2025-2026 Travel Guide to Canada

2 0 2 5 -2 0 2 6 T R A V E L G U I D E T O

CANADA

13

www.travelguidetocanada.com

REASONS WHY CANADA

ROCKS!

+

BEST DRIVES ICONIC CITIES NATIONAL PARKS HOT DINING HIDDEN GEMS

FEATURING

$7.95 DISPLAY UNTIL NOVEMBER 30, 2025

CANADA’S

PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES

2 0 2 5 -2 0 2 6 T R AV E L G U I D E T O

Travel Guide to Canada is published by Globelite Travel Marketing Inc. Joseph P. Turkel, President and Group Publisher • Judi Scharf, Vice President PUBLISHER Joseph P. Turkel

DIRECTOR OF RETAIL MARKETING Craig Sweetman

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Judi Scharf

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Gloria Mungo

EDITOR Ilona Kauremszky

PRESIDENT & GROUP PUBLISHER Joseph P. Turkel

ART DIRECTOR Mark Tzerelshtein

ADVERTISING SALES Kate Parfitt | 250-538-2143

Te l : ( 4 1 6 ) 7 2 5 - 3 3 5 3

•

WRITERS Laura Byrne Paquet | Liz Fleming | Ilona Kauremszky

ADVERTISING SALES Corporate Office:

Robin and Arlene Karpan | Helena Katz | Rochelle Lash

Globelite Travel Marketing Inc. 5863 Leslie St., Suite 315

Susan MacCallum-Whitcomb | Susan Mate

Toronto, Ontario M2H 1J8

Josephine Matyas | E. Lisa Moses | Margo Pfeiff

Tel: 416-725-3353,

Joanne Sasvari | Michele Sponagle | Mark Stachiew

1-888-700-4464

Margaret Swaine | Hans Tammemagi | Fiona Tapp

Email: joe@globelitemedia.com

Kateryna Topol | Robynne Trueman | Shel Zolkewich

travelguidetocanada.com

1-888-700-4464

No part of this publication can be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of Globelite Travel Marketing Inc. The opinions in this magazine are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Globelite Travel Marketing Inc. Publications Mail Agreement 40047932. Contents © copyright 2025. Printed in Canada.

•

Email: joe@globelitemedia.com

•

t r av e l g u i d e t o c a n a d a . c o m

ISSN 1921-0213 (Print) • ISSN 1927-7237 (Online)

FOLLOW US ON

6

Table of Contents Provinces and Territories 32 BRITISH COLUMBIA BEAUTIFUL BY NATURE, PLAYFUL BY DESIGN

36 ALBERTA ALPINE VISTAS, CITY SOJOURNS AND RURAL RETREATS

40 SASKATCHEWAN LAND OF LIVING SKIES

43 MANITOBA CULTURE, CREATIVITY AND A PRAIRIE WELCOME

46 ONTARIO SO MANY CHOICES, ALL IN ONE PLACE NORTHERN LIGHTS, TOMBSTONE TERRITORIAL PARK, YUKON • XIU YU PHOTOGRAPHY/SHUTTERSTOCK

52 Discover Niagara Wine Country 54 Killarney Lodge: A room with a canoe 56 Hit the hi-ways of Mississauga

National

58 QUÉBEC

4

MAP OF CANADA

LIVING AT THE HEART OF IT ALL

7

OTTAWA-GATINEAU: A CAPITAL IDEA

62 Québec’s Laurentians: A vast boreal beauty

10 Discover the Canadian War Museum 12 Canadian Museum of History: Canada’s past

of recreation and resorts

64 Nunavik: “The Great Land” delivers great adventure 66 NEW BRUNSWICK

comes to life

14 13 REASONS WHY CANADA ROCKS

BEYOND ORDINARY

69 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

18 RIDE THE RAILS

SPOILED FOR CHOICE

20 INDIGENOUS TOURISM: TELLING THEIR STORIES THEIR WAY

72 Making waves with Rodd Hotels & Resorts: 90 years of Atlantic hospitality

24 WILDLIFE VIEWING: CALL OF THE WILD 28 FOOD: A TASTE OF CANADA 30 CRUISING MADE CANADIAN ON THE ST. LAWRENCE

74 NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR TIMELESS APPEAL

78 NOVA SCOTIA WHERE MOTHER NATURE MEETS FATHER TIME

82 Pier 21: Countless Journeys. One Canada 83 YUKON GOING TO THE MOST UNEXPECTED PLACES COVER: The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac during golden hour, Québec City, Québec PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ SALVADOR MANIQUIZ

87 Air North: Northward bound 90 NUNAVUT CANADA’S TRUE NORTH

94 NORTHWEST TERRITORIES NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY

7

GATINEAU PARK • NATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION

Ottawa-Gatineau: A Capital Idea

Award-winning vegetarian fare? Check.

A bus that turns into a boat? Ditto.

Festivals, the world’s largest skating rink and wolves? You’ll find all that and much more in Ottawa—Canada’s capital—and its sister city of Gatineau, directly across the Ottawa River.

BY LAURA BYRNE PAQUET

WHAT’S NEW? Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa is set to welcome high rollers and super fans at a new entertainment destination located just 15 minutes from downtown. Opening in spring, the new luxe 150-room hotel will drip with rock ‘n’ roll glam and priceless memorabilia from Canadian music legends expertly curated. Guests will be able to catch a show at the 1,800-seat Hard Rock Live theatre, and yes, try their luck at the tables and slot machines (www.casino.hardrock.com/ottawa).

Ready to have a bowl of a good time?

Splitsville Entertainment has unveiled its newest bowling flagship at the Kanata Entertainment Centrum. Redefining family fun, guests can bowl in their own shoes with 18 lanes of 10-pin bowling (www.splitsville.ca/ kanata-bowling).

This summer, the National Gallery of Canada will present two compelling solo exhibitions

by leading Indigenous artists: Nadia Myre's Waves of Want and Skawennati's Welcome to the Dreamhouse, both running from May 30 to September 1, 2025. Myre, an Algonquin artist from the Kitigan Zibi Anishinaabeg First Nation, explores themes of resilience, language, memory, and longing through her multidisciplinary practice, while Skawennati, a Kahnawà:ke Mohawk multimedia artist, envisions Indigenous futures by blending Haudenosaunee storytelling with digital media, including avatars and machinima films (www.gallery.ca).

SIP AND DINE Ottawa chef Briana Kim took home top honours at the Canadian Culinary Championship a couple of years ago. As a result, one of the capital’s hottest dining options is the plant- and fermentation-based tasting menu at Kim’s intimate restaurant, Alice (www.alicerestaurant.ca).

For craft cocktails, try the Apothecary

Cocktail Lounge, hidden away on the lower level of a Victorian building in the ByWard Market area (www.apothecarylounge.ca).

A block south of Parliament Hill, the tiny Stolen Goods Cocktail Bar serves innovative drinks and small plates late into the night (www.stolengoodscocktailbar.com).

TAKE A TOUR Can’t decide between a boat tour and a bus tour? You don’t have to. Partway through an excursion on the Lady Dive amphibus, the vehicle that takes you by road through the parliamentary precinct becomes a boat. It slips into the Ottawa River to give you an interprovincial view of Ottawa and Gatineau.

The company also offers double-decker bus tours and winter trolley tours (www.lady dive.com).

Add a totally unique tour to your trip list.

Outside Ottawa (35 km) far beneath the earth stands The Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War

8

CAPTIVATING MUSEUMS

GRAND HALL • CANADIAN MUSEUM OF HISTORY

Museum. Named after Prime Minister John Diefenbaker who commissioned this top secret structure in 1959, Canada’s most significant Cold War site is open for guided tours. At this National Historic Site, you can see Cold War era rooms like the War Cabinet Room and the Bank of Canada Vault and learn about the purpose of this secret underworld (www.diefenbunker.ca).

Don’t let the renovations of Canada’s Parliament Buildings delay your tour plans. While closed until the scheduled completion date in 2032, visitors can embark on a virtual tour (www.lop.parl.ca/sites/Learn/default/ en_CA/VR).

OUTDOOR FUN To skate or paddle on a UNESCO World

Heritage Site, head to downtown Ottawa’s Rideau Canal. The 19th-century engineering wonder, and the recreational paths alongside it, attract runners, cyclists, boaters and paddlers from spring through fall. In winter, its groomed ice surface becomes the world’s largest skating rink (www.pc.gc.ca/en/ lhn-nhs/on/rideau).

For winter outdoor fun, join the winter fat bike tours craze and immerse in a total winter wonderland experience, visiting iconic landmarks (www.escapebicycletours.ca).

Seeking wilderness? Just a 15-minute drive from Parliament Hill, you’ll find an entrance to Gatineau Park, a 361-sq. km (139 sq. mi.) retreat studded with lakes, rocky outcrops, hiking trails, waterfalls and historic sites (www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places/ gatineau-park).

You can get a sense of Canada’s history, geography and culture in Ottawa-Gatineau’s national museums by visiting major institutions located there.

Learn about plants, animals and landscapes across this vast country and beyond at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Highlights include national dinosaur and mineral collections, mammal and bird galleries. (www.nature.ca) At the Canadian Museum of History, don’t miss the towering totem poles and Pacific coast Indigenous dwelling facades in the museum’s Grand Hall, which offers a spectacular view of the Ottawa River and Parliament Hill (www.history museum.ca).

The Canadian War Museum illuminates the stories of conflicts in Canada from the early days of human settlement until the present day (www.warmuseum.ca).

THE SPORTING LIFE What would a visit to Canada be without hockey? In Ottawa’s west end, you can catch home games of the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre (www.nhl.com/senators).

Close to downtown, TD Place (www.td place.ca)—the arena and stadium complex at Lansdowne Park—is home to the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa REDBLACKS (www.ottawaredblacks.com), the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s (www.ottawa67s.com), the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Ottawa BlackJacks (www.theblackjacks.ca) and Atlético

9 Ottawa, the city’s Canadian Premier League soccer team (atleticoottawa.canpl.ca).

And just east of downown, the Ottawa Titans of the independent Frontier League play baseball at Ottawa Stadium (www.ottawa titans.com).

RETAIL THERAPY A few minutes’ walk east of Parliament Hill, quirky shops, busy restaurants and brimming farmers’ stalls keep things lively in the heritage ByWard Market area (www.byward-market.com). Nearby, the CF Rideau Centre is home to leading fashion, electronics and lifestyle retailers (www.cfshops.com/rideau-centre.html).

A short drive or transit trip beyond downtown, you’ll find popular shopping neighbourhoods such as the Glebe (www.intheglebe.ca), Wellington West (www.wellingtonwest.ca) and Westboro (westborovillage.com).

FESTIVAL FUN If you love a big celebration, Ottawa won’t let you down. The festival season starts with Winterlude in February (www.canada.ca/

CANADA DAY CONCERT AT PARLIAMENT HILL • OTTAWA TOURISM

en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/winter lude.html), followed by the Canadian Tulip Festival in May (www.tulipfestival.ca), the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival in June (www.ottawa jazzfestival.com), an enormous rock festival called RBC Bluesfest in July

(www.ottawabluesfest.ca) and the CityFolk folk music festival in September (www.city folkfestival.com).

For more information, visit www.ottawa tourism.ca.

10

JOURNEY THROUGH CANADA’S MILITARY HISTORY

CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM

A Double Dose of Canadian Heritage Discover the Canadian War Museum and Canadian Museum of History—two must-visit landmarks in the heart of Canada’s capital city.

Located at LeBreton Flats, the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa reopened in 2005.

With its striking architecture and immersive exhibits, it offers a unique opportunity to explore Canada’s military evolution, from early wars to contemporary peacekeeping efforts.

BY FIONA TAPP Uncover the stories of Canada’s past and future at two world-class museums, each offering a unique perspective on the nation’s journey. From gripping stories of war and remembrance to the unfolding narrative of Canadian culture, see dynamic exhibitions that offer new perspectives on the diverse identities that define Canada today.

Located at LeBreton Flats, the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa reopened in 2005.

With its striking architecture and immersive exhibits, it offers a unique opportunity to explore Canada’s military evolution, from early wars to contemporary peacekeeping efforts.

SYMBOLISM IN DESIGN Designed by acclaimed architect Raymond Moriyama, the Canadian War Museum’s low-lying structure blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. Its gently sloping copper roof evokes the idea of regeneration—an important theme throughout the museum’s exhibits.

Inside, the museum’s centrepiece is Moriyama Regeneration Hall. This soaring atrium features angled views of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, offering a quiet place for reflection. Memorial Hall, another striking feature, is dedicated to remembrance, providing a space where visitors can pause and think about the ultimate sacrifice made by those who served.

PERSONAL STORIES OF WAR Inside the museum, you’ll find The Canadian Experience Galleries which takes visitors through Canada’s military history, focusing on the human impact of war. Each gallery is a journey through time, starting with the wars of First Peoples and moving through the world wars to Canada’s more recent peacekeeping missions. The exhibitions focus not just on the battles fought but on the personal stories of those who lived through them. For example, look for a very special teddy bear given to a soldier by his daughter before he left for

war. When he was killed at Passchendaele in 1917, the bear was found in his pocket and later donated to the Canadian War Museum as a treasured artifact.

LAST VOICES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR As part of the 80th anniversary of the end of the conflict, Last Voices of the Second World War, will be on display from May through December, giving a voice to some of the last surviving veterans. Through interviews, photographs, and personal mementos, the exhibit explores the veterans’ journeys after the war including how they rebuilt their lives, the struggles they faced, and the ways in which they’ve shared their stories over the decades.

If you’re planning a road trip or visiting Ottawa, make sure the Canadian War Museum is on your list. You’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices made by so many and the enduring power of remembrance (www.warmuseum.ca).

12

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF HISTORY

Canada’s Past Comes to Life

Across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Québec, the Canadian Museum of History offers a compelling exploration of Canada, from the Indigenous peoples who first shaped the land to the diverse, multicultural nation it is today.

Experiences Await at the Canadian Museum of History.

BY FIONA TAPP Designed by Indigenous architect Douglas Cardinal, the museum’s flowing, organic design is inspired by Canada’s natural landscape. Its curving walls, clad in the same type of stone used on the buildings of the Canadian Parliament, are meant to evoke the shape of the land, and the museum’s expansive glass façade allows visitors to feel connected to the outside world.

