Hiking Boots, Or a Rental Ottowa Montreal Van – the Choice Is Yours
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CANADA The Insiders' Guide Maple syrup and mountains are just the beginning of what’s on offer north of the 49th parallel. Contents Overview Contents Quebec Overview 03 Vancouver Island and Victoria 32 Top 10 Experiences in Canada 03 Whistler 34 Climate and Weather 06 Haida Gwaii 35 Ontario Accommodation and Transport 07 Adventure in British Columbia 36 Cultural Highlights 09 Food in Canada 11 Prairies & North 38 Travel Safety 13 Alberta 39 Columbia Visas 15 Manitoba 42 British Saskatchewan 43 Quebec 16 The Yukon 45 Quebec City 17 Northwest Territories 47 Montreal 19 & North Adventure in Quebec 21 Atlantic Provinces 49 Prairies Nova Scotia 50 Ontario 23 Prince Edward Island 52 Toronto 24 Newfoundland 53 Ottawa 26 New Brunswick 55 Provinces Atlantic Adventure in Ontario 28 Essential Insurance Tips 57 British Columbia 30 Our Contributors 59 Vancouver 31 See Our Other Guides 60 2 Welcome! Fjords and mountains, lakes and glaciers, icy roads and northern lights, catching a wave YUKON NORTHWEST TERRITORIES NUNAVUT Contents on the coast – if Whitehorse there’s an adventure you can’t Yellowknife BRITISH COLUMBIA Churchill NEWFOUNDLAND find in Canada, you probably & LABRADOR Haida ALBERTA haven’t searched far enough. Gwaii MANITOBA Labrador City SASKATCHEWAN QUEBEC Newfoundland Edmonton What’s it gonna’ be then, eh? Whistler ONTARIO Prince Edward Overview Vancouver Saskatoon Calgary NEW Island BRUNSWICK A kayak, canoe, trusty pair of Regina Winnipeg Quebec City NOVA SCOTIA Halifax hiking boots, or a rental Ottowa Montreal van – the choice is yours. Toronto Quebec Our Pick of the Chase the aurora in Yellowknife Canada’s Top 10 Experiences With long winter nights, dry crisp air, and Northwest in Canada close proximity to the magnetic north Territories Ontario pole, Canada’s Northwest Territories is is one of Road-trip your way one of the best places in the world to around Canada witness the northern lights. You don’t the best Hands–down, the best way to explore need a big aurora storm for the greens, places in Canada is by picking a route, hiring a pinks, and red hues to be visible – just the world to Columbia car, and driving around. While the two cloudless skies! witness the British most popular road-trip itineraries are The northern lights are visible northern The Cabot Trail on the east coast and the from Yellowknife, but, for the best lights. Icefields Parkway in Alberta, there are far more provinces to explore. Yukon & North Why not take a two-week drive Prairies through Canada’s Maritime provinces – starting in Saint John, New Brunswick and wrap up the trip in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Or, if you’re shorter on time, Provinces Atlantic take the two-to-three day Sea-to-Sky Highway, starting in Vancouver, and head north along Highway 99 to end the trip in Whistler. 3 experience, it’s a good idea to venture away from the city lights further north – which will give you the chance to drive on top of a frozen lake. Explore the Canadian Rockies If glaciers and mountains, milky blue lakes and evergreen forests leading the way Contents to alpine meadows sound like a dream to you, choose your method of transport (by bike or on foot) and go backcountry Spirit Island, Canadian Rockies camping in the Canadian Rockies. Beating the crowds is still easy, so Overview long as you go beyond the main trails. “Revi”, as the locals call it, receives an Dying to see Lake Louise? Don’t stop at If glaciers incredible 600 inches (1.2m) of powder, the lake’s head by the chateau – follow and annually – which makes it ideal for some the well-marked trail to Lake Agnes Tea off-track skiing and boarding. mountains, House (4.3mi/7km) in the late afternoon Not quite up to scratch on the Quebec milky blue for views across the valley. boarding skills? Most (if not all) of the lakes and Or, for a more chilled experience in mountain resorts in Canada offer snow- Kootenay National park, take the short evergreen shoeing, cross country skiing, snow- walk to Marble Canyon then head on to forests mobiling, ice skating, tubing, sleigh rides, the Point Pots – a series of spring-fed leading and some even have dog sledding and Ontario pools that run from bright orange to the way winter biking available. lurid green. to alpine meadows Brave the cold in the Yukon Ski the slopes of Revelstoke sound like Visit the wild territory of northwest Columbia Here in the Selkirk Mountains, you can a dream Canada, known as the Yukon, to see the British do backcountry touring and cat skiing. to you, go charming gold rush town of Whitehorse, backcountry marvel at dinosaur skeletons in the