Canada Travel Information
In addition to the following 'snapshot' descriptions you can also read further information on the highlighted areas using the links supplied on the individual tour pages. Once on tour the Visitors' Centres, historical roadside markers, Park Rangers, museums and newspapers will be readily accessible for additional information. Combine these with the knowledge of your trek leader and you'll have plenty of background - maybe more than you'll be able to absorb.
And remember: one of the best sources of information is the 'locals'- so don't be shy or afraid about saying 'Hi'. You'll discover that your accent is a marvellous icebreaker to help you experience the real spirit of Canada.
Quick links:
canada adventure tours
If a cowboy in a ten-gallon hat offers you a free breakfast of coffee, pancakes and sausages, chances are you are right in the middle of the Calgary Stampede, the world's biggest and best known rodeo held every July. If so, don't miss the chuck-wagon races, wild steer riding and bronco busting and, at night, join in the street dancing.Albertans are friendly and believe everybody should have a good time, whether at the Stampede or at Edmonton's Klondike Days, commemorating the Canadian Gold Rush of the 1890's. Alberta is a study in contrasts - stylish, up-to-date Calgary and Edmonton, the capital, and nearby wide open spaces and towering mountains where wildlife - deer, antelope, moose and bighorn - still roams. Cattle and oil are the backbone of the province where the round-up often takes place in the shadow of horsehead oil pumps. Banff and Jasper National Parks provide a wide range of year-round outdoor activities and the town of Banff hosts a major arts festival each summer.
East of Calgary, go back in history millions of years in Dinosaur Provincial Park where the world's largest collection of dinosaurs has been found preserved in the fossilized rock buttes and spires in this arid and moon-like landscape. Throughout the province experience the age-old customs of the Indian culture at pow-wows and other festivities, or enjoy the local western rodeo and horseraces.
Back to top
canada adventure travel
British Columbia has a fresh, open and dynamic way of life - a special perspective.It's a place of big ideas, where the word 'impossible' has been all but stricken from the dictionary. British Columbians are understandably proud of their stunningly beautiful province and their unique lifestyle. The provincial capital of Victoria, with the most temperate climate in Canada, nestles on the southern tip of Vancouver Island overlooking the clear blue waters of Juan de Fuca Strait. Have tea at the Empress Hotel, a local tradition. Enjoy the British atmosphere that is everywhere in this city, or admire Butchart Gardens, a veritable Garden of Eden for flower lovers.
A short ferry or commuter plane ride away, on the mainland, is big, exciting Vancouver. Here is everything a tourist could ask for - a seemingly endless number of smart shops, fine restaurants, theatres and huge department stores. Visit Stanley Park, a natural preserve for the giant west-coast Cedars, Douglas firs and Hemlocks, with a zoo, aquarium and whale show. Stroll through Gastown and Chinatown, or Granville Island, visit domed British Columbia Place and the site of Expo '86. Swim and sunbathe at English Bay or ski Grouse Mountain right inside the city.
Whistler Mountain, a two-hour drive away, offers both winter and summer skiing into British Columbia's rugged interior for spectacular mountain scenery and a look at Cariboo gold rush country, the cherry blossoms of the Okanagan or a houseboaters' paradise. Or a coastal steamer or cruise ship will let you drink in the beauty of the coastal fjords or the artistry of the Haida totem poles. The many provincial parks and private tourist camps offer camping, hiking, trail riding and vistas that will take your breath away.
canada travel tips
Winnipeg, Canada's gateway to the West and capital of Manitoba, reflects the multicultural background of the more than two and a half million immigrants who opened Canada's prairies in the early years of the twentieth century. A thriving modern city at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, Winnipeg has long been the centre of Canada's flourishing grain trade. In Winnipeg is the famous Rainbow Stage outdoor theatre, an excellent zoo, museum and art gallery. Among the city's major attractions are cruises on paddlewheel riverboats, a large number of lively clubs and cabarets, as well as hundreds of restaurants serving a wide range of ethnic and Canadian cuisine.Lower Fort Garry, a reconstructed Hudson's Bay Company trading post north of the city, reminds one of the origins of the area. Manitoba is a province rich in old-world culture. The National Ukrainian Festival at Dauphin each summer celebrates the customs, music, dance and handicrafts of the many Ukrainians who immigrated to the area earlier in this century. As well, scores of Manitoba folk festivals are held throughout the year. The annual Icelandic Festival at Gimli, the largest Icelandic community outside the mother country, pays tribute to the hardy Viking ancestry of its organizers. The Festival du Voyageur at St. Boniface celebrates the French who first settled in the West. Others are the Highland Gathering at Selkirk, Pioneer Days in the Mennonite town of Steinbach, the Trappers' Festival at The Pas and the multicultural celebration of Folkorama in Winnipeg featuring the foods, crafts and entertainment of more than 35 nations
For the outdoor lovers hundreds of lakes dot the landscape and fishing is a favourite sport. Or visit Churchill, Canada's most northerly grain port on Hudson Bay, which is closer to Europe than ports on the Great Lakes.
