WINNIPEG – There’s a ton to see in Winnipeg. I was there last week for a Canadian Tourism Commission and found several very cool areas. The downtown is still spotty, but things are definitely looking up. I didn’t know a thing about Assiniboine Park before going to Winnipeg for the first time last week. I took a stroll through the English gardens and a sculpture garden and was blown away by the fountains and floral displays. The flowers are as pretty as any beds I’ve seen in Canada or the U.S. The park was designed by a student of Frederick Read more
August 2014
SASKATOON – There are so many changes going on in this great Saskatchewan city. Here’s a look at a few highlights from my trip this week. Saskatoon has smartly invested in a massive riverside park system. There are some 70 km’s of trails for biking and walking, and they’re adding a cool new art museum to the mix. Stunning views of the city and, in summer, great spots for swimming or boating. Riversdale is an area of the city undergoing a huge transformation. Buy a perfect iced coffee at Collective Coffee and sit outside on the sidewalk and watch the Read more
Jim Byers photo The James Hotel in Saskatoon offers fabulous views of the city and the S. Saskatchewan River. SASKATOON – In May of this year I was pleasantly surprised by new businesses and cool restaurants in Edmonton in my first visit in a couple years. This time, I made my first ever touch down (pardon the Riders speak) in Saskatoon . And was nearly blown away. If Edmonton is showing signs of a cool, new vibe, it’s in full flight in Saskatoon, which locals tell me has undergone a sea change. How much of a change? Enough that I’d Read more
Jim Byers photo Pull up a Muskoka chair at the Killarney Mountain Lodge and watch the boats go by in the channel. KILLARNEY, ONTARIO – Low-key, country charm and a dash of city glam. Folks heading to fabulous Killarney, Ontario are lucky to have several places to stay. I tested out two outstanding – and very different – properties during my visit. Killarney Mountain Lodge is a low-rise, old-fashioned kind of country spot with a big, screened-in porch, a central unit with several rooms and a series of small, wooden cottages spread over acres of grass and lovingly tended, colourful Read more
Jim Byers photo Stunning George Lake is an easily accessible lake in Killarney Provincial Park, with campgrounds and nice beaches just off the main road. KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK – Some of the best hiking in Canada. Incredible kayaking and canoeing in pristine lakes surrounded by white quartz mountains and pale red rock. And brilliant sunsets over glorious Georgian Bay. There’s no place like this in Ontario. There’s probably no place like it anywhere in the world, for that matter. I had the good fortune to spend a few summer days in the town of Killarney and in the park, about Read more
