Winter is coming: Bring it on, say Canadians, who revel in the thrill and magic of the season. Visitors eager to experience the winter months (which in some regions can last from November to April) are always delighted by the expansiveness of nature and intimacy of culture, the ease of engaging in outdoor and indoor activities, and ultimately the warmth of the Canadian welcome.
Woven into the culture: Winter is part of the cultural identity of those living within Canada’s borders. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, the Inuktitut dialect of Nunavik (Arctic Quebec) includes multiple words referring to snow and ice, from qanik (snow falling) to qinu (slushy ice by the sea). The Arctic Winter Games are a multi-sport and an Indigenous cultural event held every two years involving circumpolar peoples around the world. The 2022 Games were pushed to 2023 and held in Wood-Buffalo, Alberta. Yukon is a potential host in 2026. In Ontario, Thrive Tours’ Snowshoe Experience is an Indigenous interpretive guided snowshoe experience with snowshoes provided and and learning about local Indigenous culture, history, and the natural environment included.

Only in Canada: And is it really a surprise that the snowmobile and the snowblower were Canadian inventions? Or that Canada is the polar bear capital of the world, has the world’s largest naturally frozen skating rink and hosts the world’s biggest pond hockey tournament? Canada is also home to Hôtel de Glace, North America’s only ice hotel, and the crazy high-adrenaline winter sport of ice canoeing, something visitors can try themselves in Quebec
City, Quebec, with a tour offered through a company founded and owned by Julien Harvey. In this winter-themed story package, we explore the traditions, festivals, activities, and cuisine of the season; the accessibility and inclusivity of winter sports, whatever level of ability or sense of
adventure; the magic of the northern lights, always seen best from Canada; and the world’s largest (and perhaps oldest) winter carnival.

Read on and let Canada introduce you to your new favourite season.

Deep Dive: Carnaval de Québec Turns 70 (Though It’s Really Far Older)

It’s one of the world’s largest winter carnivals and one of the most popular winter celebrations in the world. Quebec Winter Carnival (Carnaval de Québec) is part of the fabric of Canada’s oldest and most historic city, and it celebrates the 70th anniversary of its current form for 10 days from February 2 to 11. Every year, local residents and about 500,000 visitors participate in a wide array of carnival activities for all ages including ice sculptures, night parades, ice canoe races, musical performances and Bonhomme’s famous Ice Palace.

Storyteller: Quebec City resident Richard Ampleman just might be the ultimate winter carnival fan. He certainly has one of the finest collections of carnival memorabilia in the world. He’s been collecting for nearly 50 years and his house has become a veritable museum. Every year during carnival he invites people to visit his home to see the impressive collection.

A tradition going back more than a century: The first winter carnival was held here in 1894, organized by a group of businessmen led by former Quebec premier Joly de Lotbinière to brighten up dark winter days for residents and attract tourism. It was celebrated sporadically in the years that followed. In 1954, the carnival as we know it today became an annual event. As befits a 130-year-old event, there are numerous traditions that generations of Quebcois have come to revere.

Here are just a few of them:
➢ Puffy snowman: Bonhomme Carnaval has been the beloved ambassador of the Quebec City Carnival since 1955. The giant snowman made his first appearance at the 1954 carnival; in January 1955, the mayor of Quebec City solemnly handed over the keys of the city to Bonhomme Carnaval. In Quebec, he is as beloved and legendary as Santa Claus. Did you know? The 400-pound, seven-foot-tall snowman makes about a thousand
appearances a year, has his own team of bodyguards, takes private flights and has never been seen in two places at the same time. He arrives in Quebec City at the beginning of winter every year and each year, he is given the keys to the city. Bonhomme gives big hugs and dances with all of his heart. The world’s most charismatic snowman symbolizes the spirit of fun that is synonymous with this great winter celebration.