canada travel advice
Prepare to be awestruck by the silence, the solitude and the immensity of Canada's northland. It will remain in your memory forever. Jet into Yellowknife, capital city of the Northwest Territories, or drive up the Mackenzie Highway, along the mighty Mackenzie River, one of the world's largest and most magnificent waterways. Tour producing gold mines in Yellowknife and visit the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. The truly adventurous can take tours to several remote Indian and Inuit (Eskimo) outposts. One of these is Grise Fjord on Ellesmere Island, Canada's most northerly community.Access is also easy into Whitehorse, capital of mountainous Yukon, either by plane or up the Alaska Highway from British Columbia. This is the land of the storied Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890's. There are many reminders of this wild and frantic era throughout the territory. Catch the flavour at Whitehorse's Frantic Follies or at either the Palace Grand Theatre or Diamond Tooth Gertie's at Dawson City. Pan for gold on the Tourist's Claim or shop for Indian and Inuit art and handicrafts.
Fishermen are challenged throughout the North by huge lake trout (over 18 kilograms), Arctic char, grayling and northern pike. Long summer days, at times 24 hours of sunlight, wildlife and unspoiled rugged landscape all add up to a photographer's paradise. Throughout the seasons, festivals of every type help natives and tourists alike forget the isolation and provide an excuse for a get-together.
canada travel guide
Ontario is the industrial heartland of Canada, the most populous and, in many respects, the most varied province-home of the largest city (Toronto), the highest free-standing structure in the world (the CN Tower in Toronto), one of the world's most famous honeymoon capitals (Niagara Falls), and Point Pelee, on the same latitude as California.While here, enjoy the renowned live theatre season at Stratford Shakespeare Festival, the Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake or summer stock at dozens of local theatres throughout the province. Or, see the rich and varied fare at Ottawa's National Arts Centre or in Toronto's many theatres and concert halls.
Ottawa, the nation's capital, with its impressive Parliament Buildings and the world's longest skating rink on the Rideau Canal in winter, has excellent museums, the National Gallery, bicycle paths and modern shopping malls. For history buffs, Upper Canada Village, about 100 kilometres south of Ottawa, presents a living display of Canadian life in a small town of the mid-nineteenth century. At Kingston's historic Fort Henry, enjoy a 19th century Tattoo.
In the provincial capital, Toronto, browse through fashionable Yorkville shops or Eaton Centre, dine in the exciting Harbour front area or visit the Canadian National Exhibition or Ontario Place. Major league hockey, baseball, soccer and football are among the many sporting attractions. For education and entertainment, take in the Royal Ontario Museum, in particular its world-famous Chinese collection. Try hands-on exhibits at the Ontario Science Centre, see the fine collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario, or spend a day at the Metro Toronto Zoo.
Within an hour's drive of Toronto, Ottawa and historic Kingston are Opportunities to stay at country inns and resorts where you can sail, cruise, see summer theatre, play tennis or just laze under the warm Ontario sun. Throughout Ontario, fishing the thousands of lakes and rivers is a favourite sport whether close to the cities or in the northern wilderness.
adventure travel tips
Experience the flair and joie de vivre of Quebec-in the bustling metropolis of Montreal, the second largest French city in the world, or a quaint Gasp‚ village at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.Montreal, dominated by Mount Royal, is Canada's most cosmopolitan city, a blend of old-world charm and new-world hustle and bustle. The city's core is laced with underground shopping concourses and shared by Le Metro, one of the world's most modern subways while, a few blocks away, one can savour the charm of Old Montreal. The Forum, the Canadian shrine to hockey; Olympic Park, centrepiece of the 1976 Summer Olympics and home to football, baseball and soccer; Blue Bonnets, the horse racing shrine of Quebec-all attest to the city's dedication to sports. A short distance away in every direction, whether to the Laurantians or the Eastern Townships, hundreds of summer resorts and ski lodges abound.
