#GlobetrotWed: Yellowknife, Canada

My family is lucky enough to call Canada home.

I was born and raised in Ontario, but my career paths (journalist, laywer, travel writer) have given me the opportunity to travel from coast to coast. I’ve yet to find a part of the country I didn’t want to see more of.

But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’ve laughed in the past when people outside the country have described Canada as some vast wilderness waaaaay up north with nothing but trees as far as the eye can see. I’d give an eye-roll and tell them that “yes, the west coast boasts incredible mountains but they also have incredible cities just like other areas of the country.”

I would go on to explain that I was raised in and around Toronto. It’s a big city. We’ve got trees but we’ve also got skyscrapers, a vibrant downtown core, an incredible food scene and wildlife is usually limited to raccoons.

It just didn’t compute: the iconic Canadian imagery that I’d read about in historic textbooks, the images that people abroad had of us. None of it made sense…until Yellowknife.

I went with a group of writers and photographers a few years ago and it blew me away.

As we explored from a remote fishing lodge up there it hit me: This is what the world is talking about.

These are the trees.

These are the lakes and streams. This is the beauty.

I no longer smirk when people describe my country in terms of its gorgeous wild scenery. I nod and take the compliment. We are so lucky to have this and we should never take it for granted.