➢ I A festive belt: Bonhomme Carnaval wears a bright red hat and an arrow sash (ceinture fléchée). In the 19th century, the sash was commonly worn in the region and has long been an important part of Métis culture. It tightened a coat around the waist and provided back support to voyageurs (travelling fur traders) who lifted heavy loads. The sash is a combination of Indigenous and French-Canadian weaving techniques. Carnival-goers often wear sashes too.

➢ Must-try food and drink: If there’s one time officials turn a blind eye to drinking in the streets, it’s during carnival. And the official drink is Caribou, a sweet mix of red wine, hard liquor and maple syrup. Paradegoers carry it in hollow plastic canes topped with the image of Bonhomme himself. The official recipe is a secret, but it’s sold by the bottle in Quebec liquor stores during carnival. The other must-try treat is maple taffy – made by
boiling maple syrup to a concentrate and pouring it over snow to solidify; it’s then rolled onto a wooden popsicle stick.

➢ Make it easy: To enter the festival area, purchase (in-person or online) an effigy ($15 to 25, depending on when you buy), a souvenir pin you wear as proof of payment. The purchase gets you access to the festival site for the entire festival period. VIP packages are also available.

Pro tip: Make sure you book your lodging in advance, and don’t miss the iconic ice canoe races and the night parade.

Northern Lights, Northern Nights (and Days)

Hello, darkness: The aurora borealis, otherwise known as the northern lights, is one of the world’s most magical natural wonders. The light show projected onto the canvas of the night sky often begins with a single spot of light that grows until glorious ribbons of green and sometimes
purple, blue and red swirl their way across the starry night sky in a kaleidoscope of colour. The science behind the magic: The phenomenon is caused when charged particles from the sun interact with the earth’s magnetic field. This happens most often at the earth’s geomagnetic poles. In the northern hemisphere, the result is known as the aurora borealis, or northern lights (and aurora australis, or southern lights, in the southern hemisphere).

Peak experience: There’s no better time than now to plan a trip. Scientists predict brighter and more frequent auroral displays during solar maximum years between 2023 and 2026.

Location, location, location: Canada is one of the best places on the planet to view the northern lights. Here’s the science behind that claim: The region around the geomagnetic poles with the brightest and most frequent auroral displays is called the auroral oval. Between 80 to 90 percent of the accessible land inside the northern auroral oval is in Canada.

Did you know?
The combination of land base inside the auroral oval and clear dark skies free of light pollution and accessible infrastructure make Canada – especially the regions of the NorthwestTerritories, Yukon, Manitoba, and Alberta – prime for northern lights viewing.

Stories, legends, perspectives: Many different Indigenous nations live in Canada’s northern reaches. Their ancestors have been viewing the northern lights since time immemorial. Each Nation has its own beliefs and legends to explain the phenomenon. Learning about these legends and experiencing Indigenous culture is an important part of many Canadian northern lights viewing experiences. Storytelling experiences, Indigenous food, and the chance to meet and speak with Elders may be included as part of an Indigenous-led aurora viewing experience.

Timing it right: Auroral activity happens year-round, but you can only view the resulting light show when the skies are dark and clear. In the peak of summer, it never gets dark in many of the areas under the northern auroral oval. By mid-August, skies are starting to get dark enough for aurora viewing, but mid-November to early April is peak aurora viewing season in Canada.

Avoid nights of full moon. Most northern lights viewing takes place between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.

What to do during the day: There’s always plenty to do, and tour operators will keep you as busy or free as you choose. During winter, you can experience dogsledding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, fat biking, ice fishing and snowshoeing. Indigenous tours and cultural experiences are available year-round. Visitors may be able to explore Indigenous villages, shop for traditional handicrafts, try Indigenous cuisine and enjoy storytelling.

And there are many cultural attractions and dining options in the cities and towns.

Best places in Canada to see the northern lights: Because distances can be vast and some lodges and attractions relatively remote, it’s best to book with a tour operator or make arrangements with a lodge. Below is a sampling of offerings.

