As I write this in early February, RV shows are in full swing across the country, and the ones I've been to so far have all been packed with people checking out the latest RVs, shopping for gear and, mostly, looking around for new destinations they can visit this year.

After speaking with a number of people at a recent show, I began to think more about our country and all the wonderful things in it. And the more I thought about Canada, the more I came to recognize just how big it is. So a few days later when I had some time on my hands, I did a little research.

Most of us know that Canada is the second-largest country in the world (second only to Russia) but did you know that almost one-third of it lies north of the tree line? Or that we have the world's longest coastline, stretching some 202,080 kilometers? Me either. Nor did I realize that we have 13 world heritage sites within our borders.

When it comes to superlatives, we rank right at the top. With more than 6,000 cubic meters of water pouring over it every second, Niagara Falls certainly qualifies among the largest waterfalls in the world. Lake Huron's Manitoulin Island is certainly the world's largest freshwater island, spanning more than 2,765 square kilometers. Many RVers can attest we have the world's longest highway Ð the Trans Canada covers 7,604 kilometers end-to-end. But did you know our Dempster Highway also makes the record book, as it's the only public highway above the Arctic circle that's open year-round?

I looked a little further. With the United States, we share the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world in the Great Lakes, including the biggest pond of all in the form of Lake Superior (28,700 square kilometers). The world's highest tides are exclusively ours though, in the Bay of Fundy, with a mean range of 16.1 meters! And though it won't do much to soften the image of Canada as a frozen wasteland, we also have the largest non-polar icefield in the world, found in the Yukon's St. Elias Mountains.

When you do a little research and think about everything our country has to offer, you realize how truly blessed we are to live here. That's particularly true if you have an RV, and have the means to go see it all up close and personal.

In this issue, we lead off a new series on exploring Canadian cities with a look at Winnipeg. I hope you enjoy this first installment in what I believe will be a fascinating look at yet another wonderful slice of Canada. (Top)