I lived in Canada for 2 years — missing out on these 9 experiences is my biggest regret
I moved to Canada from the U.K. in early 2019, with a work visa and a dream. The goal was simple: get a job, save money, and spend as much time as possible travelling across the country that had been on my bucket list for years.
Ottawa became my home base. I stayed with friends to keep rent costs low, worked hard, and started saving for a big second year that'd be packed with adventure.
That first year was filled with so many wonderful Canadian "firsts" — hockey games, baseball games, skating on the Rideau Canal, snowshoeing in the forest, trying poutine, and tasting my first Double-Double. I soaked up every experience I could afford. But the big plans were coming in year two. Or so I thought.
COVID-19 arrived in March 2020 — and as a journalist, I knew things were about to get serious. And just like that, my big Canadian adventure was put on pause. Weeks turned into months. Borders closed. Travel halted.
But, when it was eventually safe to do so, I took every chance I could. Thankfully, many of Canada's most iconic sights are outdoors, and over time, I was able to tick off many of my bucket-list gems: Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Niagara Falls, the Rockies, Banff, Jasper. I saw whales in Vancouver, black bears in Whistler, and a terrifying Canada goose in Ottawa.
And I'm so, so grateful for all of it. Seeing these places with fewer crowds due to international travel restrictions made it even more special. Still, I didn't quite get to everything on my list. And some of those missed moments have stayed with me — even years later!
Here's my list of must-do Canadian experiences that I wasn't able to do during my time in Canada, and why eventually seeing them still feels so important to me.
Viewing the Northern Lights
Canada is widely considered one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights, and I was so ready for it.
This experience was on my bucket list before I even landed in the country. I had this romantic image in my mind of being bundled up in a cozy coat, sipping something warm, and watching waves of green and purple light dance across the night sky.
But what no one tells you is how specific the conditions actually need to be to see the northern lights. It's not a "look up and you'll catch them" type of situation, even in Canada. You need a dark, clear night. No light pollution. No clouds. And ideally, you've got to be way up north — and I didn't quite make it that far.
The stars didn't quite align for me on this one, and I can't help feeling like I've missed out on something magical.
Riding the Rocky Mountaineer
Is there anything more romantic than soaking up Canada's most iconic views from a luxury glass-dome train? The moment I saw pictures of the Rocky Mountaineer winding its way through the Canadian Rockies, it went straight onto my bucket list.
I've always had a soft spot for train travel — there's something so charming about it. Sipping tea, nibbling snacks, feet up as the world glides by? It sounds so glamorous.
I was lucky enough to visit the Rockies during my two years in Canada. I explored Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and more. It was a dream itinerary, and one I got to do without the usual tourism crowds due to Canada's international borders remaining closed. And I'm so grateful for that experience.
But since I was trying to be as safe as possible, I skipped the train journey and stuck to the outdoors.
So the Rocky Mountaineer is still calling my name — and that little box on my bucket list is still waiting for its checkmark.
Trying seafood in New Brunswick
First and foremost, I would've loved to visit Canada's East Coast. There's something about it that seems beautifully familiar to my home country of Wales — rugged coastlines, warm hospitality, smaller-town charm.
Unfortunately, with limited time and budget (and general Canada knowledge!), I focused on visiting the more "famous" Canadian destinations — Toronto, Niagara Falls, and the Rockies. I didn't realise how special and underrated Atlantic Canada was until it was too late. And now I can't help but wonder what I missed out on!
One day, I'd love to come back and do a proper East Coast road trip. The Cabot Trail, the Bay of Fundy, little coastal towns — all of it.
But right at the top of my list is trying seafood in New Brunswick. As a seafood lover, visiting the "Lobster Capital of the World" feels like a no-brainer. Plus, from what I've seen, New Brunswick looks absolutely incredible.
Watching the Toronto Raptors win something
I moved to Canada in early 2019, and as a sports fan, I wasted no time getting stuck into some of the country's most iconic sports. I experienced my first baseball game by watching the Blue Jays (they lost), and then I watched the Ottawa Senators play ice hockey (they also lost).
The Toronto Raptors, whom I was following closely (alongside the rest of Ontario), just kept winning, which meant NBA tickets were in high demand and super expensive, so I kept putting off experiencing my first NBA game.
As a naive newcomer to Ontario, even though I was surrounded by the Raptors buzz of 2019, I had no idea just how big a deal that season would go on to become.