Be sure to enjoy the Zen Garden before or after your visit, designed by renowned landscape artist and Buddhist monk, Shunamyo Toshiaki Masuno.

One of the most striking features of the museum is the Grand Hall, which houses the world’s largest indoor collection of totem poles. These towering works of art set the tone for the museum’s narrative, one that is grounded in the stories and traditions of First Nations people across the land.

Slowly circle the original plaster pattern of Bill Reid’s stunning sculpture Spirit of Haida Gwaii, a canoe carrying human, animal, and supernatural beings. Also in the Haida Gwaii Salon, be sure to stand beneath Alex Janvier’s Morning Star, then look up to the dome and the kaleidoscope of colours presented.

A RICH DISPLAY OF CANADIAN HISTORY

SPECIAL EXHIBITION: RETRO– POPULAR MUSIC IN CANADA

Wander through the Canadian History Hall, where you’ll learn about key moments in Canadian history, from the first European settlers to the creation of the Canadian Confederation, and everything in between.

The First Peoples Hall is a fascinating, permanent exhibit where visitors experience the histories, cultures, and traditions of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Witness both the heritage and the ongoing struggles of many Indigenous communities, providing visitors with a deeper understanding of Canada’s diverse identity.

Look for the Sky Woman sculpture by Shelley Niro (Hodinohso;ni).

If you’re a music fan, don’t miss the Retro– Popular Music in Canada From the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s exhibition (June-January). Iconic albums, vintage photos, and memorabilia culled from Canada’s music industry showcase bold artists like Joni Mitchell, The Band and Céline Dion. See K.D. Lang’s striking stage outfit and a guitar used by Rush on tour—just two of the many artifacts celebrating Canada’s unflinching musical legacy.

THE INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL MEMORIAL MONUMENT In the Four Seasons Salon, you’ll find the Indian Residential School Memorial Monument—a sombre reminder of Canada’s dark history. Carved from red cedar by Kwaguʼł master carver Stanley C. Hunt, this monumental sculpture features 130 unsmiling children’s faces and a protective raven overhead. It serves as a call for all Canadians to bear witness to the harm caused by the residential school system and reflects the ongoing journey toward reconciliation.

A PLACE FOR REFLECTION AND DISCOVERY Additionally, within the museum, you’ll also find the thoroughly enjoyable Canadian Children’s Museum offering interactive exhibits for young visitors, while CINÉ+ showcases engaging documentary films.

With its beautiful architecture, immersive exhibits, and thoughtprovoking monuments, visiting the Canadian Museum of History is an enriching experience for anyone eager to understand the complexities of Canada’s history, its diverse cultural heritage, and the future we are all writing together as a nation (www.historymuseum.ca).

14

WHALE WATCHING • DESTINATION VANCOUVER/PRINCE OF WHALES

13 Reasons Why Canada Rocks

Canada, being the world’s second largest country, covers a lot of ground. So its far-flung boundaries encompass many differences in terms of geography and culture. One thing, however, remains constant: wherever you go in this vast land, you’re sure to find something remarkable. Here are 13 of the reasons why Canada rocks.

BY SUSAN MACCALLUM-WHITCOMB

1

14,000 SHADES OF GREY: BRITISH COLUMBIA

In some places, red-breasted robins announce the arrival of spring. On the western shore of Vancouver Island, it’s the return of the grey

whales—some 20,000 of which swim by as they make the 8,000-km (4,970-mi.) trip from the balmy breeding lagoons of Mexico to feeding grounds up north. Whale watching boats depart from towns like Ucluelet and Tofino. But since

the massive mammals follow the coast closely, you can also observe them without leaving land.

The peak viewing time in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is from March through May (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/pacificrim).

15

2

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS: ALBERTA

Hungry attendees will be happy to hear that pancake flipping is as much a part of the Calgary Stampede as bull riding and barrel racing. In fact, an estimated 200,000 pancakes are served at free breakfasts hosted city-wide each July during the 10-day event. Many also come with a side order of entertainment. The tradition started in 1923 when chuckwagon driver Jack Morton began inviting random folks to share his morning meal; now it serves as edible evidence of that legendary Western hospitality (www.stampedebreakfast.ca).

POLAR BEARS, CHURCHILL, MB • TRAVEL MANITOBA

3

FISH TALES: SASKATCHEWAN

Saskatchewan may call to mind waving fields of prairie grain, yet this landlocked spot has real waves as well. In fact, 100,000 or so lakes and rivers cover about a tenth of the province, providing some of the best freshwater fishing anywhere. World recordbreaking burbot, northern pike and brook trout have been caught here; trophy-sized walleyes—Saskatchewan’s official provincial fish and its most popular game species—also lure in anglers. Whether you are passionate about fly fishing or eager to try ice fishing, experienced local outfitters can set you up (www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/thingsto-do/fishing).

4

BEAR NECESSITIES: MANITOBA

You can see a polar bear just by picking up a “toonie”—the two-dollar coin. But if you want an up-close look at the planet’s largest land predators, make tracks for Churchill.

This tiny community on the western shore of Hudson Bay is one of the only human settlements where they can be seen in the wild. Because it sits on a polar bear migration route, hundreds pass through as they travel to the ice floes in October and November.

Cool Tundra Buggies—complete with oversized wheels and an outside viewing platform—take guests to observe them on unforgettable day tours (www.travel manitoba.com/churchill).

5

season lasted six weeks. From the start, however, the festival attracted luminaries from the theatre world. Sir Tyrone Guthrie was its first artistic director and Sir Alec Guinness starred in its inaugural production of Richard III (www.stratfordfestival.ca).

DRAMATIC EVENTS: ONTARIO

Shakespeare said “All the world’s a stage,” and Stratford—a small city in southwestern Ontario named for the Bard’s birthplace in the U.K.—actually feels like one during its signature event. Typically, each year, from mid-April through October, the Stratford Festival draws nearly half a million theatregoers to multiple venues. Founded in 1953, it had humble beginnings: plays were originally performed in a giant canvas tent and the

ICE HOTEL, QC • GAËLLE LEROYER

ICE FISHING, TOBIN LAKE • TOURISM SASKATCHEWAN/ ROB WEITZEL GRAPHIC PRODUCTIONS

6

COLD COMFORT: QUÉBEC

What beats walking in a winter wonderland?

How about sleeping in one? At the Hôtel de Glace, everything—including the glittering guest room furniture—is made entirely of ice and snow: some 3,000 blocks of ice. Its thick walls act like a thermos, so you can chill without getting too chilly; and the ice-block beds, topped with a solid wood base and a comfortable mattress, an isolating bed sheet and Arctic-rated sleeping bags, are très cosy.

16 almost 13 km (8 mi.) of curvaceous concrete, the so-called “fixed link” qualifies as the longest bridge in the world spanning icecovered water. It took a team of more than 5,000 workers four years to build this 11-m-wide (36-ft.) engineering marvel; motorists can cross it in a mere 12 minutes (www.confederationbridge.com).

10 WORLD’S LARGEST LOBSTER, SHEDIAC • HEMMINGS HOUSE

Built anew each year, the Hôtel de Glace in Valcartier Vacation Village is open from January to late March (www.valcartier.com/ en/lodging/hotel-de-glace-ice-hotel)

7

CLAWS CÉLÈBRE: NEW BRUNSWICK

Shediac, a cute Acadian fishing community, bills itself as the “Lobster Capital of the World.” Whether or not that’s technically true, this town obviously loves the King of Crustaceans. One is proudly displayed on its coat of arms; another—a 55-tonne whopper, albeit made from metal—is its main attraction. Moreover, since 1949, it has honoured the catch du jour each July during the nineday Shediac Lobster Festival. A favourite event, “La Grande Table,” is the famous lobster dinner served on a gigantic, long table where hundreds of people gather for a delicious locally sourced meal (www.shediaclobsterfestival.ca).

8

CLIFF NOTES: NOVA SCOTIA

The Joggins Fossil Cliffs on Chignecto Bay are more than just another pretty rock face.

After all, they provide an unparalleled look at what life was like 300 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian “Coal Age” of Earth history. Some 200 species of fossilized plants and animals have been discovered here, among them Hylonomus lyelli, the earliest known reptile and the first known vertebrate able to live entirely on land. Cited

by Charles Darwin in The Origin of Species, this 15-km-long (9.3-mi.), tide-washed UNESCO World Heritage Site has been dubbed the “Coal Age Galápagos” (www.jogginsfossilcliffs.net).

9

A RECORD-BREAKING BRIDGE: PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Although PEI joined Confederation in 1873, the province wasn’t physically connected to the rest of Canada until the billion-dollar Confederation Bridge opened between Borden-Carleton and Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick, 124 years later. Comprised of

MIXED SIGNALS: NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

The provincial capital’s leading landmark, Signal Hill, is crowned by an imposing stone tower, which was erected to commemorate the arrival of Giovanni Caboto in 1497.

The Genoese explorer is better known to anglophones as John Cabot. Coincidently, all of the modern-day visitors who tweet about the tower or post cellphone pics of it to Facebook and Instagram owe a debt to another trail-blazing Italian, Guglielmo Marconi.

The radio pioneer ushered in the era of global communications when he received the first transatlantic wireless signal here on December 12, 1901 (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/signalhill).

CABOT TOWER, ATOP SIGNAL HILL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, ST. JOHN’S, NL • SHUTTERSTOCK/LINDA HARMS

17

HMS EREBUS, NU • PARKS CANADA

11

A DECIDELY DIFFERENT DRINK: YUKON

More than a century after the Klondike Gold Rush ended, Dawson City is still a place where “strange things are done in the midnight sun.” If you want proof—about 40 proof to be precise—head to the Sourdough Saloon in the Downtown Hotel and order a Sourtoe Cocktail. The off-beat beverage has one key ingredient that hip mixologists tend to overlook—namely a dehydrated human toe. To become a certificate-carrying member of the Cocktail Club, you can drink your shot fast or you can drink it slow, “but your lips must touch the gnarly toe” (www.dawsoncity.ca/sourtoe-cocktail-club).

12

CELESTIAL SIGHTS: NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Neither words nor pictures can truly convey the beauty of the aurora borealis, a natural phenomenon sparked by surges of solar and magnetic energy. You simply have to see the iridescent colours dance across the night sky yourself. An ideal place to see it is the Northwest Territories, where “the greatest light show on Earth” is visible about 240 days a year. The absence of light pollution in Wood Buffalo National Park—Canada’s largest national park and the world’s largest Dark Sky Preserve—creates top viewing opportunities from mid-August to mid-March (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/woodbuffalo).

SOURTOE COCKTAIL, DAWSON CITY, YT • GOVERNMENT OF YUKON/JUSTIN KENNEDY

13

SINKING SENSATIONS: NUNAVUT

Nunavut doesn’t make headlines often, but in 2014 the news went viral: after 168 years, the HMS Erebus—one of the ships from the ill-fated Franklin Expedition—had been discovered in its icy waters by Parks Canada archaeologists. The feat was repeated in 2016

when her sister ship, the HMS Terror was located. Sir John Franklin, his crew and both vessels disappeared in 1846 while trying to traverse the Northwest Passage—and gain a lucrative trade route between the Atlantic and Pacific. Finding them helps solve one of the world’s great marine mysteries (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/franklin).

NORTHERN LIGHTS, AURORA, NT • SHUTTERSTOCK/MARSZETA

18

THE CANADIAN • VIA RAIL CANADA

Ride the Rails

BY LIZ FLEMING Built in the late 1800s, the railway soon enabled valuable freight to be moved, making our country a solid business proposition for all provinces.

While freight was key for the growing economy, the railway was equally important for European tourists eager to see this vast country. Soon tourist travel rivalled freight, and exploring the exciting young country by train became ultra-fashionable. Capitalizing on a profitable trend, the Canadian Pacific Railway Company built glamorous, luxurious hotels designed to rival the most elegant European châteaux. Located conveniently near the train tracks, the CP hotels invited guests to relax at the end of a day of touring.

The combination of elegant accommodation, and this magical manner of travel, fostered a thriving Canadian rail tourism industry.

Rail travel still entices tourists with train journeys topping the list for sophisticated travellers from all over the world. Many areas of the Far North can still only be reached by

When negotiations to make Canada a country were underway, it was the promise of a railroad that would bind one coast to the other that clinched the deal. On that history-making day in 1867 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, the concept of a permanent link between the West and the Maritimes convinced the Fathers of Confederation that our nation could become a reality.

train, and sitting in a comfortable railway car is by far the most inviting way to cross vast stretches of prairie, see the Rocky Mountains, and experience the wealth of natural beauty that is Canada.

VIA RAIL VIA Rail connects over 400 Canadian communities from Halifax to Vancouver and Churchill.

It offers some of Canada’s best scenic travel experiences, including one of the world’s most legendary and popular longdistance rail journeys—the Canadian—a cross-country service linking Toronto and Vancouver. This route offers breathtaking landscapes and cosy accommodations. The long-distance journey through Eastern Canada, also known as the Ocean, is as memorable: the unique charm of the Maritimes make it the perfect getaway.

Day trippers love the Québec City-Windsor corridor as a means of experiencing some of

the country’s most vibrant cities. Every year, when the streets of Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Québec City explode with the energy of iconic festivals and events showcasing top talent from around the world, VIA Rail makes getting there part of the thrill. Festival-hop from city to city to experience some of Canada’s many great events.

If you’re a nature lover, be sure to make the trip between Jasper National Park and the rugged North Pacific Coast of Prince Rupert, B.C. This two-day rail journey winds along the Skeena River where wild grizzlies, black bears, moose, bald eagles, elk and mountain sheep gaze as you pass. Visit the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary and explore Prince Rupert’s remarkable Museum of Northern British Columbia, which houses the fascinating history, culture and art of the Northwest Coast in a traditional longhouse.

You can also opt for the WinnipegChurchill train which travels through 1,697 km (1,055 mi.) of Canadian landscapes, from

19 the Prairies to boreal forest and subarctic tundra. You’ll travel through many unique communities and enjoy awe-inspiring views. Once in Churchill, you’ll be immersed in untamed wilderness. Bask in the warm village atmosphere and experience some truly memorable moments. Be ready for adventure as you enter this world of exceptional flora and fauna, which includes polar bears in autumn, belugas in summer as well as the magical northern lights during winter (www.viarail.ca).

