Frommer's Far and Wide

8/4/2019 Frommer's Far and Wide

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Far WideA Weekly Guide to Canada’s

Best Travel Experiences

&



JA

N U

ARY

TOP PICKSStart the New Year Atop Eastern

Canada’s Highest Peak 2Volunteer to Help Pick Icewine

Grapes 8Skate the Rideau Canal 14Celebrate Chinese New Year in

Vancouver and Victoria 20

ADVENTUREDive into the Polar Bear Swim atEnglish Bay 4

Sur Big Winter Waves at LawrencetownBeach 10

Try Winter Scuba Diving in Powell River 16Take Ice-Climbing Lessons in the

Canadian Rockies 22

CULTURE & HISTORYGreet the New Year in Traditional

Viennese Style 5Discover Bill Reid’s Artwork 10Glimpse Prehistoric Hunting Techniques

at Head-Smashed-In Bualo Jump 16Celebrate Robbie Burns Day in Halia 23

NATURE’S GRANDEURPay Your Respects to the Massive Trees

o Cathedral Grove 5Skate the Length o Winnipeg’s

Serpentine River Trail 11Enjoy Long Nights in Canada’s

Northernmost Community 17Go Eagle-Watching in Nova Scotia 23

EVENTS & FESTIVALSSaddle Up or Western Canada’sLargest Arts Festival 6

Cheer On Your Favourite Dog Sled Team 12Get Your Heart Pumping with

B.C. Snowshoe-Racing 18Embrace the Spirit o the Mountains at

the Ban/Lake Louise Winter Festival 24

QUIRKY CANADASee What One Red Paper Clip Can

Get You 6Dance in the Snow at Iglooest 13

Snack on Beaver Tails 19Go Underground in Moose Jaw 25

REJUVENATEEplore and Rela at an Eco-Resort in

the Kootenay Mountains 7Take a Traditional Sleigh Ride at

Ross Farms 13Dine Out at a Discount during Montral’s

“Happening Gourmand” 19Try Specialty Coees rom Victoria’s

Barista Champ 25



ontréalers are spoiled with world-class

alpine skiing in their backyard, and theyknow it. Abot a two-hor drie northwest

o the city, Qébec’s majestic Larentian

Montains are blessed, on aerage, with 380 centime-tres (149.6 inches) o snow each year, making the area

an absolte mecca or skiers and snowboarders. (Andi Mother Natre shold hold back, the resort’s state-

o-the-art snow machines make some o the best akewhite st arond.) O all the ski towns in the proince,

Mont-Tremblant is indisptably the biggest, i not the

ashiest. And the n doesn’t stop at the end o yor skirn—with a host o other otdoor sports, the amos

après-ski, a clinary scene, lrios spas, as well as barsand nightclbs or late-night partying, Mont-Tremblant

draws both the stylish and the swit.

Start by hitting the slopes. With the highest peakin the Larentians at 915 metres (3,002 eet), Mont-

Tremblant boasts 95 trails spread ot oer or

montain aces. Accessible by 14 lits, inclding anEpress Gondola, once yo’e reached the smmit, the

istas o srronding illages and lakes will leae yo

breathless. There are lots o intermediate and adancedrns, and jst nder a dozen are considered or eperts

only. Newbies can perect their skills on more than adozen trails with a top-notch sta o instrctors.

To get yorsel acqainted with the area, thereare ree, daily, gided tors. Enqire at the smmit’s

Grand Manito or details, or download yor “personal

concierge” mobile application, aailable or Androidand iPhone. Tremblant tends to be the trendiest o the

local resorts, and so can be pricier than smaller hills inthe Eastern Townships, or those closer to the city sch

as Mont Saint-Saer or Sainte-Adèle. Epect ll-day

lit ticket rates in the range o C$75 per adlt, with skirentals abot C$45 a day, or snowboards arond C$40

a day. Boarders will probably want topay the etra C$13 or an Adrenalin Park

Pass, oering access to 50 rail and jmpmodles in the Soth Park. Early risers

can take adantage o First Tracks,

taking the gondola at 7:45 a.m. to bethe frst to care their way throgh

irgin snow beginning at 8:00 a.m. (yo’llpay an etra C$21 or the priilege). I

yo’re not in the mood or the slopes,

yo can try snowshoeing, cross-contryskiing, skating, snowmobiling, dogsled-

ding, and een ice-climbing. To get thebest deals, always ask abot packages

when booking yor hotel.And what’s a ski trip withot some

proper après-ski? The same team that

pdated the British Colmbia’s world-renowned Whistler resort recently gae

Tremblant a mlti-milli on dollar acelit, giing it cozy,Ero-style ambience. Yo can stay anywhere rom a pri-

ate condo to a lry hotel, bt the Fairmont Tremblantis the only one that allows yo to ski right to the door o

the hotel.

When not caring trns, yo can roam thepedestrian illage popping in and ot o amiliar retail

stores like Brton, Roots, and Colmbia, spread otamong smaller botiqes. Fortiy yorsel with a

BeaerTails Pastry (Queues de Castor in French), the

name o the qintessential crepe-like pastry that’sried and loaded with yor choice o sweet or saory

toppings. For a lengthier break, warm p to a locallybrewed beer at Microbrewery La Diable or nwind at

casal The Resto-Bar Le Shack, with its kitschy otdoor-indoor decor. Or, indlge at more pscale restarant

A Tres where the si-corse table d’hôte incldesoie gras, an appetizer, main, cheese plate, and dessertor C$80. Somewhere in-between is the Bistro de la

Forge—at the base o the ski lit—oering a fne iewo the montain and La Place Saint-Bernard.

For a little change o scenery, drie “downtown”

to St-Joite, a strip o restarants (oodies shold lookor Le Cheal de Jade), botiqes, antiqe dealers, and

bars. For tired mscles, rela with a little hydrotherapy

at Spa Scandinae whose hot and cold waters, Finnsana, and massages (Swedish, hot stone, or Thai y

in a rstic enironment inite yo to reconnect withnatre. Back at the resort, dance the night away at

Le P’tit Caribo or Bar Caé d’Époqe, or catch a i

at the moie theatre on re des Remparts.Feeling lcky? The casino is open seen days a

week ntil midnight, and ntil 3:00 a.m. on Friday Satrday nights when there’s lie entertainment. An

epress gondola or shttle rom the Soth Side tak

yo to 500 slot machines, 16 gaming tables, and Tehold ’em poker. Keep in mind that the gondola clos

at 11:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. on Sndays), so yo may to take the shttle bs back depending how long y

lcky streak lasts.I yo’re not ying in directly to the Tremblant a

(Porter Airlines oers direct ights rom Toronto anYork), don’t orget that trafc along Highway 15 torom Montréal can be bmper-to-bmper on Friday

eenings and Snday nights. To aoid weekend l ine(one sitation where it’s best not to do as the locals

leae on a Thrsday and come back Wednesday. Y

won’t be at a loss or things to do.Find out more at:

www.tourismemonttremblant.com

1st wNT-TREMBLANT, QuÉBEC

Start the New Year AtopEastern Canada’s Highest PeakThe list o actiities is endless at Qébec’s most poplar ski resort

M

JAFAR & WIDE: A WEEKLY GuIDE TO CANADA’S BEST TRAvEL ExPER IENCES





Sir Sanord Fleming’sStandard Time “Between Halia and Toronto, [the traeller] f

the railways employing no less than fe dierestandards o time,” wrote Sir Sandord Fleming

These arying time zones reqired that some rtraellers carry watches with p to si aces.

until the 1880s, locals set their watches towhen the sn was directly oerhead. It meant t

clock at Montréal’s city hall strck noon 25 min

beore timepieces in Toronto.As the railway sped p trael, arying local

created consion or stationmasters and passen—inclding Fleming, a chie engineer with the

Canadian Pacifc Railway. Fleming, whose weig

other achieements inclde designing the frstCanadian postage stamp and onding the Ro

Canadian Institte in Toronto, conceied o dithe world into 24 time zones.

