TORONTO – As Canadians, we aren’t known for touting our own horn, but when someone else does it we’re all for it!

The New York Times has ranked Canada as the #1 destination on its ’52 Places to Go in 2017’ list, citing this year’s 150th anniversary as a top reason to pay a visit. To commemorate the milestone, all of Canada’s 200-plus national parks and historic sites are offering free admission through the year, not to mention the year-long celebration taking place in Ottawa, the nation’s capital.

The newspaper also highlights “the turquoise lakes and mountain peaks of Banff in Alberta”, the “rolling dunes and red sandstone cliffs of Prince Edward Island” as well as the “glacial-rounded Mealy Mountains in Labrador.” And though it didn’t mention Toronto specifically, it did give a shout out to Montreal for its 375th anniversary this year.

But the biggest perk in visiting Canada in 2017? The exchange rate, says the newspaper, which stretches out travel dollars for American travellers.

Rounding out the top five on the list are: Atacama Desert, Chile; Agra, India; Zermatt, Switzerland; and Botswana.

To see the full list, go to http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/travel/places-to-visit.html?_r=0