However, there are certain institutions which are quintessentially Canadian and here we look at three - the RCMP, seafaring and the national sport of ice hockey.

Probably the most Canadian of all the country's institutions is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) formed as the North West Mounted Police in 1873, not long after Canada became a country in 1867.

Spending a day at the RCMP museum in Saskatchewan, Regina offers you insights into this uniquely Canadian law enforcement agency. Located in the RCMP Academy, the Museum draws 250000 visitors each year

You can browse exhibits such as weapons, uniforms, personal effects and memorabilia of the RCMP. Photographs and archive material also tell the Mounties' story. You can study about how Chief Sitting Bull sought sanctuary in the region after defeating Custer and his army in the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Among the other exhibits are Red Indian clothing and artifacts .

If you're at the museum at the right time, you can enjoy the Sergeant Major's Parade held Monday to Friday at 12.45pm and the Sunset Retreat, a lowering the flag ceremony, from July to mid-August on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm. And don't miss the historic RCMP chapel which dates back to 1883. It features impressive stained glass windows.

Canada's Pacific Rim city of Vancouver has a long seafaring tradition much of which is archived in Vancouver Maritime Museum. Located in Vanier Park, just west of False Creek on the Vancouver waterfront, this museum is themed around a preserved RCMP schooner named St Roch.

The St Roch was an arctic exploration vessel and was the first craft to traverse the Northwest Passage in both directions. You can take a tour of the vessel in which crews lived for periods of up to 2 years. The St Roch is fitted out with magazines and canned foods dating from around 1935 to create an uncanny air of authenticity.

Other than the St Roch, the museum contains galleries of model ships and a workshop where you can see craftsmen at work. You can also see historic ships berthed nearby. The nearby Children's Maritime Discovery Centre offers a host of hands-on activities for children.

Now we'll continue to Toronto, Canada's business capital and largest city, and the heart of Anglo-Canadian culture and media. It's also the centre for the Canadian national sport and passion - ice hockey. And to learn everything about ice hockey in one place, head for the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF), a museum dedicated to this tough and fast-paced sport.

Here you can enjoy interactive sessions that bring the sport to life. You can take shots at real-time goalies and guard the net yourself to try and stop the shots of Gretzky and Messier. You can admire such exhibits as goalie masks, skates and sticks, the jerseys of hockey legends and a replica of the Montr'al Canadians' locker room. All together the HHOF offers over 57000 square feet of interactivity, hands on games, theatres, and the Stanley Cup.

Visiting these 3 uniquely Canadian museums will bring the country alive and help you understand the vast diverse nation that is Canada. Before travelling to Canada, make sure that the hotel reservations are in place. Hotels in Toronto and hotels in Vancouver can easily be booked in advance through the Internet, and then you will be able to enjoy Canada at the best.