In October 1884, delegates rom 25 contrmet in Washington D.C. or the International

Meridian Conerence. Greenwich was oted as

prime meridian, and Fleming’s proposal to standclocks was backed by u.S. President Chester A

Arthr. Three short months later, on Janary 1,1885, the world switched oer to standard tim

Bt not all regions adopted Greenwich as th

meridian or smoothly transitioned to the new timzones. While Canada had sed standardized tim

the railways since 1883 and England since the 1France held ot on the meridian isse ntil 1911

With standard time, clocks adance an ho

or roghly eery 15 degrees o longitde. Canwhich coers a qarter-width o the globe, em

si time zones. For and a hal hors separateCape Spear on the easternmost coast and Bo

Peak on the Alaskan border in the west.The year 1885 trned ot to be a big one

Fleming. Later that year, the last spike o the

Canadian Pacifc Railway was hammered in atCraigellachie, British Colmbia.

Explore and Relaxat an Eco-Resort in theKootenay Mountains

Strap on yor cross-contry skis and kick o thenew year by eploring the winter wonderland

srronding the eco-riendly Nipika Montain Resort,set in a remote alley near British Colmbia’s Kootenay

National Park.

Nipika Montain Resort is contracted by the

proincial goernment to maintain 80 kilometres

(50 miles) o cross-contry trails, o which 50kilometres (31 miles) are groomed. Accessible rom

the lodge gronds, the trail system oers somethingor isitors o all skill and ftness leels. Trails rn along

the Kootenay Rier, to the Natral Bridge ormation,and throgh snow-coered trees. Skating on a cleared

pond in ront o the main lodge, snowshoeing throgh

the orest, tobogganing on nearby Mont Skedmore,and soaking in the hot tb add to the charm o a

winter isit. The lodge itsel is a tre eco-resort, withpower generated by the sn and a small hydro plant,

bildings and rnitre constrcted sing lmber rom

trees killed by montain pine beetles, and heatingproided sing dead wood. Sleeping p to eight people

each, the resort’s seen cabins are etremely spaciosand hae ll en site bathrooms and kitchens with

wood-brning stoes. (Gests bring their own ood.)Cabins are modern bt were constrcted in a ery

traditional manner—the logs were milled on-site, and

constrction is done with doetail notching.www.nipika.com

EVENTS & FESTIVALS QUIRKY CANADA

REJUVENATE

The lodge itsel is a

true eco-resort, with

power generatedby the sun.

J AN

Saddle Up orWestern Canada’sLargest Arts Festival

Not eery Alberta rodeo reqires horses and steers—

sometimes a rabbit is what yo need.The High Perormance Rodeo is an arts estial,

prodced by Calgary’s renowned One Yellow Rabbittheatre company, that transorms downtown Calgary

with theatre, msic, dance, and comedy perormed by

artists rom arond the world.The or-week eent is made p o nearly 100

perormances that are impressie in their diersity—making it the largest eent o its kind in Western Canada.

One ene may be hosting a rondtable discssion onthe role o arts in society, while across town an adience

may be cowering as a trope o homicidal Rssian

lesbians take to the stage. Seemingly immne to wintertemperatres, spectators line the streets o Chinatown or

a parade and conerge on Olympic Plaza or an otdoorlight and fre display. In the classy confnes o Hotel Arts,

well-coied patrons sample wine dring Wine Stage,

while homeless Calgarians are encoraged to show theirartistic bent dring This is My City. The one ene that

brings eeryone together is Laycrat Longe, theestial’s ofcial watering hole, brimming with perormers,

adience members, and estial olnteers each night—the perect ene to end each day’s eents.www.hprodeo.ca

See What One Red PaperClip Can Get You

On Jly 14, 2005, Canadian Kyle MacDonald posted

a pictre o a red paper clip on an on-line trading site

and asked i anyone wanted to swap it or somethingbetter. Someone did, and MacDonald was soon the

prod owner o a fsh-shaped pen. Althogh it was asimple trade, MacDonald’s ensing transactions had

the on-line world rieted.

Althogh MacDonald sed the Internet toinitiate trades, he made the deals in person, traelling

to vancoer to swap his paper clip or the pen, jorneying all the way to Massachsetts or a camp

stoe, then back across the united States to tradethe stoe or a generator. By the end o 2005, he was

the prod owner o a snowmobile, which he then

traded in Janary 2006 or a deliery an—which wasqickly swapped or a recording contract. The contract

was traded to a bdding msician or one year’s rent

on a hose in Arizona. As the trades contined—andmillions ollowed on-line—in Jly 2006, MacDonald

traded a moie role or a neat two-story hose at503 Main Street in Kipling, Saskatchewan.

MacDonald has since donated the home to theTown o Kipling, also home to The World’s Largest

Red Paper Clip—a torist attraction with a historylike no other.http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com

It happened THIS WEEK

st week o




o’d better hae yor bags packed and wait-

ing by the door. I yo’re planning to jointhe olnteer pickers who gather to harest

Niagara’s precios icewine grapes, ready only

when they’re kissed with jst the right amont o rost,the call sally comes at a moment’s notice. And, most

oten in the middle o the night.Icewine, one o the top-rated prodcts o the Niagara

winemaking region, is recognized as a lry item theworld oer. It’s made with grapes that are harested

when the temperatre dips below –8 degrees Celsis

(17.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The water in the rit reezes,leaing an intensely sweet, concentrated bit o grape

jice. It’s that honeyed liqid gold that distingishes thedessert wine and creates its nparalleled oral aors.

The process reqires qick action—haresting mst

take place beore the grapes start to rot. With eqal

efciency, the rit, still rozen, is transported directly orpressing, then let or ermentation.

It’s a fckle bsiness. Some years, there’s no icewine

harest. In others, sch as 2010, the harest is iy. Atera sodden stretch o rain and temperate weather into

early Janary, the right conditions wold seemingly neercome. Then, the sn came ot—and the temperatre

plmmeted. Which is eactly why pickers take to theines at the last minte.

Icewine haresters are clled rom neighboring

arms and ineyards, rom commnities o amilies andriends—and rom willing olnteers who sign p or

the priilege o picking all night, as most o the workis generally done in the dark. The best way to get on a

list o prospectie pickers is to pick a aorite winery,

then contact the winery directly by e-mailor phone to oer yor serices. There

are dozens to choose rom, pls a winetrail—aailable on-line—to help with

naigation, i the winery’s not conenientto isit. Some o the wineries, especially

the bigger ones, se mechanical

haresters now, bt many still employ thetradition o haresting by hand. A ew

that welcome ineperienced harestersinclde the notable Henry o Pelham and

the yonger Rier Bend. Also, the annal

Niagara Wine Festial, which takes placerom mid-to-late Janary, oers a glimpse

into the eperience with the DiscoeryPass, which incldes a trial harest o

sorts. visitors are inited to pick grapes—thogh jst or n, not to meet any

ofcial qotas.

