1. WWOOF Canada

While the name might conjure up thoughts of dogs barking, I assure you that WWOOFing is much more approachable. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is a global network that bring volunteers and farmers together in order to share and promote education, cultural exchange and a community where food, animals, and land are respected and protected. In short, WWOOF is an organic help exchange with farms in almost every province of Canada. You put in some volunteer hours (4-6 hours per day, 5-5.5 days per week) at a farm, and the WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about their unique eco-friendly lifestyle. WWOOFers are expected to help as much as possible and participate with whatever farm related chores that need doing. If you’re required to do any work with machinery check to make sure your annual travel insurance covers that. If you’re a Canadian backpacker traveling within Canada there’s no need to worry as you’re fully covered under Canada’s medicare system. Most farms will allow you to stay 1 week or longer; however some hosts require a minimum of 2 weeks. Work varies depending on the host, so be sure to ask lots of questions.

2. HelpX

HelpX is almost identical to WWOOF, however they aren’t limited to organic farms. HelpX is an online listing of hosts that include everything from B&B’s, organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, ranches, lodges, backpackers hostels, and even sailing boats who invite volunteers to stay and work with them in exchange for food and accommodation. I personally find the HelpX website to be a lot easier to navigate and find information about Canadian hosts. There’s typically more images and more volunteer reviews of hosts which ensures your stay will be a safe one without any weird surprises. You can find out easily what type of category your host falls under, and where they’re located along with what type of work they need help with. Note: If you’re not from Canada and plan on doing any heavy duty work with farming equipment, be sure to shop around for a cheap travel insurance package that covers accidents. Accidents are rare, but they do happen and it can’t hurt to be covered.

3. CouchSurfing

If the thought of herding cattle and helping garden doesn’t entice you, there is of course Couch Surfing. Hosts from all over the world, including Canada, will happily let you crash on their couch for an allotted amount of time. The idea behind Couch Surfing is very much a “pay it forward” type of concept. Couch Surfers expect that travellers will eventually settle down, and once settled down can become hosts themselves; thereby expanding the network and allowing for a “give & take”. Obviously people don’t want you crashing on their couch for long, it’s good to ensure that both host and couch surfer are on the same page when they decide when and where they’ll meet up and how long the stay will be. It’s expected that when you’re couch surfing to keep your area tidy, help out around the house with chores, and while not “necessary”, it’s good manners to treat your host to a free meal, or at the very least buy them a beer. Be helpful, after all they’re giving you a place to stay for free!

If you’re planning on doing any amount of long term travel in Canada, joining even one of these communities can save you weeks on accommodation costs ($35 x 14 days = $490, based on Busy Season Downtown Hostel Rates), leaving you with more cash to spend on tours, food, and good times! While all three of these programs are fairly different from one another, they have a lot of things in common. By participating in these communities each offers a great way to save money, a safe way to meet people from all over the world, and a unique way of learning about a completely different region of Canada you might not have been exposed to had you stayed on the “backpacker trail”.

Hear of any other great ways to save money while backpacking Canada? Please feel free to share in the comments!

3 Great Ways to Save Money while Backpacking Canada is a post from: I Backpack Canada

Q. You’ve been on the road for almost 3 years now, what do you miss most about Canada?

My family and friends. The road is filled with great people to miss but there is nothing like being with your good friends and family. I go far too long without seeing them. I honestly don’t miss the cold. I do miss a good poutine though!

Q. Being from Alberta, what is “THE” Alberta Experience? Hiking in the rockies? Trailblazing through backcountry powder? Dawning on boots & hat  and hitting up the Stampede?*

Yeah, I would say it has to be the Rockies. Moraine Lake near Lake Louise is still to this date my favourite natural site in the world. I have been there dozens of times since I used to work as a guide in the area, but seeing it never gets old. If you can get to Calgary Stampede, do it. That is my favourite week of the year whenever I’m home for it.

Q. What’s one place in Canada that you’ve never been that has recently been added to your bucket list?

I never really had any interest in heading north before, but after having such an amazing time in Antarctica I would love to head north in Canada as well. I’d want to see the Arctic as well as I’d love a chance to see the polar bears.

