Posts Tagged ‘cities’

Canada’s Provinces, Territories, Cities

What makes Quebec special?

Quebec has a rich and long history spanning five centuries. In 1534, Jacques Cartier, under an expedition sent by King Francis I, landed in Gaspe and claimed the lands for France. The Algonkian, Iroquoian, and Inuit natives initially populated the Quebec area, but Quebec City was not officially founded until 1603 by Samuel de Champlain. This region was governed as a French Royal Province and was known as New France. However, when the French were defeated in the French-Indian War, France’s agreement in the 1763 Treaty of Paris gave its provinces in North American to Great Britain. Thus, New France became the Province of Quebec.

Today, Quebec’s official language is still French, and it is the only province in Canada that is populated by a majority of French Canadians. French, not English, is spoken as the main language in the province. Quebec has also grown to be the largest province in Canada, with the large majority of its population living near the St. Lawrence River.

Quebec’s historical and present-day multiculturalism is evident through its celebration of the crossroads of cultures. Quebec can be compared to the melting pot between the Americas and Europe, with a population that has strong ties to France, the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. There is a deep creative energy that runs throughout the province, which is experienced through plays, festivals, operas, sculptures, art galleries, paintings, and cultural festivals.

The interesting history and various cultural influences on Quebec make the area a very unique place to visit. The St. Lawrence River is a majestic landmark which shapes much of the life in Quebec. The Quartier Petit-Champlain, which is on the shore of the St. Lawrence River, is home to the oldest street, church, and commercial district in all of North America. Old Quebec City is also a historical area, as it is the only walled city that exists north of Mexico. The area retains its history with its cobblestone streets and 17th and 18th century architecture. Within Quebec City stands the Château Frontenac, which is one of the most photographed landmarks in all of Canada. Opened in 1893, its chateau style architecture exudes both historical charm and luxury.

Toronto

Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the entire world. With more than 100 languages spoken in the city, it is home to essentially all cultural and ethnic groups. Approximately 52% of Torontonians are immigrants, while another 22% are second generation immigrants. This cultural diversity is symbolically represented by the presence of five Chinatowns, little Italy, a Greek community, Little Portugal, and India Bazaar in Toronto.

Within Ontario, there are several interesting landmarks that demonstrate the history and culture of Toronto. Ontario Place was created to enhance the potential of Toronto’s waterfront through Lake Ontario. Spanning three man-made islands, Ontario Place exists as cultural, leisure, and entertainment park within a five pod pavilion complex. It houses an IMAX theater, amphitheatre, water park, look-out areas, amusement rides, and many other attractions. Ontario Place is symbolic of the revitalization efforts made by the government and people of Toronto to ensure that the waterfront would turn away from industrial pollution and instead focus on promoting a lake-culture.

Over 52 million people annually visit Downtown Yonge, which brims with shops, restaurants, entertainment venues, and businesses. As the longest street in the world, Yonge connects Toronto with the surrounding suburbs. Surveyed in 1793, Yonge Street has been host to countless cultural and historical events surrounding Toronto. As a prominent landmark of Yonge Street, the Maple Leaf Gardens housed the NHL team, which was sold out for every single game between 1946 through the final game in 1999. Old City Hall, the Mackenzie House, and the Church of the Holy Trinity are all historical landmarks of Yonge Street that represent its mighty origins and development.

Vancouver

In 1824, Hudson’s Bay Company developed fur-trading posts along the Pacific slope, and James McMillan led a scouting party throughout the area to find proper locations. In 1827, McMillan and a crew of 25 returned back to the area, marked by a prominent tree north of the interior of Fraser River, to create a trading outpost. Thus, this marked the birth of Greater Vancouver. Subsequent trading posts, farms, and mills sprang up around this area as families migrated to the area seeking a better, more prosperous life.