AGAWA CANYON TOUR TRAIN Fans of the legendary Group of Seven artists will want to journey into the remote northern Ontario wilderness that inspired these talented painters on-board the Algoma Central Railway’s Agawa Canyon Tour Train. The 367km (228-mi.) round trip from Sault Ste. Marie winds through the spectacular canyon from August 1st to October 10th, with peak fall foliage viewing between September 15 and October 14. Wildlife lovers and nature enthusiasts alike are attracted to the natural beauty. Expect stops at Mile 114 and prepare for exciting hikes to the floor of the Agawa Canyon, created by glacial retreat some 10,000 years ago. A GPS-triggered commentary in six languages makes sure you don’t miss a thing along the way, telling stories of fur traders, explorers and the Ojibway people.

While spring and summer tours are certainly beautiful, autumn is the most popular time for this train tour. In fact, so many leaf peepers come looking for autumn

ROCKY MOUNTAINEER TRAIN AT MT. ROBSON, ALBERTA • TRAVEL ALBERTA

colours that booking well ahead is recommended (www.agawatrain.com).

WHITE PASS & YUKON ROUTE RAILWAY If you’ve ever longed to see Canada’s farthest northern locations, such as the Klondike Gold Rush country, you’ll want to book a seat on the long-serving diesel and steam locomotives of the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. This authentic vintage train, an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, makes a steep 914 m (3,000 ft.) climb through gorges and glaciers on a narrow-gauge track. Retrace the original route to the White Pass Summit, passing Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch. Enjoy a breathtaking panorama of mountains, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles and historic sites (www.wpyr.com).

ROCKY MOUNTAINEER WHITE PASS & YUKON ROUTE RAILWAY, YUKON • ©GOVERNMENT OF YUKON

Is the Rocky Mountaineer at the top of your bucket list? You’re not alone! Featuring oncein-a-lifetime views of majestic mountains, glittering lakes and pristine western Canadian wilderness, this iconic train offers a spectacular experience. Guests can choose from two levels of service: SilverLeaf or GoldLeaf, both of which include delectable food and wine, outstanding attention to detail and fascinating, informative on-board commentaries. Multi-day excursions include such iconic destinations as Vancouver, Whistler, Lake Louise, Jasper, Calgary, Banff and Kamloops. Add optional excursions such as city tours and helicopter rides to your itinerary and enjoy the overnight accommodations included in Rocky Mountaineer trips (www.rockymountaineer.com).

TRAIN DE CHARLEVOIX This rail adventure travels 125 km (78 mi.)

through the stunning but remote countryside between Québec City’s Montmorency Falls and La Malbaie, stopping in seven picturesque towns and coastal villages as travellers enjoy a gorgeous view of the St. Lawrence River. The service runs daily from mid-May to the end of October, and weekend service in November (www.trainde charlevoix.com).

POLAR BEAR EXPRESS Enveloped in the warm embrace of vintage charm, passengers settle into their seats, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of dawn filtering through the windows as the rhythmic symphony of the Polar Bear Express passenger train begins its pilgrimage through a wilderness untouched by time.

Along the route, nature’s tableau unfolds in all its splendour: dense forests give way to meandering rivers, while snow-capped peaks tower majestically against the horizon. Yet amidst this grandeur, it’s the camaraderie amongst travellers that truly defines the Polar Bear Express experience. Here, strangers become confidants, sharing stories as they savour hearty meals from the onboard café. So, whether bound for adventure or returning home, all who journey aboard the Polar Bear Express are united by the spirit of exploration and the enduring promise of the northern frontier.

Serving as the vital artery connecting the remote communities of Moosonee and Moose Factory to the bustling town of Cochrane, this iconic passenger train transcends mere transportation—it’s a cherished symbol of resilience and unity that celebrated its 60th anniversary of operation last year (www.ontarionorth land.ca/en/travel/polar-bear-expresspassenger-train)

20

INDIGENOUS DANCER • DESTINATION ONTARIO

Indigenous Tourism: Telling Their Stories Their Way

Whether you dream about soaring with eagles, paddling with fish or howling with wolves, Canada’s Indigenous tourism industry has it all—and then some.

“Indigenous People today are not stuck in the past or in museums, but rather practicing and sharing their culture with the world,” says Keith Henry, President and CEO, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC).

BY E. LISA MOSES “We see examples from coast to coast to coast of Indigenous People using tourism as a means to share their thriving and vibrant culture with international visitors.”

Moving out of the shadow of the pandemic, there is a continued demand for Indigenous experiences. Across Canada, there are approximately 2,700 Indigenous tourism businesses, an increase of 800 from pre-pandemic. These enterprises provide the economic backbone for their communities across the country while sharing authentic, memorable and enriching experiences with international travellers (www.indigenous tourism.ca).

WEST On the turbulent shores of the Pacific Ocean in British Columbia is the Great Bear Rainforest, the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest. Just a stone’s throw across the water is the base camp for Coastal

Rainforest Safaris, where guests can reach out and touch nature—and benefit from cultural interpretation by an Elder and hereditary chief of the Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw First Nation (www.whalesandbears.ca).

Just 116 km (72 mi.) north of Edmonton is Métis Crossing, Alberta’s first major Métis cultural interpretive centre. The centre engages in the learning of Métis art, paddling an authentic voyageur canoe and dancing the traditional Métis jig (www.metis crossing.com).

At the museum in Fort McLeod, Alberta, visitors can view First Nations artefacts such as clothing and accessories, baskets, travois and hand tools. Nearby, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Head-Smashed-in Buffalo Jump, recalls the days when Blackfoot warriors augmented their communities’ food supplies by driving plains bison over the cliff to their deaths and processing the meat (www.headsmashedin.ca).

CENTRAL The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, aims to effect positive change by raising the public’s understanding of human rights, promoting respect for others and encouraging global dialogue about the issues. Set in a field of sweetgrass at the Forks of Manitoba’s Red River, the building’s architecture evokes ice, clouds and stone (www.humanrights.ca).

Saskatchewan’s Northern Plains People offer transformative experiences at Wanuskewin Heritage Park, just outside of Saskatoon. Monthly Han Wi Moon dinners feature guided tours of the 6,400-year-old area topped with mouth-watering Indigenous meals of bison or fish and foraged produce (www.wanuskewin.com).

At the southern end of James Bay sits a former Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) furtrading outpost in Moose Factory, Ontario.

Now a popular tourist stop, the original HBC

21 staff house is part of a national historic site that commemorates the company’s early operations. The area is also home to the Cree Cultural Interpretive Centre, where visitors can learn about the fur-trading era through displays of artefacts, furs and photographs.

Moose Cree Outdoor Discoveries and Adventures adds boat tours, cooking demonstrations and hunting and fishing expeditions (www.moosecree.com).

EAST The largest freshwater island in the world, Manitoulin Island in Ontario, is home to six Anishinaabe First Nations that provide a rich cultural backdrop for tourists. One of these, the Wiikwemkoong, hosts the Annual Cultural Festival comprising one of North America’s longest-running powwows with colourful dance competitions, Indigenous cuisine and handmade arts and crafts. On their Unceded Journey tour, learn about historical treaties and awe-inspiring legends, including Zhibzhii, the underwater spirit (www.wiikwemkoong.ca).

In Ottawa, Ontario, the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival is a four-day interactive arts festival that attracts 50,000 annually.

Highlights include First Nations, Métis and

TEA BREAK BY THE IGLOO WITH INUIT ADVENTURES, NUNAVIK, QC • ISABELLE DUBOIS

Inuit artists, powwow competitions, culinary events and lots of family fun (www.summersolsticefestivals.ca).

Farther south at the Six Nations reserve near Brantford, visitors can stop at the Chiefswood National Historic Site to tour the home of the legendary E. Pauline Johnson, a mixed-race Mohawk who helped define Canadian literature. Across from the property, rent canoes and paddle down the Grand River (www.chiefswoodnhs.ca).

Within the vast province of Québec, there are more than 190 uniquely enriching opportunities to experience the protective values of the Indigenous cultures and heritage intertwining art, culture, gastronomy, nature and adventure. Discover the variety of customs and history transmitted by elders from generation to generation, sharing a rich culture of authentic, ancestral and contemporary traditions (www.discoverindigenous quebec.com).

22

KLAHOOSE WILDERNESS RESORT, DESOLATION SOUND • DESTINATION CANADA

Just outside Québec City, enjoy Indigenous culture from the authentic four-star HôtelMusée Premières Nations, complete with indoor pool, fitness centre and dining terrace overlooking the Akiawenrahk (St. Charles River). Have a sleepover in a longhouse, a symbol of family and the legendary hospitality of Indigenous Peoples. There are 24 rooms and suites and the Indigenous-terroir themed restaurant called La Traite, which is helmed by Michelin starred chef, Marc de Passorio (www.tourismewendake.ca).

MARITIMES In Newfoundland and Labrador, the Torngat Mountains Inuit-led Base Camp & Research Station offers wildlife viewing reputedly unlike anything in the world. This includes adventurous treks such as Wolf and Caribou Adventures (www.thetorngats.com). For tamer pursuits, on Prince Edward Island’s Lennox Island, take home more than memories: make a traditional Mi’kmaq hand drum, create a birchbark art piece with porcupine quills or prepare Bannock cooked in the sand while listening to stories of traditional life on Lennox Island (www.lennoxisland.com).

New Brunswick invites guests to participate in Indigenous festivals and learn more about the province’s First Nations by partying along the powwow trail all summer.

Discover traditional artefacts and practices at Metepenagiag Heritage Park, which houses a prehistoric Mi’kmaq village with displays of archaeological findings that provide glimpses into ancient times. The Augustine Mound, a cemetery dating back beyond 600 BC, adds to the mystery and history (www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/ indigenous).

Across the bay in Nova Scotia, Elders share stories about creation at the Wagmatcook Culture and Heritage Centre (www.wagmat cook.com). And in Membertou, just outside Sydney, the Mi’kmaq Medicine Walk is an educational stroll through the medicinal practices used by their ancestors. It includes a dream catcher workshop and the breaking of traditional luskinikn bread (www.member toutcc.com).

Less than two hours from Halifax, connect further with the Mi’kmaq by joining a guided cultural program at Kejimkujik National Park. This starts with viewing some of the 500 petroglyphs they created centuries ago.

Then witness the ancient craft of birchbark canoe-building in person with Todd Labrador and a Parks Canada Interpreter at work (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/kejimkujik).

NORTH The Eeyou Istchee Baie-James region, 800 km (497 mi.) north of Montréal, is one of Canada’s best travel adventures. Traditional Cree experiences, snowshoeing and hiking, museums, coastal tours and cultural festivals await (www.escapelikenever before.com).

Increase the excitement in Kuujjuaq or Puvirnituq, two Inuit communities in Nunavik, in Québec’s far north. There you can enjoy a dog sledding adventure across the sea ice, get a hands-on course with an Inuk master igloo-builder, and even sleep under the northern lights in the igloo that

you built (www.inuitadventures.com or www.ungavapolarecotours.com).

To explore Canada’s Arctic waters in comfort, book passage aboard an Adventure Canada cruise ship. Photograph polar bears and the aurora borealis from the deck, go ashore at Mittimatalik for an Inuit welcome and visit the Franklin graves on Beechey Island (www.adventurecanada.com).

In late June, Yukon’s Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre hosts the popular annual Adäka Cultural Festival, which showcases the arts and customs of Yukon First Nations and Indigenous artists (www.adakafestival.ca).

The Northwest Territories boasts some of the world’s best viewing of the other-worldly aurora borealis. Watch the show from B.Dene Adventures’ cosy cabin on the shores of Great Slave Lake, or at Aurora Village in Yellowknife from the comfort of a teepee.

Nunavut offers unusual wildlife and Arctic experiences. Trekkers wanting to live the life can go winter camping like Inuit families, hunt exotic big game or simply put their feet up at one of the area’s lovely wilderness lodges.

For their valued visitors, Canada’s hospitable Indigenous Peoples have created spirited and spiritual journeys through their history and culture, carrying on the traditions of millennia. By educating guests with original stories and homegrown experiences, they send positive vibes to the world. And that is good medicine for the soul.

HÔTEL-MUSÉE PREMIÈRES NATIONS, WENDAKE, QUÉBEC • DESTINATION CANADA

24

CARIBOU MIGRATION, LEAF RIVER LODGE, QC • JEAN-SIMON BÉGIN

Wildlife Viewing: Call of the Wild

Canada’s vast, varied terrain provides a habitat for countless creatures, and the same can be said of its waterways. After all, the land is dotted with lakes, laced by rivers and lapped by three oceans. Even the skies here are crowded because this country is home to four major north-south migratory flyways and boasts nearly 600 Important Bird Areas. As a result, it supports more kinds of wildlife than you can shake a camera at. Here are some of the most memorable, with tips on where to find them.

BY HANS TAMMEMAGI

LIVING LARGE Canada is blessed with several species of bears, including iconic polar bears. White, like the snow of their northern habitat, they are considered the largest of all terrestrial carnivores. In Churchill, Manitoba, the “Polar Bear Capital of the World,” you can take a tour from mid-October to midNovember aboard a special tundra vehicle that lets you safely get close to them.

Grizzlies, who reside mostly in the western and northwestern part of the country in forested and mountainous areas, can be seen from spring to fall (they hibernate in winter) on cruises along the Great Bear Rainforest or on several guide-led outings. They can also be viewed at B.C. sanctuaries like Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, Khutzeymateen Provincial Park

outside Prince Rupert, and Kicking Horse Resort near Golden.

Black bears, smaller than grizzlies although still formidable, are found throughout Canada and it’s not unusual to spot them while driving in remote areas or canoeing. Their fur can be black, reddishbrown and occasionally even white, as evidenced in the ghostly kermode or spirit bear found along the central and northern B.C. coast. Although black bears, like grizzlies, are shy and generally avoid humans, if you encounter one, keep a safe distance away.

These big bears are an extraordinary sight, yet the spine-tingling sound of a wolf in the wild is equally impressive. The largest members of the dog family, wolves hunt in packs of six to ten throughout remote areas.