Q. If someone were to clip your wings tomorrow and you were forced to settle back down in Canada, what city would you live in and why?

It would be between Vancouver and Victoria. I love the West Coast. I love that you can ski in the day and then walk around in a t-shirt later on. I love having the ocean and the mountains both at my disposal. And on top of it all they are both great cities to live in, and they are warmer.

Q. Canadians are known for their stereotypes (Poutine loving lumberjacks / apologetic beer drinker / hockey fanatic / Understanding eco-hippy) - where do you fit in?

I probably fit slightly into just about every one of those stereotypes. I’m probably the exact person people think of when they think of Canadian: hockey fan, beer and whiskey drinker, poutine lover and I am a little bit hippie even though I’ve worked as a lumberjack as well haha. I love the Canadian stereotypes and I don’t think I realized how much I fit them until I got out of the country.

Q. The most majestic Canadian beast is…

The Rockies because there is no where else in the country that will make your feel so small and insignificant yet prideful.

Q. What’s the first thing a new visitor to Canada should eat, drink, and visit?

The first thing a visitor to Canada should eat is a stack of pancakes with either maple syrup or chokecherry syrup on it. You should then wash that down with a glass of Crown Royal Whiskey and then go check out the beauty of Vancouver Island.

Q. What’s your local Canadian go-to beer/liquor/beverage of choice?

When I drink beer in Canada it’s a bit of a mix and really depends on the time of year. If it’s winter there’s nothing that warms me up like a Sleeman’s Honey Brown. In the summer time I love a Big Rock Grasshopper. If it’s REALLY cold out I stick to whiskey.

Q. Enough about Canada – what have you been up to lately?

You know, travelling the world, seeing the sites, taking some pictures. I’ve been working hard on my website Brendans Adventures which has been a lot of fun. A couple months ago I also started a travel magazine called Vagabundo Magazine which is ready to publish the second issue in April. I’m very excited about that venture!

Q. Any tips, advice or wise words you can share with those who want a piece of your lifestyle?

Join me, there’s lots of room on the bus/train/boat for you and I’m always looking for people to tag along. The truth is that if you want to travel the world just do it. Stop telling yourself that something is holding you back, you are in control of your own life’s path.

 Special thanks to Brendan for taking the time to answer some questions about Canada and his lifestyle as a pro-traveler. Be sure to follow Brendan’s travels on Twitter @BrendanVanSon.

Interview with Canadian Travel Blogger Brendan Van Son is a post from: I Backpack Canada

Yeah! Pump that fist Marian!

HI Hostels is officially selling memberships online! All you need is a trusty Credit Card along with your details to get the ball rolling. Of coarse, you can always pick up a membership at one of their 300+ membership sales agents across Canada.  If you plan on backpacking for more than a week, the membership literally pays for itself. I should note that I am in no way being sponsored by HI Hostels or anything crazy like that to post about this (although… I am always open to discussion… wink wink). I just thought reminding people to save money was a noble cause, particularly because I’ve been so broke lately.

So what kind of benefits & discounts do you get for becoming an HI Member

• On average you’re looking at saving about $4.00 off at hostels in Canada. You’re also going to score cheaper hostel rates across their global network of hostels (over 4,200 locations!).
• For the Canada Travelers, you’re looking at over 420 discounts across Canada. By simply flashing that mighty card-of-awesomeness you can save money on bike rentals, bus travel, car rentals, brewery tours, scenic tours, whale watching, zoo’s, museums, art galleries, and hot springs, just to name a few.
• The HI-Comm ekit phone services also comes with every membership. This acts as a suped up international phone card, email account, and voicemail where friends can leave you messages while you’re on the road.

 
The hosteling network in Canada continues to grow and expand to new regions of Canada. It gets me absolutely pumped up to see that happen, and I personally look forward to adding new hostels and areas on my bucket list. Hostels really do determine the ease of travel for young adults. Without HI Canada, travel in this vast country would be much more expensive.
Get Your HI Hostels Membership today!

