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Smuggler Cove, Secret Cove, Pirate Rock, Buccaneer Bay (oops! not that one) owe their names to rum-runners and smugglers who used the captivating landscape along the Sunshine Coast as hiding places. Leather, livestock, liquor, opium, and people were smuggled from British Columbia to Washington State. One of the most famous true tales tells us that Smuggler Cove owes its name to Pirate Lawrence (Larry) Kelly, “King of the Smugglers”. Kelly came up to Canada after fighting in the American Civil War. When the building of Canadian Pacific Railway was complete, many unemployed Chinese workers tried to emigrate to the United States but were forbidden official entry. Pirate Kelly ferried them across the border for a fee of $100 each. His horrific insurance against detection was to have them agree to be roped together and tied to a large hunk of crude iron. In the event of apprehension by U.S. customs, he would throw the iron and his clients overboard. (Whether he actually did it or not is uncertain.)
The capital of Canada is Ottawa, in the province of Ontario. There are offically ten provinces and three territories in Canada, which is the second largest country in the world in terms of land area.While politically and legally an independant nation, the titular head of state for Canada is still Queen Elizabeth.On the east end of Canada, you have Montreal as the bastion of activity. Montreal is famous for two things, VICE magazine and the Montreal Jazz Festival. One is the bible of hipster life (disposable, of course) and the other is a world-famous event that draws more than two million people every summer. Quebec is a French speaking province that has almost seceded from Canada on several occasions, by the way..When you think of Canada, you think of . . . snow, right?But not on the West Coast. In Vancouver, it rains. And you'll find more of the population speaking Mandarin than French (but also Punjabi, Tagalog, Korean, Farsi, German, and much more).Like the other big cities in Canada, Vancouver is vividly multicultural and Vancouverites are very, very serious about their coffee.Your standard Vancouverite can be found attired head-to-toe in Lululemon gear, mainlining Cafe Artigiano Americanos (spot the irony for ten points).But here's a Vancouver secret only the coolest kids know: the best sandwiches in the city aren't found downtown. Actually, they're hidden in Edgemont Village at the foot of Grouse Mountain on the North Shore."It's actually worth coming to Canada for these sandwiches alone." -- Michelle Superle, VancouverText by Steve Smith.