Private tours of the Wolf Centre in Haliburton

Highlands takes visitors on an evening forest hike for “Wolf Howls” where you can imitate a howl, and hope to receive answering cries.

HOOFING IT Nothing sets the pulse beating like the sight of a bull moose with enormous antlers stretching 1.8 m (6 ft.) across. Moose are present in most forested wilderness areas and, being adept swimmers, are often seen in wetlands. Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland is an excellent viewing area all year. Bull moose can be aggressive, particularly during the autumn rut. Drive carefully in moose country, especially at night; moose encounters can cause serious damage.

Large herds of bison/buffalo once thundered across the plains of North America

25

providing livelihood for Indigenous Peoples, but they were hunted close to extinction during the 19th and 20th centuries. Since then they have made a partial recovery and herds can be seen in Wood Buffalo National Park in northeastern Alberta and southern Northwest Territories, as well as Prince Albert National Park in Saskatchewan and Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba.

It is awe-inspiring, but rare, to see an immense herd of handsomely antlered caribou stretching far across the tundra. In September, visitors may view the annual migration of one of the largest herds in the world at Leaf River Lodge in the Northern Québec region of Nunavik (www.leafriverlodge.com).

Also in Nunavik, week-long packages offered by Inuit Adventures and Ungava Polar Eco-Tours include excursions with Inuit guides in search of the polar bear in its natural habitat, as well as encounters with other members of the Arctic wildlife, such as small herds of muskox stranded on islands offshore, tundra wolves, various species of seals and even whales (www.inuitadventures.com or www.ungavapolarecotours.com).

PUFFINS AT CAPE BONAVISTA LIGHTHOUSE, NL • NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR TOURISM/JACKIE ZHENG

DIVING IN The beaver, Canada’s national symbol, is an aquatic rodent with a large paddle-shaped tail and prized thick fur. Found in waterways throughout Canada, beavers are industrious, felling trees with their sharp buckteeth and building lodges and dams.

Primarily nocturnal, they are best viewed at dusk. One popular place to spot them is Jacques-Cartier Park near Québec City.

Beluga whales, not much bigger than dolphins and white in colour, are called the canaries of the sea for their constant singing. Every summer about 3,000 belugas gather in the Churchill River delta in northern Manitoba. You can get close by boat tour and listen to them chattering via a hydrophone. Belugas are so gentle you can venture out on the water in kayaks for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

26

BALD EAGLE WITH EAGLETS, BC • SHUTTERSTOCK/BIRDIEGAL

Orca, a.k.a. killer whales, cruise all oceans, but are particularly abundant around Johnstone Strait near northeastern Vancouver Island and in the Salish Sea near Victoria. Extremely intelligent animals that live in matrilineal pods, their high dorsal fins slice elegantly through the water.

Numerous boat tours are offered. You may also see grey whales up to 15 m (49 ft.) long, especially around Tofino during their migrations in March and October, as well as dolphins, seals and sea lions.

The Atlantic coast and the St. Lawrence River are also prime locales for whale watching. Every summer some 12 species— including minke, humpback, finback and right whales—swim into the Bay of Fundy to mate, play and feast on the bountiful food churned up twice daily by the powerful tides.

Salmon live in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and are renowned for spawning, that is fighting their way upstream to lay eggs and die in the same freshwater location where they were hatched. Spawning salmon can be seen in fall and the first half of winter at many locations, often far inland.

FLYING HIGH Featured on the dollar coin, loons are ducksized birds, regally patterned in black and white. Excellent swimmers, they catch small fish in fast underwater chases. Other than in the extreme north, their eerie, echoing calls can be heard on numerous lakes, especially in the Canadian Shield.

Canada geese, another national icon, are so

common across the country they have become a pest at some golf courses and parks. In the air, however, they fly in an elegant V-formation.

The bald eagle, a noble raptor most associated with the United States, actually builds enormous nests in tall trees across

most of North America. The bald eagle, with its white head and tail, is particularly abundant in western British Columbia. The best time to see eagles in B.C. is in fall and the first half of winter when they gather, sometimes in the thousands, at spawning sites such as Brackendale and the upper Harrison River.

The Bay of Fundy provides another avian spectacle. In late July and August, more than two million tiny sandpipers flock into the coastal region to gorge on shrimp before flying south. Mary’s Point in New Brunswick and Evangeline Beach in Nova Scotia are two top places for viewing.

Newfoundland is also a hot spot for birders. The Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, for instance, has North America’s largest Atlantic puffin colony, while the Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve is known for razorbills, cormorants, kittiwakes and divebombing gannets.

MUCH MORE This is but a small sampling, a teaser, to encourage you to get outdoors and see the vast array of creatures that live in Canada.

SPIRIT BEAR AND HER CUB, GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST, B.C. • SHUTTERSTOCK/ RICHARD SEELEY

28

LONG TABLE DINNER, PEMBERTON, B.C. • © MAURICE LI/DESTINATION CANADA

Food: A Taste of Canada

The culinary travel scene in Canada boasts delicious taste trails and unique regional dishes from coast to coast. Creative young chefs reinterpret Canada’s regional dishes, showcase ethnic influences and play with exotic spicing. Heirloom produce from local farms, indigenous wild foods foraged from the forests, organic meats and fresh seafood fished from the oceans and lakes are among their cherished ingredients.

BY MARGARET SWAINE

BRITISH COLUMBIA BOUNTY FROM THE OCEAN, FORESTS & LAND Specialties on the menu in British Columbia include wild salmon, golden honey mussels, spot prawns, geoduck, BC bison, Fraser Valley duck and Salt Spring Island lamb.

There is a wide range of guided culinary tours—sometimes led by chefs—in southern B.C., particularly near the Okanagan Valley, Cowichan Valley and Fraser Valley. City tasting tours in Victoria, Vancouver and Whistler visit restaurants and culinary neighbourhoods (www.hellobc.com).

Cornucopia Whistler is an annual 11-day indulgence of local food and drink that pairs homegrown chefs with top B.C. producers, breweries, distilleries and wineries (www.whistlercornucopia.com).

In Victoria, Off the Eaten Track offers foodie tours such as the Hip & Hidden Chinatown and Old Town Tour (www.off

theeatentracktours.ca). On the wild foraging tours in spring and summer, offered by Swallow Tail Culinary Tours, participants discover native B.C. ingredients in the forest: fiddleheads, licorice fern, big leaf maple flowers, nettles, oyster mushrooms and wild chamomile, to name a few (www.swallowtail.ca).

THE PRAIRIES GRASSLAND GRAINS AND RANCHLAND MEATS Manitoba’s Parkland region has a self-guided Cinnamon Bun Trail with eight trail stops along the way (www.parklandtourism.com/ attraction-category/cinnamon-bun-trail/).

In season, Winnipeg’s Exchange District BIZ offers tours to some of their more than 50 delectable one-of-a-kind restaurants (www.exchangedistrict.org/food-tours).

West End BIZ covers the eateries in the west end of the city (www.westendbiz.ca/westend-restaurant-tours).

Saskatchewan has more than 40 percent of Canada’s cultivated farmland and Saskatoon’s culinary scene takes full advantage of it.

Hearth Restaurant features refined prairie classics (www.hearth.restaurant). The Night Oven Bakery mills the flour in-house and bakes in a wood-fired brick oven. The bakery puts out the best breads and pastries imaginable (www.thenightoven.ca).

In Alberta, as Canada’s ranch heartland, many refer to as Canadian Rocky Mountain Cuisine, wild game is plentiful. Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts has its own game ranch to provide for its lodges in Banff, Lake Louise and Emerald Lake (www.crmr.com/ culinary).

ONTARIO COUNTLESS TASTE TRAILS AND FOOD FESTIVALS Stratford, famous for the Stratford Festival, boasts a Bacon & Ale Trail along with a

29 Chocolate Trail and seasonal trails such as Foraging for Wild Edibles with Puck’s Plenty Foraging (www.visitstratford.ca).

In Prince Edward County, pop into a cidery, brewery, or ice cream shop for a cold treat or sample fine pinots and chardonnays at wineries in this picturesque area on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Check out the cool cocktail and food scene at the Drake Devonshire (www.thedrake.ca/drakede vonshire), enjoy fresh laid eggs for breakfast at one of the bucolic B&Bs such as Wilfrid Boutique Farmhouse (www.thewilfrid.com) or sign up for a cooking class to learn the tools of the trade at The Waring House (www.waringhouse.com).

Butter tarts were a staple of pioneer cooking in both Upper and Lower Canada (now Ontario and Québec). The Kawarthas Northumberland Butter Tart Tour has grown to over 50 locations throughout the area (www.buttertarttour.ca). The townships of Minto, Southgate, Wellington North and West Grey’s have a self-guided Butter Tarts Trail (www.wellington.ca/en/business/ tr-buttertart.aspx).

Ottawa is home to the only Canadian campus of the renowned Le Cordon Bleu French cooking school (www.cordonbleu.edu/ ottawa). C’est Bon’s gourmet walking tours are an ideal introduction to the National Capital Region’s vibrant food scene (www.cest bonottawa.ca/food-tours).

QUÉBEC A GOLDMINE OF FRENCHCANADIAN SPECIALTIES New France’s first inhabitants ate hearty meals to cope with the rigours of everyday life. The rugged lifestyle enhanced a distinct home-cooking style over the centuries that became Québec classics. Think tourtière, a meat and pork pie; cipaille, a layered wild meat pie; fèves au lard, baked beans; and cretons, a fatty pork spread. (www.bonjour quebec.com/en-ca/to-see-and-do/deliciousdiscoveries).

Maple syrup plays a big role in traditional food with some 13,300 producers in the province. In spring, Québécois gather at around 90 cabanes à sucre (sugar shacks) to enjoy baked beans, oreilles des crisse (crispy pork rinds), and pancakes all drenched in maple syrup (www.bonjourquebec.com/ en-ca/to-see-and-do/delicious-discoveries/ sugar-shacks).

From Petite-Rivière-Saint-François to La Malbaie, epicureans treat themselves to a

gastronomic adventure on the Charlevoix Flavour Trail which features some 20 specialty producers and 16 restaurants (www.tourisme-charlevoix.com/en/whatto-do/routes-and-circuits/flavour-trail).

The Eastern Townships, renowned for its gourmet cuisine, has dozens of local producers and agritourism locations (www.easterntownships.org/tag/296/ createurs-de-saveurs-local-producers) as well as a good number of restaurants with a history and tea stops (www.easterntown ships.org/taste-the-townships).

Montréal counts several hundred chefs including many top names. But it is also famous for bagels (St-Viateur and Fairmount) and smoked meat (Schwartz’s and Main Deli). The city is host to many annual food festivals and events, from the most famous Montréal Highlights Festival to La Poutine Week (www.lapoutineweek.com).

In the Laurentians, the Chemin du Terroir is a signposted trail that takes travellers through more than 226 km (140 mi.) of country backroads and byways, with delicious food and drink discoveries at every turn (www.lauren tides.com/en/chemin-du-terroir-0).

THE MARITIMES THE GLORY OF SEAFOOD The culinary scene has exploded in Nova Scotia. The two seafood trails—the Nova Scotia Chowder Trail and the Nova Scotia Lobster Trail—offer a collection of restaurant, retail and fisheries experiences that highlight the province’s incredible seafood products (www.novascotiaculinarytrails.com).

In New Brunswick, travellers can build their own trail to farmers’ markets, restaurants and sites via the website (www.tourism newbrunswick.ca/food-and-drink). There are tasty snacks hard to find anywhere else,

like dulse—a salty sea treat—and hearty Acadian dishes.

Canada’s Food Island Culinary Trail and Dining Guide in PEI directs people to the Island’s distinct regions (www.canadasfoodisland.ca/culinary-trail). In Fortune Bay, visit long-time Islander and Food Network Chef Michael Smith’s FireWorks at The Inn at Bay Fortune, where a woodburning fireplace in the centre of the restaurant is the anchor for the “Fire Kitchen”—every dish is cooked over fire (www.innatbayfortune.com).

Newfoundland is known for its seafood and traditional dishes such as salt fish and brewis (made with hard tack or dry bread) and Jiggs’ dinner (boiled salted beef and vegetables). At remote and gorgeous Fogo Island Inn, ingredients that most often find their way onto guests’ plates are those that are fished, farmed, and foraged right on the Island (www.fogoislandinn.ca).

THE NORTH WILD HARVESTS UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN In the Yukon, Michele Genest and Beverley Gray are authors of the books The Boreal Gourmet and The Boreal Herbal, respectively.

They explain what you can harvest in the “Land of the Midnight Sun.” At Gray’s Aroma Borealis Herb Shop in Whitehorse, visitors can arrange to join her on a seasonal foraging outing (www.aromaborealis.com). Michele Genest offers workshops and events, along with her latest cookbook, The Boreal Feast (www.borealgourmet.com). Also in Whitehorse is Wayfarer Oyster House, where local produce anchors each dish.

Whatever their fancy, wherever travellers go in Canada, they are sure to find their taste nirvana.

PLATE OF QUÉBEC CHEESES, CENTRE-DU-QUÉBEC • CENTRE-DU-QUÉBEC © GOUVQC GAËLLE LEROYER

30

1000 LITTLE REASONS FOR A CANADIAN RIVER CRUISE

ST. LAWRENCE CRUISE LINES

Cruising Made Canadian on the St. Lawrence

A St. Lawrence River Cruise on the Canadian Empress will take you to the Thousand Islands archipelago, a haven for nature lovers who want to spot wildlife along the shoreline.

These islands are also home to storybook castles and quiet villages, ensuring there is something for every type of traveller to enjoy.

As a passenger on a smaller vessel like the Canadian Empress, you have the opportunity to explore ports that bigger ships cannot access, providing unique insights into local businesses and culture in the region.

BY ROBYNNE TRUEMAN Cruising isn’t just for the Caribbean— it’s a comfortable way to capture more snapshots of a region within a short period. If you’re looking for a unique way to experience the natural beauty of Canada, consider jumping on the surging trend of river cruising. Travellers can embark on a journey through Eastern Canada’s waterways on the Canadian Empress ship. Family-owned and operated by St. Lawrence Cruise Lines, it doesn’t get any more Canadian than this.

