Okanagan Valley ©Tourism BC/JF Bergeron
Fall is the perfect time for forest hikes, Sunday drives, wine tours and tucking into autumn harvest meals. But did you know it’s also prime polar-bear-viewing season? From our favourite foliage tours to some unexpected adventures, we’ve rounded up the best fall getaways Canada has to offer. (more…)
A view of the Kootenays near Cranbook. Photo by That Angela
By Waheeda Harris
Modern day explorers still lust to explore the unknown – and for those wanting to point their car towards unchartered territories, the Crowsnest Highway from Alberta to British Columbia provides eye-catching views of the Rocky Mountains, historic places of interest and small town hospitality.
Modes of Transport
Highway 22 from Calgary is the way to get to the Crowsnest Highway via Turner Valley, which originates in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Although easily done by with four wheels, this old train route can be used by cyclists who will appreciate the wide highway shoulders through the mountains. Approximate driving time from Calgary to Cranbrook is four hours, 46 min and a distance of 379 km one way.
Roadside Attractions
It’s been 100 years since this rock slide happened, but the Frank Slide is still the main attraction of wee Frank, Alberta, located east of the Crowsnest Pass. When 82 million tonnes of limestone moved almost two kilometres in less than two minutes, the immense fields of rock are worth a stop to walk through the pathways (free admission). For those wanting an up close and personal experience of the Rocky Mountains, Fernie, British Columbia offers several trails for hiking and mountain biking. Adrenaline junkies will appreciate the wild ride of the Al Matador trail, (free access) which ascends 1200m in elevation as you navigate the single track. Make sure to point your camera lens at the Three Sisters, aka Mt. Trinity, a popular mountain of three peaks.
An hour west of Fernie, stop in historic Fort Steele, a former gold mining town that will transport you back to the 19th century. A ride on the steam train locomotive or a wagon ride will be a welcome late afternoon distraction from the road. Once you reach Cranbrook, spend time at the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel, featuring antique rail cars, train memorabilia and the restored Royal Alexandra Hall from the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Royal Alexandra Hotel, which had been located in Winnipeg.
Eats
Start your roadtrip with a hearty breakfast at the The Chuckwagon Café on Highway 22, part of the Cowboy Trail and less than an hour from Calgary in the rolling hills of Turner Valley. Located in a barn, the café serves up traditional eggs and pancakes that will make you feel like you can take on a day on the range. In Cranbrook, take advantage of the weekly Farmer’s Market held every Saturday morning for locally grown and made edibles and for a fine dining experience, make a reservation at Heidi’s, a favourite of the area. Their secret? The owners trained at the International Institute for Tourism and Management in Austria.
Sleep
If you’re lured to stay in the heart of the Rockies in Fernie, the Mt. Fernie Timberlodge ($385-449 per night) accommodates up to 10 travellers in an Alpine-style chalet. Weary from all that outdoor activity – guests can amble up a spiral staircase leading to the chalet’s treehouse with a hot tub with views of Mt. Fernie and Mt. Proctor. For the final rest stop in Cranbrook, forget the highway motel strip and kick it up a notch with a stay at the luxe Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort. Ask for the John Huber Express ($599.95 per night), choosing from the Naughton or Newcastle staterooms, with décor and amenities inspired by luxury railway travel of the past.
Read
The perfect accompaniment for the Crowsnest Highway, which lies along a former Canadian train route, would be the classic writing of mystery maven Agatha Christie. Three novels feature a train theme, and can be easily found in paperback or audio book: Miss Marple in 4-50 From Paddington, and Hercule Poirot in The Mystery of the Blue Train and Murder on the Orient Express.
Where editors from across the country have cast their ballots for the Best New Restaurants to open in Canada in 2009. From creative twists on traditional cuisines to stylish décors and high quality food for reasonable prices, these are the eateries you won’t want to miss from coast to coast.
Veneto Tapa Lounge, Victoria
Victoria’s best new restaurant takes traditional tapas to a whole new level. Led by chef Tod Bosence, the sophisticated, urban Veneto Tapa Lounge offers both a hip bar area and quieter dining room, ideal for enjoying Bosence’s creative dinner menu. Each entree is presented tapas style – those in the mood for beef, for example, will enjoy it three ways: veal ravioli with portabella mushroom ragout and roasted garlic cream sauce; marinated short rib with parmesan polenta cake; and New York strip roulade with spicy lobster stuffing and bordelaise sauce.