Buy your HI Hostels Membership Online, Pump Fist, Save Money is a post from: I Backpack Canada

1. NFB Films for iPhone & iPad (National Film Board of Canada)

The National Film Board of Canada (or the Office Nationale du Filme du Canada if you’re French) is an Academy Award winning public film producer and distributor funded by the Canadian Government. They’ve produced over 13,000 productions in their long history, and have won over 5,000 awards. Being a Canadian organization, they have both French & English divisions, which means a LOT of multi-lingual content to consume.

NFB Films is available for iPhone and iPad, and has built in support for Airplay. The app has over 1000 movies available, including documentaries, animations, and full length feature films. If you know you’re going to be out of wifi range, you can even save the movies to your device for up to 48 hours for offline viewing.

Highlights include How to Build an Igloo, The Award Winning animation “Cat Came Back”, and William Shatner Sings O Canada.

2. Air Canada for iPhone

Hate keeping track of tickets but love flying? Air Canada for iPhone can give you a leg up over other travelers. This app gives you the ability to Check-In to your flight through you phone. If you’re still an old fashioned checker-inner no harm. There’s still plenty that you can get out of this app. From Finding & Tracking Flights, booking flights, upgrading to executive class, interactive shopping, to even selecting your seat on the flight.

If you fly Air Canada often, or have family who does, this is a great tool to keep in your pocket and help stay up to date on all relevant travel information.

3. Explore Canada Like A Local for iPhone

Need inspiration on where to go, what do to, and when to see it on your next travels through Canada. The explore Canada app is the perfect companion for exactly that. Browse by location, theme, user-submitted travel lists, or use their live map, which allows you to find what’s near you. The Explore Canada App integrates with Foursquare very nicely. This allows you to check in to hotels, hostels, tourist destinations, and scenic views extremely easily.

I’ve used this with great success in the past when visiting a new city. Big thanks to the Canadian Tourism Commission for building this app. It’s been a great inspiration for finding new things to see and do.

4. World Nomads French Language for iPhone

While this app is no replacement for taking actual french lessons, there’s enough in here to help you out in a pinch, should you be hanging out in the French parts of Canada. The World Nomads French Language App provides some basic phrases for everything from Food, Transportation, Introductions, and Safety. My personal favourite phrase World Nomads decided to include is “Ces drogues ne sont pas a moi!” – which translates to “Those drugs aren’t mine!”

5. CBC Radio App for iPhone

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has been a part of Canadian culture since 1936. The CBC Radio App is the perfect addition for any traveling audiophile or news fanatic. This app grabs live feeds from CBC Radio 1, CBC Radio 2, and CBC Radio 3. You can browse by musical genre, or by city. The app also allows you to listen on demand to Arts, News, and Regional programming. While all this streaming content is great, my favourite feature of this app is that it lets you find out the CBC Frequency for any city across Canada. One of my biggest beefs with CBC is finding their station in cities I’ve never been to. It jumps all over the place, so having an app tell me exactly where to turn my dial is awesome!

6. CBC Hockey iPhone App

If you’re a hockey fan that wants to be kept in the loop this app could be your new best friend. The CBC Hockey Night in Canada app lets you track upcoming games, scores, hockey news, schedules, and even watch video. You can even find out player stats throughout their career. This app is perfect for the regular hockey watcher or the die-hard GP measuring hockey fan.

7. TimmyMe iPhone App

Tim Hortons is a Canadian addiction. If you are amongst those affected by it’s meth-like qualities, this app should help you get your next caffein fix quick. TimmyMe grabs your current GPS locations and lets you know where the closest Tim Hortons is to you. This app works in both Canada and the United States. There’s a few other features, but in all honesty they’re pretty boring, like Nurtitional Info and your Tim Card Balance Check. This app really has one purpose in my mind – Find coffee near me, now!

Bonus! Whaddaya App – A Newfoundland Translator App / Soundboard

Hands down my new favourite app. While its not technically free, at $0.99 it’s just about. Simple, quick, and funny! Whaddaya App allows us mainlanders the opportunity to understand what the heck it is those Newfoundlanders are saying. For those who are unaware, Newfoundlanders tend to have a thick and unique accent. A must have app if you plan on setting foot on the rocky shores of Newfoundland & Labrador.