Built in Eastern Ontario, this one-of-akind small passenger vessel offers itineraries to suit your schedule and interests, whether you have only days or a full week to explore.

ALL ABOARD THE RIVERBOAT Once aboard the 64-passenger riverboat, you’ll be reminded of a classic Victorian-era steamboat. The ship’s interior features elements reminiscent of the heritage style, with brass handrails and ornate metal

ceilings, while incorporating contemporary fashion and comforts.

ensure your comfort throughout the journey, whether it’s a beautiful sunny summer day or a crisp fall morning on the river.

ROOMS WITH A VIEW With river-facing staterooms, you can revel in the breathtaking scenery of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers from every deck.

Head to the St. Lawrence Deck, the main accommodation level on Canadian Empress where the Sterling, St. Lawrence and Premier Category staterooms can be found.

On the Ottawa Deck, find eight Ottawa category staterooms, where you’ll also discover an outdoor observation deck and the Grand Saloon, a charming, turn-of-the-century nook where guests gather and enjoy all meals. You can head up to the picturesque sun deck to bask in the outdoor lounge or connect with other guests over a game of shuffleboard.

Each stateroom is above the waterline and features a washroom, shower and vanity. The rooms are individually climate-controlled to

CURATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE The cruises aboard the Canadian Empress range from 4- to 7-nights, with stateroom rates starting at $2,148 per person based on double occupancy, perfect for an adventure with a loved one. St. Lawrence Cruise Lines has identified the growing interest in solo cruising, and offers single supplement rooms.

Your cruise reservation covers accommodation, daily housekeeping, shore excursions, nightly entertainment, including dining, snacks and alcohol like local beers and wines offered during meal service.

You can select your departure from various destinations across Eastern Canada including Kingston, Ottawa, and Québec City. Reservations are available for 2026 cruises starting on April 16 (www.stlawrencecruiselines.com).

BC

5,722,318

32

Victoria www.hellobc.com Victoria International Airport, 25 km (16 mi.) from downtown Vancouver International Airport, 15 km (9 mi.) from downtown Abbotsford International Airport, 9 km (6 mi.) from downtown and 77 km (48 mi.) from Vancouver Kelowna International Airport, 15 km (9 mi.) from downtown

BRITISH COLUMBIA MOUNT ROBSON PROVINCIAL PARK • DESTINATION BC/MEGAN MCLELLAN

Beautiful by Nature, Playful by Design

“Beautiful British Columbia,” the licence plates read. And who can argue with that? Towering mountains, lush valleys, crystalline waters, vibrant cities—every corner of the province, it seems, is an Instagrammable one.

BY JOANNE SASVARI

All that natural beauty offers plenty of opportunity for adventure, skiing, sailing, surfing and simply soaking in the scenery. But there is also a dynamic cultural life here, from the ancient traditions of the Indigenous to the joyful blend of European and Asian influences in the cuisine.

Canada’s westernmost province is a gateway between Asia to the west and the rest of the country to the east. It is an important centre for trade and commerce with vibrant cosmopolitan cities and flourishing creative industries. It is, above all, a place where work and play, nature and culture, coexist beautifully.

GETTING VANGROOVY Vancouver is the province’s biggest city, a modern, multicultural metropolis that is regularly rated one of the world’s most livable cities. Bordered by mountains and ocean, it has an easygoing lifestyle that combines outdoor adventure with urban sophistication. Vancouver is home to Canada’s largest and busiest port, as well as thriving film, tech, tourism and green businesses. It is also a centre for culinary excellence, celebrated for its obsession with fresh, seasonal farm-to-table ingredients.

From Vancouver, it is just a short drive to the farming communities of the Fraser Valley,

the exceptional Asian cuisine of Richmond and the seaside communities of the Sunshine Coast.

ISLAND HOPPING Escape to the idyllic isles along the Pacific coast. The largest is Vancouver Island, a ninety-minute ferry ride from the mainland.

Or try the new high-speed ferry, Hullo, connecting Vancouver and Nanaimo in 70 minutes. You can also take a scenic sea plane ride from the island to the lower mainland.

It is home to B.C.’s historic capital city, Victoria, as well as vineyards, mountain parks and the surfing mecca of Tofino.

BC

33

COWBOYS AND CHARDONNAY The sunny Thompson and Okanagan valleys stretch through the middle of the province. To the west is the cowboy country of the Thompson region, with its dude ranches and vast grasslands. To the east, the Okanagan is B.C.’s wine country, with its vineyards, orchards and sophisticated culinary culture.

Both offer plenty for outdoor enthusiasts to do, whether it’s houseboating on Shuswap Lake, scaling the Skaha Bluffs or cycling along the trestles of the abandoned Kettle Valley Railway line that hurtles across Myra Canyon.

INTO THE WILDERNESS Back in the 1860s, gold was discovered up in the Cariboo region, and the Rush was on.

Today, people are more likely to visit the wide open spaces of B.C.’s interior for unparalleled wilderness experiences. That could mean bear watching, fly fishing in a rushing river, paddling through the still waters of the Bowron Lakes, camping out under the northern lights, panning for gold in Barkerville Historic Town and Park, or immersing in the cowboy culture at the Williams Lake Stampede.

WHAT’S NEW?

Between Vancouver Island and the mainland are the Gulf Islands, populated by a quirky mix of artisans and fisherfolk. Further north is Haida Gwaii, a remote archipelago of unspoiled natural beauty and traditional Indigenous culture. A historic Haida Aboriginal title agreement announced in 2025 now officially recognizes the Haida Nation’s deep connection to Haida Gwaii, marking a significant milestone in reconciliation.

PEAKS OF PERFECTION Think of B.C. as wave upon wave of towering mountain ranges: the Coastal Mountains, Cascades, Selkirks, Kootenays and Rockies, just to name a few. Those mountains are not only scenic, they are also popular destinations for outdoor enthusiasts of all sorts.

Many are located in the province’s more than 1,000 parks and protected areas.

Others, like Whistler Blackcomb, Sun Peaks and Big White, are world-class ski resorts with full-service villages and year-round activities, including dozens of top-notch golf courses and mountain bike trails too.

Vancouver, for the first time, has Michelinstarred restaurants with ten restaurants making the cut. In the contemporary category, AnnaLena, Barbara, Burdock & Co and Published on Main were included. Kissa Tanto, Okeya Kyujiro and Masayoshi all serve Japanese cuisine while iDen & Quanjude Beijing Duck House are known for Chinese dishes. St. Lawrence, a marriage of classic

French cuisine and the gastronomic culture of Les Québécois, completes the list.

Nestled deep in the Comox Valley, the Healing Caves at Kingfisher Pacific Resort & Spa are redefining luxury wellness with a one-of-a-kind, 70-minute sensory journey through six immersive caves. (www.king fisherresort.ca) Perched high above Vancouver, Grouse Mountain’s brand-new mountain coaster is set to be the most exhilarating alpine thrill ride in the region, promising heart-pounding descents and breathtaking forest views. Pair that with the resort’s state-of-the-art blue gondola—one of the fastest in Canada at just 5.5 minutes per trip—and you’ve got an unbeatable adventure that whisks you to the peak in record time. (www.grousemountain.com/ mountain-coaster) Revelstoke Mountain Resort will unveil its most breathtaking attraction yet—the Cliff Walk and Suspension Bridge—offering the most heart-stopping panoramic views in the region. Suspended high above the rugged landscape, this awe-inspiring experience will redefine adventure, giving visitors a vantage point over the towering peaks and deep valleys of British Columbia’s wildest terrain. (www.revelstokemountainresort.com)

CITY LIGHTS Beauty and personality—Vancouver has it all. Think craft beer and food truck festivals, yoga on the beach and glitzy shopping destinations such as North America’s

HIKING ON TOP OF WHISTLER MOUNTAIN • DESTINATION BC/BLAKE JORGENSON

BC

34

Special Events JANUARY – FEBRUARY • DINE OUT VANCOUVER MARCH • PACIFIC RIM WHALE FESTIVAL, TOFINO/ UCLUELET APRIL • SURREY VAISAKHI PARADE, SURREY • VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL • WORLD SKI & SNOWBOARD FESTIVAL, WHISTLER APRIL-OCTOBER • RICHMOND NIGHT MARKET

KAYAKER AT FALSE CREEK, VANCOUVER • DESTINATION VANCOUVER/KINDRED & SCOUT

OCTOBER – NOVEMBER • OKANAGAN FALL WINE FESTIVAL

only McArthurGlen Designer Outlet (www.mcarthurglen.com). Embraced by the ocean and mountains, the city features a livable mix of high-rises and heritage homes, graceful gardens and funky neighbourhoods.

At its heart is the lushly forested 400-ha (1,000-acre) Stanley Park, one of the world’s great urban parks. But Vancouver is also the glittering glass towers of downtown; the multicultural neighbourhoods of Chinatown, Little Italy and Little India; the hipster cool of Gastown and the trendy restaurants of Kitsilano; as well as attractions including Science World, the North Shore ski hills and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park (www.destinationvancouver.com).

Across the Strait of Georgia, at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a city of historic charm, passionate foodies and endless outdoor activities. Recognized as the most sustainable city in North America, it is considered by many to be Canada’s most cycling-friendly city, and is home to several spectacular gardens, including the worldrenowned Butchart Gardens, which celebrated its 120th anniversary last year. Many of the city’s attractions cluster around the bustling Inner Harbour, including the floating homes of Fisherman’s Wharf, the Royal BC Museum and the neo-baroque BC Parliament Buildings (www.tourismvictoria.com).

Head inland to the Okanagan Valley and you’ll come to Kelowna, a bustling centre of commerce, technological innovation and wine culture (www.tourismkelowna.com).

NOVEMBER • CORNUCOPIA, WHISTLER

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

MAY • CLOVERDALE RODEO & COUNTRY FAIR • WINGS OVER THE ROCKIES NATURE FESTIVAL, INVERMERE MAY – JUNE • VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL JUNE • KAMLOOPA POWWOW, KAMLOOPS • OKANAGAN SPRING WINE FESTIVAL • SKA & REGGAE FESTIVAL, VICTORIA • TOFINO WINE AND DINE, TOFINO • VICTORIA INDIGENOUS CULTURAL FESTIVAL JUNE – JULY • TD VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL • WILLIAMS LAKE STAMPEDE JUNE – SEPTEMBER • BARD ON THE BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, VANCOUVER JULY • HONDA CELEBRATION OF LIGHT FIREWORKS COMPETITION, VANCOUVER • NANAIMO MARINE FESTIVAL & WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BATHTUB RACE AUGUST • FILBERG FESTIVAL, COMOX • PRIDE, VANCOUVER SEPTEMBER • VANCOUVER FRINGE THEATRE FESTIVAL

NOVEMBER – DECEMBER • VANCOUVER CHRISTMAS MARKET, VANCOUVER

www.HelloBC.com/things-to-do/events

In British Columbia, the great outdoors truly is just that—great: from ocean playground to mountain peaks, windswept plains and fertile farmland.

Head for the hills. This mountainous province boasts 13 major ski resorts (and

many smaller ones) with epic powder, heart-stopping descents and pristine backcountry bowls, as well as miles of trails for those who prefer skinny skis and snowshoes. In summer, the resorts turn their lifts and trails over to daredevil mountain bikers and hikers eager to explore the alpine meadows.

But you don’t have to climb a mountain to find adventure here. Awash as it is with rivers, lakes and the Pacific Ocean, B.C. is popular for water sport enthusiasts. You can sail alongside orcas in Desolation Sound, paddle the Bowron Lakes, raft down the Fraser Canyon, surf the waves near Tofino or cast for trout in Lake Country.

Those who prefer to stay on dry land can also hike through dozens of national and provincial parks or ride a horse under the endless skies in the grasslands. Even city slickers can find mountains to climb and waters to sail right in their own backyard.

Quick Fact HUNDREDS OF SPECIES OF BIRDS VISIT B.C. EACH YEAR—INCLUDING THE DESIGNATED IMPORTANT BIRD AREA (IBA) BOUNDARY BAY—WHEN THEY MIGRATE ALONG THE PACIFIC FLYWAY FROM ALASKA TO PATAGONIA.

HERITAGE AND CULTURE First there were the Indigenous Peoples who fished, hunted and traded for some 10,000 years in what is now British Columbia.

Then the Europeans arrived, followed by newcomers from Asia. Today, the three cultural strands are woven together here, vibrantly and indelibly.

First Nations culture is preserved in many galleries and museums, including the

BC

35

renowned UBC Museum of Anthropology (www.moa.ubc.ca), and thrives in authentic experiences such as the Kamloopa Powwow (www.tkemlups.ca/kamloopapowwow). Stories of the Europeans who arrived to extract B.C.’s vast natural resources in the 18th and 19th centuries come to life in Barkerville, a former Gold Rush town turned living museum (www.barkerville.ca), or the Fort Langley National Historic Site (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/langley). The Asian experience is captured in the historic Chinatowns of Victoria and Vancouver, as well as in the City of Richmond, with its modern Asian shopping malls (www.visit richmondbc.com). And all three traditions come together at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site (www.parks canada.gc.ca/gulfofgeorgiacannery).

MUST SEE, MUST DO Climb the Via Ferrata—an “iron road” of cables, ladders and handholds up Whistler Mountain (www.whistler.com). Then swing over to Whistler’s Audain Art Museum to take in a remarkable collection of works by B.C. artists (www.audainartmuseum.com).

elusive white kermode spirit bear (www.spiritbear.com).

Go faster, higher, stronger at the Richmond Olympic Experience, North America’s first official member of the Olympic Museums Network (www.olympicexperience.ca).

Set off on the most unforgettable whalewatching adventure with Ahous Adventures, an Indigenous-owned tour by the Ahousaht Nation, where you’ll witness the majestic giants of the Pacific in one of the world’s most spectacular marine sanctuaries. (www.ahousadventures.com/tours/whale -watching)

scenic drive along Highway 1 offers a thrill a minute, with delicious stops en route.

Taking tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel is a longstanding Victoria tradition. Even better? Cocktails. Stop by for the royal purple Q 1908 cocktail at the hotel’s chic Q Bar (www.fairmont.com/empress-victoria).

The open road of Route 97 takes you from the windswept grasslands of the Thompson River Valley cowboy country through the bountiful Okanagan Valley vineyards (www.route97.net).