Gastown, the birthplace of Vancouver, was established in the same year that Canada officially became a country. In 1867, John Deighton, also known as “Gassy” Jack for his conversational skills, opened a saloon catering to the workers of Hasting Mill, which was written by W. Kaye Lamb as “the nucleus around which the city of Vancouver grew up in the 1880s.” From that first saloon, Gastown grew into the third largest city of Canada, as well as developed into the most cosmopolitan areas of the country. Despite all of the changes of modernity, Gastown still retains its historical charm and unique spirit.

The popularity of immigration to Vancouver has made the city one of the most multi-ethnic in Canada. A study by Statistics Canada reveals that Vancouver holds the highest percentage of visible minority communities of all of the provinces in Canada. According to the study, by 2017, one out of every three people living in British Columbia will be of a visible minority descent. Vancouver certainly retains the reputation as being one of the most culturally integrated cities in the world. With more interracial couples and lower levels of culturally defined residential segregation, Vancouver is certainly Canada’s most diverse and integrated city.

There is a strong Asian influence in Vancouver. Chinese-Canadians comprise 16% of the total population of Vancouver, which is the highest percentage of residents of Chinese descent in all North American cities. Between the years 1991 to 2001, Chinese residents in Vancouver grew by 86%, according to the census. The prevalence of the Chinese culture is evidenced through the large spectrum of regional, authentic Chinese restaurants in the city. Many families choose to immigrate to Vancouver because of the city’s significant Asian influence. Other prominent Asian ethnic groups include the Filipino, Cambodians, Japanese, and Vietnamese.

Fishing in British Columbia

British Columbia sports the Sunshine Coast, which is renowned for excellent fishing and great weather. This region is surrounded by the Coastal Mountains, with a protected coastline spanning 175 kilometers from Howe to Desolation Sound on the Strait of Georgia.

For sport fishing, the Georgia Strait is an ideal location, as Vancouver Island protects the waters from any tumultuousness of the open sea. Additionally, with the number of islands surrounding the areas, the Georgia Strait is sheltered and free from the swells and fogs of the Pacific Ocean. The prevalence of bottom fish fishery makes the Sunshine Coast popular as well. Red snappers, ling cod, rock cod, tommy cod, and flounder are mostly available for fishing year-round. The fishing for bottom fish is plentiful in many areas of the Sunshine Coast, including Halfmoon Bay, Seal Reef, Bucaneer Bay, Secret Cove, Lasqueti Island, Bejji Shoals, Bargain Harbour, and Texada Island.

Chinook salmon can be fished year-round at many resorts along the Sunshine Coast, such as the Secret Cove, Powell River, and Pender Harbour. In the winter, fisherman can catch feeder Chinooks, while springtime presents the migratory Chinooks. The optimal season for Chinook and Coho salmon fishing is between June and September, while Chum salmon is optimal during September and October. Between mid-September and late October, the spring salmon is plentiful for fishing at the Lang Creek Estuary, which is south of the Powell River and approximately 22 kilometers north of Saltery Bay. The salmon caught in this area during the time period can range between 9 to 23 kilograms.

There are also great locations for fly fishing surface-feeding trout. Hotel Lake, Mixal Lake, Trout Lake, and Garden Bay Lake, are all optimal areas for fly fishing, with March being a great month to catch trout.

Fishing in Ontario

Ontario’s 250,000 inland lakes and shorelines on four of the Great Lakes makes the province an excellent fishing location, with its muskellunge waters and walleye fishery being the most popular aspects for fishers. However, there are 158 species of freshwater fish that live in Ontario waters, with the following being the most prevalent: walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, Muskellunge, Yellow Perch, Black Crappie, Lake Trout, Brooke trout, Chinook Salmon, and lake whitefish.

Rice Lake, with its weedy cover and algae production, is renowned for its ample supply of largemouth bass. Two and three pound bass are quite common, and they can even range up to seven pounds. Additionally, Big Rideau Lake, Georgian Bay, Bay of Quinte, Lake Simcoe, Tri-Lakes, Lake St. Francis, Rowan Lake, Weslemkoon Lake, and Lake Scugog are great locations for bass fishing.

