Page 14 - Travel Guide to Canada 2019
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CLAWS CÉLÈBRE:
7 NEW BRUNSWICK
Shediac, a cute Acadian fi shing 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 fi ve-day Shediac Lobster Festival. The
highlight of the event is a nightly contest
during which recruits attempt to crack and
consume three lobsters as quickly as
CALGARY STAMPEDE, AB
possible (www.shediaclobsterfestival.ca).
BEAR NECESSITIES: draws about half a million theatregoers to CLIFF NOTES:
4 MANITOBA multiple venues. Founded in 1953, it had 8 NOVA SCOTIA
You can see a polar bear just by picking up humble beginnings: plays were originally The Joggins Fossil Cliff s on Chignecto Bay are
a “toonie”—the two-dollar coin. But if you performed in a tent. From the start, however, more than just another pretty rock face. After
want an up-close look at the planet’s largest the festival attracted luminaries from the all, they provide an unparalleled look at what
land predators, make tracks for Churchill. theatre world. Sir Tyrone Guthrie was its life was like 300 million years ago during the
This tiny community on the western shore fi rst artistic director and Sir Alec Guinness Carboniferous Period. Some 200 species of
of Hudson Bay is one of the only human starred in its inaugural production of fossilized plants and animals have been
settlements where they can be seen in the Richard III (www.stratfordfestival.ca). discovered here, among them Hylonomus lyelli,
wild. Because it sits on a polar bear the earliest known reptile and the fi rst known
migration route, hundreds pass through COLD COMFORT: QUÉBEC vertebrate able to live entirely on land. Cited
as they travel to the ice fl oes in October 6 What beats walking in a winter by Charles Darwin in The Origin of Species, this
and November. Cool Tundra Buggies— wonderland? How about sleeping in one? 15-km-long (9.3-mi.), tide-washed UNESCO
complete with oversized wheels and an At the Hôtel de Glace, everything—including World Heritage site has been dubbed the “Coal
outside viewing platform—take guests to the glittering guest room furniture—is Age Galápagos” (www.jogginsfossilcliff s.net).
observe them on unforgettable day tours made entirely of ice and snow: some
(www.everythingchurchill.com). 28,000 tonnes. Its thick walls act like a A RECORD-BREAKING
thermos, so you can chill without getting 9 BRIDGE: PRINCE
5 DRAMATIC EVENTS: too chilly; and the ice-block beds, topped Although P.E.I. joined Confederation in 1873,
ISLAND
EDWARD
ONTARIO
with a solid wood base and a comfortable
Shakespeare said “All the world’s a stage,” mattress, an isolating bed sheet and Arctic- the province wasn’t physically connected to
and Stratford—a small city in southwestern rated sleeping bags, are très cosy. Built the rest of Canada until the billion-dollar
Ontario named for the Bard’s birthplace— anew each year, the Hôtel de Glace is in Confederation Bridge opened between
actually feels like one during its signature Valcartier Vacation Village and open from Borden-Carleton and Cape Jourimain, New
event. Typically, each year, from mid-April January to late March (www.valcartier.com/ Brunswick, 124 years later. Comprised of
through October, the Stratford Festival en/accommodations/ice-hotel). almost 13 km (8 mi.) of curvaceous concrete,
the so-called “fi xed link” qualifi es as the
HMS EREBUS, NU • PARKS CANADA longest bridge in the world spanning
ice-covered 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).
MIXED SIGNALS:
10 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,
