Touring Canada has to include some educational stimulus with a visit to one of the country’s many museums. We chose the Norman Bethune museum and family home in the town of Gravenhurst, province of Ontario, as it turns out I am a distant relation of his. A sign inside the museum states “Norman Bethune remains the most famous Canadian in the world, largely by virtue of his status in China.”

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After a long summer break, I am back. I spent the entire summer travelling through my homeland of Canada, enjoying as many typical Canadian summer pastimes as possible. Curious as to what that includes? Check back regularly for updates.

Canada ranks. According to the June 2008 Mercer’s Quality of Living Survey, in the Americas, the top 5 cities for quality of life are all Canadian cities, with Vancouver in first position, followed by Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Calgary. The same cities also top the personal safety list. The report states “Personal safety within Canadian cities ranks among the highest in the region. This is due to a relatively low crime rate and a stable political environment.” No surprises there. We also make great Nanaimo bars.

When Steve Schweller and Derek Muhs, both international real estate investors came to Jim Smith Lake (pictured above), they applauded the community of this exclusive area of Cranbrook for not allowing noise pollution in the pristine tranquil lake environment. Steve said, “I’m sure it must be tempting for the kids who live here to want to strap on the water skiis, but this is the way to keep a peaceful setting, and congrats to the local authorites for doing so”

The two property investors fell in love with this part of Cranbrook and have secured a fantastic piece of land in a joint venture with the Olympus Group from the UK. After much research, they chose this section of Canada’s spectacular west coast because, as Derek said, “Cranbrook BC gives investors the nature, the lifestyle, and the new international airport. This is always a formula for success. Access these days is a key element to any property investment.”

He had tears in his eyes… That was the reaction of Ivan Rhodes when he stepped off of his Air Canada flight at the Canadian Rockies International Airport in Cranbrook, BC, Canada. “I have never seen such a spectacular view in my life” said the 45 year old executive. Ivan and his wife Janette, originally from Yorkshire England, but long-time residents of the Canary Islands, have followed the market excitement surrounding the Cranbrook region, and invested in a pristine piece of land in the beautiful area of Jim Smith Lake just outside of the city of Cranbrook.

Ivan and his family have been in the hotel and resort business for many years in the UK and Spain, and have a vast portfolio of property in select but high-growth markets. “We love the west coast of Canada, and we selected the lovely town of Cranbrook and its picturesque surroundings for our investment, because it has the beauty, the infrastructure, and fantastic people”. The Rhodes family see a bright future for this region, and look forward to expanding their portfolio in the future. Derek Muhs, an international property developer also along for the trip echoed Mr Rhodes sentiments, saying “This part of the world sells itself! It is love at first sight.” It was not all nature however…the local beers were sampled and received rave reviews by the whole gang.

My family and I have always loved travelling through the charming town of Cranbrook, BC in west Canada. The Kootenay region surrounding Cranbrook has given us so much pleasure over the years. From hiking to water rafting, golfing to fly fishing, or simply camping next to the peaceful waters of Jim Smith Lake. We disconnect from the hectic pace and reconnect with nature in this stunning unspoiled part of the world.

How excited we were to find out that the Cranbrook airport has already begun its expansion and become the “Canadian Rockies International Airport”. We are thrilled simply because we live in Europe, and to travel back to this exclusive area has been time consuming. We have heard direct flights from the UK are coming soon….Hurray!

See you in Cranbrook.

Say Kimberly, and I can’t help but smile. Only one week and a few fantastic days of fun, snow and exhaustion…On my way to Kimberly BC, from our comfortable hotel in Cranbrook, I was actually pleased to drive the spacious roads to the Kimberly ski and snowboard resort. On passing through one small village, we even had to avoid about a dozen deer on the main road! Don’t worry, no deer were harmed in the making of this road trip.

The ski resort was better than I had ever imagined, and the Keg restaurant at the bottom of the mountain was truly a haven for the wet and weary! After an amazing day of snowboarding, the beer and fireplace were some of the most welcome distractions I can remember. What a surprise when the grooming machines came out at night, only to leave us the best runs of the day to be skied or boarded at NIGHT! The night boarding was fantastic.

Until next time, stay classy Kimberly.

Yes, those ex-colonists love Canada. Statistics show that increasing numbers of foreigners are spending their hard-earned holidays here, with 663,000 overnight visits to Canada in the first quarter of 2007 – a 7.2% increase on the same period in 2006. Britons make up almost a quarter of those visits. Many Brits find it not only a nice place to visit, but would also like to live here, choosing to relocate permanently.

Contributing to this trend is the fact that your pound goes a lot further in Canada than it does in Britain at the moment. It also doesn’t hurt that the second largest country in the world shares the same mother tongue as Britain (more or less) , and is known worldwide to be a politically stable, secure, friendly place to live, with a very high standard of living.

Many Britons may initially be suspicious of the standard customer service in Canada, feeling that it is so over-the-top friendly, that it borders on sarcasm. But experience soon proves that yes, most Canadians really are that nice, and can’t wait to serve you.

The west coast in particular is a big draw for those who enjoy outdoor life, with endless possibilites for skiing, fishing, golfing, hiking, rafting, or simply sitting and enjoying the fresh moutain air.

Which part of Canada is your favourite to visit?

The Canadian dollar has recently enjoyed record highs, currently trading nearly on par with the US dollar. What does this mean for Canadians? It can influence whether they purchase domestic or foreign-made products, or whether they vacation abroad or in Canada. Although a strong Canadian dollar makes exports more expensive, it also brings the cost of living down, allowing Canadians to purchase imported goods at lower prices. No excuse not to eat your broccoli now.

Vancouver did it again! For the third year running, Canada’s west coast city of Vancouver is in the top 3 best cities in the world for quality of life, according to the most recent “Quality of Living” survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting. The 2007 report put Vancouver at number 3, just behind Zurich and Geneva. Contributing to the high marks were the city’s social stability, excellent infrastructure and good leisure facilities. All 5 Canadian cities surveyed made it into the top 25 rankings for health and sanitation, political, social, economic and environmental factors, personal safety and health, education, transport and other public services.

Where would you like to live?