I would say there are 2 kinds you may want,
something that others can't see when you are walking around,
and a gun that is bigger that will be open carried.

the bigger the handgun (to a point) the easier it is to use and the more accurate it is, especially with followup shots.
some full size frame semi auto is easy to use and hit things with,
a 1911 is a good choice, but many glocks, sigs, and others work fine as well and that choice is mostly personal. if you have large hands the double stack magazine of the glock will be fine,
if you have small hands the single stack one are the way to go (and if you have someone with small hands you may use it then may be better to get one anyway)

the smaller ones are harder to hit things with but easy to hide,
a 357 snub nose revolver is a great choice as well as the walther PPK and the tiny glocks

if you live somewhere warm where people don't wear thick coats, then the smaller calibers work well,
like 380 and 9mm
if you live somewhere there is real winters and people are more likely to have very thick coats,
then go for things with more power like the 357mag, 40apc or 10mm

I like to have many to match what the weather is.

readiness is an issue
make sure it is safe to have a round chambered so it is quick to use.
so the guns with single action and hard to use safeties are off the list to get,
the double action kind make sure that it will not go off if just tossed in your pocket,

so go try a few and see how easy they are for you to use,
and remember that if you need it, you may not have time to rack the slide after you pull it out.

Desert Eagle. 50 caliber action express. Nothing like some power to put down the MZBs.

Yeah, I live in Canada.

Where we have winter 8 months out of the year (Well it can feel like that at times)

http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefron ... 28640.html

It's expensive, but what I'm reading is the Kimber is a good gun. Anyone have experience with this?

kimber does good work, it should do well for your needs

Personally I'm a fan of .40 S&W (otherwise known as ".40 cal") because it packs significantly more punch than a 9mm (arguably as much or more than a .45 ACP 1911) but doesn't take up much more room. So you can get a very concealable handgun in .40 (like the Kahr MK40 for instance, or the polymer version which is lighter), and also get a full-sized handgun in the same caliber (like an HK USP or Glock 22). There are 1911s chambered in .40 but from what I understand the 1911 works best in .45.

Kimbers are very nice. However, they've got a very tight fit. That makes for terrific accuracy but also little tolerance for dirt and such. When there's too much dirt for the gun's tolerance, a 1911 becomes an absolute jam-o-matic. If I were going for a 1911 for a SHTF sidearm, I'd go with Springfield Armory's "Mil-Spec" model (having trouble with their page so I can't confirm that's the actual name) or another decent brand (like Colt) in a military issue (not "match grade") kind of setup. The tolerances will be looser so it'll be more reliable but somewhat less accurate. As I've mentioned in this forum, Ruger has a 1911 they've just come out with that I'd love; but it'd hardly be a true SHTF sidearm since it's got a lot of match-grade stuff with tight tolerances.

If I were you I'd check out the Sigs, the HKs, the Glocks (all these being polymer-framed handguns with magazine capacities in the teens), and then look at CZ pistols if you want something steel but larger-capacity. If you're dealing with magazine capacity limitations, go with a 1911 in .45, because you want more powerful rounds if you can't have as many of them.

ETA:

The most important thing about a handgun is that it fits your hand and you can operate the controls well. If you have small hands you may want a gun with a single-stack magazine like a 1911 because it's less wide. Though the HK USP models have a magazine release you can easily reach with the middle finger despite the large grip, which I like (though I have small hands). Forgive me if I'm being too basic here, since I don't know your familiarity with handguns.

Especially with winter clothing, it's quite easy for even a small person to conceal a full-sized handgun; but Spacecase is right that a smaller, more concealable gun is also handy to have. Most of the guns I mentioned above have "compact" and even "subcompact" models, including the 1911. These will conceal more easily with less clothing than their full-sized counterparts; but being a small skinny guy I can attest that you can hide quite a bit if you wear the right clothing. Not that I expect concealed carry to be important for someone in Canada, since carry is illegal as far as I know under most circumstances. And if you're in a SHTF situation might as well carry it openly for easier access.

Just a quick note in Canada Handgun Magazines are limited to 10 rounds.

and your barrels have to be 4 or more inches
with limits like that, the advantages of most of the glocks are gone.

I have a smith and wesson 1911 in stainless that is the mil tolerances,
I think it is this one
I really really like it.

P220 Sig Sauer, .45ACP, 4.4" barrel, 8 round mag. As long as there is ammo your grandkids will still be able to shoot it and it's not a precious custom piece.