I wish I'd bitten the bullet, forked out the cash, and made the effort to watch the Raptors that year — what a cool story that would've been, and what an incredible memory to have banked.
But hey, you can't win them all.
Sleeping alongside wolves
I'm a big Parc Omega fan. I visited the Montebello area a few times while living in Ottawa, usually as part of a little road trip, and I fell in love with its cozy, small-town charm.
I loved watching the seasons shift around Parc Omega's animals — crunchy leaves in the fall, snow-dusted fur in winter, warm sunshine in the summer. It was one of my favourite ways to spend a few hours, especially seeing iconic Canadian wildlife I'd never seen in the U.K., like moose, beavers, and black bears.
What I didn't know until it was too late, though, was that you can actually stay overnight at Parc Omega — and sleep alongside wolves!
Cozying up in a warm cabin during the colder months, sipping something hot, and watching wolves wander just outside the window is my idea of heaven. So if I ever get the chance to go back to Montebello, that's where you'll find me.
Experiencing the Calgary Stampede
I'll be honest, the Calgary Stampede wasn't something I'd even heard of before moving to Canada. But as a lover of WTF-is-in-that snacks, am-I-going-to-die-here? fairground rides, and absolutely anything a little over the top, the second I found out about Stampede, I was obsessed.
As I mentioned, I moved in early 2019, and during those first few months, I just wasn't in a position to travel to Calgary — budget and work commitments made it a no-go. So, I added the Stampede to my 2020 bucket list and told myself I'd make it happen the following summer.
You know what happens next, right? The pandemic hits — and for the first time in 100 years, the Calgary Stampede gets cancelled.
By the following year, I'd already moved back home to the U.K., as my visa had expired. And so, the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" became one of those "so close, but so far" situations.
Visiting the Spirit Bear Lodge
Tucked away on British Columbia's remote Pacific Coast, Spirit Bear Lodge was high on my dream list, and it still is.
This 100% Indigenous-owned lodge provides rare access to one of the wildest and most untouched corners of Canada.
Nestled within the Great Bear Rainforest, it's home to orcas, humpbacks, eagles, wolves, grizzlies, black bears, and of course, the elusive Spirit Bear — an animal I've been enchanted by ever since I first learned about it.
The lodge is located within the Kitasoo Xai'xais Traditional Territory, and gives guests the chance to experience not only unforgettable wildlife viewing but also cultural knowledge and stories shared by the people who've protected this land for generations.
I didn't quite make it there, but that doesn't mean I don't still daydream about it constantly!
Exploring Quebec City
From the moment I arrived in Canada, visiting the cobblestone streets, charming squares, and quaint corners of Quebec City was high on my must-do list.
I was lucky enough to explore so many of Canada's iconic cities during my time in the country — Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton — but somehow, Quebec City just slipped through the cracks.
I absolutely adore Montreal (and I've even been lucky enough to return for work in recent years), but I still haven't made it to Quebec City, and that hurts a little!
I'd especially love to visit during the winter, to see Old Quebec covered in fluffy snow and to soak up the magic of the holiday season. Plus, the Ice Hotel is very much on my "one day" list.
Next time I'm back in Canada on vacation, Quebec City will be the very first stop!
Seeing polar bears in Churchill
Despite all the incredible must-do activities on my Canadian bucket list, there's one that stands head and shoulders above the rest: seeing the polar bears in Churchill.
For the entire time I lived in Canada, I couldn't stop talking about this remote town — the Beluga Whale and Polar Bear Capital of the World, AND one of the best places on Earth to see the northern lights.
As a nature lover, wildlife enthusiast, and (unfortunately) someone who loves visiting hard-to-reach, expensive places, Churchill was the dream.
My dream was to stay at Frontiers North's Tundra Buggy Lodge, where you can live out on the tundra, completely immersed in polar bear country.
However, the pandemic made it impossible to visit in 2020. By the winter of 2021, I was already heading back to the U.K. as my visa was set to expire.
Churchill isn't just at the top of my Canada bucket list; it's at the top of my life bucket list! And I know I'll be back to tick it off eventually.
While there were a few bucket list items I didn't quite tick off during my time in Canada, that doesn't take away from the magic of what I did get to see.
I'll always be thankful to have had the chance to live in a country so overflowing with beauty, adventure, and unforgettable things to do.
Whenever someone from home asks me what it was like in Canada, I always say the same thing: you could spend a lifetime exploring and still barely scratch the surface. There's just that much to see and do — and that's exactly what makes it so special.
Love ya, Canada!
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
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