I didn’t get out to British Columbia as I had planned, but I did manage to spend time this year in Calgary, Banff, Quebec and several places in Southern Ontario. Here are some of my fave experiences in Canada this year. MOST SURPRISING ARCHITECTURE: I had never heard of the Thomas Foster Memorial in Uxbridge, Ontario, but it’s a beautiful building both inside and out. Definitely worth a visit. MOST UNUSUAL SPA: The Muskoka Beer Spa is a fun spot south of Bala, Ontario, with a nice pool, hot tubs, saunas, a beach and cottages that you can have equipped Read more
Eastern Townships
It looks like a lot of Canadians are looking to stay close to home again this fall and winter. Which means it’s a great year to explore this great country of ours. Here are some great things to see and do in Quebec. An installation outside the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. JIM BYERS PHOTO MONTREAL Truly one of the world’s great cities, with fabulous food and wonderful neighbourhoods to explore. Saint Henri is one of the hottest areas of town, with great restaurants and bars and independent shops. Mile End has been one of the most vibrant regions of Read more
What a fantastic year. Our 150th birthday as a country, and another 12 months of a ridiculously overbooked travel schedule. Here’s a look back at some Canadian highlights of 2017, including great BBQ in B.C., sleeping in a former brothel in the Yukon and a sleek southern Ontario winery run almost entirely by women. The “How Did I Not Know How Beautiful This Place Was” Destination of the Year: Eastern Townships, Quebec. Lovely villages, surprisingly large hills and great places to stay, including Auberge West Brome (https://www.awb.ca/en/), Spa Eastman (http://www.spa-eastman.com/en/) and Ripplecove Lakefront Hotel and Spa. (http://ripplecove.com/en/) Best sporting moment: Read more
Our 150th birthday party is almost over. But there’s still a lot to celebrate when you live in a country as great as ours. Here’s one traveller’s take on great places to visit in Canada in our 151st year. St. John’s This has always been one of my favourite cities in Canada. It’s gotten even better lately with the addition of great restaurants such as The Merchant Tavern, a hip and happening spot run by the folks behind the very successful Raymonds. A new Alt Hotel recently opened in town, part of the marvellous, Montreal-based Groupe Germain that also operate Read more
NOTE: THIS ITEM FIRST APPEARED EARLIER TODAY IN POSTMEDIA NEWSPAPER WEBSITES ACROSS CANADA: LAC BROME, QUEBEC – “I don’t want something that starts big and then goes ‘pfffffttt’ after two seconds. I call that a quickie.” Leon Courville is pouring some of his wines for me at his pretty, barn-like winery in Quebec’s Eastern Townships and explaining how he emphasizes making wine with structure. His St.-Pepin, a white wine made with a grape that does well in cold climates, starts a bit thin to my taste but finishes with a nice, lingering, chardonnay-like finish I quite like. “I think people Read more