➢ Bright lights in the Northwest Territories: With clear skies, ultra-low humidity and a massive land base directly under the auroral oval, the northern lights dance an average of 240 days per year in the Northwest Territories. No destination can guarantee that visitors will see the northern lights, but in the Northwest Territories, there is a statistically high chance of viewing auroral activity. Many tour operators offer a variety of aurora viewing tours centred near the capital of Yellowknife – including many that are Indigenous-owned and -operated.

○ I Indigenous-owned Aurora Village has 21 traditional teepees and hilltop viewpoints surrounding a pristine lake. There are also heated outdoor
seats that swivel to offer 360-degree views.

○ I Experiencing Dene culture is part of the aurora tours offered by Indigenous-owned B. Dene Adventures. While guests wait for the aurora to show
itself, they enjoy traditional drumming, cooking fish over a fire and storytelling with Dene Elders.

○ I Instead of staying in one place and waiting for the aurora, Northstar Adventures takes you “aurora hunting” to find the clearest skies for aurora viewing. While guests wait to see an aurora, Indigenous guides share Dene legends and stories.

Storyteller: The company was started by Joe Bailey, an ambassador for northern lights viewing and Indigenous culture in the Northwest Territories.

➢ Myriad options in the Yukon: The Yukon is ideally situated inside the auroral oval and offers many great opportunities for northern lights viewing. You can go aurora hunting with Epic North Tour Experiences in Whitehorse, or try some aurora hunting on your own in a vehicle, on a fat bike or even in a canoe. If you’re staying in an aurora glass chalet at Northern Lights Resort and Spa, you can lie in bed and watch the northern lights dance across the sky. There are many companies that offer aurora viewing tours in the Yukon.

➢ Add wildlife to the mix in Manitoba: Located under the auroral oval, Churchill, Manitoba, is another excellent choice for northern lights viewing. It’s the unofficial “polar bear capital of the world,” so an aurora viewing trip could be combined with a wildlife viewing tour. Polar bear migration is dependent on weather, but it tends to happen in October and November. This is also a time when you might be able to see the northern lights. If northern lights viewing is your primary goal, February and March are the best months, because nights are long and dark and cold temperatures often mean clearer skies. There are several tour operators that offer unique ways to see the northern lights.

○ At Aurora Domes, guests can watch the northern lights through a plexiglass bubble in heated comfort, in a remote location about 20 minutes outside of Churchill.

○ A five-day tour offered by Frontiers North Adventures includes cultural experiences, snowshoeing, dogsledding and culinary experiences – including
Dan’s Diner a gourmet tundra buggy dining experience.

○ Churchill Wild and the Churchill Northern Studies Centre also offer good northern lights viewing programs in comfortable lodges in remote areas.

➢ Dark skies in Alberta: The province is home to the two largest dark sky preserves in the world. Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada’s largest national park and the largest dark sky preserve in the world. Jasper National Park is the second largest dark sky preserve in the world. Wood Buffalo National Park straddles the boundary between the province of Alberta and the Northwest Territories. It lies within the auroral oval, and
you’ll find dark skies and good aurora viewing there, though it may be challenging to get to and there are no tour operators to guide you. While not within the auroral oval, Jasper National Park still offers good views of the northern lights.

○ Aurora Watch, a website operated by the University of Alberta, provides a real-time monitor of geomagnetic activity in the Edmonton area as well as free email alerts when auroral activity occurs or is highly likely to occur.

 

Delicious Seasonal Bounty

Wintry cornucopia: It’s common to celebrate the abundance of warm weather months when the sun shines endlessly and gardens are lush, but there is bounty to be found in winter, too. It’s a season filled with its own rewards – mulled wine, hot chocolate, hearty cuisine, and seasonal treats like Vinarterta, a beautiful celebration cake made popular by Icelandic immigrants and sold at restaurants such as Sugar Me Cookie Boutique in Gimli, Manitoba.