The Grand River is considered one of the best places to fly fish for brown and rainbow trout, but the fish is ample throughout the entire province. From the streams of the south to the lakes of the central area and extending to the northern rivers, trout is easily caught throughout the province.

The Chinook salmon is most prevalent in the Great Lakes by the Greater Toronto Area. The walleye are also found in the Great Lakes, but can also be fished in the wild waters of Northern Ontario down to the reservoirs of the southern area of the province.

Fishing in Quebec

Walleye, pickerel, perch, pike, speckled trout, lake trout, and Atlantic salmon are all prevalent throughout Quebec. With the great forests and thousands of lakes and rivers, Quebec is an excellent province for fishing enthusiasts. Because of the pristine condition of its natural resources, Quebec is often considered “La Belle Province,” which provides one of the best opportunities for sports fishing in Canada. Especially in the rivers and lakes of James Bay in northwestern Quebec, the trout, pike, and walleye are easy catches for fishermen. Between the spring and fall seasons, angling is best in the thousands of lakes and rivers throughout Quebec. The optimal times for walleye are between late July and early August.

Atlantic salmon is best in the eastern region of the province, while fishing in Central Quebec will reap an abundance of speckled trout. Julian and Craven Lakes, the Roggan River, Seal River, and their offshoot rivers are considered the best areas for trout fishing.

Fishing in Labrador

Known as one of the last unspoiled frontiers of Canada, Labrador is an ideal location for fishing enthusiasts. With hundreds of public rivers, Labrador is an excellent province for catching trout and salmon.

Awesome Lake provides an ample area for sport fishing, especially for Brook trout. Exploits River, a Class 1 river, is grounds for some of the best Atlantic salmon fishing in all of Canada, with a run of over 30,000 fish. August is the optimal time for fishing in the Exploits River, which flows through Windsor-Grand Falls.

Humber River, which is approximately 16 kilometers north of Corner Brook, is a great location for fishing big salmon between the optimal times of August and October. As a Class 1 river, Humber is home to literally thousands of jumping salmon during the peak season of August and September.

Eagle River is the largest river in all of Labrador, and it is a superb location for ample salmon fishing. Its catch number is three times the amount of other comparable rivers in Canada.

Fishing and Hunting in the Yukon: the Last Frontier

The Yukon, known to be the last frontier, is an excellent province for outdoor enthusiasts. Considered to be an untouched, pristine province, whose seclusion is only matched by Northern Russia, the Yukon has ample fishing and hunting for both rare and popular species. The Artic grayling, northern pike, and lake trout are abundant in the icy lakes and streams of the Yukon. Additionally, the rare inconnu and Arctic char can be fished throughout the rivers that flow throughout the Yukon, which is one of the world’s most remote and untouched locations.

Wolf Lake, one of the most secluded lakes in Yukon, is known for its excellent supply of trophy trout. With very low fishing pressure, there is an ample supply of trophy trout that can be caught through fly fishing; with the shallow bottom of the lake, Wolf Lake is certainly a paradise to fly fish trophy trout.

At the Tagish Bridge Site, which is located where the Six Mile River enters into Marsh Lake, there exists ample Lake Trout, Whitefish, Lake Cisco, and Arctic Grayling for the fishing enthusiast. Other great fishing locations for the trout, grayling, and pike can be found in many regions across the Yukon, such as Watson Lake, Daughney Lake, Morley Lake and River, Marsh Lake, Kusawa Lake, Pine Lake, Kloo Lake, Kluane Lake, and Pickhandle Lake.

The environment and dense forests of the Yukon provide hunters with a plentiful supply of game, including caribou, black and grizzly bear, wolf, mountain bighorn sheep, moose, and mountain goat. In the Yukon Territory, there is an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 grizzly bears. The Alaska-Yukon moose is very popular because it is the largest size out of all the subspecies.

A popular region is the Yukon corridor, which has an abundance of Dall sheep and deer. Another plentiful region is the South Nahanni Outfit with its sheep, goats, caribous, Dall rams, moose, bears, and wolves that all live plentifully in the secluded region. Between July 15th and the middle of August, this is the optimal time for hunting Dall sheep in the Mackenzie mountains.