My favourite phrase I’ve picked up from this app is “Stay where ya’at ’til I comes where ya to!”, which roughly translates to “Stay There, I’ll be there shortly”.

Have you come across any awesome free Canadian iPhone Apps? Share in the comments below!

7 Must-Have FREE Canadian iPhone and iPad Apps is a post from: I Backpack Canada

Porter Airlines

I’m starting with the little guy first. If you don’t recognize the name Porter, chances are you’re from Western Canada. Porter is a regional airline headquartered out of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. They’re hands down the smallest airline in terms of size and numbers. This can be seen as either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on where you’re trying to get to. Porter operates primarily in Eastern Canada and parts of the United States. So if you’re looking for flights anywhere west of Thunder Bay, Ontario you’re better off looking at the other two airlines. However, if you’re after friendly service, competitive rates, and the opportunity to fly into (or out of) downtown Toronto like a rockstar, Porter could be for you. Did I mention there’s free liquor served on board?

Here’s what other Canadian Travel Bloggers have to say about Porter Airlines:

WestJet Airlines

Westjet is the second largest airline in Canada, providing flights to 71 destinations across Canada, The United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. They’re headquartered out of Calgary International Airport in Alberta, but also have a hub in Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Ontario. Westjet is a non-unionized airline, which means strikes are practically unheard of. The same thing can’t be said for Air Canada…*Cough..Strike Much?..Cough*.

Westjet is known across Canada as being the “funner” of the three airlines. Stewards and Stewardesses are encouraged to show some personality and have fun on the job, which ultimately leads to a more pleasant flying experience. Flying has become such a sterile activity in recent years, its a refreshing change to see real people behaving like they would with their friends.

While I have nothing but good things to say about Westjet’s people and service, they’re entertainment consoles are sucky in comparison to Air Canada’s. Their satellite TV’s tend to drop often, and don’t even bother turning them on if you catch a redeye flight. Infomercials and News on Repeat will be all that greets you. Not their fault, I know, but if you can’t sleep during the night flights, you might as well gauge your eyes out.

If Westjet were to ever upgrade their entertainment units they could totally drop to one knee and pop the question, and chances are this guy would say yes!

Here’s what other Canadian Travel Bloggers have to say about Westjet Airlines:

Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada’s largest airline, currently providing service to 178 destinations. They’re headquartered in Montreal, QB and were one of the founders of the Star Alliance Program. For those not in the know, the Star Alliance Program is a network of global airlines, created to offer customers a smoother travel experience when grabbing international flights. While Air Canada remains the most travelled airline in Canada, it’s had a bumpy past. In 2003 Air Canada had to file for Bankruptcy protection, and it seems there’s always talk in the news of its financial difficulties or of an upcoming strike.

This might sound bleak, but if you’re anything like me, smiles and fun personalities won’t entertain me longer than a few minutes. Air Canada‘s on-demand entertainment consoles make those long flights a breeze. They may not win the most awards for happy faces and fun memories, but they get the job done.  I like to compare Air Canada as sort of like ordering a burger & fries. You know what you’re getting every time. It might not be the best item on the menu, but it’s good enough. Seeing as Air Canada has the most destinations, a good points system (if you know how to use it!), and reasonable rates, I see nothing overtly wrong with saying Air Canada is pretty okay!

Here’s what other Canadian Travel Bloggers have to say about Air Canada:

So who should you fly with in Canada?

It’s clear there is no right answer. When it’s all said and done, it comes down to what type of things are important to you during air travel. Do you need good customer service, a warm smile to greet you boarding you on the plane? Then you might be best suited for Westjet, or Porter if you’re out east. If you’re an entertainment junkie who partakes on flights longer than a few hours, and just so happens to be an airline points hoarder, Air Canada’s probably your best bet. Regardless of whomever you decide to go with, Canadian Airlines are after all…Canadian. Expect apologies when your flight is delayed, expect a helping hand if your flight is cancelled, and one of my fondest memories, expect an open liquor cart when your plane has technical problems that require a couple hours of mechanical work before departure.