Only in Canada: Canada is a country of immigrants, descendants of immigrants and Indigenous Peoples. This diversity of cultures has led to a wide variety of cuisines and dining experiences. It’s what gives winter in Canada its unique culture and it’s why its winter food and beverage experiences are unlike any others in the world. Here’s just a sampling of what you won’t find anywhere else.

NORTHERN
➢ Giant platter: You’ll need a big appetite for the slurp ‘n’ burp at Bullock Bistro in Yellowknife, NWT. It’s a bison steak served with freshly caught whitefish, burbot, walleye, lake trout, northern pike, Arctic grayling or Arctic Char from Great Slave Lake. Yum.

WESTERN
➢ Culinary escapades in Alberta: What do you get when you combine the sport of skijoring and fondue? Skijordue is Calgary’s “snowdeo” event and it’s all about cheese and speed. It’s a chance to watch competitors on skis being pulled by a horse at high speed. And to eat cheese. Lots of cheese. Enjoy hot chocolate the Alberta way at more than 175 different local spots during Calgary’s Hot Chocolate Festival or take a stroll along the Hot Chocolate Trail in Banff and Lake Louise.

Did you know? Canada’s national cocktail was invented in Calgary in 1969, and as many as 400 million Caesar cocktails are consumed in Canada annually.

PRAIRIE
➢ Cool meals in Manitoba: Have you ever dined on a frozen river? For three weeks the pop–up restaurant RAW:Almond serves gourmet meals on a frozen river at The Forks in downtown Winnipeg. Or enjoy world-class cuisine by chef Luc Jean served on an ice table in a snow cave surrounded by stunning ice sculptures at The Den. Just outside the town of Churchill, Dan’s Diner dishes up a multi-course gourmet menu with a side of northern lights (and polar bear) viewing from the comfort and safety of a tundra buggy.

CENTRAL
➢ Ice cool vino: Canada is the world’s largest producer of ice wine, one of the sweet bounties of the colder season.

During the last two weeks in January, you can also celebrate ice wine and enjoy delicious food pairings at the annual Ice Wine Festival in Niagara on the Lake.

➢ Christmas spirit: Experience Old World magic at Old Quebec City’s German Christmas Market – 90 stands, five venues, music, entertainment, and traditional German food and drink.

ATLANTIC
➢ Dig deep: A two-hour Ice Fishing for Oysters tour on Prince Edward Island takes guests onto the Brudenell River where they cut a hole in the ice and harvest oysters from the ocean floor. After cleaning, measuring, and shucking, they enjoy an all-you-can-eat oyster feast as well as fresh steamed mussels cooked on a bonfire.

Festival Season
Wherever you go in Canada during the winter months, you’re sure to find a festival – often more than one. Whether it’s watching the Sourdough Sam competition at Yukon Rendezvous Festival in Whitehorse, Yukon, learning to do a Métis jig at Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg, Manitoba, or enjoying a Winterlude cocktail in Ottawa, Ontario, visitors are sure to discover that cold can be cool. Here is just a small sampling.

NORTHERN
➢ Yukon’s heritage comes alive at the Yukon Rendezvous Festival in Whitehorse, Yukon. There’s a pancake breakfast, axe throwing, dogsledding, flour packing and chainsaw chucking as well as the Sourdough Sam competition, searching for the Yukon’s ultimate man. February 10–26.

➢ The Snowking Winter Festival happens inside a glittering palace made of snow and ice in Yellowknife, NWT. There is dance, community theatre, music, art, ice slides, snow, aurora watching and more. March 2–29,

WESTERN
➢ One of the biggest winter festivals in western Canada, the Vernon Winter Carnival in early February dates back to 1893. The 10-day festival in Vernon, BC, features more than 100 events including a winter parade, a hot-air balloon festival, live music, outdoor sports, festival food, a snow sculpture competition and more. February 2–11.

