The great Canadian showdown: Vancouver v Montreal

By Amy Cooper

It follows that the city that gave us Ryan Reynolds is very easy on the eye. Just like its finest son, visually blessed Vancouver is known for rugged outlines, romantic charm and having no bad angles. No wonder the star of Deadpool and The Adam Project (both filmed in his hometown) calls his birthplace "one of the greatest places on earth to live".

While British Columbia's most populous city may lack Montreal's French je ne sais quoi, Vancouver's picturesque position as the filling in a spectacular sandwich of ocean and mountains on Canada's south-west coast has won it international screen stardom in its own right. From The X-Files to X-Men, via Fifty Shades of Grey, Supernatural and Star Trek, a galaxy of major productions has flocked to "Hollywood North", for its lens-loving soaring alps, sparkling harbour and surrounding rainforest. Exploring these locations makes for a great first date with Vancouver, following your own map or guided by local actors on a Hollywood North Experience tour.

You'll find forest trails, beaches, gardens and Indigenous village sites in the magnificent Stanley Park, a 400-hectare green oasis with the world's longest uninterrupted waterfront path: the 28-kilometre seawall. Ryan enjoys cycling there when he's in town but you'll see pretty sights any time, including Siwash Rock, a 32-million-year-old sea stack and the nine First Nations totem poles at Brockton Point.

As you wander the city's walkable downtown with its spacious grid layout, you'll see mountains at the end of almost every street - and they really are that close. Within a 15-minute drive you're among scenic peaks like Mount Seymour (the name says it all) and Grouse Mountain - skiing and hiking playgrounds so handy that locals pop up post-work for a quick wilderness hit. For extra thrills you can climb Grouse's 1610 metres on the new Skyride Surf Adventure, an open-air ascent with views of city skyline, rainforest and ocean.

Vancouver is a true harbour city, with its various neighbourhoods connected by water. Zip around it on a zodiac with Sea Vancouver or hop aboard the city's favourite public transport, the rainbow-decorated Aquabus, to explore False Creek inlet, the city's main water thoroughfare. Dock to dine on fresh seafood at Granville Island Public Market, or disembark at North America's third-largest Chinatown. About 20 per cent of Vancouver's population have Chinese ancestry, and their influence has gifted rich Asian cuisine and a thriving dim sum scene. Who needs a croissant when you can chow down on fresh char siu bao with a Tsingtao?

Even better, go Greek at Minerva's, proclaimed world's best restaurant by Ryan himself. When he's home, he eats there several times a week. Dinner with a view? You won't find anything more magnifique.

By Mal Chenu

You know you're in for a fabulous Francophonic thrill ride from the moment you land at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and make your way on the Metro to Lionel-Groulx station in the Saint-Henri neighbourhood of Le Sud-Ouest, on the border of Little Burgundy.

Montreal, in French-speaking Quebec, is triple the size of Vancouver and has twice the population. It is the only Canadian city to have held the Summer Olympics. It is where you can see the Canadian F1 Grand Prix, as well as the world's biggest jazz festival, comedy festival and French-language music festival. It is where Cirque du Soleil began its acrobatic ascendance and its attractive, cyclable and walkable streetscapes are filled with bonhomie, savoir faire and joie de vivre.

Every neighbourhood has its own personality and there is more to see, do and eat than you can shake a baguette at. Downtown (or Centre-ville) is crammed with restaurants, boutiques, art museums and multi-storey murals etched on the sides of skyscrapers. It is also home to the city's entertainment district, the vividly named Quartier des Spectacles. Old Montreal features plenty of historical sites relating to the city's colonial and Indigenous past. Cobblestone streets lead you to spectacular buildings such as Notre Dame Basilica and St Joseph's Oratory, which date back to French and British colonial times.

Wander down historic Saint Paul Street, explore the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel and the Pointe-a-Calliere archaeological complex. And survey it all from on-high aboard the Grande Roue de Montreal. (See? Even Ferris wheel sounds better en Francaise.)

Read more on Explore:

Shift your European imperative with a day out in Little Italy in Villeray and don't forget to bring your appetito. Montreal's favourite foodie venue is centred on Jean-Talon Market and you'll find many a ristorante and pasticceria, as well as tree-lined residential streets, many fronted by ornate spiral staircases for some reason. Downtown, Old Montreal and Little Italy are just three of this cosmopolitan city's 12 distinct neighbourhoods, according to Tourisme Montreal. The city is also nestled on the Saint Lawrence River, and a romantic sunset cruise is a must.

Canada's second-biggest city is a gastronomic delight beyond Little Italy. Tuck into unique Quebecois pleasures such as the self-explanatory pizza-ghetti, and poutine, a delicieuse concoction of French fries and cheese curds slathered in brown gravy. Mmm curds...

Comparing Montreal to Vancouver cannot pass without mentioning at least once their respective ice hockey teams. In a parallel to the relative merits of the cities, the Montreal Canadiens have won 24 National Hockey League Stanley Cups, while Vancouver has won Canuck-all.