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The Not-So-Average Day Trip: Ontario Food Factory Tours

By LIZ BRUCKNER

Mapleton's Organic Farm

Just because many large-scale manufacturers prefer to keep their doors closed to public eyes doesn’t mean every food producer follows suit. These homegrown Ontario producers welcome visitors to see their manufacturing process and—best of all—do some unofficial taste-testing. (more…)

Six Travel Contests to Enter Now

By SHANNON KELLY

Saskatchewan's Great Sand Hills could be your next vacation destination if you win the $5,000 Embrace a New Place contest (Photo: Tourism Saskatchewan/Douglas E. Walker)

Six of the best travel contests open to Canadians this spring and summer. Some of them end soon, so get your rabbit foot ready and hop to it! (more…)

Belugas and Blues: Best Whale-Watching Spots in Quebec

By MERLE ROSENSTEIN

Blue whale in the St. Lawrence River Côte-Nord, Manicouagan Region (Photo: Marc Loiselle/Le Québec Maritime)

Get adventurous this spring or summer with a trip to Quebec to see one of thirteen species of whales that careen along Quebec’s maritime coast via organized tour, or—for a more adventurous experience—climb into a kayak to get an eye-to-eye view. (more…)

5 Must-Have Items for Your Next Family Road Trip

By SHANNON KELLY

There are only so many times a parent can listen to the Kidz Bop version of “A Pocketful of Sunshine” without driving off the road in protest. To avoid multimedia overload, prevent meltdowns of the I-dropped-my-favourite-stuffed-animals (and my juice box, too!) variety and other en-route calamities, CanadianFamily.ca has compiled a list of five essentials for a kid-friendly road trip. (more…)

5 Reasons to Rent a Car on Vacation—Even If You Own One

By SHANNON KELLY

Photo: Chris Richards

1. It may be cheaper in the long run. A study by the U.S.-based Center for Automotive Research (commissioned by Enterprise Rent-a-Car) found that when maintenance, insurance and depreciation of your vehicle are taken into account, renting can actually save you money over time, especially if your vehicle is more than five years old. (more…)

Do Some Good on Your Holiday: Volunteer Vacations for Canadians

By WAHEEDA HARRIS

Monitoring Nova Scotia wildlife is just one of many voluntouring opportunities in Canada (photo: Steve Urszenyi)

“Voluntourism” has become a popular buzzword for those travellers seeking a way to make a holiday memory more than just photos for the Facebook page. This trend has tapped into a national habit, as 12.5 million Canadians—more than a third of the population—regularly make time to volunteer. (more…)

Canada Exports Hospitality to Britain for the London Olympics

By SHANNON KELLY

Just 73 days from the start of the London Olympics, the rush is on for hoteliers and other tourism-minded businesses in and around London to cash in on the Games. Savvy business owners are using the time to ramp up their customer service skills, using a program developed in Canada. (more…)

Iceberg Season – Quidi Vidi Village, Newfoundland

Every Friday we feature an inspirational travel photo of a Canadian destination taken by one of our readers.

Why we chose it: Iceberg season is getting underway in Newfoundland, as evidenced by this beauty shot just last week near St. John’s. The massive scale of these ‘bergs is illustrated well here thanks to the photographer captured in the photo. We love the simplicity of this image: just the iceberg, the sea, and a slip of shore. As with any great travel photo, it makes us wish we were there. (more…)

Have a Travel Complaint? Forget Customer Service—Tweet It

By SHANNON KELLY

Travel companies may have dedicated customer service lines and e-mail addresses, but increasingly it seems that posting a complaint to a social media outlet gets the fastest and most effective results. (more…)

Great Lakes Greatest Hits: 10 Fabulous Beaches

By WAHEEDA HARRIS

Agawa Bay on Lake Superior (Photo: eskimo_jo)

Central Canada’s five Great Lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world, and their combined coastlines add up to nearly 18,000 km—more than 40 per cent of the circumference of the earth. (more…)