➢ Based on the legend of the flying canoe and on French Canadian, First Nations and Métis culture, Flying Canoe Volant is a unique festival held in Edmonton, Alberta. There is live entertainment, activities, games, colourful illuminated trails and flying canoe races. January 31–February 3

PRAIRIE
➢ Here’s a Canadian winter sport you’ve never heard of: Crokicurl is a combination of curling and a board game called crokinole. See it in action at the Frost Regina winter festival in Regina, Saskatchewan. February 3–12.

➢  Festival du Voyageur is a 10-day winter festival in Winnipeg, Manitoba that celebrates the Franco-Métis community in Manitoba. Enjoy French Canadian foods, lively Métis-style jig music, giant snow sculptures and other activities. February 16–25.

CENTRAL
➢ Play in the Snowflake Kingdom, view beautiful ice sculptures, skate on the world-famous Rideau Canal Skateway, and experience the events and wonder of Winterlude in Ottawa, Ontario. You can also watch Winter Lights Across Canada, a stunning multimedia projection show with Canadian Parliament as a backdrop. February 2–19.

➢ The Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls, Ontario, is the largest free outdoor light carnival in Canada. Some 3 million lights adorn the city, including an 8-km stretch along the Niagara Parkway. In addition, there are concerts, fireworks and other festivities to enjoy. Mid-November to mid-February.

➢ Montreal, Quebec’s annual Montréal en Lumière light festival features beautiful outdoor light installations, food stalls, art, concerts and a giant urban slide for the young and the young at heart. February 22–March 4.

ATLANTIC

➢ More than 20 well-regarded Prince Edward Island restaurants participate in Charlottetown’s WinterDine festival – with special three-course dinner menus and two-course lunch menus. Mid-January to early February.

➢ The Winter Warmth Food Festival in Summerside, PEI, features good eats, skating, snowshoeing, fat biking, live entertainment and plenty of other kinds of seaside fun. Late January to mid-February.

➢ Newfoundland’s largest dress-up party, the Mummer’s Festival culminates with a Mummer’s Parade in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The festival celebrates a long tradition of mummering, which involves visiting several homes throughout an evening while dressed in disguise. November 25–December I

Age-old traditions: For the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, winter, particularly winter solstice (December 21), is a time to reflect on and honour ancestors, share stories, reconnect with the natural world and prepare for the cold months ahead by accessing the power within themselves.

Everybody Can Play: Accessible Skiing, and More

There was a time when individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities had to sit on the sidelines and watch others participate in skiing and other winter sports. Fortunately in Canada, those days are past. Canada’s refreshed perspective on adaptive skiing and inclusion in winter sports is linked to a national culture of inclusivity, tolerance, and accessibility. The World Health Organization has estimated that 1.3 billion people or about 16% of the global population lives with a significant disability. “More people are waking up to the abilities everybody has, it’s not you have a disability, you can’t do this,” says two-time Canadian Paralympian Tony Walby. “It is, you have a disability and you’ll be able to adapt to do what you want to do.”

Winter is for everybody: Canadians embrace winter! They play – and have even invented – a wide range of winter sports. In addition to downhill skiing and snowboarding, there’s hockey, snowshoeing, ice skating, cross-country skiing, skate skiing, fat biking, curling, winter frisbee, winter camping and much more. Almost every winter sport can be adapted in different ways to address physical and cognitive impairments. For example, through the use of adaptive skating equipment including skating walkers and harnesses, persons with any form of physical or developmental disability can participate in ice skating.

Did you know? Some sports originally adapted for people with disabilities have become sports in their own right – para hockey, also known as sledge hockey, is a prime example. Wheelchair curling is another.

Leading by example: Canada leads with many programs and nonprofit organizations that work to make winter sports more inclusive and accessible. These efforts include training instructors, recruiting volunteers and developing adaptive sports programs. The Vancouver-based organization Canadian Adaptive Snowsports (CAD) works to give people living with disabilities the opportunity to eliminate barriers that have prevented them from experiencing the joy and freedom of snowsports. The focus is on creating a fun and inclusive environment that embraces diversity, particularly for individuals with visual, physical, and cognitive impairments or autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Ski resorts and programs offer welcome: Adaptive skiing provides an opportunity to develop a skill, face a challenge and develop a sense of personal confidence. It offers fluidity of motion, often difficult to achieve for persons living with a disability. Many Canadian ski resorts offer adaptive programs. Initially developed to assist residents, they are increasingly available to visitors.

