by Lori McNulty
Courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission
From BC hot springs crawls to all-acoustic jams in Nova Scotia.
Manitoba
In a kitchen the size of Yankee Stadium, I still couldn’t fit in all the friends who whoop it up during the annual, 10-day Festival du Voyageur in Saint-Boniface, MB. Because during “The World’s Largest Kitchen Party,” everyone’s family. Take in the fiddle and jigging, feasting, fireworks and musical performances—all capturing the joie de vivre of the French-Canadian voyageur and fur-trading era. (Video)
www.travelmanitoba.com
Yukon Territory
Cue the music and huddle close when the Northern Lights electrify the Yukon sky in February. The Frostbite Music Festival is Canada’s coolest musical buzz. International performers hit the stage for hot sets of blues, gospel, funk, reggae, Cajun, Celtic and First Nations music. When the dancing stops, hit the Takhini Hot Springs for a soothing soak.
www.travelyukon.com
Nova Scotia
No doubt about it. Halifax is the soul of down-east sound. The jamming is all-acoustic during the In the Dead of Winter Music Festival in January, when Atlantic, Canadian and US musicians perform up close and unplugged just for you.
www.novascotia.com
British Columbia
International crowds flock to Brackendale north of Squamish, BC, to catch some rare but ruffled celebrity headliners. From mid November to mid February, the community hosts the largest gathering of bald eagles in North America. Catch them as they feast on spawned salmon during the 23rd annual Brackendale Winter Eagle Festival & Count in January. (Video)
www.hellobc.com
Call it the Kootenay Rockies Hot Springs Crawl, grab your friends and go. BC’s Kootenay Rockies is home to seven unique hot springs. Soak in mineral-rich comfort amid deep canyons, old-growth forests, flowing rivers, craggy mountain peaks and caves. Smile included.
www.tourismbc.com
Quebec
Canadians don’t all live in them, but igloos (also iglu) are still pretty cool. Head to Parc national du Bic in Quebec’s St. Lawrence River Estuary and you’ll see. The park’s NUNA BIC Package sets you up with an overnight igloo stay, snowshoe rental, winter sleeping bag and fleece blanket, ground mattress and more.
www.bonjourquebec.com
Winter sea kayaking is a becoming a hot sport in Quebec. Guided kayaking trips take you through the stunning Mingan Archipelago and Lower North Shore region where you’ll paddle among sea birds and ice floes, then sample home-cooked salmon. In late February and early March, join an excursion to visit thousands of white harp seals on the ice near Îles de la Madeleine.
www.bonjourquebec.com
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