Special thanks goes out to the Canadian Travel Blogging community who helped bring their two cents to the table!

Air Canada VS Westjet VS Porter – A Canadian Airline Comparison is a post from: I Backpack Canada

A warm welcome from a green building

Stepping into the downstairs lobby, it feels as if I’ve traveled to the future. A future inspired by the aesthetic design of Apple Inc, with all of the added benefits of sustainable living. In this future, staff wear cool t-shirts, buildings have awesome modern Canadian art on the walls, and travelers try to leave as little impact on the world as possible. It takes me a second to realize that this is real. Why aren’t more places like this? My curiosity was getting the best of me as performed an ocular pat-down of the hostel commons area.

One of the friendly staff members, (also sporting a cool t-shirt) showed me around this modern building. He covered the rules of the hostel, and explained the kitchen etiquette, and then gets into what separates Planet Traveler from the rest of the gang. He explained there is free wifi throughout the entire hostel & several iMac’s situated in the lobby (free to use), should you not be a laptop traveler. A commons area on the main floor allows guests from all over the world to socialize, and another on the 5th floor patio, which offers the best view of downtown Toronto that I’ve ever seen. (See last photo in this blog post! Yea, that good!)

I was then taken to the beating heart of the hostel. I looked through the glass door as the staff member informed me what steps are being taken by the hostel to ensure the smallest ecological footprint is made. The solar panels located on the roof aide in the electrical consumption of the building and also heat the water throughout the hostel.

Photo by

After pulling my jaw off the floor, I’m told that the entire building is outfitted with LED lights, which allows the entire hostel to be lit by the same amount of power that a typical household toaster would use. A smile creeps across his face as I’m visibly blown away by this information. Clearly the staff is proud to work here. Why wouldn’t they! This place is awesome!

Friendly & Happy Hostel Staff

While making my way to my room, I bumped into another staff member. She was on cleaning duty, but I managed to pull her away from work long enough to chat. She was from Germany and had been working at Planet Traveler for almost a month. I asked how she enjoyed working at this eco friendly hostel. She warmly smiled and told me how much she loved it. She explained that the entire staff are able to switch jobs whenever they want. If she wants to be at the Front of House checking guests in, she can, if she’d rather keep to herself that day, she can do room cleaning.

Photo by

Having worked at several hostels before, I know how nice it is to get out of doing the same job over and over again. This community mentality really seemed to help. Staff & guests are warm and inviting and generally seem to have the same mentality towards this movement. “These places are great for everyone, hopefully someday all hostels & buildings will be built this way” explained one of my fellow guests.

This hostel takes green to a new level!

I checked into my room expecting the same modern and eco-friendly treatment. I wasn’t disappointed. Clean white walls, fresh linens, and a duvet that was practically begging me to sleep with it. A calming green warmth surrounded the room, allowing me to feel like I’m both in luxury, and in nature. I looked around for the source of this feeling, and spot the upper window pane. A lime green piece of glass tweaks the harsh sunlight, cooling off the room and putting me into a happy state of mind.

Photo by Planet Traveler

Planet Traveler has done everything in its power to promote these feelings of quality, security, and clean ecological living. You don’t have to sacrifice electricity, hot water, or the comforts of home in order to be “Green”. Technology exists to make the impact of our own existence a small afterthought, but it requires clever designers, smart people, and eco conscious members of the community to make this type of living happen.

Photo taken from Planet Traveler Rooftop Patio!

Travelers are beginning to realize that they have an impact on the places they visit, something that’s easily visible at the Planet Traveler. If you’re in Toronto, and care about the world at all, be sure to book a reservation.

Planet Traveler

(647) 352-8747

@planet_traveler

Special thanks to the folks at Planet Traveler for helping out during my recent adventure in Toronto. All opinions expressed herein are my own. Disclosure Boom! 

