Page 37 - Travel Guide to Canada 2019

35
Sunshine Village (www.skibanff .com ) and
Lake Louise (www.skilouise.com ) are other
regional standouts. Away from their
well-groomed runs, adrenaline junkies can
take advantage of many off -piste possibili-
ties as well. It’s estimated that 90 percent of
the world’s heli-skiing occurs in British
Columbia, and local operators let skiers and
snowboarders access pristine powder by air
(www.heliski.com).
Veering east, Ontario’s premier ski
resort is Blue Mountain, about two hours
north of Toronto (www.bluemountain.ca );
Québec’s leading ones are Mont-Tremblant
north of Montréal (www.tremblant.ca ) and
Mont-Sainte-Anne near Québec City (www.
mont-sainte-anne.com ). Newfoundland’s
Marble Mountain (www.skimarble.com ) is
also noteworthy. Aside from having Atlantic
CANADIAN TULIP FESTIVAL, OTTAWA, ON • SHUTTERSTOCK/DAVID P. LEWIS
Canada’s highest vertical drop, the area
features Whistler-esque perks such as
winter zip-lining. Carnival—the world’s largest winter carnival
ICY ALTERNATIVES
From climbing frozen waterfalls in the
Rockies to snowkiting over frozen lakes
on “The Rock” (Newfoundland), cool
options abound. If you want to stick with
the classics, you can skate alfresco almost
anywhere—even in the middle of major
cities—given the wealth of natural and
artifi cial rinks. Variations on tobogganing,
similarly, are available on countless hills
and slick pro tracks, like those at WinSport’s
Canada Olympic Park in Calgary (www.
winsport.ca) or the Whistler Sliding Centre
(www.whistlersportlegacies.com/whistler-
sliding-centre/overview). And don’t forget
snowshoeing, an ancient mode of transpor-
tation made easier by today’s lighter
equipment. thaw sets in, though, it’s greeted warmly.
Folks who dream of yelling “mush”
can try dogsledding, another time-
honoured tradition, in most provinces
and territories. Snowmobiling is a speedier
update, and there’s no shortage of trails;
you’ll fi nd more than 22,000 km (13,670
mi.) worth just in Manitoba and
Saskatchewan. Of course, simply sitting
back to savour the aurora borealis is
appealing, too. While Mother Nature’s
dazzling light display is visible in many
northern locales, clear skies and an
enviable position below the aurora oval
make Yellowknife an optimal observation
point (www.astronomynorth.com).
Not to be outdone, city dwellers host
their own dazzling seasonal celebrations.
Foremost among them is the Québec Winter
—which brings snow sculptures, sleigh
rides and cold-weather competitions, all
enhanced by the joie de vivre of historic
Vieux-Québec for ten days, from early to
mid-February (www.carnaval.qc.ca/en).
Top draws elsewhere include Winterlude
in the National Capital Region (www.canada.
ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/winter
lude.html) and Winnipeg’s Festival du
Voyageur (www.heho.ca/en/festival).
SPRING
The fi rst day of spring can look very
diff erent depending on where you are.
Some Canadians will be digging out from
the latest snowstorm; others will already be
in gardening mode. No matter when the

TRAIL MIX
Events like the World Ski and Snowboard
Festival, staged in Whistler each April,
prove how persistent the white stuff is
(www.wssf.com). As the mercury rises,
however, even winter wonderlands morph
into playgrounds for sunnier pursuits. In
fact, once the snow melts, it isn’t uncom-
mon to see mountain bikers tackling the
vertigo-inducing slopes that Alpine skiers
formerly swooshed down, or nature buff s
taking to the paths their Nordic counter-
parts traversed earlier.
Each province and territory has trails
that put lovely landscapes within easy reach