References

Baglole, Joel. Bisetty, Krisendra. “Cultural Shift Takes Aim at British Columbia.” The Vancouver Sun, March 23, 2005.

British Columbia, Canada. “BC Sport Fishing – Sunshine Coast, British Columbia.” British Columbia Tourism Travel Guide. Available at http://www.britishcolumbia.com/

City of Toronto. “Diversity.” City of Toronto. Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Chateaufrontenac-quebec-canada-rs.jpg

Davis, Chuck. A Brief History of Greater Vancouver. Greater Vancouver Book. Vancouver: Linkman Press, 1997.

Department of Tourism and Culture. “Fishing in the Yukon.” Government of Yukon. Available at http://www.environmentyukon.gov.yk.ca/yukonfishing/default.html

Department of Tourism and Culture. “Fishing in the Yukon – Locations and Species Found” Government of Yukon. Available at http://www.environmentyukon.gov.yk.ca/yukonfishing/fishare.html

Downtown Yonge B.I.A. “About Downtown Yonge.” Downtown Yonge. Available at http://www.downtownyonge.com/index.asp?navid=2

Etling, Kathy. Hunting Bears: Black, Brown, Grizzly, Polar Bears. New York: Woods N’ Water, Inc., 2003.

Fishing in Quebec. “Fishing in Quebec.” Available at http://www.fishinginquebec.com/

Gastown. “Gastown History.” Available at http://www.gastown.org/history/index.html

Leacock, Stephen. Ulysses Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler. Toronto: Hunter Publishing, 2006.

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. “What Can I Expect to Catch?” Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2003.

Montague, Arthur. “Fishing in Quebec: Trophy Brook and Lake Trout, Walleye, and Northern Pike are Routine Catches for Anglers in Northern Quebec.” Pagewise, 2002.

“Quebec: Providing Emotions Since 1534.” Government of Quebec. Available at http://www.bonjourquebec.com/ca-en/qcaujourdhui0.html

Shockey, Jim. “North America’s Best Bargains.” Petersen’s Hunting, 2005.

Smith, Charlie. “Researcher Reveals Asian Diversity.” Straight. August 4, 2005. Available at http://www.straight.com/article/researcher-reveals-asian-diversity

Statistics Canada. “2001 Community Profiles: Community Highlights for Vancouver.” Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 93F0053XIE, released June 27, 2002.

The Portal of Quebec. “Tourist Guide of Quebec.” QuebecWeb. Available at http://www.quebecweb.com/TOURISME/quebec/introang.html

Wegman, Wil. “Best Largemouth Bass Destinations.” Outdoor Canada. Available at http://www.outdoorcanada.ca/fish/best_largemouth_bass.shtml

Travel to Laos – Laos cities and attractions

Despite being the capital and largest city of Laos, Vientiane is really no more than a small town sitting on the northern bank of the Mekong River. Like other French colonial cities, it has its share of wide boulevards and old villas, but the city is not awash with things to see or things to do. The trick here is to slow down to Vientiane’s laid back rhythm and take in a few of the sights at a leisurely pace, breaking up the day with a meal, snack or drink at one of the city’s many cafés or restaurants.

Among the sights to see is Pha That Luang, The Great Stupa of Vientiane, built in the 16th century on the site of 13th century Khmer temple which in turn was built over a 3rd century Indian temple. The golden temple is Vientiane’s most important religious building and one of the most important in Laos. The temple was destroyed in the Thai invasion of 1828 but was reconstructed in the 1930s from original drawings.

The Lao National Museum was built in 1925 as the French governor’s residence and today is dedicated to presenting the history of Laos from and its struggle for independence from foreign occupiers.

425 km north of Vientiane is Luang Prabang. Until the communist takeover in 1975, this was the capital of Laos and today it remains its spiritual centre. The small city is a mixture of French colonial architecture and Buddhist temples with their monks in their colourful robes.

