Maybe I’m a little sensitive about my home country these days. Many Canadians are, given the “51st state” talk and other nonsense about Canada coming from a certain U.S. president.
But I was scanning some travel websites today, as Canada’s Travel Guy is wont to do, and noticed what I thought would be a nice list from Travel + Leisure, a publication I’ve come to respect over the years. This was a list published in January of this year that lists the world’s 25 most beautiful cities.
I looked at the top of the list and nodded my head in agreement when I saw cities like Sydney and Paris and Cape Town near the top, as well as home city (okay, Oakland, but close enough) of San Francisco. So I scrolled down a little further. And a little further. And further still. And then I got to the end, and I realized, “Wait a minute, there’s no Canada!”
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Adrian Yu/Unsplash Photo
That’s right, Travel + Leisure, allegedly one of the best travel magazines around, did not include a single Canadian city on their list. Not Vancouver, which is hands down one of the top 10, and not Quebec City, which at least merits top 25.
I don’t actually see this is as a conspiracy. But I do sense an underlying lack of appreciation for Canadian cities in this list. I’ve been t0 60 counties around the world, and I’d put Vancouver up against any of them for most beautiful (not the architecture, but the natural beauty of the sea and the harbours and the snow-covered mountains).
Sydney’s harbour is fabulous, and the city has iconic architecture in both the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, but Vancouver is far more naturally beautiful. Even as a native Californian, I’d put Vancouver ahead of San Francisco, which has an amazing bridge and lovely views, but doesn’t have snowy mountains for visitors and residents to gaze up at.
I can’t argue with Cape Town, which is stunning. And I won’t quibble with Paris, because anybody who doesn’t think Paris deserves a top five spot is a doofus who’s probably never left North America.
But New York is more beautiful than both Vancouver? I adore NYC. It’s one of the best cities in the world; arguably number one. There are some beautiful areas, and I’d probably put it in the top 25. But not ahead of Vancouver.
And where’s Quebec City on this list? I’ve been to Singapore a couple times, and it’s wonderful. But it ain’t more beautiful than Quebec City.
Quebec City, Canada. Joy Real/Unsplash Photo
And how does Sedona get on this list? It’s a village of less than 10,000 people; not a city. If Sedona makes the list, then so should Banff, which has a population only slightly smaller and might be the most beautiful place on the planet.
It’s not anti-Canadian sentiment that led to our cities being ignored. I’m not that crazy. But it does, to me, suggest a certain lack of respect for our country. And, as a 44-year resident of Canada (as of May 1) and a 24-year Canadian citizen (as of this fall), that pisses me off.
Canada Strong, and Elbows Up!!
IS THERE A LACK OF RESPECT HERE? ARE WE GETTING IGNORED AGAIN? IS THIS A GOOD LIST? DROP ME A LINE IN THE COMMENT SECTION AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK.
Hi Jim, Great article and thanks for your enthusiasm over the last few months. I think Canada has some cool cities but I can see some problems. First, downtowns of the five largest cities are less safe than they used to be (and hence less beautiful in the broad sense) – and there is a perception that more could be done to address this. Second, Canadian tourism has dropped the ball a little on promoting the best bits of its cities. And third, as a new-ish country in the scheme of things Canada needs to focus on world leading architecture downtown, and that seems to have stalled. When my friends ask where to explore in Canada I suggest interior BC, the Rockies, Muskoka, Niagara, the Thousand Islands. I rarely suggest spending a lot of time in the big cities.
I hope this is seen as intended; some constructive criticism of some great places!