The reality is that picking icewinegrapes is bone-chilling work (hand warmers

are oten gien to olnteer pickers beore they

set ot or the felds). It’s also nglamoros. Jst think,hors spent bent oer ines or working on yor knees.

Bt there’s something etraordinary abot the eperienceand the coniiality o it all. Some spontaneos pickers

recont tales o working nder brilliant moonlight,

others recall warm and welcome meals sered at theend o each shit (shits generally last abot two hors).

Relationships and riendships are ormed. Food isenjoyed. Fires blaze, both indoors and otdoors. And,

natrally, icewine is enjoyed. What’s more, the moregeneros estates reglarly send helpers home with a

bottle or their eorts.

In Ontario, icewine is an historic creation, anadaptation o the centries-old tradition o German

eisswein. First lanched in the 1980s by some enterprising

intners looking to make their mark on the world stage,the cool climate conditions and rows o Eropean

iniera (especially the Riesling ines) proed a good matchor making icewine—ltimately becoming the region’s

agship prodct. Indeed, icewine helped lanch what isnow a rich and well-established winemaking region—

Canada’s biggest—as well as the contry’s own wine-designation label. The vQA (vintners’ Qality Assrance)

garantees grapes that are 100 per cent locally grown

and, in the case o icewine, only natrally rozen.Today, most wineries in Ontario make icewine.

Riesling and vidal are the most poplar arietals,althogh it’s also made sing Pinot Gris and Chardonnay

grapes—een red-wine grapes, sch as Merlot and

Cabernet Franc, thogh the jry’s still ot on these morerecent oerings.

A cople o tips or anyone sampling icewine,which, at abot C$50 per hal-bottle, is a signifcant

inestment: it’s best sered well-chilled becase o the

high concentration o sgar. I yo pair it with dessert,make sre the dish is less sweet than the wine—

otherwise yo end p with a sgar competition that can

make the wine taste sor. So, pick rit-based desserts(cobblers or pies are best), or choose creamy cheeses.There’s something else: beware o icewine copycats.

Made rom artifcially rozen grapes—think reezer wine,

not icewine—these are ooding the market rom Asiaand elsewhere. A vQA label ensres yo’re making an

athentic prchase.Find out more at: www.winesofontario.org

2nd w

Y

AGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONTARIO

Volunteer to Help PickIcewine GrapesThe npredictable, noctrnal harest is yor chance to pitch in creatingone o Canada’s most amos prodcts (and hae n doing it)




Skate the Length oWinnipeg’s SerpentineRiver Trail

Beginning in mid-Janary each year, Winnipeg’s rozenAssiniboine Rier comes alie with athers shooting

pcks with their children, inants skating circles arondnoices, and coples o all ages holding hands as they

glide along what’s billed as the world’s longest natral

skating trail.

The Rier Trail is actally two distinct paths—one is

groomed or skating while the other is a cleared oot-path designated or oot trafc, skiers, and snowshoers.

The ofcial length o the trail aries each year, bt it’s

oten eight kilometres (fe miles) or more in lengthand—mch to the delight o Winnipeggers—nearly

always longer than Ottawa’s beloed Ridea CanalSkateway (see p. 14). Operation is dependent entirely

on the thickness o the rier ice (it mst be at least

25 centimetres/10 inches thick), bt the trail is sallyopen between mid-Janary and mid-Febrary. Seen

ofcial access points are signposted along the rote,inclding The Forks Marina—the main downtown

hb. At this historic attraction, site o the city’s originalsettlement, a snow maze and crling rink add to the

estie atmosphere, with weekends ll o sleigh rides,

ace painting, and other wintery games adding to theappeal or amilies. For those who didn’t bring their

skates, rentals are aailable at The Forks Market.www.rivertrail.ca

ADVENTURE CULTURE & HISTORY

nd week o J AN

Sur Big Winter Wavesat Lawrencetown Beach

Word o an incoming Janary storm lights a fre o

anticipation in Noa Scotia’s winter srers. These stormschrn p the North Atlantic sending waes crashing

towards the coast, as the cold temperatres (anywhererom 0 to 5 degrees Celsis—32 to 41 degrees Fahren-

heit—in the water) help create the kind o waes that

are the st o srers’ dreams. Lawrencetown Beach,on the Eastern Shore, is one o the proince’s most

poplar sr spots, attracting enthsiasts rom all oerthe world who come to catch wild winter waes.

Jst 30 mintes rom Halia, the beach is otenalie with srers as the morning sn breaks aboe the

ocean horizon. With an ocean-oor topography that

proides eerything necessary to orm sweet breaks andbarrels (drmlins rom the last Ice Age, long peninslas,

cring bays, and rgged montains), Noa Scotia’sbeaches hae been rated as high as 3.5 stars (ot o

or) when conditions are right. Lawrencetown can alsoeperience eceptionally high sr conditions when theremnants o tropical storms and hrricanes make their

way p the coast.Een new srers can get a rsh on Noa Scotia’s

winter waes. Sr shops oer rental eqipment andlessons, and local srers are always willing to share

helpl adice.www.lawrencetownbeach.com

Discover Bill Reid’sArtwork

Yo probably already carry some o Bill Reid’s artwork

arond with yo. The hal-Haida, hal-American artist—born in victoria on Janary 12, 1920—created the

two iconic natie sclptres depicted on the Canadian$20 bill. Yo can eperience the power o Reid’s legacy

by iewing both o them in vancoer.

Admire the late Reid’s The Spirit o Haida Gwaii :The Jade Canoe in the entrance hall at vancoer

International Airport. (With its oerowing boatloado passengers like the Bear and the Dogfsh Woman,

some onlookers joke that the imposing green sclptreshold be called Economy Class.)

Head to the recently epanded Msem o Anthro-

pology at the uniersity o British Colmbia (uBC) togaze awestrck at Raven and the First Men. Showcased

in a rotnda, the hge yellow-cedar caring depictsmythological hmans emerging rom a clamshell nder

Raen’s watchl eye.Top o this isal east at downtown vancoer’s

Bill Reid Gallery o Northwest Coast Art, where yo’ll

see how his style in gold and siler jewellery eoled.Also be sre to check ot arios works by contempo-

rary First Nations artists whom Reid inspired. It’s nowonder he earned the Order o Canada in 1986.www.billreidgallery.ca

Couples o all ages

hold hands as they

glide along what’sbilled as the world’s

longest natural

skating trail.

NATURE’S GRANDEUR

Canadian moment Ice Roads OpenFor some residents in Canada’s North, it’s the die

between paying C$9 or C$5 or a tomato. As rie

lakes, and mskeg reeze oer, locals hae access tdierent stores—and possibly lower prices—hnd

o kilometres away.In the 1950s, e-Montie John Denison starte

transorming trails into ice roads or motor ehicle

“The frst reglar load o reight was mine, andelegation rom the Chamber o Commerce met

said Denison to jornalist Edith Iglaer in her bookDenison’s Ice Road . He spoke o trcking to Yellow

on the Mackenzie Highway or the frst time.Today, the Northwest Territories has more than

1,400 kilometres (869.9 miles) o ice and winter ro

with Ykon and Nnat adding more rotes to trozen highway map.

