TC

First -- its only for 6 months -- not forever. Princess said she'd like something "different" than her own climate. That said, pick Minneapolis. All of the advice given here is true as far as diversity and cultural attractions. December is an amazing time to be in Minneapolis -- Christmas in the snow. Wow! The downtown area is glittering with lights and there's the electric light Christmas parade and the store windows and auditorium have animated Christmas displays. The churchs do outstanding Christmas pagents - like a living Nativity. The theaters all do Christmas plays. The Winter Carnival in St. Paul is something you will never see anywhere else.

As for the cold -- yes, it is cold, but not that cold. I've seen people shopping in December in shorts in recent years. The entire downtown area is accessable through a Skyway system, so you never have to go outdoors. Travel in winter here is for the most part a breeze. If we get snow, you will find the highway department is on top of cleaning the highways like nowhere else in the U.S. Rarely is anything canceled due to bad roads. Nearly any home has a heated garage. That means you get in your car in its heated garage, drive to your destination and park in another heated garage, enter the Skyway system and leave your coat in the car.

Having said all this, the other question is - where in Canada? Toronto is a wonderfully diverse city as is Montreal.