Cibo Trattoria, Vancouver
With London’s River Café alumnus Neil Taylor heading up the kitchen and ex-Lumiere general manager/sommelier Sebastien Le Goff in charge, it didn’t take long for Cibo to gain a solid reputation for its vibrant rustic Italian cuisine, thoroughly grounded in West Coast ingredients. Taylor’s dishes, which change by the week (if not the day), are constructed with uncomplicated—but wickedly exacting—flair.
Parker House Grill & Wine Bar, Calgary
Parker House is the kind of place where diners can experience high quality service, ambience and food, for a reasonable price tag. Chef Andrew Keen, known for his excellence in “forgotten fare,” has created a menu inspired by traditional New England comfort dishes with creative twists. For dinner, most entrees (with the exception of their steaks) sit in the mid-twenties range, while diners on a budget can try one of their thin-crust pizzas for as low as $12.88.
Creations Dining Room & Lounge, Sawridge Inn Edmonton South, Edmonton
Artful, delicious dining at Creations—the paint’s barely dry and the buzz is on for the eclectic Canadian fusion cuisine of Creations, the stunning new dining room and lounge in the atrium of the Sawridge Inn Edmonton South. Walls of fire, water, badlands hoodoos and a huge dreamcatcher treat the senses as menu items entice patrons to explore palate pleasers such as Sherried Beef Caprese.
Rustica Steakhouse, Canadian Rockies
Rustic has earned its place as one of the Canadian Rockies’ top restaurants for its elegant ‘mountain lodge’ atmosphere and uncompromising dedication to Canada Prime Beef. But it’s the cuisine of Caribbean-born Chef Stefan Mahon that keeps them coming back for more. Only the top 0.3% of beef in Canada earns Prime designation (a superior grade to AAA)—Stefan’s New York cuts, grand filet mignon and prime rib chops are prepared with a signature dry rub, seared under a 1500°F (815°C) broiler and presented on 500°F (260°C) plates with garlic butter.
Hermanos, Winnipeg
Winnipeggers are feeling the Latin heat thanks to the fiery flavours of South American cuisine at this year’s arrival of Hermanos Restaurant and Wine Bar. Set in a 5,500-square-foot warehouse in the Exchange District, fast lunches, tapas and mains are found on the mainly Argentinean- and Brazilian-influenced menu. The crispy fried empanadas are a must-try.
Raw Aura, Mississauga
Raw Aura, true to its name, offers a menu of entirely raw cuisine—the better to emphasize the natural and nourishing properties of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts. In an intimate yet airy space, friendly staff dish out delectably fresh fare including a “peace wrap” bursting with avocado, tomatoes, carrots, kale, sprouts and hummus, and zesty lo-mein featuring noodles made of zucchini and golden beets.
Loire, Toronto
Loire, a self-described “casual gourmet” spot, well-situated along increasingly foodie-friendly Harbord Street offers fresh, seasonal dishes that could include chili- and cornmeal-crusted Lake Erie whitefish, grilled New York striploin and a succulent beef or lamb burger on challah bread. This intimate restaurant effortlessly straddles the line between relaxed neighbourhood fave and boldface fine-dining destination.
Teca, Muskoka
Overlooking Lake Rosseau is Teca, a fine Italian restaurant located within the luxurious Rosseau Resort & Spa. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the Muskoka Lakes, find this decidedly urban dining room and a centrally located open kitchen that dishes up authentic rustic Italian fare. Tuck into freshly made pasta—from papperdelle and gnocchi to spaghetti and meatballs—or thin crust pizza made in a wood-stone oven, as well as veal chops, fish, striploin and rack of lamb.
The Grand Pizzeria & Bar, Ottawa
Nestled on one of the most auspicious corners in Ottawa’s bustling ByWard Market, The Grand Pizzeria is a popular addition to the downtown dining scene. Built in the late 17th century, this enviable location once housed The Grand Hotel. Today, it’s home to the perfect pizza pie. Traditional Italian appetizers (antipasti, salads) make way for the main attraction: authentic Napoletana pizza. The dough is created and hand-pressed by Master Pizzaiolo Pasqualino Oliveri, who placed first in the 2004 European Pizza Championship, among other honours.