Breaking down language barriers: Visitors can contact individual ski resorts to find out which languages instructors can teach in.

WESTERN
➢ The clubs have it: A variety of adaptive snowsport lessons and programs are available through a network of 15 adaptive clubs across British
Columbia that operate in iconic resort areas such as Whistler, Revelstoke, Fernie and Silver Star. These programs operate with the assistance of volunteers and donors who help fund adaptive rental equipment.
Adaptive programs generally work in cooperation with guest services and the snow sports school on the resorts. It’s a good idea to contact an individual resort in advance to make reservations for adaptive equipment and programs.

Storyteller: Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame member, Josh Dueck, from Vernon, BC, is a champion for adaptive ski programs in the province.

➢ Sit while you ski: Started by Sue Hamilton and Val MacMillan, two physiotherapists who worked with amputee patients, Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports (VASS) runs skiing, sit-skiing and snowboarding programs for persons with disabilities at Grouse, Seymour and Cypress Mountains, in BC.

➢ Lessons at the ski resorts: Almost every ski area in Alberta – large or small – offers adaptive programs for kids and adults in cooperation with Canadian Adaptive Snowsports Alberta. Larger resorts like Winsport Canada Olympic Park, Marmot Basin, Sunshine Village and Lake Louise offer a wider selection of programs and adaptive equipment rentals. The Rocky Mountain Adaptive Sports Center at Sunshine Village in Banff National Park is one of the best facilities of its kind in Canada, offering multi-week ski programs, paralympic development programs, private lessons, and learn-to-ski programs. Trained instructors cater adaptive ski and snowboard techniques to each student’s needs. Storyteller: Jamie McCulloch was the co-founder of RockyMountain Adaptive and the founder of the Rocky Mountain Adaptive Sports Center.“Ourprograms promote confidence and help participants feel their challenges can be overcome — that nothing is impossible,” says McCulloch. The programs have made a difference for many people with disabilities, including the young son of writer Lisa Kadane.

➢ Centred in the Rockies: Rocky Mountain Adaptive is a registered charity based in Canmore that offers over 20 different sport and recreational activities in the Bow Valley area (including Canmore, Kananaskis, Banff, Lake Louise, and surrounding areas) to guests from all over the world. The programs include private lessons, multi-day programs and camps, equipment rentals, and programming for disability groups.

CENTRAL
➢ Instruction and rentals in Ontario: Most of the ski resorts in Ontario offer adaptive ski instruction and some also offer adaptive equipment rentals. This includes Blue Mountain, Ontario’s largest resort, as well as others such as Snow Valley Resort, and Mount St. Louis Moonstone Ski Resort. For ice skaters, several skating clubs like the Kitchener Waterloo Skating Club and the Barrie Skating Club offer adaptive learn-to-skate programs.

Storyteller: Brian Rowland is a para-alpine sit-ski athlete from Merrickville, Ontario, and a Team Canada member. His home ski hill is Calabogie Peaks.

➢ Run by volunteers: Canadian Adaptive Snowsports Ontario works in partnership with Snow Valley Resort and other Ontario resorts to offer accessible skiing and snowboarding instruction. Canadian Adaptive Snowsports – National Capital Division operates the Ski Hawks Ottawa, a volunteer program that uses trained guides to assist visually impaired and blind skiers and snowboarders. Ontario Track3 Adaptive Sports Association is another nonprofit organization that works with ski resorts such as Mount St. Louis Moonstone Ski Resort to make winter sports more accessible.

