Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada consists of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador as well as the relatively small provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the truly tiny Prince Edward Island. The latter three are known collectively as the Maritimes. (Labrador refers to the large mostly uninhabited region bordering Quebec on the Canadian mainland that belongs to Newfoundland). All four provinces are better known as summer tourism destinations. Winters in Atlantic Canada are relatively mild but wet, with some heavy snowfalls.
Newfoundland, a large island in the north Atlantic nicknamed “The Rock” for its rugged topography, is the wintriest of the bunch. It has the greatest snow depth and most heavy snowfall days in Canada — Environment Canada calls it the country’s snowiest province or territory. It is also home to Atlantic Canada’s biggest ski centre at Marble Mountain.
New Brunswick, bordering Quebec on the mainland to the east and jutting into the Northumberland Strait to the north and the Bay of Fundy to the south, has Canada’s sunniest winters and is second only to Newfoundland for heavy snowfall days. It has two small ski centres, Crabbe Mountain with its 259 metre (853 feet) vertical drop and 18 trails, and Poley Mountain, with a vertical drop of 201 metres (660 feet) and 23 trails.
Nova Scotia, surrounded by the Bay of Fundy, Northumberland Strait, and the Atlantic Ocean, has Canada’s mildest winters and ranks last in Canada's in just about every snowfall category. Atlantic Canada most populous province, it is also the home of its biggest city, Halifax. The province has three small ski centres.
Prince Edward Island (or PEI) at approximately 5,600 square kilometres (2184 square miles) in total area is Canada’s smallest province. The island, 225 kilometres long and 56 kilometres across at its widest point, is surrounded by the Northumberland Strait to the south and the Gulf of St. Lawrence (or Atlantic Ocean) to the north.