Eight lanes wide, the Tibbitt to Contwoyto WRoad frst opened in 1982. Crossing 600 kilometre

(372.8 miles) o lakes and rozen mskeg, it’s the

world’s longest. The mining road stretches into thenorth rom Yellowknie, accessing tndra otherwi

only reachable by air.Each Janary, Nna Logistics crews begin work

clearing snow, setting p camps, and measring icthickness. The rote rns oer nothing bt water

87 per cent o its distance. As the ice thickens thro

March, the mining road will see increasingly largerloads o mining eqipment and spplies haled n

It’s a slow-and-steady job, where trcks trael conoys. The maimm speed limit is 25 kilometre

(15.5 miles) per hor or loaded trcks and 10 kil

tres (6 miles) per hor when approaching theportages. Drie too ast and the momentm can

generate below-ice waes that break throgh asrace that’s only inches thick.

Ice Road Truckers, a History Channel programtraced the perils on these winter-only ice roads.

“We’e got one lake called ‘Two-Moie Lake’

becase it takes two DvDs to cross it,” writes ice-Ale Debogorski in his atobiography King o the




EVENTS & FESTIVALS

EVENTS & FESTIVALS

nd week o J AN Dance in the Snow

at Iglooest

From the hipster olk who bring Montréal’s Piknic

Électronik in the smmer (see p. 122) , comes Iglooest—a nine-day otdoor dance party stretched oer three

weekends in Janary (Friday, Satrday, and Snday).Once yo’re grooing with thosands o yor newond

riends, the biting sb-zero temps jst might hae yohngry or winter all year long.

The main dance oor heats p with both local and

international DJs (sch as MiniCoolBoyz rom Italy or Eskmorom the united States) and mesmerizing lighting eects. On

the periphery, there are odka bars, marshmallow-roastingfrepits, mlled wine and beer booths, and hot-dog stands.

The high-energy eent takes on a kind o wintry Woodstockatmosphere with plenty o space also or longing arondotdoor freplaces when yo need to rest yor eet.

A new addition is the virgin Mobile Igloo thatconcentrates on local DJ talent and can accommodate

a maimm o 150 people. Epect lineps here at bsytimes, bt once inside it can actally get qite steamy.

Last year almost 60,000 partygoers braed the cold

along the Qai Jacqes-Cartier in the Old Port, show-ing p in their hottest winter apparel—inclding ski gear,

wacky moon boots, and nky one-piece sits. Ticketscan be prchased on-site or abot C$12, bt also on

the Internet and in select botiqes. Torism Montréal also

oers packages with hotel, restarant, and other goodies.www.iglooest.ca

Take a Traditional SleigRide at Ross Farms

With the only sonds being a harness creaking, rn

gliding throgh the snow, and the clip-clop o horshooes, a sleigh ride throgh wintry Ross Farm crea

a deep appreciation or the slower pace o rral lieNew Ross, Noa Scotia. A amily or small grop get

cozy in the bo sleigh as yo pass arm bildings, tmill, and dck ponds. Once yor tor ends, hot dri

are sered p in Rose Bank Cottage.

The teamster at the reins may regale yo with hrom the 1800s, bt don’t let his tales distract yo

the horses. They’re special. The Canadian is CanadNational Horse, an ancient breed whose ancestry is

traced back to ondation stock broght to Noa Scbetween 1632 and 1635. The breed almost becametinct and is now an endangered domesticated sp

The horses are an eample o one o the crciaroles o this liing msem, namely presering heri

breeds. Berkshire pigs, Cotswold and Sothdown sheritage breeds o poltry and cows all loe compa

Costmed interpreters make isits to this heritag

enjoyable and inormatie. Yo might een get to mcow! Many hands-on actiities encorage children t

better acqainted with the animals and teach themarm chores or crating items sed arond the arm. C

ot the arm’s Facebook page to see what’s new in th

barns, watch ideos, and learn abot planned actiitmuseum.gov.ns.ca/rm/en/home/deault.

QUIRKY CANADA REJUVENATE

Cheer On Your FavouriteDog Sled Team

Dogsledding is a traditional mode o transportationinoling a simple sled and a team o handsome canines.

The International Dog Sled Championship o Canada

gies yo an inside look at all the action—as well as

the beaty o Qébec’s contryside in its magicalwinter season.

Taking place oer two days in Janary, the competition

inoles more than 100 teams and 2,500 dogs rom fe

continents, attracting tens o thosands o isitors whocome rom all oer the world—rom Argentina to the

Philippines.Races ollow the Daaqam Rier in the qaint illage

o Saint-Jst-de-Bretenières (in the region o Chadière-

Appalaches) and start at 8:00 a.m., with contestantsleaing almost eery two mintes. Teams compete in a

wide range o dierent categories: nmber o dogs (one to

ad infnitm); distance coered (rom 7.7 to 37.8 kilometres,

4.8 to 23.5 miles); and actiity type (rom old-schoolsledding to skijoring, where a person on skis is plled byone or more dogs). There are also women-only races.

Attendees can get in on the action by partaking in a

dogsled ride or abot C$8.Dog owners, take note: yo’re permitted to bring

yor own dog onto the gronds, nless yor dog iscompeting.www.daaquam.org/english/menu.html




2nd w

t’s one o those incomparable Canadian eperiences:

lacing p a pair o sharp skates and setting ot ora long glide along the pictresqe Ridea Canal,

which cts throgh the heart o downtown Ottawa.

Known locally as the Skateway, it’s acknowledged byGinness World Records as the world’s largest natral

skating rink thanks to its combined width and length.(Winnipeg lays claim to the longest at 8.5 kilometres

(5.3 miles), while the Ridea is 7.8 kilometres (4.8 miles)—or the eqialent o 90 Olympic-sized skating rinks.)

The Ridea Canal is also a designated uNESCO World

Heritage Site.There are a handl o choice places where yo

can begin, bt it’s best or a frst-timer to start at thetop—meaning the oot o the Parliament Bildings.

And to better catch all the sights, rom the airytale

Fairmont Chatea Larier hotel, to galleries andmsems, and some o the prettiest parts o the old

town, sch as Conederation Sqare. (Thogh eenings

are ndeniably romantic, and the canal has been thesite o many a marriage proposal, it’s adisable to skate

in the daylight.) Since the rink generally opens in mid-

to-late Janary, picking a date late in the month meansgetting in beore the crowds descend in Febrary or

the nearly month-long annal Winterlde estial.One o the best things abot skating the Ridea is

the chance to meander. Far remoed rom the monoto-nos circles o most rinks, the Ridea snakes along a

wide and pretty path—past residential neighborhoods

and ofce towers, nder snow-coered treetops andhistoric bridges, ltimately reaching the gathering place

at Dows Lake. Here, there’s an otdoor art gallery, apailion with restarants, and change rooms.

Getting started is easy, thanks to heated hts—

rather grandly called “chalets”—posted at fe localesalong the rote. Nearby skate rentals are conenient,

bt rn to abot C$30/day.There are also sleds or rent, a

great way to get pre-skatingyongsters ot on the ice.

To maintain yor stamina,

tcking into a “beaer tail”is a mst. These whimsically

named pieces o ried dogh-nt earned their moniker or

their at, an-like shape—mch

like the iconic animal’s rearappendage. The BeaerTails

chain, which has a ew otletsen rote, is abot as good as

it gets. Cinnamon and maplesyrp are aorite toppings.

Along with a cp o instant,

powdered hot chocolate, it’sthe perect qick reel.