➢ Spectator sport: The 2024 Wheelchair Curling Championship will be held Feb 22-25 in Toronto, Ontario. Wheelchair curling may be even more challenging than the non-adapted sport as there is no sweeping, which means each throw must be even more precise.

➢ Instruction and rentals in Quebec: Most Quebec ski resorts offer adaptive ski instruction. This includes such iconic resorts as Mont Tremblant, Mont Sainte-Anne and Le Massif de Charlevoix. Québec for All is a good resource website for adaptive winter snow sports in Quebec. For Nordic skiing, Ski de fond Québec offers day-long, introductory adapted cross-country ski lessons throughout the province. Sépaq parks such as Mont Saint-Bruno, Mont-Orford and Mont Tremblant national parks all offer adaptive equipment like Fauteuil Kartus and Ski-Vel free of charge.

Storyteller: The Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) was established in 1995 by Peter M. Treacy, a disabled skier from Knowlton, Quebec. ASF became more than just a ski school for children and adults with physical disabilities. It offers adapted alpine skiing, para Nordic skiing and Nordic para skate winter programs. The alpine ski programs are offered at Owl’s Head Ski Resort in Mansonville, Quebec, and Le Relais Ski Resort near Quebec
City.

➢ Expanding horizons: Nord Expé has an adapted snowmobile for guided tours in Quebec, and Arctic Adventure offers accessible snowmobile rentals. North of Montreal, in Rawdon, Kinadapt has retrofitted dog sleds for people with reduced mobility.

Wait, There’s More
No question, Canadians know how to do winter. Check out these unique, only-in-Canada experiences.

NORTHERN
➢ Winter hairdo: In Yukon, they take frozen hairstyling seriously. Notoriety and big prizes go to the winners of the annual hair freezing contest at Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs. Frosty temperatures below -20 °C (-4 °F) are essential, but thanks to the temperature of the hot springs of 40 °C (104 °F), partakers are safe and warm.

WESTERN
➢ Rolling thunder: Storm watching is a thing on Vancouver Island, BC, in the fall and winter months when powerful storms surge across the Pacific Ocean. Tofino is one of the top spots in Canada to watch storms.

➢ Steamy road trip: Winter is a great time for a BC road trip to soak in five different outdoor, mineral hot springs nestled between mountain towns such as Fairmont and Radium in the Kootenay Rockies. Just follow the Hot Springs Circle Route.

➢  Snow tracks: Bimaagimose means “he/she snowshoes along.” At Painted Warriors Ranch near Sundre, Alberta, visitors can enjoy a snowshoe tour
through the forest, learn about natural navigation, winter medicine and animal tracks. The experience ends with a campfire meal in an outdoor shelter.

PRAIRIE
➢ A-maze-ing: Take a winter walk in the world’s largest snow maze just 10 minutes outside Winnipeg, Manitoba.

CENTRAL
➢ Sleeping on ice: From January through March, Hôtel de Glace, the only ice hotel in North America, located in Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Quebec, opens with spectacular rooms and suites, a chapel, and an ice bar serving cocktails in a glass made out of ice. Visit for a day tour or dare the ultimate winter experience with an overnight stay.

➢  Night lights: Take an enchanted night walk into the heart of Huron-Wendat culture at Onhwa’ Lumina in Wendake, Quebec. It’s an immersive multimedia experience – a 1.2-kilometre (less than a mile) pathway infused with the magic of light, sound and video projections.

ATLANTIC
➢ Pond hockey, it’s a thing: The World Pond Hockey Championships is held on 20 ice surfaces on Roulston Lake in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick. It takes more than 200 volunteers to host this four-day event that attracts teams from all over the world.

➢  Tracking through the snow: Grey Rock Adventure Tours is an Indigenous-owned company offering guided snowmobile, ATV / side-by-side tours near
Edmundston, New Brunswick. Guests can have a backpacking experience along thousands of kilometres of snowmobile and ATV trails throughout New Brunswick and Quebec.

Readers wanting more information on Canada should go to www.explore-canada.co.uk