With today being Canada Day, I thought I would share with you one of the three times I drove from Toronto to British Columbia.

            Canada is huge. Only Russia is bigger. To grasp the scope of how large Canada is, if you flew from Victoria, B.C. to St John’s Newfoundland, it would take you seven hours which is the equivalent of flying from Toronto to Central Europe.

            I drove from Scarborough, Ontario to Smithers, B.C. in February 2000 which is a distance of 4,490 km. Averaging about 1,000 km of driving a day, it took me about six days to get out to Smithers because I stopped for a couple of days to visit some family friends in Calgary.

            I drove out there with my mum. Our plan was to take four days to get to Calgary, spend a few days in Calgary, and then complete the drive in another day and a half.

Day 1 and 2: Ontario and Manitoba

            Ontario is huge. To put it into perspective, you can drive from Toronto to Florida in less time than to drive to Winnipeg, which is in the neighbouring province to the west.

            Our first 10-day drive took us to Wawa, ON where we spent the night in a roadside motel. The motel was very bare bones, but after a 10-hour drive, all you want to do is have a hot meal and go to bed.

            The next morning, it was -20C and our sandwiches we left in the car were frozen solid, but after a few hours of driving with the heater on, they were ready to be eaten. It took us about 20 hours to drive out of Ontario and into Manitoba.

            We continued on to Brandon, MB, which is a couple of hours west of Winnipeg where we spent the night in a motel.

Day 3: Saskatchewan and Alberta

            It takes about 10 hours to drive from Brandon to Calgary and it is one of the most boring drives.

            You are well into prairie country by now which means it is nothing by flat lands as far as the eye can see.

            In fact, there are curves in the road and the odd tree at roadside which are meant to keep you from zoning out completely on the drive.

            After you pass Regina, SK, you continue on and a few hours later cross into Alberta. From there, it is a straight run through to Calgary.

Day 5: Alberta and B.C.

            After a couple of days of break from driving, it was back on the road to B.C. It is about a 90-minute drive to Banff National Park where you begin the northwestern drive towards the B.C. border.

            This was one of the most desolate drives I have ever done because we went about four hours before we saw another vehicle on the road. On one hand, it is scary because if you have car trouble there isn’t anyone around for miles. On the other hand, it is a stress free drive without having to pass slow traffic. But, remember, that was in the winter. Summer is a different story as there are hundreds of people driving the route including those in slow moving recreational vehicles.

            Once across the border into B.C., we continued on to Prince George which is the largest city in Northern B.C.

            From there, it is about 3.5-hour drive to Smithers.

            While I did this drive for work, it is also a great way to see Canada on a holiday. Another option is to take the train but it can be extremely expensive to do so. The cost of a train can be in the thousands of dollars. Your driving costs are usually petrol, food, and accommodation which can be about $150 per day.

            When doing this drive, you have to remember you will need to change the vehicle oil before and after the trip. Always make sure your tires are in good working order and that you have a car kit in case of emergencies.