The Ridea draws more than one mill ion skaters

each year, many o them locals who se the canal as awintertime playgrond or an alternate rote to work.

While weekdays can be qiet, especially while mostpeople are at work, weekends tend to bring ot the

whole amily.

The rink is rotinely patrolled, monitored, andmeasred or saety concerns. There’s a team o

teams rnning the operation: 50 skate patrollers, plsseeral “ice eperts” (think researchers, scientists, and

managers) who analyze the ice, assessing its strengthand aws. There’s also a drilling team that ses an ice

ager to etract core samples or analysis. Then, there

are the snow-clearing crews.Conditions and closres are posted twice daily at

www.canadascapital.gc.ca.

The Skateway is part o the historic Ridea Canal,which rns more than 200 kilometres (124 miles)

and connects Ottawa (on the Ottawa Rier) withKingston (on Lake Ontario). The canal opened in 1832

when upper Canada needed an independent traderote becase conict in the bordering united States

was brewing.

Oer the years, the eperience o skating thecanal has changed. Since it frst took orm in 1971 as

a small stretch o ice cleared in ront o the NationalArts Centre, there has been a gradal encroachment

o theme-park toches. Many parts o the canal arenow decorated with msic shows, crats and eents,

ast ood, and other coneniences that can annoy those

looking to enjoy the serenity o the eperience. Thenagain, there’s always the option o jst skating by . . .

When yo’re fnally ready to leae yor bladesbehind, check ot some o the many srronding

sites the nation’s capital has to oer. A walk arond

the Canadian War Msem, the etraordinary andcontroersial msem dedicated to eploring the

realities o war, is a sobering stroll. I yo’re still in the

mood or battle, join the pblic galleries in the Hoseo Commons, i the Hose is sitting. Or politicians arenot araid o a good erbal sce. The National Arts

Centre is also nearby. So, too, is the Canadian Msem

o Ciilization, and the paintings at the National Galleryo Canada. When yo’re done, strap yor blades on

again and head homeward.Find out more at:

www.canadascapital.gc.ca

3rd wTAWA, ONTARIO

Skate the Rideau CanalEmbrace winter by eploring the world’s largest ice rink

I




3rd week o J AN Enjoy Long Nights in

Canada’s NorthernmostCommunity

Congratlations or making it to Grise Fiord, Canada’snorthernmost commnity. Yo’e traelled a long

way—3,462 kilometres (2,151 miles) rom Ottawa,with an oernight in Resolte Bay. Yo may hae

encontered some storms, common in the Arctic

dring the winter, setting yo back another day ormore. Yo’e made it throgh the last leg o the

ight, when the Twin Otter heads directly towardsthe ford-ace beore making a 180-degree trn at

the last minte, landing saely on the rnway. It’s atrip relatiely ew people hae made.

The commnity o 140 people sits on Nnat’ssothern Ellesmere Island, 1,544 kilometres (959 miles)

rom the North Pole. It’s Janary, and yo’re here to

eperience lie in 24-hor darkness—an ideal platormto watch the eerie green glow o the northern lights

dancing throgh the sky at any time, day or night.Yo’ll fnally be able to let go o time, since all hors

o the day are basically the same. Looking p at the

crisp, star-flled sky at 3:00 p.m. in the middle o theday is a wild, nmatched eeling. Night photography

takes on a new meaning too, and yo can createstnning images o the rozen landscape, ramed with

dramatic montains and rolling tndra. And yes, it’scold. very cold. Temperatres can die deeper than

–50 degrees Celsis (–58 degrees Fahrenheit), and

the aerage high is –30 degrees Celsis (–22 degreesFahrenheit) in Janary. Bt with a trsty Canada Goose

jacket and pants, and the right layers, spending timeotside can be qite cozy. Jst remember to coer all

sraces, becase rostbite sets in qickly.www.nunavuttourism.com

Try Winter Scuba Diving

in Powell RiverAre 1970s horror moies sch as Jaws, Orca, and

Tentacles gilty pleasres? Lose the gilt and enjoy athrilling enconter with eotic Pacifc Ocean creatres

throgh scba diing in Powell Rier, British Colmbia.The Snshine Coast’s northernmost city, located 145

kilometres (90 miles) rom vancoer, isn’t an obios

acation spot in mid-Janary—when the aerage hightemperatre only hits 5 degrees Celsis (40 degrees

Fahrenheit), also the aerage water temperatre at thistime. Bt chilly weather means less algae bloom, and

better water isibility. Jst make sre to don a dry sit

with thermal protection or warmth.Yo can see incredible things with iewing distances

o p to 46 metres (150 eet). Try the amos “EmeraldPrincess” shore die at Saltery Bay Proincial Park. It

eatres a sbmerged bronze mermaid state srrondedby octopi, inclding the ominos giant pacifc octops,

sponges, lingcod, and sea ccmbers. Or, die arond

the Malahat, a wrecked World War I-era schooner l ying jst o the world’s biggest oating breakwater net to

Powell Rier’s historic townsite. From wol eels to copperrockfsh, more deliciosly eerie sights await. And great

boat dies abond o nearby Teada Island.

visit Alpha Die and Kayak, Powell Rier’s ll-sericedie shop, to charter a boat, take lessons, or get yor

scba gear. It’s certifed by Scba Diing International.Jacqes Costea wold approe.www.divepowellriver.com

Glimpse Prehistoric

Hunting Techniquesat Head-Smashed-InBualo Jump

Balo jmps, an eceptionally sophisticated hnting

techniqe employed by indigenos prairie dwellers

at least 5,700 years ago, hae been discoered acrossthe North American plains. Bt the largest and best-

presered is Head-Smashed-In, located in the sothernoothills o Alberta.

The people o the plains depended almost entirely

on bison or their srial and the most sccesslmethod or killing these shaggy beasts was to drie

entire herds oer a cli ace. The topography o thisregion was ideal or sch a jmp, with a large basin to

the west where bison grazed. They were herded alongcarelly constrcted stone cairns that led to a precipice,

where the stampeding bison plnged to their deaths.

At Head-Smashed-In Interpretie Centre, disgised inthe natral topography o the landscape, isitors can

walk ot along the top o the jmp site, then iew

interesting and inormatie ehibits eplaining thetraditional way o lie that eisted on the prairies or

many thosands o years beore the arrial o theEropeans. Rond ot yor isit with a bison brger

at the in-hose caé.www.head-smashed-in.com

ADVENTURE CULTURE & HISTORY

You’ll fnally be able

to let go o time, since

all hours o the day

are basically the same.

Loreena McKenni

f avourite PLACFor Celtic singer Loreena McKennitt,

it’s the jorney to Salt Spring Island,

B.C., that recalibrates isitors to theisland’s pace.

“unless yo take one o the littleoat planes, yo work p to the arrial

by taking the boat oer rom victoria,”says McKennitt, who has sold more

than 14 million albms worldwide and

is a Member o the Order o Canada.

“Yo’re able to approach the wholeisland as yo wold a modality o lie. Itis slower; it is more organic; it’s more intimate.”

McKennitt’s mother lied on the north-o-vi

island, which she describes as not-too-small andnot-too-large.

The Manitoba-born msician also appreciatethe diersity o the island’s residents.

“Some were born and raised there—they wpart o an agricltral base there that was eithe

apple prodction or sheep arming. Bt then yo

get a proessional artistic commnity o writers,flmmakers, msicians.”