Pipa Restaurant & Bar, Halifax
Chef Luis Gaspar and partner Victoria Dunham Gaspar are longtime veterans of Halifax’s dining scene. And when they decided to embark on a project all their own, they saw a glaring omission in the city’s dining scene. Specializing in Portuguese cuisine, with rich, filling and full-flavoured dishes. Pipa is the only restaurant of its type in Halifax, specializing in Old World and Brazilian dishes such as Moqueca (fish stew) and Feijoada (a stew of meats and black beans). Seafood dishes abound, including fresh grilled sardines.
Halifax
Roots-rock legends Blue Rodeo return to the Halifax Metro Centre on January 28, performing concert classics like “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” and “Diamond Mine,” along with their newest material.
Vancouver & Whistler
The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are almost here, and they’re bringing a lot more than just sports to Vancouver and Whistler. The Cultural Olympiad 2010 (Jan 22 – Mar 21) is the culmination of three years of Cultural Olympiads on the West Coast, and it features some of the world’s best artists, musicians, dancers, actors and performers. Vancouver highlights include Joni Mitchell’s The Fiddle and the Drum at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Jan 22 – 24), Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe at the Granville Island Stage (Jan 21 – Feb 6), and Steve Earle and Joel Plaskett at The Orpheum (Jan 23).
Whistler highlights include Canada’s first theatre of snow and ice, Nix (Jan 22 – Feb 27), Corb Lund at Whistler Village Square (Feb 19), and the Nunavut-based circus Artcirq at the Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural Centre (Feb 20).
Ottawa
During the Carleton Cup Triathlon on Jan 30, fearless participants—athletically inclined or otherwise—skate for nearly 7km up and down the Rideau Canal, run through the ByWard Market, then slide into The Aulde Dubliner & Pour House to pound back a drink. First one in gets the bragging rights, but the real winner is the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Led by controversial-yet-charismatic frontman Axl Rose, the newest incarnation of Guns N’ Roses will tour to promote Chinese Democracy, an album that was 15 years in the making. They stop into Ottawa Jan 31.
Calgary
Known for its memorable songs like, “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” the Tony Award-winning musical, Fiddler on the Roof plays at the Jubilee until Jan 17. Throughout the month of January, One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo offers theatre-lovers innovative plays, skits and acts from around the world. Highlights include Kawasaki Exit, a play about the dark-side of Japanese social networking sites and The Pajama Men, a comedy duo who perform their act in their pjs.
Winnipeg
World-class men’s curling talent sweeps into Winnipeg for the BDO Canadian Classic Open Jan 20 – 24. Top names like Canada’s Olympic representative Kevin Martin and Scotland’s reigning World Champion David Murdoch are expected to participate.
Edmonton
Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie, one of Canada’s most accomplished dance organizations, brings three brilliant performances to Edmonton Jan 20: In Paradisum; Soudain, l’hiver dernier; and Fifteen Heterosexual Duets, all choreographed by James Kudelka. Artistic Director Laurence Lemieux promises “an exhilarating voyage to the heights of paradise and the depths of the heart.” Edmontonians revel in the winter months at the Winter Light Festival. Every weekend brings a blizzard of family fun with many events such as ice carving, ice-skating, art shows and much more. On until Mar 12, free admission.
Canadian Rockies
The Olympic Torch Relay comes through Banff Jan 20 and the town is celebrating outdoors with live music. Watch as teams carve massive blocks of ice into glittering sculptures at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise during the Ice Magic Festival, Jan 22 – 24 (if you can’t catch the carving, admire the art until it melts away in a few months). Or hit up Jasper in January for ski lift ticket and hotel discounts, plus fun events like the polar bear dip, Taste of the Town, music and skating parties, Jan 15 – 31.
Toronto
Important figures of history continue to draw crowds in the present. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart looms large over the city on select dates between Jan 13 and 24 as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra presents the Mozart@254 Festival, its annual concert series commemorating the 1756 birth of the Classical Era’s greatest composer. This year’s program features guest artists including famed baritone Russell Braun, violinist Pinchas Zukerman and many others. Or, have an archeological encounter with the great rulers of Egypt, by visiting the Art Gallery of Ontario’s ongoing exhibit, King Tut: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs. The massive display showcases rare artifacts from the days of Khafre, Amenhotep IV, Rameses II and other significant monarchs, as well as more than 50 exquisite treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun. On until Apr 18.