Here you can visit the former Royal Palace, home of the Lao kings until 1975 and now the Laos national museum. The palace is a curious mixture of traditional Lao style mixed with a strong French influence all overlaid with Buddhist symbolism. The museum is full of treasures from Lao history and the private quarters of the royal family are preserved as it was when they left.

Nearby natural attractions include the Kuang Si Falls, consisting of one 180 foot main waterfall, and several smaller falls from one pool to another. 25 kilometers from Luang Prabang are the Pak Ou caves. These are only accessible by boat and the two caves are filled with hundreds of Buddhist figures covering the floors and wall shelves, all left there by pilgrims and the local people. It is estimated that there is a total of around 4,000 figures in the two caves.

In the far south of Laos, the Mekong River spreads to be approximately 14 km wide and in the dry season the water recedes leaving thousands of islands ranging from the smallest sandbars to inhabitable islands. The area is known as Si Phan Don or Four Thousand Islands. Among the permanent islands is Don Khong, 18km long and 8km wide, This is an ideal place to spend a very quiet time exploring the fishing villages or just watching the Mekong River flow by. If you are lucky you will also see the local dolphins. Bamboo bungalows are available to rent.

Laos is the most recent of the SE Asian countries to open its doors to tourists and now is an ideal time to visit as the country remains relatively unspoiled.

Are you planning to visit Laos? Please contact Indochina Odyssey Tours, maybe they can give you some help.

Yuhuan: industrial economic prosperity, the rise of new cities island

Taizhou Yuhuan county was originally an island and a small county. In 1977, a 13 meters wide, 142-meter-long rotary door embankment, connects it to the mainland, but in the national statistical standards, it is still one of the country of 13 islands counties.

Yuhuan industry as a pillar industry, the local auto parts industry, annual production value of nearly 70 billion yuan, accounting for the county 30% of the total industrial economy. In addition to automobile engines, shell, other accessories everything. Today’s Yuhuan, has become the largest auto parts base in southern China.

Yuhuan is the country’s largest low-voltage copper valves production and export base, accounting for 60% of domestic exports. Almost every day there are 10 containers of low-pressure brass valves traveling at sea, are exported to Europe and the United States and other places.

Yuhuan sudden emergence of the furniture industry. In mid-September of this year, more than a thousand domestic and foreign businessmen gathered in the island to participate in Yuhuan International Furniture Fair, to local manufacturing companies sent nearly 30 million U.S. dollars of orders.

Yuhuan is the nation’s largest pressure cooker, glasses accessories, sewing machine and tortuous production base, the country’s major water supply and drainage equipment, disposable medical equipment production base.

Reasonable structure, the product is becoming more international-oriented industrial structure, so that Yuhuan completely got rid of “a fish farm 2 3 salt” and backwardness became county Zhejiang’s economy, the island nation of 13 counties, “pacesetter.”

Neither industrial resources, nor the location advantages of Yuhuan, becoming a veritable shining shore of the East China Sea, “Yuhuan” and rely on what? Relied on “self-reliance, and be pioneers” in the spirit of Yuhuan.

As early as 70 early in the 20th century, some of the fishermen Yuhuan together secretly to buy a few fishing boats, revenue minus costs allocated according to shares. This is in fact the embryonic form of stock.

In November 1972, Yuhuan Yoshiura commune Xiao-Sheng Zhi, Yan Hua Qi and other young people from the fishermen to buy fishing boats to get inspired by a joint venture, according to stock form, 150 yuan per share investment, as a business start-up costs, and are provided for one person with a workers into the factory when the workers, played a one run with 16 shares, 2,400 yuan of capital process plants. Then Yoshiura commune committees for process plants to withstand the pressure and collective enterprises to apply for business license in the name of the chapter covered. Yuhuan County, the first joint-stock cooperative enterprise was born. The end of 1978, Yoshiura have cropped up along the 34 such businesses.