Dining and dancing are found everywhere, from the countless top restaurants in Montreal to the smallest village-and all show the care and flair of a population that loves good food and wine. Take a leisurely drive along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River from Montreal to Quebec City through hundreds of small towns all dominated by the village church spire, or find a treasure trove of handicrafts-fine wood carvings or hand-made quilts, hand-weaving and jewellery.
Quebec City, the provincial capital, is a delight, particularly the old walled city with its ramparts and narrow streets. On summer evenings you can stroll along a boardwalk overlooking the harbour and watch ships plying the St. Lawrence River, listen to street musicians or drop in for a superb meal at scores of fine restaurants. Rural Quebec, with its villages and charming scenery, is like another world. An autumn drive through the Laurantian Mountains or the Eastern Townships reveals a riot of fall colours. Or attend a maple syrup festival and visit the Lac Saint-Jean annual Blueberry Festival, north of Quebec City.
adventure travel advice
Saskatchewan is Canada's breadbasket where, in places, the wheat fields stretch from horizon to horizon. But looks are deceiving. Saskatchewan has a thriving potash industry, a developing gas and oil industry and is a leading world supplier of uranium. As a world leader in dryland farming development to overcome the disastrous droughts of the 1930's Depression years-the 'Dirty Thirties'-Saskatchewan has also pioneered and developed farming techniques and machinery used throughout the world.Regina, Queen City of the prairies, Saskatchewan's capital and home of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, is a bright, cheerful city which provides an excellent choice of accommodation and shopping facilities. The Wascana Centre project in the centre of the city has a lake, parks, an art gallery and museum. Take a drive north to Saskatoon, the economic hub of the province, through dozens of small towns and villages whose grain elevators mark their position from kilometres away. Nestled in the South Saskatchewan River valley, Saskatoon is dotted with parks, museums and galleries and is the home of the University of Saskatchewan.
North Eastern Saskatchewan boasts some of the most beautiful wilderness waterways in Canada. Among them is the mighty Churchill River, which carves its way through the Precambrian Shield providing canoeists, from novice to expert, with a whitewater challenge. On wilderness canoe and hiking tours you'll dine on homemade fluffy sourdough pancakes and native Indian bannock or freshly caught fish. Often, you'll be sharing this free wilderness with animals in their natural habitat.
canada adventure holidays
These interconnected national parks form the oldest national park in Canada and the largest, with more than 6,800 square miles of wilderness - sharing magnificent mountain scenery, clear lakes, waterfalls and wildlife. To Canadians, Banff, Yoho and Jasper are 'the showpieces of the Canadian West'. Visitors can watch bears feeding in a natural setting, be accosted by friendly mountain goats, soak in thermal hot springs, explore by raft or canoe, shop for jewellery and gift items, or go horseback riding surrounded by nature.The massive Columbia Icefields feed the many glaciers, especially The Athabasca, on which snowmobile rides are available. Camera shutters go off like small-arms fire when visitors see the emerald greens and rich blues of Lake Louise, or the exploding cascades of water at Athabasca Falls. The spectacular surroundings have been backdrop to many Western films, such as Buffalo Bill and the Indians (Paul Newman) and Little Big Man (Dustin Hoffman).
From the time it was first explored and mapped by traders and trappers, this mountain parkland area of the Canadian Rockies has been described as 'spectacular' and 'magnificent'. The words hardly do it justice!
canada national park tours
The newest and most spectacular park in Canada, Kluane is the preserve of rugged ice-capped coastal mountains overflowing with glaciers. Positioned in the southwest corner of the Yukon Territory, the park's boundaries embrace the most extensive nonpolar ice field in the world and Canada's highest peak, Mt. Logan (19,636 feet).With no roads leading into the interior of the park, it remains a true wilderness, undisturbed by human hand, allowing the teeming wildlife to enjoy their freedom as they have for centuries. However, Jack Dalton's gold-rush toll road - now the Haines Highway - runs along the park's eastern edge and provides easy hiking access.
Back to top
