A relatively small country, Canada is home to approximately 37 million people. With a history shaped by immigration, what is it that attracts so many people to Canada and then persuades them to stay? Some believe that the colder climate in some of the provinces scares many people away from Canada, but those that live in Canada will tell you that the various climates enjoyed in the different provinces makes Canada a country that can be loved by just about anyone. Whether you love the calmer, milder and adventurous British Columbia or the fast pace life of the Toronto metropolitan, Canada can be home to you too.
As you browse through the “About Canada” pages, discover the provinces, the benefits of Canada and find resources to that will help you study or work here. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find out more!
To find out more about immigrating to Canada, visit our Immigration to Canada page!
Places in Canada
Alberta
Alberta one of the three Prairie Provinces and is the fourth-largest province in Canada. Edmonton (capital city) and Calgary are the largest cities within this province. Its population is about 4.3 million (2018).
It is the main producer of coal, oil and natural gas in Canada. Alberta sells the oil, natural gas and coal to other provinces and other countries and is known as the “Energy Province”. Alberta is the second largest producer of wheat in Canada.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the third-largest and most western province in Canada. Victoria Island is its the capital city but its largest city is Vancouver with over 2.1 million inhabitants. British Columbia is the home to over 4.99 million people (2018).
The climate of British Columbia varies from marine to continental and is well known for its temperate climate. Forest covers half of British Columbia and forestry is the largest industry. B.C. also has the largest fishing industry in Canada. (salmon, halibut, clams, cod, crab, oysters, rockfish, shrimp and herring)Another very important industry for B.C is tourism. It’s mountains, parks and beaches attract many people all year round.
Manitoba
Manitoba is one of the three Prairie Provinces in Canada and is located in the centre of Canada. The largest and the capital city of Manitoba is Winnipeg and is home to over 727,500 people (2018).
Manitoba is one of the sunniest provinces. It features a continental climate, so the temperature varies wildly. Typical of southern Manitoba, the mean January temperature in Winnipeg is about -20C; the July average is about 19C.
Industries include manufacturing (farm equipment, buses, fashion, furniture), food processing, aerospace and transportation.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of the four Atlantic Provinces in Canada and is the third-smallest province. New Brunswick has a mainland and many islands. It’s capital city is Fredericton and largest city is Saint John. New Brunswick is the home of about 770,600 people (2018). New Brunswick is the main producer of lead, zinc, copper, and bismuth in Canada.
Newfoundland & Labrador
Newfoundland is one of the four Atlantic Provinces and is the most easterly province, made up of the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the mainland. The mainland is larger than the island and is bordered by Quebec. About 525,300 people lived in Nfld/Labrador in 2018. People live in small fishing villages near the coast. Main exports are oil, fish products, newsprint, iron ore and electricity.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of the four Atlantic Provinces on the east coast of Canada and is the second-smallest province (P.E.I. is the smallest). The population of Nova Scotia is over 900, 000. The capital city and largest city is Halifax with a population 431,479 (2017). Halifax is an international seaport and transportation centre. Most of the communities are along the coast and many people live in or close to Halifax. Coal mining and fishing/fish processing were once major industries.
Ontario
Ontario is one of the provinces in Eastern Canada and is the second-largest province. Ontario’s capital city is Toronto with a population of 2.9 million. Toronto has a large financial district and the stock exchange. Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is in southern Ontario. Ontario overall has a population of more than 14 million people (2018).
Ontario has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters when the temperature ranges between 36-14 degrees F (0 and -10 degrees C). Fortunately the major cities cater for the cold with indoor shopping centres and sports venues.
Canada is the leading producer of fruit and vegetables and has many vineyards and wineries. Ontario is the main producer of nickel, cobalt, salt and magnesium in Canada.
Prince Edward Island (PEI)
P.E.I. is one of the Atlantic Provinces on the east coast of Canada and is the smallest province (224 km long). P.E.I. is the home of 153,244 (2018) and Charlottetown is the largest city with about 44,739 (2016) people.
PEI’s climate is normally milder than the mainland due to the warm waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence that surround it. The Confederation Bridge is a bridge that joins New Brunswick and PEI and is almost 13 km long.
Agriculture is the largest industry. About thirty percent of Canada’s potatoes are grown in P.E.I. Other crops include fruits and vegetables (apples, strawberries, blueberries, carrots, onions, tomatoes) and cereal crops. Fishing is also a large industry and about 10 million oysters a year are harvested for Canada and the world.
Quebec
Quebec is located in eastern Ontario and is the largest province in Canada. Quebec is a French-speaking province with a population of over 8.1 Million (2016). The capital city is Quebec city and the largest city is Montreal with about 3.6 million people (2005).
Quebec produces more than a third of Canada’s pulp and paper products (paper, newsprint, boxes, tissue and cardboard). Quebec’s lumber is used to make furniture and to build homes throughout Canada. Quebec also has the largest dairy industry in Canada. There are many livestock farms and the main crop is hay grown to feed the livestock. Quebec is Canada’s main producer of maple syrup.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is located in the Prairie region of Canada. Regina is the capital city and is home of the R.C.M.P. (Royal Canadian Mounted Police). The population of Saskatchewan is over 1 million. The two largest cities are Regina (the capital) and Saskatoon.
The land is half forested and one-third is farmland. Saskatchewan has over 100,000 lakes, rivers and marshes. Saskatchewan produces 28 percent of Canada’s grain and grows over 54 percent of Canada’s wheat crop. Crops include canola, rye, oats, barley, flaxseeds and wheat.