laid-back, cosmopolitan cities are complemented by remote, quirky outposts. Whether you’re a hardcore adrenaline junkie looking for a backcountry adventure, an explorer heading out on a big road trip, a city lover hunting for cutting-edge culture and fine cuisine or a combination of all the above, Canada ticks all the boxes.

Canada also has the world’s longest coastline at 202,080km (125,566 miles). The country’s highest mountain with a peak at 5,959m (19,550ft) is Mt Logan in the Yukon Territory.

The landscape is diverse, ranging from the Arctic tundra of the north to the great prairies of the central area. Westward are the Rocky Mountains, and in the southeast are the Great Lakes, the St Lawrence River and Niagara Falls. The country is divided into 10 provinces and three territories.

fluently bilingual people. Immigration has also changed the language picture considerably; while not official languages, Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic and other languages are often heard on the streets of Canada’s largest cities.

Currency

Canadian Dollar (CAD; symbol C$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of C$100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of C$2 and 1, and 25, 10, 5 cents. Although the 1c coin (or penny) remains legal tender, as of 2013 it is being phased out of circulation.

Electricity

110-120 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style flat two-pin and three-pin (grounded) plugs are standard.

General business opening hours

Mon-Fri 0900-1700.

2018

New Year’s Day: 1 January 2018
Good Friday: 30 March 2018
Victoria Day: 21 May 2018*
Canada Day (Republic Day): 1 and 2 July 2018
Labor Day: 3 September 2018
Thanksgiving Day: 8 October 2018*
Remembrance Day: 11 and 12 November 2018*
Christmas Day: 25 December 2018

All information subject to change.

Calgary’s international arts festival is, rather unusually, held in midwinter. International and Canadian acts stage experimental theatre, avant-garde dance shows, poetry readings and musical performances. One of the highlights is the annual 10-Minute Play Festival in which local up-and-coming theatre groups perform 10-minute plays with just 24 hours’ notice, the only inspiration being a prop and one line of dialogue.

This arts festival boasts a lively programme of local and international performances directed at children and young people aged one to 16. Expect a wide variety of shows from plays, storytelling and singing to clowns and puppet making. Outdoor events at Olympic Plaza include face painting, arts and crafts activities, hands-on games, plus drop-in theatre, circus and dance workshops.

Bringing laughs to Calgary since 2001, FunnyFest aims to improve your mental and physical well-being through stand-up comedy. Each year, Western Canada’s largest comedy festival hosts around 70 acts, many of them Albertan born and bred, and claims to deliver over 11,000 punchlines. Shows generally last around one and a half to two hours during which you’re guaranteed to see at least six performers.

Each July, for 10 days, Calgary hosts one of the grandest celebrations of cowboy culture in the world. Over one million visitors, most of them in cowboy hats and boots, descend on the city for a week and a half of chuck wagon races, rodeos (the roughest in North America), parades, square dancing and free pancake breakfasts. By night, there is music, cabarets, dancing, fireworks and a lively bar scene. The main venue for the Calgary Stampede is Stampede Park (complete with an amusement park, concert halls, bars, restaurants, animal displays and a range of stalls), although the festive atmosphere infects the entire city. Stampede celebrates its centenary in 2012.

Spread out a picnic blanket in Shaw Millennium Park to enjoy the best of North America’s blues artists. Several acts take to the outdoor stage each day, then the partying continues with late-night dancing at the nearby Kerby Centre. Aspiring blues musicians can sign up to singer-songwriter and instrumental workshops. The organisers also run a Midwinter Bluesfest in late February.

Inspired by the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this steadily growing indoor theatre celebration presents local, national and international acts, some experienced, others new to the fringe scene. There’s a vibrant assortment of music, dance, theatre, kids’ productions and comedy. What makes this festival especially intriguing is that performers are selected by lottery, so expect the unexpected. All shows take place in the historic neighbourhood of Inglewood, with venues a short walk from one another.

Thousands throng to Elliston Park to watch Calgary’s late-summer skies light up in this international fireworks competition, with several countries competing for the ‘Best Of’ and ‘People’s Choice’ awards. As well as extraordinary pyrotechnic displays, there are live musical performances, cultural pavilions reflecting Alberta’s diverse ethnic communities, a café serving international specialities, a night market and a kiddie zone with bouncy castle, story area and crafts.

Calgary shares this respected literary festival with nearby mountain town Banff. An impressive line-up of over 70 authors arrives in Alberta each October, leading an exciting range of discussions, debates and readings in both English and French. Previous participating writers have included Margaret Atwood, Annie Proulx, John Irving and Alexander McCall Smith. At WordFeast, you can join top authors for dinner in one of the city’s best restaurants.

Heritage Park opens up for weekends in the run-up to Christmas with an old-fashioned, winter wonderland-themed event. This is a real family affair, with horse-drawn carriage rides, carol singing in the church and live historical theatre. Children (and grown-up kids too) can pass on their requests to Santa Claus and pat his reindeer. The Haskayne Mercantile Block is also open for a spot of Christmas shopping.