Salt Spring (where local debates pit the two-name against Saltspring) is also home to Canadi

artists, inclding Randy Bachman and Robert Bat

Althogh McKennitt recommends the smmearmers’ market and old-ashioned all air, she

doesn’t hae a aorite season or isiting the is“It’s great to go cycling, it’s great to go sailin

There are wonderl msical eents,”she says. TTree Hose Cae, or eample, has worthwhile li

msic on its otdoor patio in Salt Spring’s largestown, Ganges.

Bt more than anything it’s the slower pace

that makes the island so trly special or McKen“In order to enjoy its riches yo need to dec

press, to recalibrate beore yo can get into wha

enironment so niqely oers.”

NATURE’S GRANDEUR




EVENTS & FESTIVALS

EVENTS & FESTIVALS

QUIRKY CANADA REJUVENATE3rd week o J AN

Get Your Heart Pumpingwith B.C. Snowshoe-Racing

Althogh we’re still awaiting the frst scientifcally

erifed Canadian sighting o the yeti (or een hishairy B.C. cosin, the sasqatch), The Yeti Montain

Snowshoe Series is ery real—and ery n. Thesesnowshoe races, crrently held on vancoer’s North

Shore Montains and vancoer Island’s Mont Wash-ington, enable cardio athletes to enjoy a challenging

workot incorporating dierent disciplines. The eents

hae become increasingly poplar since 2001, whenCanada’s frst montain snowshoe series took place.

Races are classifed as Sport at fe kilometres(3.1 miles) or Endro at 10 kilometres (6.2 miles). Strap

on yor rnning-specifc snowshoe—bring yor own

or rent rom organizers—and breathe clods o steam

as yo crnch yor way along hilly, ag-marked trailssrronded by white-crsted pines and frs. To increase

the cross-training beneft, try a Winter Dathlon,

which incldes cross-contry skiing. Weekly drop-inclinics are staged at Cypress Montain so yo can

bild yor techniqe and sweat with ellow snowshoeenthsiasts. Een elite athletes, sch as Ironman triath-

lon champ Peter Reid, are getting in on the action.

The season rns into April, so yo can get yoryeti on repeatedly. Alternately, it’s n to olnteer

(rom the sidelines), stafng checkpoints or handingot post-race snacks and drinks to racers. There’s

nothing abominable abot these snowmen.www.theyeti.ca

Snack on Beaver Tails

Skating Ottawa’s Ridea Canal is one o the

qintessential Canadian eperiences. And one othe qintessential Ridea skating eperiences is the

“beaer tail” (the name is een trademarked). While

yo can fnd them or sale all arond Ottawa, it’s thekind o thing one shold indlge in only ater skating

a ew kilometres. I ordering in French, the term isqueues de castor .

For those namiliar with the beaer, its tail is

wide and at. Hence, the name or what is essentiallya at piece o deep-ried dogh topped with btter

and slathered with yor choice o calorifc toppings.Two classics are maple btter and cinnamon and

sgar. Be sre to ask or plenty o napkins. These are

messy pastries, especially i yo opt or the chocolatehazelnt spread, which tends to reeze to the cheeks.

Then again, yo cold try skating at night when thelighted Skateway is at its most romantic, and no one

bt yor companion can see yor cheeks. Cation:i yo order a hot chocolate to wash down yor

sweet treat, the sgar rsh may be oerwhelming.

No wonder u.S. President Barack Obama madethis the mst-hae treat or the First Daghters on

his inagral trip to the nation’s capital.www.beavertailsinc.com

Dine Out at a Discountduring Montréal’s“Happening Gourmand”

A post-Christmas east coma, where yo swear ohearty oods and promise to go to the gym, lasts ab

a week. Come the new year, yor appetite shold bback. Montréalers then look orward to the Happen

Gormand, happening the last three weeks o Jan

Akin to New York City’s Restarant Week, onlysmaller and wrapped in Old World charm and ambie

a collection o eight restarants in the pictresqneighborhood o Old Montréal inite gests in

the cold with tempting set mens, called prix fxe

table d’hôte. A three-corse meal at these fne-di

restarants will typically be nder C$30, generally30 or 40 per cent less than what yo’d normally pAll owned by the prolifc Antonopolos amily (w

also own the string o botiqe hotels attached to tdining establishments), this ood est allows yo t

discoer each restarant’s dierent personality, sty

and price point. The list incldes Galianos, NarcissBistro & Bar à vin, Méchant Boe Bar & Brasserie

Modaie Restarant, vie-Port Steakhose, Site 7Ai Cisine d Terroir, and verses Restarant.

Since locals treat the eent as a good ecse tobeat the post-holiday bles, reserations are highly

recommended.www.happeninggourmand.com




o may or may not beliee in the mystical

cycles o the Chinese zodiac. Bt yo canalways cont on a spectaclar display o

pageantry in vancoer and victoria when

Chinese New Year arries, whether it’s the Year o theDragon (2012), Snake (2013), or Horse (2014). Color-

l parades, martial arts demonstrations, tea tastings,storytelling sessions, and more add p to the most

amboyant celebration o Asian cltre yo’ll fndanywhere in Canada.

The agship eent is the annal Chinese New Year

Parade in vancoer’s Chinatown, drawing pwardso 50,000 spectators annally. This is the biggest

Chinatown in Canada, dating to the late 19th centry.

Choreographed lion dancers and eploding frecrackers

delier ecitement along the rote, which rns abot1.2 kilometres (0.75 miles), starting at the Millennim

Gate on Pender Street. Among the 4,000 parade-

marchers, yo’ll fnd local merchants and Canadianpoliticians handing ot “lcky money” in traditional

red enelopes. Cries o Gung Hay Fat Choy (“Mayyo become prosperos” in Cantonese) natrally

abond. Also watch or Chinese cltral societies totingbanners, the vancoer Police Department‘s precision

motorcycle team, marching bands pmping ot pop,

rock, and jazz, and many other perormers. It’s greatn or the kids—thogh it can be a little oerwhelming

or little ones, especially the frst time.Chinatown’s delights don’t stop at the parade.

Head oer to the Dr. Sn Yat-Sen Classical Chinese

Garden, which hosts a cltral air or amilies onparade day. There, calligraphy, drmming, storytelling,

and lion-dancing or kids spice p the mi. The elegantMing Dynasty-style garden, named ater the ather

o modern China, is also worth reisiting at a moretranqil time. Weeping willows and stone lanterns

reect gracelly in jade-green, ornamental pools. It’s all

meant to represent the balance between yin and yang.On Keeer and Pender streets, Asian hosewares,

knick-knacks, and DvDs abond in stores plasteredwith Chinese signage. Yo can also perse the tea

shops and ood sellers whose oerings inclde dried

scallops, barbeced dck, pig snots, and innmerableherbs, or grab some dim sm at an athentic Canton-

ese restarant. Recently, vancoer’s Chinatown hasbeen reitalized by the addition o some new, hipper

eateries, sch as Bao Bei, a streamlined “Chinese bras-serie” that Air Canada’s enRoute magazine hailed as

one o Canada’s 10 best new restarants in 2010. Try

the shao bing sandwich (braised pork btt on sesameatbread) with a side o stir-ried king pea tips in garlic.

Beyond downtown, a isit to the vancoer sbrbo Richmond is another Chinese New Year’s mst. Jst

a 20-something minte trip ia the Canada Line (the

rapid transit line train), Richmond’s poplation is 60 percent Asian—inclding many immigrants who came rom

Hong Kong beore the 1997 handoer to China—anda more recent wae o Mandarin-speaking arrials.

