Toronto - Canada's business capital and largest city - is a clean, safe and vibrant metropolis, where real estate prices are high and blood pressure levels are low. A center for Anglo-Canadian culture, it's also one of the great ethnic melting pots of the world, where the traveler has the world for the cost of a subway token and the most authentic cuisine dangling from the edge of every fork. The city no longer carries the heavy, moralistic mantle of 'Toronto the Good'; its many immigrants have helped the city shake its traditionally standoffish image.

Like hypnotized subjects, few visitors can explain what makes Toronto so satisfying. Although the famous Niagara Falls are nearby, Toronto isn't a city with a checklist full of attractions. It's a city that needs to be experienced, and you need some time to let its many flavors percolate. Its festivals seize you in summer, the spicy corners of its markets call you, the beachfront boardwalks and the music pouring out of its neighborhood eateries seduce you. It's a place just finding its feet, and is all the more charming for it, fresher than many a city its size.

Even after a hard night, you won't catch Vancouver needing make-up. Blessed from birth with perfect bone structure, the city has a photogenic facade and effortless chic that are often compared to San Francisco's. Nestled snugly between mountains and sea, it lies on a strip of land bounded on the north by Burrard Inlet and on the south by Fraser River.

But Vancouver has more to offer than just its postcard good looks. Certainly one of the most cosmopolitan cities in North America, it is still a city of new immigrants - wander the streets and you'll hear a dozen different languages. The city also attracts young professionals and artists from the eastern provinces who come here to enjoy the city's recreation and laid-back sophistication.

If there's a drawback to this place 'where everyone would want to live,' it's the rain - particularly in winter, when it rarely stops. Even in summer, a soggy spell can last for weeks. But when the sun shines gloriously and the mountains reappear, all seems to be forgiven.

This intimate, sophisticated seaside City is the vacation capital of Canada and the premiere tourist spot in the Pacific Northwest. Victoria is situated on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and sparkles in one of Canada's mildest climates. This area is the sunniest spot in the province and the gentlest in the country in terms of climate, environment, and lifestyle. Victoria's unique character is deeply rooted in its 150-year history -- a history full of colourful people and fascinating tales. The city's British colonial heritage is still very much in evidence, but contemporary Victoria has a distinctly Pacific northwest flavour. Today, Victoria is best known as the capital city of British Columbia, and as a world-renowned tourism destination. One of the most visitor-friendly cities anywhere, Victoria is also one of Canada's favourite places to call home. Greater Victoria and its outlying areas now have a population of 300,000, and the one-time colonial outpost is alive with cosmopolitan dining, superb shopping, a colourful nightlife and a full complement of cultural offerings.

Winnipeg may surprise you: A large city rising up from the vast plains of southern Manitoba may be startling in itself, but to find a cosmopolitan capital that's home to a world-class ballet, fine museums and a stimulating multicultural atmosphere -- well, it's more than we expected.

Among the peoples who have settled in Winnipeg are Native Americans, French- and English-speaking Canadians, Ukrainians, Chinese, East Indians and others. This mix gives the town its international flavor, which manifests itself in a wonderful variety of markets, restaurants and cultural centers. Attractions like the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the renowned Royal Winnipeg Ballet add to the city's urbane appeal.

This sophistication is nicely balanced by the town's wide-open Western feel, its proximity to the surrounding farmlands and by the fact that it's relatively small as big cities go. We find Winnipeg a place that's easy to know and yet complex enough to make for an interesting visit.