30 Most Charming Towns in Western Canada
Published by Top Value Reviews in October 2017
Think of Western Canada, and things like stunning natural scenery, world-class ski slopes, and maybe even a cowboy or two come to mind — but charm? We went on a search through the region to find what we could call the 30 most charming towns in Western Canada, and we think we’ve found plenty of just that.
While we found way more than 30 towns to fit our needs, we ultimately narrowed it down based on the following methodology. First, we only considered towns in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba — “Western Canada” as defined by Statistics Canada. Then we considered charm level. Since charm can mean all sorts of different things, we considered such characteristics as tourist draws, historic sites, heritage events, common architecture, and surrounding nature.
Golden, British Columbia
Golden is located where the Columbia River meets the Kicking Horse River, nestled below mountain sides covered in pine trees. Visitors to Golden are likely to find that they feel right at home in this charming town, thanks to its laid-back atmosphere and welcoming community. Downtown, one can find a selection of top-notch restaurants and lots of alpine-style architecture, but Golden’s real charm comes in the form of nature. The town is surrounded by a whopping five national parks, all of which attract visitors from around the world looking for prime mountain biking, hiking, white-water rafting, paragliding, and wildlife viewing.