, perhaps Halifax. I couldn't not be near a large expanse of water

A digibox is a Brit thing, where are you?

Halifax is one of my most favourite cities of all time. Good deals on houses too. If you go you have to visit the *Split Crow* and the casino.

I'm in UK but I thought digiboxes were to do with sky telly
I'm not really much of a gambler, so I think I may give the casino a miss ta I'd probably be crap at winning money anyhoo, I never win anything

Glad to hear Halifax has good deals on houses
Is the Split Crow a pub then???

Very nice pub. Named after an old sign that was there ages ago which had the German coat of arms. Looks like a *split* black bird. All the pubs there have great live music most nights and everyone is encouraged to join in. More European than North American.

I'm at the other end of the country and one of my favourite pubs here is Maritimes based.

http://www.halifaxinfo.com/nightlife.php?Status=Search&type=6&month=&offset=12

I've heard about the live music in the pubs, meant to be amazing! I have relatives in Ottowa. But I don't really know them that well, so I figured start off on my own, somewhere by the coast. Picked up a map and Halifax looked great
Thanks for the links and stuff by the way

It's a BIG country! Get an atlas out and measure with your finger a distance you know is large in Britain, then go to Canada and compare. I've lived here all my life and I have probably visited 10% of the country even though I have travelled extensively with my work.

Have fun!

Wow, what do you do if you don't mind me asking?.... I'm going to attempt to get a job with the Canadian Forensic Science service or the forensic section of the mounties. There's only 6 or 7 places I can go where they have labs, but they're all over the shop!!!
Do you like it over there? Well you must do otherwise you wouldn't have stayed - duh me....

OK, this will be a long answer so settle in comfortably. Are you ready?

I was actually born here, but all of the rest of my family were born in Britain. My perspective has been skewed perhaps but I tend to like this end of the country the best (Southwestern British Columbia). Canada is as diverse as it is large, I'm sure if there is some kind of specific community you are looking for Canada would provide it. BC alone has everything from quaint English colonial towns to amazingly diverse cosmopolitan areas to frontier style communities. Alberta has cities which are to all purposes are US, skiing areas with internationally famous facilities, etc. Ontario has a huge financial area, diverse cultural centres. Quebec has villages you could not swear were not French, amazing culture, large business centres. The Maritime provinces (those on the Atlantic) are rich in their own way with amazing scenery, an accent that sounds more Irish than North American, a strong Celtic music heritage, etc. As far as the people go, the best description was coined 30 years ago by one of our politicians. He said the US is proud of being a Cultural Melting Pot so we should be equally proud of being Cultural Mosaic. It's true, the number of countries and cultures that freely celebrate their uniqueness is staggering. If it isn't Greek Week here, it's a Mardi Gras festival, or Celtic Awareness day. I have restaurants from seven different cultures in the block where I live. Parts of Vancouver have street signs in two languages. ESL (English as a Second Language) is as much a part of our schools as any other subject.

I'll stop rambling now and say the only limitation you seem to have is where the labs are. Look at each place and *then* ask me about Canada. I'll tell you right now, if one is in Saskachewan, don't bother with it!

Wow! It sounds fantastic! The labs are in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Halifax, Edmonton, Regina, Onttawa. I like the sound of quaint english colonial towns, the celtic heritage and the cosmopolitan areas sound amazing too. Perhaps I should go on holiday to Canada first to sample some of it... But it does sound amazing

Montreal- vies for Toronto as the biggest city, about 60% Francophone, rich history, amazing food, biggest cultural centre, on the St. Lawrence river, very cold in winter, pleasant the rest of the time.
Toronto- very big economic centre, lots of nightlife, urban sprawl, on the Great Lakes, hot and muggy in the summer, snow in the winter.
Vancouver- third largest city, large port, most popular with tourists, population is outdoors oriented, lots of leisure sports, diverse cultures, mild weather, expensive to live here.
Winnepeg- inexpensive, transportation hub, large Jewish and Francophone communities, great food, very cold in winter, mosquitoes in summer.
Halifax- inexpensive, friendly nightlife, maritime history, Celtic roots.
Edmonton- prairie town on the edge of the Rockies, great nightlife, friendly people, worlds largest indoor mall, very cold in winter.
Regina- prairie town in the middle of the prairies, very friendly people, cold in winter, somewhat isolated.
Ottawa- capital of Canada, government town, lots of secretaries , rich history, government buildings.

A joke about the prairies goes- "How do you find your dog if you lose him in the Prairies? Stand on a chair." When you drive through them you won't see a hill or a tree for hours.

Hope that helped!

that's been cracking me up for hours! Tee hee *lmao*
Fantastic.
Sounds like everywhere is lovely My grandad used to be in the RAF and he was posted in Halifax, so I think maybe I should follow my roots, or perhaps go to Ottawa and join the armies of power suited secretaries Though that wouldn't be why I went to Canada in the first place. Hmmm maybe when I have my own office I can employ a buff male secretary
Inexpensive sounds good as I'm gonna have a rather large student debt by the time I'm done with uni Ick
Where's your favourite spot? Where do people go for holidays? Do you go skiing or venture abroad?

I like to travel, but my favourite place on earth is not far away. It's the Pacific Rim Park on Vancouver Island. I try to get there as often as I can, usually twice a year.

http://parkscan.harbour.com/pacrim/

http://www.pacificsands.com/

Other than that I like Halifax, Quebec City, Toronto, Edmonton, and Vancouver where I live. Don't ski, but I like to sail, swim, hike,etc.

I've never ever been skiing but I wouldn't really like it I don't think, my balance is poo Sailing huh? Cool I love water Hence me liking swimming and I miss my mountains, haven't been up one in years they're sooo beautiful Any gooduns close to Halifax at all?

well, the mountains in the East are somewhat similar to the British mountains. The mountains here will crick your neck. I don't know if you can find a topographical map. I'll go try to find one now.

You can see by this:
http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/reference/national/reliefinteractive
that there us big difference. Most of Britain would be near the green colour.

Oooooohkay..... Hmmm, perhaps when hiking in Canada it would be wise to treat it like an expedition up K2??? I dunno about criking my neck, I'd probably break it looking at the summit of those ones! They're huuuuuuuuge!!!! You been up any red ones? It'd take weeks!!
*feels very daunted by how huge everything seems to be in Canada*....