SCENIC DRIVES

The Pacific Marine Circle Route meanders from Cowichan Valley’s wineries to the towering rainforests of remote southwest Vancouver Island, with panoramic ocean views along the way (www.circleroute.ca).

In Vancouver, take the foot passenger ferry across False Creek to Granville Island and its galleries, shops, restaurants, theatres and popular Public Market (www.granvilleisland.com).

Don’t know where to start the road trip tour?

Head to the new Rainforest to Rockies digital guide from Destination BC and find highly-customized routes covering BC’s diverse landscapes from the rainforest and ocean to the desert and glaciers, and of course, the Rockies (www.hellobc.com/ places-to-go/rainforest-to-rockies).

At the Great Bear Rainforest on British Columbia’s northern coast, First Nations guides will take you on a search for the

From the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate to the First Nations heritage village of Tuckkwiowhum, the winding Fraser Canyon

THE SUNKEN GARDEN AT BUTCHART GARDENS • DESTINATION BC/LOCAL WANDERER

ENJOYING THE HOT POOLS, FAIRMONT HOT SPRINGS, BC. • DESTINATION BC/KARI MEDIG

Take the week-long Hot Springs Circle Route through the Kootenay Rockies and soak in the region’s spectacular mountain views as well as its mineral-rich hot springs (www.hellobc.com/road-trips/hot-springscircle-route/).

For info on these and other driving trips visit: www.hellobc.com/travel-ideas/road-trips

FAMILY FUN Little ones (and big ones, too!) will love meeting British Columbia’s wilder residents.

Whale watching off Vancouver Island is an epic adrenaline rush, but you can also hang with sea lions and other marine creatures at the Vancouver Aquarium (www.vanaqua.org).

Learn about cougars and coyotes at the BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops (www.bcwild life.org), go bug-eyed at the Victoria Bug Zoo (www.victoriabugzoo.ca) and The Exploration Place Museum and Science Centre in Prince George (www.theexploration place.com), visit the resident grizzlies at Grouse Mountain (www.grousemoun tain.com) or meet Boo the bear at the Grizzly Bear Refuge/Interpretive Centre in Golden (www.kickinghorseresort.com/ purchase/boo-grizzly-bear).

AB

4,888,723

36

Edmonton www.travelalberta.com Calgary International Airport, 18.4 km (11 mi.) from downtown Edmonton International Airport, 30 km (19 mi.) from downtown

ALBERTA HORSEBACK RIDING IN KANANASKIS COUNTRY • TRAVEL ALBERTA/SEAN THONSON

Alpine Vistas, City Sojourns and Rural Retreats

The birthplace of the nation’s Wild West cowboy culture, Alberta is blessed with abundant wildlife, jaw-dropping scenery and must-do adventures that run right through all four seasons. Check out trail rides in the Rockies, guided ice walks through frozen waterfalls or horse-andbuggy tours through historic towns.

BY SUSAN MATE Seize the chance to engage with the First Nations Peoples and watch the fancy footwork and rhythmic jangles of the dancers competing at a powwow or performing at one of the heritage sites and festivals.

The awe-inspiring peaks of the Rocky Mountains enthrall visitors to the province’s west, while massive ranches and parklands beckon to the east. The northern boreal forests offer secluded hiking, paddling and birdwatching, while the Canadian Badlands lure visitors with its lunar-like landscape and vast dinosaur bone beds.

Urban escape artists flock to Alberta’s two largest cosmopolitan cities, Edmonton and Calgary, for retail therapy, gourmet dining, and shopping at North America’s largest shopping and entertainment complex, West Edmonton Mall. Smaller cities, including Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Airdrie, serve as important regional hubs for shopping, government, tourism and agriculture/industry.

The annual Calgary Stampede celebrates all things cowboy and rodeo early each July.

Edmonton’s K-Days follows up with a tribute to northern Alberta’s Klondike heritage, while dozens of other festivals across the province celebrate Alberta’s unique pockets of regional pride—think perogies in Vegreville, or beef jerky in Longview.

NATURE’S WONDERLAND Alberta has incredible national and provincial parks across the province.

Spread across 661,848 sq. km (255,541 sq. mi.) of pristine terrain, the five major snow resorts and sprawling backcountry lure

AB

37

powder-hounds from November to May. Try dogsledding through the untouched Spray Lakes valley, or lace up your skates and make figure eights on Lake Abraham, home to only the clearest ice skating in Alberta. The lakes of Kananaskis Country are a delight for ice fishing in winter and boating, hiking and cycling in the summer.

The 4,645-sq. m (50,000-sq. ft.) Kananaskis Nordic Spa includes outdoor hot, warm and cold pools.

Alberta’s glacier-fed waterways, particularly the Bow and Red Deer rivers, attract anglers with the promise of top-notch trout fishing. In the same day, visitors can play the back nine of a world-class golf course, hopscotch past cactus patches in search of ancient rock carvings in the desert, and then retire to the hotel hot tub to watch the sunset.

In the heart of Edmonton, the Indigenous Art Park introduces new installations in 2025, featuring contemporary works by Indigenous artists. These vibrant pieces, set within the city's natural landscapes, celebrate Indigenous stories and perspectives. Visitors can experience a fusion of art and nature.

VENTURING OUT

CITY LIGHTS

Float your boat down a river or head for calmer waters along Lake Minnewanka or Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. Bonus: hear the crack of avalanches overhead, well out of your path but still powerful. Chase champagne powder from the top of first-rate resorts such as Sunshine Village, Lake Louise or Marmot Basin, or explore them in summer to unveil abundant wildlife and colourful carpets of wildflowers. Canada Olympic Park in northwest Calgary offers a variety of winter and summer activities including: mountain biking, skiing, hockey, outdoor camps, skating and sports training, while Peter Lougheed Provincial Park boasts unparalleled opportunities for adventure all year round.

Travellers with time on their hands head north to Wood Buffalo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 44,807 sq. km (17,300 sq. mi.) of protected wilderness where the endangered whooping crane and the world’s largest herd of free-roaming wood bison can be found.

Alberta’s two major cities offer quite different insights into the province, though they share a love of green space, sprawling river pathways and tidy, bustling downtowns.

The provincial capital of Edmonton is a government city with a grand legislature building, a thriving arts community and numerous galleries, craft stores and art shops. Most can be found along trendy Whyte Avenue or downtown. In the Arts District, find the modern Art Gallery of Alberta, the Winspear Centre and the Citadel Theatre. Also in this locale is the stunning Royal Alberta Museum, the largest museum in western Canada (www.royal albertamuseum.ca). The meandering North Saskatchewan River cuts a steep

WHAT’S NEW? Discover a new dimension of alpine luxury at BASIN Glacial Waters, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise’s stunning new thermal spa, opening summer 2025. Seamlessly integrated into the natural landscape, this indoor-outdoor sanctuary offers breathtaking mountain views, infinity pools, and immersive wellness rituals—redefining relaxation in the heart of the Canadian Rockies (www.thebasin.com).

Explore Banff on a guided bike tour with Bikescape. The area features some of Canada’s most scenic trails. The tours cater to all abilities and ages (www.bikescape.ca).

Experience the grit and glory of Stampede’s greatest stories at Sam Centre. This new yearround attraction brings the Stampede story to life via interactive exhibits and digital experiences. (www.samcentre.calgary stampede.com).

swath through the city north of downtown and can be explored by canoe or raft (www.edmontoncanoe.ca).

The “Festival City” boasts more than 90 events a year. Its long winters are cause for several events including Silver Skate winter festival in February. Summer offerings include the Fringe Theatre Festival, the Folk Music Festival, K-Days and Heritage Festival.

Located on the North Saskatchewan River, Fort Edmonton Park offers a look at the historic 1886 fort, leading to the 1920s at a new midway and exhibition (www.exploreedmonton.com).

Calgary’s office towers, which contain the majority of Canada’s oil and gas company headquarters, were built to showcase the Rockies on the western horizon. Nearby Chinatown segues to the Bow River pathway and the redevelopment of the East Village neighbourhood has revitalized this historic section of east downtown. The Alt Hotel East Village, and the restaurants and shops in the Simmons Building, are two highlights of the area.

The city has preserved much of the sandstone buildings along Stephen Avenue Walk, where many great restaurants and shops are found, along with the Olympic Plaza and the Calgary Tower. Numerous retail stores and eateries are also part of The CORE Shopping Centre (www.visitcalgary.com).

The architecturally striking Calgary Central Library is adjacent to the popular Studio Bell National Music Centre, east of downtown’s office towers. The library’s features include a public art exhibit, a performance hall, community meeting spaces, Indigenous Place Making and early learning centres (www.calgarylibrary.ca).

COWBOY ON BUCKING HORSE WITH RODEO CROWD • TRAVEL ALBERTA/SABRINA HILL

AB

38

Special Events JANUARY • CHISELED, EDMONTON • ICE MAGIC FESTIVAL, LAKE LOUISE • SNOWDAYS FESTIVAL, BANFF JUNE • SLED ISLAND MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL, CALGARY • WATERTON WILDFLOWER FESTIVAL JULY • CALGARY STAMPEDE • CANADIAN BADLANDS PASSION PLAY, DRUMHELLER • EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL STREET PERFORMERS FESTIVAL • K-DAYS, EDMONTON • VUL-CON, VULCAN AUGUST • BIG VALLEY JAMBOREE, CAMROSE • CANMORE FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL • EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL FRINGE THEATRE FESTIVAL NOVEMBER • AGRI-TRADE EQUIPMENT EXPO, RED DEER

www.travelalberta.com/ca/ things-to-do/events-festivals Residents are devout nature lovers, flocking to the city’s network of river pathways as well as the inner city Prince’s Island Park, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, and Bowness Park and its pretty lagoon, where families can skate in winter and canoe and paddleboat in summer.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Head for the hills from summer to fall for a guided multi-day backcountry pack trip on horseback. Sleep under the stars and listen to coyotes howl in a riverside tent camp in Dinosaur Provincial Park, home to some of the planet’s largest fossil beds and fantastic interpretive programs. Or scramble up the Via Ferrata (Italian for iron path), a rope and cable-assisted mountain journey at Mt. Norquay near Banff. Should winter be your season, abundant ice-climbing, skiing, fishing, snowshoeing and ATV journeys can be found across the province.

Explore the snow-caked Spray Lakes

FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS HOTEL IN WINTER • BANFF LAKE LOUISE TOURISM

valley on dogsled. Drive the winter ice road to Fort Chipewyan, Alberta’s oldest First Nations community north of Fort McMurray, or photograph wildflowers among the alpine lakes at Sunshine Village resort west of Banff or the Plain of Six Glaciers trail near Lake Louise.

Explore transportation history at the Remington Carriage Museum at Cardston or head north to the town of Wembley—24 km (15 mi.) west of Grande Prairie—to tour the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, which chronicles the work done to preserve the world’s largest hornbill dinosaur bonebed.

HERITAGE AND CULTURE The province’s history is just over a century old, but the First Nations heritage dates to prehistoric times. Métis Crossing, northeast of Edmonton, offers a taste of the musical culture created by the melding of First Nations Peoples with European settlers in the 19th century. Fort Edmonton tells of the city’s Gold Rush era, when these same voyageurs paved the way for the fur trade. Calgary’s Heritage Park Historical Village overlooks the calm waters of the Glenmore Reservoir— where dragon boat racing and other water sports are held. History is also chronicled at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, one of the UNESCO sites in Alberta, or Blackfoot Crossing—a modern interpretive centre built into the Bow River bluffs east of Calgary.

Quick Fact ESTABLISHED AS A PROVINCE IN 1905, ALBERTA WAS NAMED AFTER A DAUGHTER OF THEN-QUEEN VICTORIA—PRINCESS LOUISE CAROLINE ALBERTA.

MUST SEE, MUST DO Pilot to Bombardier! Hop aboard an openair biplane at Reynolds-Alberta Museum for a bird’s-eye view of the prairies around Camrose and Wetaskiwin. You can also tour the museum’s many heritage transportation vehicles such as cars, industrial machines and airplanes (www.reynolds museum.ca).

AB

39

jaw-dropping boulder fields lining the highway to the town of Frank, where 82 million metric tonnes of rock crashed down from the mines at Turtle Mountain and buried the town. A visit to the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre tells the story of the nighttime tragedy.

Deh Cho Trail: The best of northern Alberta is found along this journey northwest of Edmonton to High Level. It offers vast tracts of stunning wilderness with countless lakes and rivers; the boreal forests, parkland and wetlands are teeming with wildlife including rare birds. Explore old fur trade posts at historic sites such as Fort Vermilion, or cross Alberta’s longest vehicle suspension bridge over the Peace River at Dunvegan.

Cowboy Trail: Western heritage takes the spotlight along this scenic Highway 22 drive through the foothills of the Rockies

between Pincher Creek and Mayerthorpe.

Highlights of the route include Bar U Ranch National Historic Site and historic Cochrane RancheHouse (www.thecowboytrail.com).

FAMILY FUN Don’t miss the World Waterpark at West Edmonton Mall, the Calgary Zoo’s Penguin Plunge or The Brainasium outdoor playground at the TELUS Spark Science Centre. Kids enjoy the Tropical Pyramid at the Muttart Conservatory. The Great Canadian Barn Dance at Hillspring features campfires, music and food (www.gcbd.ca), while the Innisfail Discovery Wildlife Park is a 36 ha (90 acre) zoo housing more than 30 species of orphaned animals including bears, wolves and lions (www.discovery wildlifepark.com). The Royal Tyrrell Museum offers a Jurassic joyride; also the chance to climb into the belly of the World’s Largest Dinosaur in Drumheller in the Canadian Badlands.

DOWNTOWN CALGARY • LISABOURGEAULT/SHUTTERSTOCK

Nestled into the lush coulees of the Rosebud River Valley, the abandoned railway town of Rosebud was overtaken by a group of faith-based artists three decades ago. They created a thriving professional theatre school and arts centre that offers high-calibre, family-friendly theatre and music. Many tourists stroll along the hamlet’s two streets, which are spattered with funky art shops and galleries (www.rosebudtheatre.com).

Historic Fort Macleod, in southern Alberta, is the birthplace of the North-West Mounted Police—now the RCMP. The first musical ride in Canada was held in the town in 1876.