camping MacBride Museum, or bathe in the in the soothing waters at Takhini hot springs & North Prairies Prairies Canadian before a long day on the tundra. Rockies. If your trip to the Yukon falls between late-August to mid-April, be sure to look up to the skies for the aurora borealis. Provinces Atlantic Learn about culture on the Haida Gwaii archipelago Off Canada’s northwest coast, the Revelstoke Haida people have lived 12,500 years 4 Valley-Goose Bay, but the landscape is truly out of this world. Here, you’ll also Once you catch the spectacular northern lights. add in the The Inuit have called this place home excellent for thousands of years and also run the base camp, offering the opportunity to seafood learn about their way of life, first-hand. and super nice people, Contents Stuff yourself silly with Nova Scotia seafood in Nova Scotia becomes Ice fishing From remote national parks and quaint an absolute fishing villages to whale watching and must for on the 200 islands of the Haida Gwaii wild rafting opportunities, once you travelers. Overview archipelago. Embrace the Haida belief add in the excellent seafood and super that all living things are connected nice people, Nova Scotia becomes an by walking among monumental or absolute must for travelers. mortuary poles (never called totems), It takes two tiny ferries to get to or attending a community potlatch (a Briar Island, but the long journey is well Quebec ceremonial feast). worth it. Start here for whale watching These misty islands shelter Haida tours that’ll take you to see humpbacks, traditions plus 6,800 flora and fauna finbacks, and right whales. Stop on the species. Be on the look-out for cycling way at Lavena’s Catch Café in Freeport and hiking trails, see eagles feasting on for an amazing scallop sandwich. Ontario salmon left behind by fishermen, and take a boat to Gandll K’in Gwaay.yaay (Hotsprings Island) for a dip in a hot springs pool revered for healing. Columbia British Icebergs and out-of-this-world landscapes in Newfoundland Newfoundland is the only province where icebergs make a yearly & North appearance. During the summer and Prairies winter months, icebergs can regularly be seen from the coast along “Iceberg Alley”, a stretch of area from the coast of Labrador down to the northeast coast. Provinces Atlantic If you’re really up for the adventure, make the trip from Labrador city up to Torngat Mountains National Park. It’s Newfoundland only accessible via plane from Happy 5 See the tidal changes at Climate and Hopewell Rocks, New Weather Brunswick Covering millions of square miles, The uninitiated refer to New Brunswick Canada is comprised as a ‘drive-by’ province, but those in of everything from the know come for tasty food, diverse shrub-strewn deserts cultures, and all the adventure you can to the vast Arctic tundra. Weather-wise, pack into mountains, marshes, and Contents here’s what to expect En-route to Jasper warm salt-water beaches. and where to go. As you whizz around the Bay of WINTER Fundy, make sure you stop twice at While conditions vary significantly, snow typically begins Hopewell Rocks – once at low tide to in October/November and stays around until March/April. chase sandpipers through the squishy Temperatures can range from 50°F (10°C) to -31°F (-35°C), and Overview mud flats, and again around six hours dip even lower in the north. The west coast predominantly experiences rain throughout the winter, with only some later to see the world’s highest tides. periods of snow. Where to go: Whitehorse or Yellowknife for northern lights, Catch a wave on Churchill for polar bear viewing, British Columbia or Banff for skiing or Quebec for winter festival fun. Vancouver Island Quebec On the wild west coast of Vancouver SPRING Island, Tofino is where you’ll find artsy A time of tulips and cherry blossoms, traveling in the spring can be a great way to avoid the crowds. Keep in mind that light snow or vibes, ancient rainforests, and some of rain can continue into May or June, so while temperatures typically Canada’s best waves to surf. Head to sit around 50–68°F (10–20°C), you should pack accordingly. Clayoquot Sound to see gray whales and Where to go: For classic spring scenes between March and May, Ontario unbelievably cute sea otters. head to Canada’s most temperate climates in Vancouver and Vancouver Island. If the conditions are right, hire a surfboard and a thick wetsuit to catch a SUMMER wave or two on Long Beach – Canada’s From June to August, Canadian summers mean outdoor fun. With varying levels of humidity, temperatures range between Columbia most famous surf spot. British 59–95°F (15–35°C). The far north is a bit cooler, but also boasts exceptionally long days at the height of summer.