9 Canadian Equivalents Of Your Favourite Fictional Towns

You may not be able to live in Stars Hollow or Arendelle, but you can find places just as wonderful in the Great White North!

1. Stars Hollow -> Sidney, B.C.

Via painttek.ca

Who wouldn't want to live in Stars Hollow, a cozy, friendly little town with charming shops and quirky people? If you love Stars Hollow, and are a bookworm like Rory Gilmore, then Sidney is the perfect town for you! Small, comfy, and right by the ocean, Sidney offers great restaurants, mild temperature year-round, and three wonderful bookstores. Sidney is a small town on Vancouver Island and is in close proximity to Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia, and BC Ferries' Schwartz Bay Terminal (if you ever want to get off the island and go see Vancouver!) Sidney is the perfect place to curl up with a book on a seaside bench.

2. Grandview -> Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Via niagara-homes.ca

Grandview is a tragically fictional town in an underrated TV series called Ghost Whisperer. If you watched Ghost Whisperer not just for the heart-breaking ghost stories, but also because you totally fell in love with Grandview, the historical town where Melinda Gordon and Jim Clancy live, then check out Niagara-on-the-Lake! Also a great town for Gilmore Girl fans, this beautiful, historic town boasts world-class theatre, many charming bed & breakfasts, wonderful cafés, and is situated next to one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is a medium-sized town like Grandview (population: 15, 400.) If you love history, theatre, and charming shops, then please try to visit Niagara-on-the-Lake.

3. Storybrooke -> Steveston, Richmond, B.C.

Via theprovince.com

In love with Storybrooke, the (literally) magical town in Once Upon a Time? Well then you're really in luck! While Stars Hollow and Grandview were built in a studio, Once Upon a Time is not only filmed in a real location, it is filmed in the Canadian neighbourhood in Richmond called Steveston. Before it got absorbed by Richmond, this attractive little area was its own fisherman's village! Steveston is a historical part of Richmond that has fantastic seafood and other great restaurants for people who prefer their food to be from the land. It is a family-friendly place with the best fish n' chips in the world - Pajo's. It also offers amazing sea-lion and whale-watching tours. If you are a fan of the show, then a trip to Steveston should be high on your to-do list!

4. Arendelle -> Banff, Alberta

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Although Arendelle, the beautiful kingdom from a little-known animated movie called Frozen, isn't even set in North America, Canada has an abundance of towns surrounded by mountains. Okay, so Arendelle isn't exactly a town, but who wouldn't want to live in a friendly kingdom ruled by a woman with magical powers? Banff is a resort town in Alberta. It is sheltered by mountains and offers hot springs, great hiking, and awesome skiing. If you love the outdoors, Banff is a must-see. With a population of 6700, Banff is mostly inhabited by tourists who want to enjoy all Banff has to offer. If you're lucky, you may see the Northern Lights! There is no ice castle, but if you're dead-set on seeing one, you can always stay in an ice hotel in Québec City.

5. Hogsmeade -> Old Québec, Québec City, Québec

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So again I'm cheating a little: Old Québec, the charming, historic neighbourhood of Québec City, isn't actually a town. It is, however, surrounded by a stone wall. Old Québec will make you feel like you transported back in time...or like you're in Europe! This beautiful little slice of Québec history offers beautiful parks, awesome shops, and an abundance of things to do. None of the bars or pubs serve butterbeer, but I'm sure you'll find something that suits your taste-buds. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and even has a building that resembles a castle - the Château Frontenac. There is a military history in this town, and a tour is a must-do. Mere Muggles may never enjoy the wonders of Hogsmeade, but we can always visit Old Québec!

6. Bikini Bottom -> Gibsons, B.C.

Via hellobc.com

No, you can't buy a Krabby Patty in Gibsons, but Spongebob fans may like this town anyways. Bikini Bottom is a tiny, isolated underwater town (city?) filled with all sorts of quirky characters. It doesn't get much tourism, but maybe that's what makes Bikini Bottom so special. Who wouldn't want to live there if they were a barnacle or a clam or something? It's kinda impossible to find a close equivalent to an animated town, but if you'd like to visit Bikini Bottom, you may be interested in Gibsons. It is a small coastal town in B.C. and is unreachable via land. You need to take a ferry or a seaplane in order to get there. Quaint, quiet, and isolated, Gibsons is a great choice for you if you a) love the ocean, b) want time away from civilization, and c) love the great outdoors. Seeing as it was voted "Most Liveable Community in the World" (under 20,000 people) at the international Livcom Awards, it's safe to say it has places to eat that are (almost) as good as the Krusty Krab.

7. Avonlea -> Cavendish, PEI

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If Anne of Green Gables put a trip to Prince Edward Island at the top of your bucket list, you are far from alone. Avonlea, the little community where Anne grows up, is sadly fictional. However, the tiny community of Cavendish, which helped to inspire Avonlea, is very much real. Cavendish is situated next to Cavendish Beach and consists of charming, colourful houses. There is an amusement park and a water park for families, and the Prince Edward Island National Park. It's a great place for Anne of Green Gables fans and families with young children.

8. Ste-Marie-la-Mauderne -> Trinity, Newfoundland & Labrador

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If you've ever watched Seducing Doctor Lewis (in French: La grande séduction,) then you've probably wondered why anyone would need convincing that Ste-Marie-la-Mauderne is a charming little town to live in. No, Trinity is not in Québec like Ste-Marie-la-Mauderne is, but I still think it is a fitting equivalent. The director even wanted to shoot the movie in Newfoundland and Labrador (it's not hard to see why!) In the English remake of the Québec classic, the movie takes place in Tickle Head, Newfoundland - an actual, teensy-tiny town with a population of 120. A tiny little coastal community of less than 200, Trinity is a small, colourful town by the seaside. However, much like Ste-Marie-la-Mauderne, there is most likely no tourism at all. It has however been used as a filming location before

or... Ste-Marie-la-Mauderne -> Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Via Flickr: nancyandwayne

Because a visit to Trinity is highly unlikely, why not spend a few days in Lunenburg, a colourful, charming, historic coastal town in the beautiful province of Nova Scotia? Lunenburg is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The historic town core is also a National Historic Site of Canada. This lovely town as unique architecture and civic design. It is the prime example of planned British colonial settlement in Canada. Lunenburg offers lots of history, cozy accommodation, and beautiful views. This little town even has its own dialect called Lunenburg English or Lunenburg Dutch, which is influenced by New England English and German.

9. Chatswin -> Goderich, Ontario

Via cottagelife.com

Suburgatory is a highly underrated comedy show that takes place in an upper middle class suburban town called Chatswin. While Chatswin isn't exactly a desirable place to live (unless you'd love to live in a 99% white community of over-privileged, ignorant, slightly stupid people,) it grows on you as the show progresses. Goderich has a bit of a suburban feel to it. Although it isn't exactly the most exciting town in the world, Queen Elizabeth II called it "the prettiest town in Canada," which is pretty damn impressive. Unlike the landlocked town in Suburgatory, Goderich has three beaches.

And the one town we never want to live in...

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Neptune! Whether you love Veronica Mars for the kick-ass female lead or the tortured bad-boy Logan Echolls, I think we can all agree that a town like Neptune is not a town anyone would want to live in. Even though it is close to the beach, that doesn't change the fact that it's a setting for a noir drama that involved a lot of drugging, rape, and murder. Luckily, in Canadian towns, you're more likely to die of boredom than die at the hands of a sociopath.