Modelled after British Army cavalry drills, the musical ride is held daily in July and August (www.nwmpmuseum.com).

SCENIC DRIVES Crowsnest Highway: This historic route stretches from Fort Macleod in the province’s far south to the town of Coleman, where the province’s coal-mining heritage was born. Travellers should not miss the

SK

1,246,691

40

Regina www.tourismsaskatchewan.com Regina International Airport, 8 km (5 mi.) from downtown Skyxe, Saskatoon Airport, 6 km (4 mi.) from downtown

SASKATCHEWAN CYPRESS HILLS INTERPROVINCIAL PARK • TOURISM SASKATCHEWAN/ CHRIS HENDRICKSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Land of Living Skies

BY ROBIN AND ARLENE KARPAN

NATURE AT ITS FINEST Beneath those skies lies a tremendously diverse landscape. Head south to ride the open range in some of the largest expanses of rare native grasslands left in North America, explore rugged badlands or venture north to choose among 100,000 lakes famous for fishing, and a boundless network of unspoiled wild rivers. Then there are unique

Saskatchewan licence plates proudly proclaim the “Land of Living Skies,” a poetic salute to the province’s big open skies, clear air, dancing northern lights and breathtaking spectacles during bird migrations. Sunrises and sunsets have a well-deserved reputation as the most dazzling on the planet.

landscapes such as the Cypress Hills with its enchanting mix of highlands, grasslands and forest (www.cypresshills.com), or the mysterious Crooked Bush in the Thickwood Hills.

Saskatchewan is the sand dune capital of Canada, boasting both the largest and second largest dunes in the country, plus a few others thrown in for variety. The vast, other-worldly Athabasca Sand Dunes are some of the largest

active dunes this far north anywhere in the world. Situated along the south shore of Lake Athabasca in a pristine northern setting, these dunes support some 50 rare plants and offer the ultimate wilderness adventure.

A RICH LEGACY With locations in Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, North Battleford and Yorkton, the Western

SK

41

RCMP HERITAGE CENTRE • CHRIS HENDRICKSON PHOTOGRAPHY/TOURISM SASKATCHEWAN

frontier history (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/ fortwalsh).

Visitors are always awe-struck by the remarkable rare book collection at the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, just south of Regina. It houses the largest collection of 13th to 17th century books and manuscripts in Canada—everything from original treatises of philosophers and saints to handwritten decrees by popes and kings.

To really go back in time, over 6,400 years, head to Wanuskewin Heritage Park in a scenic valley on Saskatoon’s northern outskirts (www.wanuskewin.com). It remains Canada’s longest archaeological dig (over 40 years) of pre-contact occupation sites on the North American Great Plains. Ancient archaeological finds including two bison kill sites meld with a vibrant present-day Indigenous culture. Wanuskewin Heritage Park has been added to Canada’s tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

ENJOYING THE BEST Development Museum is the most prominent chronicler of Saskatchewan’s early years (www.wdm.ca). The Hepburn Museum of Wheat, a half-hour north of Saskatoon, makes it easy to experience that most iconic prairie symbol—the traditional wooden grain elevator. Other key historic markers include the Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP), established for three reasons: to protect Canada’s borders from American encroachment, engage in diplomatic efforts with Indigenous communities, and maintain order among settlers and traders.

Their formation gained urgency after the Cypress Hills massacre, leading to the establishment of Fort Walsh, a historic site commemorating their pivotal role in Canadian

Given that Saskatchewan is a major food producer, it is not surprising that folks here like to eat well. With a cuisine reflecting local products and the province’s diverse ethnic makeup, there are more food-centred events than you can shake a skewer stick at.

Try Mortlach’s Saskatoon Berry Festival (www.mortlach.ca) or take in the Foodtruck Wars Street Festival (www.foodtruckwar syxe.com) where top food trucks from across Saskatchewan face off in Saskatoon.

Calling Saskatchewan golf-crazy is an understatement; the number of courses per capita is among the highest in the country.

Choose from hidden gems in small communities to famous award-winners such as Dakota Dunes Golf Links (www.dakota dunes.ca). For an extensive listing, see www.saskgolfer.com.

WHAT’S NEW Wapaha Sk̄a Oyate: Living Our Culture, Sharing Our Community at Pion-Era (WDM Saskatoon) is a new permanent exhibit on display at the Western Development Museum. In collaboration between the Whitecap Dakota First Nation and WDM, this exhibit shares both Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives (www.wdm.ca/ exhibits/whitecap).

At Remai Modern, Views from the Blue House: The Remai Modern Collection is a dazzling collection of 8,000+ works, including Henri Masson’s iconic “The Blue House.” For lunch, enjoy fine views as you dine at the new restaurant Hearth (www.remaimodern.org).

There's a new Pêmiska Tourism area in Saskatchewan's Treaty 6 Territory offering authentic Indigenous-led experiences. Learn about the rich nehiyaw (Cree) culture, history, and adventure and come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous heritage (www.pemiska.ca).

Join Meewasin conservationist Jamie McMillan for an adult-only evening of delicious local food and beverages with a tour that takes a light-hearted look at the mating and courtship strategies of the wildlife at Beaver Creek Conservation Area. It runs in summer. (www.meewasin.com/naughtyby-nature).

CITY LIGHTS Regina’s heart is Wascana Centre, one of the largest urban parks in North America. It is home to several key attractions including the Saskatchewan Legislative Building, lined by an impressive summer flower garden; the Saskatchewan Science Centre and Kramer IMAX Theatre; and the Royal Saskatchewan

SK

42

Special Events JANUARY • FROST REGINA, REGINA FEBRUARY • CANADIAN CHALLENGE SLED DOG RACE, LA RONGE MARCH • MID-WINTER BLUES FESTIVAL, REGINA APRIL • FIRST NATIONS UNIVERSITY OF CANADA POWWOW, REGINA MAY • SASKATCHEWAN HIGHLAND GATHERING AND CELTIC FESTIVAL, REGINA JUNE • NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S DAY TRADITIONAL POWWOW, NORTH BATTLEFORD • CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL OF SASKATCHEWAN, SASKATOON • SASKPOWER WINDSCAPE KITE FESTIVAL, SWIFT CURRENT JULY • COUNTRY THUNDER MUSIC FESTIVAL, CRAVEN • NESS CREEK MUSIC FESTIVAL, NEAR BIG RIVER • OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND AT PRAIRIE ART ROAD TRIP VENUES, WEST-CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN • SASKATCHEWAN FESTIVAL OF WORDS, MOOSE JAW • SASKTEL SASKATCHEWAN JAZZ FESTIVAL, SASKATOON • RCMP SUNSET CEREMONY, REGINA AUGUST • NUTRIEN FIREWORKS FESTIVAL, SASKATOON • SASKATCHEWAN PREMIER’S WALLEYE CUP FISHING TOURNAMENT, NIPAWIN SEPTEMBER • REEL RAVE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, WASKESIU LAKE OCTOBER • SASKATCHEWAN FALL/FOWL SUPPER, LOCATIONS VARY NOVEMBER • CANADIAN WESTERN AGRIBITION, REGINA

www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/ things-to-do/events

Museum, interpreting everything from the Age of Dinosaurs to Saskatchewan’s diverse landscapes and wildlife, and Indigenous Peoples link to the land (www.wascana.sk.ca).

Government House, with its impressive Edwardian Garden, captures a bygone era when this was the residence of the Lieutenant Governor (www.government

TIPI SLEEPOVERS, WANUSKEWIN HERITAGE PARK • TOURISM SASKATCHEWAN

housesk.ca). Regina is famous as home of the RCMP, where Mounties have trained since 1885. The RCMP Heritage Centre showcases the history of this world-renowned police force (www.rcmphc.com).

Saskatoon’s most defining feature is its beautiful riverbank along the South Saskatchewan River—home to parks, walking trails, numerous festivals and the popular River Landing development in the south downtown (discoversaskatoon.com). For a different perspective of the heart of Saskatoon, climb aboard the Prairie Lily riverboat for a one-hour river cruise, or opt for a Sunday brunch or dinner cruise (www.theprairielily.com).

Moose Jaw has capitalized on its Roaring Twenties’ past when it was a hotbed for Prohibition-era bootlegging and gangster activity. The Tunnels of Moose Jaw runs tours recreating this colourful time when Al Capone was rumoured to have been a regular visitor (www.tunnelsofmoosejaw.com).

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Saskatchewan is known as a stellar canoeing destination with everything from adrenalinepumping whitewater to tranquility in stunning wilderness. Churchill River Canoe Outfitters is the go-to source for guided trips, equipment rentals and advice (www.churchillrivercanoe.com). Get a taste for ranch life in Cypress Hills’ cowboy country where the Historic Reesor Ranch offers everything from trail rides to cattle drives (www.reesorranch.com).

The fishing in Saskatchewan is legendary, where trophy-sized catches are practically taken for granted. For the ultimate experience, head to a remote fly-in lodge for a combination of exceptional fishing and resort-style pampering in pristine forested lakelands. The Saskatchewan Commission of Professional Outfitters lists sport fishing operators that meet high standards (www.scpo.ca).

Situated on the Central North American Migratory Flyway, Saskatchewan is a birdwatcher’s dream. Among the easiest hot spots to visit is Chaplin Lake, right beside the Trans-Canada Highway. The lake is so significant that the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network named it a Site of Hemispheric Importance. Each spring, a hundred thousand migrating shorebirds of some 30 species stop here to feed on their northward migration, including half the world’s sanderlings. Learn more from the exhibits at the Chaplin Nature Centre or take in a tour (www.naturesask.ca).

HERITAGE AND CULTURE Follow driving tours through the Trails of 1885 to relive a challenging era in the development of the West, when disappearance of the buffalo and the increasing pace of settlement led to unrest by some Indigenous bands and the Métis under Louis Riel (www.tourismsaskatoon.com/plan-yourtrip/suggested-itineraries/the-trails-of-1885).

A great way to get in touch with Saskatchewan’s contemporary Indigenous culture is to attend a powwow. Powerful drumming, chanting singers and swirling dancers in brilliant outfits make for an unforgettable experience. Powwows carry on traditions, but also serve as social gatherings and dance competitions. Above all, they are a lot of fun. One of the biggest is the annual Spring Powwow at Regina’s First Nations University (www.fnunivpowwow.ca).

Saskatchewan culture is defined by its rich mixture of ethnic backgrounds. Saskatoon’s Ukrainian Museum of Canada, for example, chronicles the contributions of this prominent segment of Saskatchewan’s makeup (www.umcnational.ca). In south central Saskatchewan, join a farming community where certified organic fruit growers like Over the Hill Orchards have a true prairie paradise (www.overthehillorchards.ca).

1,499,981 Winnipeg www.travelmanitoba.com Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, 10 km (6 mi.) from downtown

MANITOBA NORTHERN LIGHTS, CHURCHILL • TRAVEL MANITOBA

Culture, Creativity and a Prairie Welcome

They say a trip to Manitoba will change your life. It’s a prairie province with wide open spaces, unique opportunities to view wildlife up close, deep cultural roots, world-class architecture and museums, and a booming foodie scene.

BY SHEL ZOLKEWICH Today, Indigenous, French, British and Scottish heritages blend with Vietnamese, Japanese, Ethiopian, Philippine and dozens more nationalities, creating a vibrant cultural mix.

There is no better showcase to sample that mix than through Folklorama, the early August celebration of Manitoba’s people, where immigrants and their children create pavilions that showcase their food, history, and culture. Visit some four dozen countries all in the span of two solid weeks (www.folk lorama.ca). But visitors who don’t make it to Folklorama can drop into city neighbourhoods and traditional ethnic communities anytime; they all offer their own minicultural immersions: Corydon Avenue’s Little Italy; the city centre’s vibrant Chinatown; and a sprinkling of tiny, family-run Southeast Asian eateries, from Japanese to Vietnamese along Ellice Avenue.

Winnipeg, the province’s capital which celebrated 50 years as an incorporated city in 2023, sits just west of the precise longitudinal centre of Canada—30 km (19 mi.) east of the city, on the Trans-Canada Highway at 96

degrees, 38 minutes and 45 seconds west. But the entire province, smack in the middle of Canada, is a playground for more adventurous souls seeking the beauty and solitude of unspoiled nature. Rugged Precambrian Shield granite, lush with forests and thousands of lakes to the northeast, gives way to rolling hills and vast, rich, agricultural prairie to the southwest. Dead centre are three massive lakes: Manitoba, Winnipegosis and Winnipeg (Canada’s 13th, 11th and 6th largest, respectively).

GOING, GOING, GONE WILD With all that wilderness, it’s no wonder many of the province’s more than 10 million annual visitors are recreational hunters and anglers headed for remote lodges and small towns tucked away in thick lakes or riverside forests. As well, paddlers, hikers, photographers and wildlife viewers love these natural areas, and families can pitch tents or park campers in one of dozens of provincial parks, or settle into hotel rooms from two to five-star rated. In Riding Mountain National Park, campsites and hotels abound around

crystal clear, icy cold Clear Lake and the historic townsite of Wasagaming (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/riding).

The three big lakes are fringed by summer-oriented towns and villages, and an October or November visit to far northern Churchill virtually guarantees sightings of increasingly-endangered polar bears in their natural setting (www.churchillwild.com; www.lazybearlodge.com; www.frontiers north.com), and probable displays of aurora borealis. And there’s a whole lot more to be discovered in this varied province.

WHAT’S NEW? Head to Turtle Village, an Indigenous-owned glamping operation in Riding Mountain National Park and stay in off-the-grid “Turtle Shells” that are tiny homes (www.turtleil lage.ca).

Tour The Leaf, an award-winning outdoor garden and indoor biome at Assiniboine Park, featuring Canada’s tallest indoor waterfall (www.assiniboinepark.ca/leaf/lifegrows).

MB

43

MB

44

Winnipeg warms up winter with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (www.wso.ca), Manitoba Opera (www.mbopera.ca), the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Tom Hendry Warehouse Theatre (www.royalmtc.ca) and Prairie Theatre Exchange (www.pte.mb.ca).

Year-round, Thermëa by Nordik Spa in the city’s south end (www.thermea.ca) and Ten Spa at the Hotel Fort Garry (www.tenspa.ca), provide sybaritic pleasures.

