Calgary or Victoria?

Neither city is a beach destination, but Victoria at least has a shoreline to enjoy. Willows Beach and Gonzales Bay are good for a stroll or a paddle at the edge, even though the strait stays far too cold for a real swim.

Calgary is landlocked, so a swim means Sikome Lake, Chestermere or a lazy float down the Bow on a hot day. In both places the locals who do want a proper swim head to warm lakes, such as Thetis Lake on the island and the prairie lakes around Calgary.

The two eat about equally well, but from different larders. Calgary is ranching country, so steak is the thing to have, along with ginger beef in Chinatown and a strong suburban spread of Vietnamese, Filipino and Lebanese cooking. Victoria looks to the sea, with wild salmon, Dungeness crab, oysters and spot prawns, wine and cheese from the Cowichan Valley, and afternoon tea in the grand style. Both have solid craft beer, and neither does much street food.

Victoria has the more rewarding sightseeing. The Parliament Buildings and the Empress frame the Inner Harbour, and the Royal BC Museum, with the totem poles of Thunderbird Park beside it, gives real depth on First Nations cultures. Craigdarroch Castle and the Emily Carr sites round it out.

Calgary's sights are mostly frontier history: the Glenbow, Studio Bell, Heritage Park and the sandstone blocks of Stephen Avenue. Its most remarkable heritage, the dinosaur fossils and Blackfoot sites, lies a long drive away.

Calgary is the better place for a night out. 17th Avenue SW is lined with bars and patios, there are a few clubs, and the country bars with line dancing and a mechanical bull are something Victoria has no answer to. During Stampede week the whole city stays up late.

Victoria's evenings revolve around the pub. Brick taprooms and a few good cocktail bars sit around Wharf Street and Lower Johnson, and most people are home well before midnight.

Both are strong, but Calgary's is the grander landscape. Kananaskis is about an hour away and Banff about ninety minutes, with ridge walks, bears, elk and bighorn sheep, and in winter proper ski resorts.

Victoria's outdoors are coastal and close to hand. The clifftop path along Dallas Road, whale-watching boats from the harbour, easy sea kayaking and the old-growth cedars of Goldstream can all be reached without a car, and the mild climate keeps them open all year. What it lacks is mountain terrain.

Both offer good day trips, of different kinds. From Calgary you drive to Banff and Canmore in the mountains, to the badlands at Drumheller for the Royal Tyrrell's dinosaurs, or south to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump.

Victoria's outings are gentler and often involve water: Butchart Gardens, Sidney, the wineries of the Cowichan Valley, Salt Spring by ferry, or Vancouver by floatplane. A ferry crossing tends to stretch the day.

Calgary has clearly more for children to do. The zoo on St George's Island has its own park of life-size dinosaurs, TELUS Spark is a hands-on science centre, and Heritage Park offers rides on a steam train and a paddlewheeler. Calaway Park and the summer zip lines and mountain coaster at Canada Olympic Park fill out a week easily.

Victoria is calm and compact, which makes life with small children easy, but there is less to keep them busy. Beacon Hill Park's petting farm, the seaplanes and little ferries in the harbour and a whale-watching trip are good outings. Still, there is no zoo or theme park, and on wet winter days the choice runs thin.

Victoria is much easier to get around without a car. Its main sights are all within a short walk of each other, harbour ferries hop between docks, and protected bike lanes connect with long car-free trails, so only Sooke and the Cowichan Valley really call for a car.

Calgary has a compact downtown, two CTrain lines and pleasant riverside cycling, but the city sprawls. Its main attractions in the Rockies and at Drumheller are practical only by car or tour, which is why most visitors hire one at the airport.

Neither is a shopping destination, but they shop differently. Calgary leans on big malls such as CORE and Chinook Centre, and its standout buys are western wear, from hand-made boots to felt hats and saddlery. Victoria is small and independent, with heritage storefronts on Lower Johnson, Cowichan sweaters, second-hand bookshops and galleries selling Northwest Coast First Nations carvings and prints.

Calgary is the cheaper of the two, provided you avoid Stampede week. Its hotels cost less than those on the coast, although a hire car, park entry and Banff rooms raise the bill once you head west.

Victoria is dearer, especially in summer when the harbour hotels fill up. Whale watching, Butchart Gardens and ferries all add up. Free parks, a walkable centre and much lower winter rates help soften the cost.

Calgary offers a little more on stage. The Werklund Centre houses the Philharmonic and Theatre Calgary, there is opera at the Jubilee, and July brings the Folk Music Festival on Prince's Island and the Stampede grandstand show.

Victoria's arts scene is smaller but has real charm. The symphony and opera play in the historic Royal Theatre and McPherson Playhouse, the Belfry stages new Canadian work, and the free summer concert on a harbour barge is a lovely local tradition.

Victoria is the easier place to unwind without leaving town. The slow pace, flower gardens, seafront walks and long afternoon teas in James Bay or Oak Bay do the work, helped by hotel spas and resorts in Sooke.

Calgary itself is practical rather than restful. Its best relaxation lies in the mountains, at the Nordic spa in Kananaskis or Banff's Upper Hot Springs, which means a drive before you can soak.