Columbia Icefield courtesy Athatbasca Glacier Icewalks
The Columbia Icefield covers 215 sq km (83 sq mi) and is up to 365 m (1200 ft) deep—it’s the largest accumulation of ice in the Rockies. Icefield meltwaters feed the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic oceans (plus people and crops) making it one of two triple continental divides in the world (the other is in Siberia). But this popular attraction is getting smaller due to global warming. Athabasca Glacier markers note that the ice recedes up to 10 m (33 ft) annually. So take an Ice Explorer ride or icewalk while you can. — JN
From coast to coast Where Editors have chosen the best new or improved attractions in the country. From dramatic glass pyramids in the prairies to canopied aerial bridges in the rain forest to exploring the wonders of the ocean, these are attractions you won’t want to miss.
Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre – Victoria, British Columbia
At the new Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre, explore the wonders of the Salish Sea, the name given to the inside waters off Vancouver Island. Designed to appeal to all ages, visitors can chat with knowledgeable Oceaneers about the wonders of the ocean and enjoy “hands on/hands wet” experiences, surrounded by massive aquarium habitats showcasing hundreds of fish, invertebrates and marine plants.
Greenheart Canopy Walkway – Vancouver, British Columbia
Walking the nine aerial bridges of the Greenheart Canopy Walkway at UBC Botanical Garden is a unique experience; from high in the forest canopy, it’s possible to see unusual insects and birds. You don’t have to be a daredevil to enjoy this eco-attraction, which opened last year, but you can’t fear heights: the 308m (1,010ft) walkway tops out at more than 17.5m (57ft) off the ground.
Peak 2 Peak Gondola – Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler’s new $52-million Peak 2 Peak Gondola boasts the world’s longest unsupported lift span. State-of-the-art 28-person cabins travel a 4.4km (2.7mi), 11-minute journey between the two mountains, affording a spectacular view to all on-board.
Stoney Nakoda Resort – Morley, East of Canmore, Alberta
Nestled on the eastern edge of the Canadian Rockies, Stoney Nakoda Resort offers Vegas-style gaming while the 111-room hotel boasts an indoor waterpark and meeting facilities. Along with a restaurant, café and sports lounge, guests can also catch live entertainment and dinner shows.
Gasoline Alley Museum at Heritage Park Historical Village – Calgary, Alberta
In the last year, Heritage Park Historical Village has expanded their size from 66 acres to 127 acres, and added five new attractions, including the Gasoline Alley Museum. The museum is made up of a $5 million collection of restored vintage cars, gas pumps and paraphernalia.
The Muttart Conservatory – Edmonton, Alberta
Four glass pyramids in Edmonton’s lush river valley make up The Muttart Conservatory, home to a spectacular display of flowers and vegetation. Newly expanded and renovated for 2009–with more educational program space as well as a gift shop and cozy cafeteria–it’s a memorable destination for all ages.
The West End BIZ Mural Tours – Winnipeg, Manitoba
The West End BIZ Mural Tours’ stunning outdoor mural galleries tell visitors about the West End, one of Winnipeg’s oldest neighbourhoods. Stories about the area’s prominent people, culture and heritage are depicted, while tour guides share related facts and history.
Art Gallery of Ontario – Toronto, Ontario
The Art Gallery of Ontario has undergone a massive redesign by famed architect Frank Gehry completed in late 2008. An additional 97,000 square feet means striking visuals abound in both edifice and artwork: rooms devoted to the ambitious Thomson Collection–Canadian paintings, European objets d’art, First Nations works and much more.
Canada Aviation Museum – Ottawa, Ontario
When the Canada Aviation Museum opened at Ottawa’s Uplands Airport in 1960, it contained a small collection of aircraft owned by the Canadian government. Nearly 50 years later, it houses over 130 aircraft and artifacts celebrating aeronautical achievements. After some recent major renovations, the museum has emerged as one of the most esteemed institutions in Ottawa, and a major player on the world stage, even hosting the Genie Awards in April.
Murphy’s Cable Wharf – Halifax, Nova Scotia
Although Murphy’s has been a landmark on the Halifax waterfront for years, 2009 saw dramatic changes. The restaurant, store and tour operator is now known as Murphy’s Cable Wharf. The restaurant is now open year-round, and the $1.6-million facelift includes a catch-your-own lobster tank, an interpretive walkway along the wharf and a tank showcasing local marine life.
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