Quick Fact KAYAKING IN WHITESHELL • MAY CONTAIN STUDIO/COURTESY OF TRAVEL MANITOBA

Special Events JANUARY • WINNIPEG NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL FEBRUARY • FESTIVAL DU VOYAGEUR, WINNIPEG • NORTHERN MANITOBA TRAPPERS’ FESTIVAL, THE PAS APRIL • HUDSON BAY QUEST, CHURCHILL • ROYAL MANITOBA WINTER FAIR, BRANDON MAY • MANITO AHBEE FESTIVAL, WINNIPEG • WINNIPEG COMEDY FESTIVAL MAY – JUNE • PRIDE WINNIPEG JUNE • MANITOBA ELECTRONIC MUSIC EXHIBITION, WINNIPEG • MANITOBA SUMMER FAIR, BRANDON • TD WINNIPEG INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL JULY • MANITOBA STAMPEDE & EXHIBITION, MORRIS • WINNIPEG FOLK FESTIVAL, BIRDS HILL PROVINCIAL PARK • WINNIPEG FRINGE THEATRE FESTIVAL AUGUST • CANADA’S NATIONAL UKRAINIAN FESTIVAL, DAUPHIN • FOLKLORAMA, WINNIPEG • ICELANDIC FESTIVAL, GIMLI SEPTEMBER • NUIT BLANCHE, WINNIPEG SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER • CULTURE DAYS, WINNIPEG OCTOBER • WINNIPEG COMICCON

www.travelmanitoba.com/ things-to-do/art-arts/festivals-events

Qaumajuq, the new museum inside the Winnipeg Art Gallery, houses the world’s largest collection of contemporary Inuit art with over 27,000 pieces. See nearly 5,000 stone carvings in the Visible Vault, catch new rotating exhibitions and stop in at Katita Café and the Gallery Shop. Admission to the first floor is always free (www.wag.ca/ about/qaumajuq).

CITY LIGHTS Foodies alert: Manitoba’s culinary scene is a rising gem, from haute to heavy-duty chowing down. You’ll find food tours that cover Winnipeg’s West End—the city’s unofficial dining district—as well as beer and spirit tours through the historic Exchange District (www.soncinatravel.com/tours).

Manitoba’s famous Fall Suppers circuit offers home-cooked, hearty, community hall family-style fare all autumn long, with listings at Travel Manitoba (www.travelmanitoba.com). Shoppers will be overjoyed with the Outlet Collection Winnipeg’s high-end brands, and special tourist deals (www.outletcollectionwinnipeg.com).

Summer brings the Winnipeg Goldeyes AAA baseball to Shaw Park (www.goldeyes.com). Canada Life Centre, the winter home of NHL hockey’s Winnipeg Jets, mounts concerts and special events year-round (www.canadalifecentre.ca), while the city’s south end CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Investors Group Field tackles big blockbuster concerts (www.bluebombers.com/stadium). In July, the four-day Winnipeg Folk Festival at Birds Hill Provincial Park, north of the city, is family-friendly (www.winnipegfolk festival.ca), as is the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s “Ballet in the Park” at Assiniboine Park’s outdoor Lyric Theatre (www.rwb.org).

CHURCHILL SITS DIRECTLY BENEATH THE AURORAL OVAL AND GETS 300 NIGHTS OF NORTHERN LIGHTS ACTIVITY PER YEAR.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Provincial parks provide groomed hiking trails and offer on-line summer campsite bookings, and most are near small towns where local motels appeal to family-oriented explorers (www.gov.mb.ca/sd/parks/ index.html). Whiteshell Provincial Park (www.whiteshell.mb.ca) is a handy hour’s drive east of Winnipeg and, further afield, wilderness wanderers can take to lakes and rivers in canoes, kayaks, or fishing boats.

Cosy resort communities like Grand Beach, Gimli, Winnipeg Beach, Victoria Beach, Sandy Hook, Matlock, and many more lay claim to wide, sandy beaches. Gimli is a favourite weekend hangout with its charming marina and beach-town atmosphere (www.gimli.ca), along with an annual celebration of Icelandic culture each August during the three-day festival called Islendingadagurinn. In Spruce Woods Provincial Park, a day tripper’s hiking trail covers forests, hills, a genuine desert, and the eerie, deepwater blue Devil’s Punch Bowl (www.travelmanitoba.com/directory/spruce-woodsprovincial-park).

HERITAGE AND CULTURE Winnipeg’s historic Exchange District is home to the Design Quarter, a casual grouping of eclectic, original design shops ranging from fashion to fine dining and fine art (www.designquarterwinnipeg.ca).

Outside the city, historic gems include Thompson’s Heritage North Museum and its tales of the Indigenous Peoples of the area (www.heritagenorthmuseum.ca); and, in

MB

45

far western Manitoba, the Inglis Grain Elevators National Historic Site (www.ingliselevators.com). It is the best remaining example of an “elevator row” in Canada. Winnipeg’s Manitoba Legislative Building, the Tyndall limestone-clad beaux arts classical seat of government, opened on July 15, 1920 (www.gov.mb.ca/chc/hrb/ prov/p040.html). In May, the Manito Ahbee Festival, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year in Winnipeg, showcases Indigenous culture and spectacular powwow performances (www.manitoahbee.com). February’s French Festival du Voyageur, centred in St. Boniface, focuses on Franco-Manitoban history and culture (www.heho.ca/en).

with Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site about two-thirds along the 60-km (37-mi.) route. Tiny Lockport, a historic catfishing spot (rent a boat and gear) and hot dog stand heaven, lies between the two.

From Selkirk, return to Winnipeg via pretty Henderson Highway.

For a longer day trip, take Highway 44 east from Lockport, through the Agassiz Provincial Forest and all the way to Seven Sisters Falls and the classic hydro station there, then on to Pinawa for a visit to Pinawa Dam Provincial Park and the picturesque town and lake. Stop to walk the suspension bridge and hiking trails.

FAMILY FUN MUST SEE, MUST DO Lower Fort Garry, the national historic site just south of the City of Selkirk, shelters a historic fur-trading fort. It is also the site where Treaty 1, the first treaty between colonial explorers and Indigenous Peoples, was signed, and where the North-West Mounted Police— the precursor to Canada’s Mounties—were first trained (www.parks canada.gc.ca/fortgarry).

In summer, hardy adventurers can kayak with more than 57,000 white beluga whales that calve and raise their babies near the mouth of the Churchill River (www.travelmanitoba.com/churchill).

Established in 2013, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights houses an exhibit called the Witness Blanket. With over 800 items donated by residential school survivors and their families, this piece symbolizes a recognition of the atrocities of the residential school era, and ongoing reconciliation (www.humanrights.ca).

SCENIC DRIVES Bunk in at Riding Mountain National Park’s Wasagaming townsite, and take the next day to drive to the park for early morning wild-life spotting, a visit to the resident bison herd, selfie stops all around beautiful Clear Lake and ups and downs in the park’s unique topography. Return to Winnipeg via Highway 5 and McCreary and the self-proclaimed world lily capital of Neepawa, then take the scenic Highway 16 Yellowhead route through vast farmland (www.discover clearlake.com).

From north Winnipeg, drive River Road along the Red River to Selkirk and the Marine Museum of Manitoba (www.marinemuseum.ca), LOWER FORT GARRY NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE • VISUAL SOUL STUDIO'S/ COURTESY OF TRAVEL MANITOBA

Kids go wild at FortWhyte Alive, where bison roam on prairie grasses near a pioneer sod house, teepee encampment and prairie dog town (www.fortwhyte.org), and at Assiniboine Park’s Nature Playground and Polar Playground (www.assiniboinepark.ca). Journey to Churchill is home to polar bears, including Nanuq and York, rescued from the Churchill area.

For history and fun, families can ride the vintage steam train Prairie Dog Central Railway from north Winnipeg to the villages of Grosse Isle and Warren and back (www.pdcrailway.com).

En route to Gimli, Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre welcomes thousands of migrating geese in the fall (www.oakhammock marsh.ca); and, at the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre in Morden, see monster fossils from prehistoric Lake Agassiz and the 15-m-long (50-ft.) life-sized replica of Bruce, the world’s biggest publicly displayed mosasaur (www.discoverfossils.com).

ON

16,124,116

46

Toronto; National Capital: Ottawa www.destinationontario.com Toronto Pearson International Airport, 27 km (16 mi.) from downtown Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, 3 km (2 mi.) from downtown Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, 13 km (8 mi.) from downtown

ONTARIO KILLARNEY LODGE • DESTINATION ONTARIO /PETER LUSZTYK

So Many Choices, All in One Place

When you can’t decide whether you want big cities or small towns, beaches or boreal forests, or museums or motorsports, you don’t have to choose— you can enjoy all that (and much more) in Ontario, Canada’s second-largest province.

BY LAURA BYRNE PAQUET Twice as big as Spain and four times the size of New Zealand, Ontario is exceptionally diverse. Stretching from the shore of Hudson Bay to the same latitude as Northern California, and across two time zones, Ontario offers everything from secluded lakes and elegant wineries to raucous music festivals and whitewater rafting. Ski or scuba dive, hike or sail, dance or shop—Ontario gives you endless choices.

Ontario is home to Canada’s capital, Ottawa, where you can see the grand temporary chambers of the Senate and the House of Commons (visit.parl.ca), see the magnificent Canada Goose Arctic Gallery at the Canadian Museum of Nature (www.nature.ca) and learn about Canada’s military history at the Canadian War Museum (www.warmuseum.ca).

Leave lots of time to explore Toronto, the country’s largest metropolis (www.destination toronto.com). Book early to see world

premieres—and, perhaps, a few Hollywood stars—at the Toronto International Film Festival (www.tiff.net). And don’t miss the Aga Khan Museum of Muslim culture (www.agakhanmuseum.org), Art Gallery of Ontario (www.ago.ca), the Royal Ontario Museum (www.rom.on.ca), and the iconic CN Tower (www.cntower.ca). See animals such as cheetahs and a critically endangered Sumatran orangutan at the Toronto Zoo (www.torontozoo.com). CityPASS offers a savings pass on admissions to five of Toronto’s top attractions, including many of those mentioned above. Once activated, it is valid for nine consecutive days (www.citypass.com).

Ottawa and Toronto are just the beginning of what Ontario has to offer. You can also tour wineries along Lake Erie, in Prince Edward County or on the Niagara Peninsula (www.winecountryontario.ca).

If outdoor adventure is more your style, camp in breathtaking Killarney, Sleeping

Giant or Algonquin provincial parks (www.ontarioparks.com) or canoe along the Grand River (www.theheartofontario.com).

TAKE A SMALL-TOWN BREAK Amble along lanes lined with locally owned shops. Linger over dinner at a table overlooking a waterfall, lake or canal, then unwind in a quaint B&B. Ontario’s many small towns and cities are havens of relaxation.

Take in a play or build a sandcastle on the beach in Grand Bend (www.grandbend.com).

Explore one of the most popular small towns in the province, Niagara-on-the-Lake (www.niagaraonthelake.com), enjoy a spa day in Grafton (www.steannes.com) or unwind at one of Almonte’s many festivals (www.lanarkcountytourism.com). And delve into Ontario’s intriguing history at sites like the Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum in Carp (www.diefenbunker.ca), the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in

ON

47

Mount Hope (www.warplane.com) and the Canadian Transportation Museum and Heritage Village in Kingsville.

the mist of Horseshoe Falls—a not-to-bemissed epic, high-flying journey (www.niagaraparks.com).

ENJOY WATERFRONT VIEWS

Brace yourself, thrill-seekers. Canada’s Wonderland is unleashing AlpenFury in spring 2025—the country’s longest, tallest, and fastest launch coaster. Blast off inside Wonder Mountain, soar sky-high, then dive into a whirlwind of nine inversions—the most of any launch coaster in North America. Get ready for pure adrenalinefueled mayhem at jaw-dropping speeds (www.canadaswonderland.com).

When Ontarians say “cottage country,” they generally mean any of a number of rural regions dotted with clear lakes perfect for canoeing, kayaking, swimming, waterskiing or just admiring from the shore while ensconced in a comfortable hammock. Bring your camera and binoculars, as you may well spot deer, loons or coyotes. Popular cottage areas include Muskoka (www.discovermuskoka.ca), Peterborough and the Kawarthas (www.the kawarthas.ca) and Ontario’s Highlands (www.comewander.ca). Pamper yourself with a restful weekend at one of Ontario’s summer resorts (www.resortsofontario.com).

WHAT’S NEW? In Niagara Falls, get ready to soar! Niagara Parks is taking thrills to new heights with a state-of-the-art Flying Theatre, launching in summer 2025. Say farewell to Niagara’s Fury and buckle up for a breathtaking aerial adventure. Glide over swirling rapids, championship golf courses, and right into

Paddlers and history buffs, take note—The Canadian Canoe Museum has a stunning new home on the shores of Little Lake. This world-class space now showcases its entire 600-strong canoe and kayak collection, including gems like a birchbark beauty crafted by Anishinaabe artisans. Don’t miss the hands-on canoe-building studio or the lakeside launch for on-water adventures (www.canoemuseum.ca).

Ontario’s first lakefront Nordic spa is making a splash. Opened this year, Wander

The Spa in Prince Edward County delivers ultimate relaxation with steamy saunas, hot soak pools, an icy plunge, and a fireside lounge overlooking West Lake. Unwind with Reiki, soothing massages, or even an invigorating Aufguss sauna ritual—pure bliss by the water (www.wanderthe resort.com/spa).

Get ready, little adventurers! The London Children’s Museum has a brand-new home.

Head to the city’s iconic former Kellogg’s factory for this playful paradise that promises hands-on fun, mind-expanding exhibits, and endless giggles for curious kids and families alike (www.londonchildrens museum.ca).

CITY LIGHTS Toronto is a magnet for cosmopolitan travellers. Browse for merchandise in flagship international stores along Bloor Street and luxurious shops in Yorkville (www.bloor-yorkville.com), or unique boutiques and galleries in the restored Victorian-era buildings of the Distillery District (www.thedistillerydistrict.com).

Teeter 116 storeys above the city on the CN

Please visit our website or scan the QR CODE to SEE the entire issue

WWW.TRAVELGUIDETOCANADA.com