After the Third Plenum of the Eleventh Party, Yuhuan County, cadres emboldened greater. In the Kanmen town, a number of normally understand the repair of fishing vessels abandoned machinery ashore, launched the friends and family, “add to the trouble of money,” run from Auto Parts Factory; in the Truman area, a local carpenter, a little spontaneous union, set up furniture workshop ; in county towns, many processing valves and plumbing fittings of the self-employed in order to “eat” into a larger orders, together embarked on the scale of the road and set up factories. The end of 1992, Yuhuan joint-stock cooperative enterprises reached 2063, the gross industrial and agricultural output value accounting for half of the county, and paid tax revenues accounted for 80% stake in the cooperative economy from the “guerrilla” into a “regular army . “

In 1993, Deng Xiaoping said, and the party’s 14 inspired by the spirit, Yuhuan county, the county government to the county’s more than 100 state-owned and collective industrial enterprises and two light distribution of shares of enterprises to implement reform. Some wore the original “red label” company take off the hat, or changing the individual and private enterprise, or changing the standardized joint-stock enterprises.

Institutional innovation also farming, aquaculture industry and other fields penetrate. Town, Yuhuan Truman right to contract farmers to the land shares, running in size from a base of operations pomelo, this approach is vividly called the “Unit field system”; in Xuanmen Bay area, nearly ten thousand people into a fish farmers 35 group, both the joint venture also co-workers, built more than 8000 at sea only to anti-wave tank, so that aquaculture production in Yuhuan 7 consecutive years, ranking first in the country. System of innovation-driven technological innovation. Over the years, Yuhuan proposed to promote the industrialization of technology to high technology to transform traditional industries and develop high-tech industries. Islands lack of talent, from the outside “by the brain Yin Zhi”, technology shares as a link to find the best combination of technology and economic point. Since 1998, the county attracted a total of 1470 middle and senior IT personnel who stock of auto parts science and technology development companies, Chinese Academy of Sciences of chitin in the test laboratories, research centers and other six Chinese cooking large production and research base for the successive rise of the island into a new industry vitality.

Two innovations contributed to rapid economic development in Yuhuan. Since 1992, Yuhuan GDP annual rate of over 20% growth in 2001 provincial per capita fiscal revenue from fourth place to achieve the economy of the historic leap.

Economic development, who has risen up to Yuhuan backs. They feel, “an island is a city” has been the dream could become reality, completely change the “hundred of strength, broken cities”, the time is ripe. County, the county government of hindering the timely hit to create a modern port Yuhuan medium-sized city’s slogan, is determined to bring the island of urbanization sustainable economic development.

They are adapted to local conditions, the city’s master plan revision will be the island according to the city center, sub-centers and coordinated development of the area three levels of the building. At present, the town built-up area of 1.5 square kilometers from 1995 expanded to 14.3 square kilometers, with plans to expand in 2005 to 20 square kilometers.

“Hong Kong as the city use, the city with Hong Kong-hing.” Relying on Damaiyu 100,000-ton deep-water harbor, Yuhuan speed up the port construction and port-based economy, so that to obtain industry support for urbanization. The state has invested a billion dollars of the grain depots directly under the central Damaiyu settled, so that the port becomes busy; the longest highway tunnel in the tunnel linking Lantau Chen, closer to the distance from the port and the Chengguan; the country’s largest fishing port threshold mass Door to Hong Kong for 3000 fishing boats anchor, supplies and shelter from the wind. This year, Xuanmen build two light reclamation project, where mound reservoirs, sewage treatment and so on more than 20

A total investment of 3.786 billion yuan in key construction projects are also getting better.
In advancing the process of urbanization, Yuhuan broaden access areas, using joint-stock and other multi-input mechanism, from the community has attracted more than 90% of the construction funds for urban-based comprehensive “acceleration” provides a powerful driving force. Yuhuan City, the emerging function of concentration and radiation continuously enhanced, more than a thousand fishermen have converted, the town set up factories in business, thousands of islands and mountains of migrants settled in cities and towns, hundreds of thousands of people to the modern transformation of traditional farmers, so that the current level of urbanization Yuhuan jumped to 53%.

Yuhuan is sounded, “the island urbanization” the clarion call, big strides toward the modernization of the other side.