Get Eco-Friendly at The Planet Traveler – North America’s Greenest Hostel is a post from: I Backpack Canada

The kind folks from The Clever Travel Companion sent me over some of the latest travel duds for your unmentionables. What’s great about this particular design of underwear isn’t the fact that they’re comfy, or that they’re surprisingly sleek and sexy. It’s the pockets! Two front pockets, that are perfectly sized to fit your passport, credit cards, money, and any other important documents you might carry while you travel.

Protect Your Goods with Pockets

It’s natural to be protective of your identity. While some countries seem to be more prone to this type of theft than others, it can and does happen in Canada. Ensuring all of your documents and bank accounts are protected can be crucial when it means crossing borders, or heading home if you’re from away. It would be pretty difficult for any would-be thiefs to pick-pocket through your jeans. Even if they were crazy enough to try, I’m sure you’d be in full on defence mode if someone started getting grabby down there.

So you might be wondering, “Sure, they make sense, and probably work. But do you sacrifice comfort for security?”

Nope! The fabric feels great, and the fit ensures “everything” stays in place. I’m a big fan of the boxer-brief style, and the folks at The Clever Travel Companion did good work on the overall construction and quality of their mens underwear. The pocket zippers feel like they’re sturdy and could be definitely be trusted with hanging onto your documents. Despite what my photos show, the pockets allow the entire passport to be zipped up.

While it takes a bit of getting used to the feeling of having a couple pockets in your underwear, you stop noticing after a few minutes. Even with the pockets filled with credit cards & a passport, it’s by all means not uncomfortable. These undergarments would make a perfect gift for travellers, or a great buy for yourself if you’re heading somewhere sketchy.

The Clever Travel Companion offers underwear with pockets for both men & women in multiple sizes & colours. They currently sell for $29.90 USD on their website. Be sure to check them out on Twitter too! @CleverTravelCo

Product Review: Travel Underwear with Pick-Pocket Prevention is a post from: I Backpack Canada

$50 Dollar Bill

Let’s start big (well, as big as I could hide from myself). The 50 Dollar Bill, aka “Big Red”, due to its prominence of red hues.You can sometimes find these guys spitting out of ATMs; however, you’re more likely to find its lesser-brother, the Twenty being dispensed from those Bank Robots.

The most recent Canadian 50 dollar bill features a portrait of William Lyon Mackenzie King, the Canadian Coat of Arms, along with picture of the Parliaments famous “Peace Tower”. As you can see, a Canadian Note wouldn’t be Canadian without a couple Maple Leafs thrown in there.

$20 Twenty Dollar Bill

Next up, The Twenty Dollar Bill. Hands down the most common Canadian Bill. This one (or should I say Twenty) should be easy to acclimatize with as it’s Green. The portrait on this particular note is of Queen Elizabeth the Second, and features some famous Canadian Art by Bill Reid along with a quote from Gabrielle Roy. The most recent 2004 edition of the Canadian $20 was also given the “prestigious” award of “Bank Note of the Year” by the International Bank Note Society. Go 20!

$10 Dollar Bill

The 10 dollar bill is one of my personal favourites, just due to the cool colour of purple. This sweet piece sports an awesome portrait of the late Sir John A. Macdonald, and a picture of Canadas famous Library of Parliament. The theme behind this bill is remembrance, and features images of war, along with a portion of John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields”. That poem deserves a post on I Backpack Canada, so thank you Tenner for inspiring me.

$5 Dollar Bill

The Canadian Five-Dollar Bill is the smallest bill you’ll find in Canada. This one’s another fan-favourite as it is blue, and features the Eerie portrait of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, along with the West Block of the Parliament Buildings. If you flip the Bill you’ll see some very Canadian themes, including Tobogganing, Skating, and some Ice Hockey! If you look close you’ll also notice a quote from Roch Carriers story “The Hockey Sweater”.

If you’re lucky, you might come across a Spock Five. I wrote about this little phenomenon a while back. Basically people from all over Canada will modify the face of Sir Wilfrid Laurier into the image of Spock. (The famous Star Trek Character played by Leonard Nimoy) Hilarity at its best.

