Main purposes will be providing shade and privacy, but I also want it to have blue or purple flowers. It also has to be a good and reliable grower as it should be able to cover pergola as well, at least partially. I am in Toronto Canada area, so it has to be winter hardy.

I have done some search on this site and Google and now leaning towards clematis, as I do not want anything too woody or heavy, although any opinions and comments will be appreciated as being a beginner and new to it I am completely open to any.

Thank you.

Clematis is a good choice. There are a number of varieties. There are three broad categories of clematis - depending on how they need to be pruned for maximum flowering.

I would suggest you probably want to get the ones that flower on old wood so you don't have to prune aggressively at the end of the season every year.

There's a very informative web site - www.clematis.com - that has more information than I'll ever read through, but it is a good reference. I even found a clematis varietal called 'Fryderyk Chopin' with a very interesting grey-blue flower.

You might want to try a climbing honeysuckle too. They are quite hardy and the scent can be attractive to humming birds and butterflies. The trouble is that they are also attractive to bees - so if you're a little nervous of bees, best to avoid honeysuckle.

Good Luck

Lee