So the new lnar year means one big party in the

Golden village, a cheerlly chaotic or-block radisadjoining No. 3 Road. Three big Asian-themed malls,

all within walking distance o one another, pack inshoppers with special estiities. There, yo can watch

a hge golden dragon dance at Parker Place organizedby local Chinese radio stations. Aberdeen Centre, amed

or its indoor Bellagio-style ontain shows and or being

home to The Daiso (a Japanese emporim where nearlyeerything costs jst C$2), sells crystals, jade carings,

and “lcky rit” (sch as oranges and tangerines) at its

annal Chinese New Year Flower & Git Fair. At YaohanCentre, kng eperts strt their st, while lion-

dancing and traditional songs enlien the mall. I yo’rehngry ater all this actiity, not to worry. Centrally

located Aleandra Road, nicknamed “Food Street,”eatres a whopping 200-something Asian restarants.

Taiwanese bbble tea, Thai crry, vietnamese pho sop. . . jst take yor pick.

A erry ride away across the Strait o Georgia,

victoria’s eqally worth isiting or Chinese New Yecelebrations. Its Chinatown is Canada’s oldest, and

gained cinematic recognition or a motorcycle chas

flmed in Fan Tan Alley—Canada’s narrowest street1990’s Bird on a Wire (with Mel Gibson and Gold

Hawn). The lion dance beneath the Gate o HarmoInterest at Chinatown’s entrance is only slightly mor

orderly. Two stone l ions, donated by victoria’s Chin

sister city o Szho, ank the gate. Along Fisgard Sbrgeoning with neon signs and red lanterns, pop

ood shops hawking eerything rom bok choy to ptonge, and discoer how Chinese restarants twe

their mens or the new year, adding items that pogood lck or wealth. One poplar establishment is

Mee Seaood Restarant—in bsiness since the 192

and noted or sering Cantonese and Szechan seadishes amidst a calm green decor. Jst arond the c

on Goernment Street, sample herbal teas with nam

like “Philosopher’s Brew” and “Rby Pagoda” at SiRoad, a retail store and spa honoring the ancient

Chinese tea tradition with striking modern air.The way non-Chinese British Colmbians embr

new year celebrations reects how ar the Chinesecommnity has come since the frst immigrants arr

dring the 1858 gold rsh. Good ortne, indeed.Find out more at:

www.vancouver-chinatown.com

4th wNCOuvER AND vICTORIA, BRITISH COLuMBIA

Y

Celebrate Chinese New Yearin Vancouver and VictoriaCanada’s largest Asian commnity shows its colors




ADVENTURE

Winnipeg’s Royal Canadian MintCanada’s original mint, in Ottawa, now prodces onlycommemoratie coins, while the Winnipeg acility, which

opened in 1976, prodces all o Canada’s reglar coins,as well as crrency or contries worldwide. The process

o making money is mind-boggling. The tor oered

here will proe it to yo.

Haida Gwaii Cape Fie hikeIt’s not eery day yo get to trael to the birthplace o

hmans (according to Haida mythology). This amazing,mlti-day hike traels throgh old-growth orest, wet-

land, and endless beaches o Naikoon Proincial Park,starting and ending at the 109-metre (357.6-oot) basalt

colmns o Tow Hill.

Québec City’s Hôtel du ParlementSince 1968, what the Qébécois call their “National

Assembly” has occpied this imposing Second-Empirechâtea constrcted in 1886. Twenty-two bronze states

o some o the most prominent fgres in the proince’s

history grace the acade. Inside, highlights inclde theAssembly Chamber and the Legislatie Concil Chamber.

Camp in a YurtNormally only the hardiest o otdoor loers camp

the icy winter months, bt in a yrt—a semi-permacanas-coered shelter monted on a wooden deck

electric heat and bnk beds—yo can sddenly enjnatre by day and still be cozy at night. Twele Ont

proincial parks oer this kind o winter camping.

Check out roo-grazing goatsThe Old Contry Market in Coombs, B.C., has an

odo take on the “green roo” concept. Seeral gospend the day calmly mnching on the market’s so

roo while, below, shoppers browse international o

baked goods, and ice cream.

5 f aves

4th week o J AN

CULTURE & HISTORY NATURE’S GRANDEUR

Celebrate Robbie BurnsDay in Haliax

Famos or penning the New Year’s classic “Ald Lang

Syne,” and coining phrases like “The best laid schemeso’ Mice an’ Men,” Scottish bard Robbie Brns still stirs

olks to celebrate more than 250 years ater his birthin 1759. Few places mark Janary 25 with as mch

eror as Halia, where two types o Robbie Brnscelebrations preail.

The frst, serios abot heritage, ormally recognizes

Scotland’s most amos poet with great pomp andadherence to traditional pageantry. The second sees

it as reason or a rosing pb crawl to one or more oHalia’s rollicking aorites: The Split Crow Pb, The

Loose Cannon Scottish Pblic Hose, and Stayner’sWhar are a ew o the most poplar. No matter whichcamp yo all into, Noa Scotia (a.k.a. New Scotland)

is the place to be. At the more traditional gatheringsthe haggis is paraded in with bagpipes beore Brns’s

“Address to a Haggis” begins a traditional meal ocock-a-leekie sop, bashed neeps (trnips), and chappit

tatties (mashed potatoes). The bard’s poems are read,

songs are sng, and a wee dram o single-malt Scotchtoasts the lie, works, and spirit o this son o a

peasant armer. For more athentically Scottisheperiences, check ot the city’s entertainment listings

or the Federation o Scottish Clans in Noa Scotia.www.igc2007.ca

Go Eagle-Watchingin Nova Scotia

The largest colony o wintering eagles in eastern

North America is case or celebration in ShefeldMills, Noa Scotia. For more than 20 years, olks he

hae inited isitors to come obsere and photograsome 500 eagles in their natral habitat. The ann

Shefeld Mills Eagle Watch takes place on the lasttwo weekends in Janary and the frst weekend in

Febrary, attracting thosands who line the felds

arond the hamlet—camera and binoclars in hanWhat a sight it is to see eagles soaring oer snow-

coered felds, settled on branches o the leaess tor descending to the grond to enjoy a chicken din

proided by their two-legged admirers. Indeed, thebest time to get a close look at both yong and maeagles is in the morning at the eeding site. The reg

white-headed birds are the main act, bt the commnity itsel ronds ot the eperience. Hospitable cit

welcome isitors to the Commnity Hall or pancaand sasages or a cinnamon bn breakast, later se

homemade bread and baked beans. They also pro

a map showing the best iewing areas and tips oroptimal iewing. Lie entertainment and edcation

displays rond ot a grand winter day.www.eaglens.ca

Take Ice-Climbing Lessonsin the Canadian Rockies

While most o the ocs in late Janary at Lake Loiseis on an ice-caring estial, more adentros isitors

make their way to the “Back o the Lake,” a rozenwaterall that’s one o the best places in the Canadian

Rockies to take yor frst steps as an ice climber.

For those new to the sport o ice climbing, thesensible approach is to take a corse with a local

giding company sch as Yamnska, where the two-day basic ice corse is the most poplar option. The

frst day is spent learning abot climbing techniqes,saety skills, and belaying systems. Bt it isn’t ntil

the second day that the actal thrill o climbing

begins, with gides watching stdents take their frstehilarating steps p a rozen wall o ice. Add a third

day o instrction to the adentre and yo’ll be ableto add a mlti-pitch climb to yor resmé in no time.