$2 Dollar Coin a.k.a “The Toonie”

To understand the strange nomenclature behind the Toonie, one has to look at the $1 Dollar Coin, which is called the Loonie, due to the fact that it features one of Canada’s iconic birds, the Loon. When they released the $2 dollar coin, it wasn’t long before everyone was calling it a Toonie.

The Toonie features the popular Bi-Metallic look that other countries have adopted as well. One side of the coin features Queen Elizabeth II while the other features an image of a Polar Bear, which Canada named “Churchill”. A nifty little reference to Winston and due to the many sightings of Polar Bears in the Churchill Manitoba area.

$1 Dollar Coin a.k.a “The Loonie”

The Loonie, kind of a goofy name for a Dollar, but it works. As I mentioned earlier, it inspired the name of Canada’s Two-Dollar-Coin. Something kind of cool that a lot of people may not know about, is that if it weren’t for the Courier Service losing the original Master Dies, the Loonie would not exist. The One-Dollar-Coin was meant to have a Voyageur type theme, with Canada’s famous “Coureur Des Bois”. Thankfully that minor mishap saved us from potentially calling our Dollar Coin something even more strange.

The Pocket Change

For die hard coin collectors, this is where the magic can happen. For me, its where I get bored and laugh at myself, wondering “What am I doing writing about a 5c piece…my time has to be worth more than that…” Well, apparently not. I typically am the first to tell the cashier to keep the change, mainly because I don’t have a change compartment in my wallet, but also because I just find it to be more of a pain than its worth. So forgive me if the detail on the following Canadian coins suffers a bit.

The Canadian Quarter – 25 cent piece

Biggest in size next to the loonie & toonie. This coin that sees most of its action in drinking games features a Caribou & The Queen. Fun fact – 4 of these puppies makes a dollar. Neat eh?

The Canadian Dime – 10 Cent Piece

A thin, wimpy looking coin which looks like it could get blown away in the wind. Which maybe was the inspiration behind including the famous Nova Scotian sail boat, the Bluenose Schooner on the front. As with all Canadian coins, Mrs. Queeny is hanging out on the other side.  As far as size goes, this is the smallest coin we have.

The Canadian Nickel – 5 cent piece

Perhaps I’m a little childish in my thinking. But this particular Canadian coin makes want to give high fives and make jokes about the Queens Beaver. However, since I’m a respectable “writer”, I’ll refrain myself. This coin features The Canadian Beaver on one side, and the Queen on the other. The Beaver was tossed on there as it was such a huge part of Canadian history, what with the fur trading and all. In terms of size, the Nickel is “Medium” in size.

The Canadian Penny – 1 cent piece

The penny features a couple Maple Leaves along with the Queen. It’s slightly less than Medium in size. Some argue that this coin should be taken out of commission, similar to the way Australia operates. I have to say I agree, the Penny completely sucks! Its worth almost nothing and always seems to trick me into thinking I have enough for a coffee. I can’t count how many times I’ve pulled out all the change from my pocket to say to the Tim Hortons girl “Guess I gotta use debit on this Double Double…sorry!” I’d personally rather see the expense of making pennies go into something a little more beneficial to all Canadians. Not just the penny-savers.

Whatever your thoughts are on this guy, its legal tender whether we like it or not. Which means you should expect to experience the classic elderly lady or gentleman paying for their fuel, coffee, or groceries with all pennies. Always worth a smile.

Monopoly Money Ain’t So Bad

Seeing Canadian tender laid out like this is sort of strange. It’s rare that Canadians give much more than a glance at what they’re handing over or receiving. There are some unique stories & pieces of art behind the design of our money. Sure, it might be a little monopoly-esque compared to our American brethren, but talk about being easier to identify.

I’ve always been a fan of how countries all over the world portray significant events in their history through the medium of money. They can be a great starter for learning more about any country, and Canada holds true to this pattern. The Royal Canadian Mint, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba should be commended more often for their coin & cash creativity. Keep up the great work guys, and if you need anyone to sample your goods ahead of time, don’t hesitate to call.

What’s the weirdest piece of money you’ve seen? Have you got a favourite Canadian piece?

Canadian Money – How to Understand & Identify our Monopoly Bills is a post from: I Backpack Canada