In Canada, you’re never too far from some beautiful natural beauty, like the calm waters of the Great Lakes or the breathtaking views of the Canadian Rockies. National parks, emerald islands, and long highways make it easy to take a car trip into the wilderness. Of course, Canada’s dramatic and beautiful scenery is broken up by small towns.
There are Francophone communities in Canada that have strong ties to the first French settlers, as well as diverse British colonists and the country’s Aboriginal people. Small towns in Canada are a mix of cultures and eras, with gold rush towns that still look like gold rush towns and grand railway hotels that stick out of forests and European castles. Check out these spots that make traveling across this huge country so much fun.
Canada’s Top 10 Delightful Small Towns
1. Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
In the middle of the 1600s, French Acadians built the first town on the southwestern tip of the Nova Scotia peninsula. They called it Tebouque. During the Seven Years’ War, however, people from New England came and named a nearby place Yarmouth after the town in Massachusetts where they were from.
People today know the town for its Gothic and Victorian architecture, which is typical of the Maritimes area of Canada. It’s also famous for lobsters; every year it has the biggest lobster catch in Canada. You can try lobster and other fish at The Red Shed, a quirky restaurant by the water.
2. Churchill, Manitoba
Churchill has everything: polar bears, beluga whales, and the northern lights. In 1619, Danish explorers came to this area, but only three of the 64 people on the voyage made it back to Denmark. Churchill’s more permanent history starts in 1717 when the British Hudson’s Bay Company built the first settlement here.
The Anglo-French war over North America left behind things like the impressive Prince of Wales Fort, which is 250 years old.
In town, you should see the Eskimo Museum and take a Polar Bear Tour. After all, this is the “Polar Bear Capital of the World.”
3. Dawson City, Yukon
Dawson City was built on a First Nations camp during the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897. It quickly grew into a city of over 40,000 people who were all looking for gold. Dawson City is smaller now, but people still come to see its important sites.
The charming center of town from the 1800s is called the “Dawson Historical Complex.” All new buildings have to follow rules that keep the area looking nice, so it keeps looking nice. Strangely, the “Sourtoe Cocktail” at the Downtown Hotel is famous for having a real human toe preserved in it!
4. Goderich, Ontario
This town was founded in 1828 and named after the British prime minister at the time. It is proud of its looks; its motto seems to be “Canada’s Prettiest Town,” and it has won awards in the Communities in Bloom competition in several categories.
Some say that Queen Elizabeth II said this was the most beautiful town in Canada, but there’s no record of any current queen having been there. The 1839 Huron Historic Gaol and the Huron County Museum are both historic sites worth seeing, but Goderich’s three beaches will be more interesting to people who like being outside.
5. Banff, Alberta
The small town of Banff grew up around the hot springs that were found here by railroad workers in 1883. The Cave and Basin Hot Springs, which are no longer open, were the first hot springs to be built here, back when the town was sold around the world as a spa center.
Right now You can stop in Banff for a few days to get goods before going to Banff National Park. The town is busy and industrial. Don’t worry, though. You can still soak in mineral-rich water at places like Banff Upper Hot Springs. It might be a good idea after a long hike at Lake Minnewanka, which is close by. The Banff Springs Hotel, which was built in the 1800s and is one of Canada’s famous big railway hotels, is the place to stay. It’s so beautiful that it looks more like a chateau than a hotel.
6. Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
This small town on the Atlantic Coast has a long past as a fishing village. However, since the end of WWII, Peggy’s Cove has relied more on tourists than fishing. It is now known for the beautiful scenery along the coast.
The town was founded in 1811 when six German families were permitted to build here. The town is full of cute wooden fishing sheds that are typical of the town. In Peggy’s Cove, there are only a few rocks along the coast, and the Atlantic Ocean is visible for miles. The town looks like it belongs in a picture.
7. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
There’s a reason Niagara-on-the-Lake is called “The Loveliest Town in Canada”: it has beautiful historical houses and Niagara Falls. From the late 18th century on, it was called Butlersburg and then West Niagara. It was a safe place for Loyalists to escape the United States after the American Revolution.
The Old Court House Theater, built in the 1840s, and the oldest Catholic and Anglican churches in Ontario, St. Vincent de Paul (1826) and St. Mark’s Church (1791), are all important landmarks. The town puts on the Shaw Festival from April to November. It is a theater event that includes works by George Bernard Shaw and other authors.
8. Tobermory, Ontario
This Tobermory is named after a very nice town in Scotland. It is known as “the freshwater Scuba capital of the world” because there are 22 shipwrecks to explore in the Fathom Five National Marine Park, which is right next door.
Fathom Five also has a lot of rock formations. Just off the coast is Flowerpot Island, which got its name from the two flowerpot-shaped stacks that are on its shore and have camping areas and climbing trails. People who don’t want to get wet can go on tours with glass-bottom boats that let them see the wrecks.
9. Nelson, British Columbia
In 1886, silver was found on nearby Toad Mountain, which is how the cute mountain town of Nelson got its start. Many of the houses from this time have been carefully renovated and are a big part of Nelson’s old-world charm.
You can find a lot of things to do there, like shops, bars, art galleries, coffee shops, and more. In the winter, you can ski and snowboard. In the summer, there are events like Marketfest, a lively night market that happens every last Friday in June, July, and August.
10. Summerside, Prince Edward Island
A town was made out of Summerside in 1877, and the name seems to perfectly describe what the town is like. As the second biggest “city” on Prince Edward Island, this one is pretty small, but there’s still a lot to do here. The streets lined with trees and grand old houses are alive with history, and you can learn about Summerside’s past in the beautiful Wyatt Historic House Museum.
With its beachy feel, the harborfront strip is a great spot to eat, drink, shop, and see shows (at the Harbourfront Theatre, that is).
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