Feeling p to more o a challenge? Arond one

hor’s drie north rom Lake Loise along the IcefeldsParkway is the spectaclar Weeping Wall, comprising

oer 20 named rotes p a maze o rozen wateralls.Een i yo’re not p to conqering the Weeping

Wall, it’s worth the drie to watch others grnting pwhat many regard as Canada’s premier ice-climbing

destination.www.yamnuska.com

JA



J AN

EVENTS & FESTIVALS

Embrace the Spirito the Mountains atthe Ban/Lake LouiseWinter Festival

For almost 100 years, the Ban/Lake Loise Winter

Festial has been setting the standard or winter n—or both competitors and spectators alike—in these two

gorgeos montain towns.The highlight o the 10-day estial is Ice Magic at

Lake Loise, in which teams o proessional ice carersrom arond the world mst create a themed work

o art. By the end o the allotted time, as the fnishingtoches are made to the icy masterpieces with chiselsand hairdryers, the incredible skill and creatiity o the

carers become clear. Associated with the main eentare a speed-caring ehibition, a Little Chippers Festial

or children, and or adlts—an otdoor Ice Bar.

One o the more energetic Winter Festial eents isthe Lake Loise to Ban Loppet & Relay, a cross-contry

skiing team relay race oer a challenging 71-kilometre

(44-mile) corse that links the two towns. Een i

yo’re not competing, the starting stretch across rozen

Lake Loise is a spectacle, while downtown Ban’sCentral Park makes or a compelling fnish. Another

longstanding estial eent is the Montain MadnessRelay, which combines downhill skiing, cross-contry

skiing, and skating to create a one-o-a-kind race thatbegins rom the top o Mont Norqay and ends in

downtown Ban.www.banfakelouise.com

REJUVENATE

Go Underground inMoose Jaw

The links with Al Capone, America’s best known

gangster, are cloaked in innendo. Bt the Tnnels oMoose Jaw are an interesting and niqe attraction—

regardless o whether Capone was here or not. un-dergrond tors rn year-rond, bt isiting this Sas-

katchewan prairie town on the anniersary o Capone’sdeath (Janary 25) makes it jst a little more sinister.

A centry ago, many o Moose Jaw’s downtown

bildings were heated by steam, tnnels linking theirbasements or ease o access or engineers and work-

men. Meanwhile, prohibition ended in Saskatchewannearly 10 years beore most places in the united States,

which meant border cities like Moose Jaw were idealplaces or bootlegging. (Rmor has it Capone sed

the tnnels or selling liqor.) The tnnels in them

are interesting, broght to lie throgh two 50-minteractie tors, each themed on an aspect o

Moose Jaw’s history. The gides immerse themselin character, and are assisted by mltimedia prese

tions, animatronics, and other special eects. Theadlt-themed Chicago Connection tor has yo

arriing in Moose Jaw to by illicit booze rom the

Capone organization, while the alternate perorm(preerred by amilies with yonger children) is

Passage to Fortne, ocsing on the theme o Chimmigrants who set p liing qarters in the tnn

dring the prohibition era.www.tunnelsomoosejaw.com

Try Specialty Coees romVictoria’s Barista Champ

“For me, tasting a new coee is incredibly eciting,” says

Rob Kettner, winner o the 2010 Canadian Barista Cham-pionship. Fernwood Coee Company’s say j aa-slinger,

who practises his art on a qiet side street near victoria’sRoyal Athletic Park otdoor stadim, manages to inject

ecitement and style into all his saory brews. Sipping a

cp or two in this cozy neighborhood establishment isa antastic way to warm p in late Janary.

It’s also an edcation in specialty coees. The bespec-tacled, thirtysomething Kettner roasts his own beans,

trading directly with armers in El Salador and Brazilwheneer possible. He changes Fernwood CoeeCompany’s seasonal espresso blend two or three times

a year and recently hooked p a gleaming La MarzoccoStrada EP espresso machine to sere p the tastiest brews.

Yo may also admire the patterned milk tetres that

adorn Kettner’s cappccinos. Whether the coee inqestion brings acidity or sweetness, notes o blackberry or

chocolate atertaste, yo’ll detect its reshness. Top o

yor eqisitely balanced caeine bzz with ymm

goods made rom scratch daily. The caé’s coee balso sold at local Thrity Foods stores.

With all the tasty goodness happening at Fernw

his World Barista Championship win, Kettner aimsvictoria’s mocha profle to new heights. A tasty goal, www.ernwoodcoee.com

QUIRKY CANADA4th week o

The highlight o the

estival is Ice Magic.




WEEK 1 MT. TREMBLANT, QUE.Eastern Canada’s highest peakwww.tourismemonttremblant.

com/en

VANCOUVER, B.C.Polar Bear Swimwww.vancouver.ca

TORONTO, ONT.Viennese New Year’s symphonywww.salutetovienna.com

CATHEDRAL GROVE, B.C.Massive ancient treeswww.env.gov.bc.ca

CALGARY, ALTA.High Perormance Rodeo

arts estivalwww.hprodeo.ca

KIPLING, SASK.One Red Paper Clip househttp://oneredpaperclip.

blogspot.com

KOOTENAY, B.C.Kootenays eco-resortwww.nipika.com

WEEK 2

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONT.Icewine grape pickingwww.winesoontario.org

HALIFAx, N.S.Winter surngwww.lawrencetownbeach.com

VANCOUVER, B.C.Bill Reid’s artworkwww.billreidgallery.ca

WINNIPEG, MAN.Serpentine River Trail skatingwww.rivertrail.ca

SAINT-JUST-DE-BRETENIèRES, QUE.International Dog Sled

Championship o Canadawww.daaquam.org

MONTRéAL, QUE.Iglooest dance partywww.iglooest.ca

NEW ROSS, N.S.Sleigh ridesmuseum.gov.ns.ca/rm/en/

home/deault.asp

WEEK 3

OTTAWA, ONT.Rideau Canal skatingwww.canadascapital.gc.ca

POWELL RIVER, B.C.Winter scuba divingwww.divepowellriver.com

HEAD-SMASHED-IN BUFFALOJUMP, ALTA.

Prehistoric hunting techniqueswww.head-smashed-in.com

GRISE FIORD, NUNAVUTCanada’s northernmost

communitywww.nunavuttourism.com

NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C.Snowshoe racingwww.theyeti.ca

OTTAWA, ONT.Beaver tailswww.beavertailsinc.com

MONTRéAL, QUE.Happening Gourmand

restaurant weekwww.happeninggourmand.com

WEEK 4

VANCOUVER, B.C.Chinese New Yearwww.vancouver-chinatown.com

LAKE LOUISE, ALTA.Ice climbingwww.yamnuska.com

HALIFAx, N.S.Robbie Burns Daywww.igc2007.ca

SHEFFIELD MILLS, N.S.Eagle-watchingwww.eaglens.ca

BANFF, ALTA.Ban/Lake Louise Winter Festivawww.banfakelouise.com

MOOSE JAW, SASK.

Tunnels o Moose Jawwww.tunnelsomoosejaw.com

VICTORIA, B.C.Specialty coeeswww.ernwoodcoee.com

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ADVENTURE CULTURE & HISTORY NATURE’S GRANDEUR

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