Canada Day Special: 11 Great Places To Visit This Summer

Canadians are increasingly worried about inflation impacting their travel budget. But you don’t need to fly halfway around the world to find great places to explore. Here are 11 great spots to check out in Canada for Canada Day, or later this summer. I haven’t been to the Northwest Territories or Nunavut, but I’ve managed to see a great deal of Canada. Here are some great places to go this summer.

SASKATCHEWAN

Located on a large, pretty lake north of the city, Regina Beach is one of those quintessential North American beach spots that somehow feels like something out of American Graffiti. The beach is nice, with a good-sized playground for kids and pretty white sails bobbing on the water. Even better to my mind is the little town, where you can rent canoes and such and check out small shops. The BlueBird Café is a classic throwback spot selling burgers, fish and chips and hot dogs. They’re celebrating their 94th year in business in 2022, and you’ll find fantastic old photos on the walls from the days when Regina Beach had floating dance halls for visitors from all over the province and when the café was a pool hall with a barber shop in the basement. Other Saskatchewan places I love are Wanuskewin Heritage Park outside Saskatoon, which tells the story of local indigenous peoples in marvelous fashion, and Manitou Lake, a salt-water lake in the middle of the prairies.

ONTARIO

One of the truly amazing attractions in the province is the Zim Art Rice Lake Gallery in Bailieboro, south of Peterborough. I was asked to check it out a few years ago and had no idea what to expect. I turned down a shady, quiet country road not much bigger than a standard SUV and there it was, a lush green lawn filled with polished, black sculptures of various sizes and shapes. I pulled into the small parking lot behind a beautiful, classic Southern Ontario barn and met up with the owner, Fran Fearnley, who guided me around the site. It’s a remarkable, wondrous and peaceful place with lovely sculptures, a small pond, bountiful gardens and other artistic touches. She fell in love with Shona stone art (now more commonly known as Zimbabwe Stone Art) on a visit to Zimbabwe in 1998. In 2000 she brought 47 sculptures over by boat and scattered them around a property she had inherited on a hill overlooking Rice Lake. Fearnley goes to Zimbabwe every winter to scout for new art. She also brings a sculptor over every spring for an annual artist-in-residence program that runs from June 1, when she opens her gate to visitors, to Canadian Thanksgiving, when she shuts down for the year. There’s no admission charge, but she does encourage folks to buy a small something, maybe a small carved animal, and make a donation. I also love Petroglyphs Provincial Park north of Peterborough, where you’ll find rock carvings made by indigenous peoples hundreds or even thousands of years ago, as well as a fine interpretive centre. Elmhirst’s Resort on Rice Lake is a wonderful family place to stay, with a to-die-for, inexpensive Sunday brunch.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Last I checked, Prince Edward Island was home to two villages with buildings fashioned out of old wine bottles. Not far away from Summerside are Cap Egmont Bottle Houses, a whimsical set of buildings created out of tens of thousands of wine bottles. You can walk inside the buildings and even get married in the small chapel. There’s also a pretty garden. On the south shore near Point Prim is another selection of bottle buildings called Hannah’s Bottle Village. Point Prim Lighthouse is a lovely spot just down the road. Next door you’ll find Point Prim Chowder House, with excellent chowder and a fine patio overlooking the ocean. If you like offbeat attractions, also try the Canadian Potato Museum in O’Leary. Not far up the road is the Stompin’ Tom Connors Centre, named after the famous Canadian country singer and author of such tunes as “The Hockey Game” and “Bud the Spud.”

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Victoria is one of my favourite cities in Canada. Butchart Gardens is always a crowd-pleaser, and they’ve been serving tea at the Fairmont Empress hotel for what feels like centuries. I also love Abkhazi Garden, a drive along scenic Dallas Road to see the ocean, and the little fairy villages people have built in James Bay. There’s also a hip side to the city. The craft beer scene is excellent, and you’ll find wonderful coffee shops, including Hey Happy and Shatterbox Coffee Company. Just a 20-minute walk northwest of downtown, Wheelies Motorcycles and Café is a place that only a local would know about. It’s a former car repair shop that’s been turned into a bar and restaurant/café. It’s an homage to motorcycle culture, with motorcycle movie posters on the wall and classic rock blaring from the speakers. Definitely not your grandmother’s Victoria. Other BC faves for me include Yoho National Park, not far from Banff, and the Fraser River Canyon near Hell’s Gate.

NEW BRUNSWICK

St. Andrews-By-The-Sea is one of Canada’s best-known resort areas. The main hotel, The Algonquin Resort, is a Marriott Autograph Collection property and features a spacious lobby and a huge lawn out front with fire pits and Adirondack chairs. When I was in town a few years ago I took a three-hour kayak ride around Navy Island with Eastern Outdoors, passing lonely beaches piled with driftwood and admiring bald eagles. Kingsbrae Garden features a magical floral display, as well as a café, sculpture garden, climbing gear for the kids and a group of alpacas that get walked to a spacious lawn every day at 12:30 p.m. The Rossmount Inn serves up some of Canada’s tastiest meals in a lovely setting. I also love the brick architecture in Saint John and the Acadian coast north of Shediac, home to the giant lobster statue.

ALBERTA

Waterton Lakes National Park might be the most under-appreciated national park in Canada. Located only three hours south of Calgary, Waterton simply took my breath away when I was there, with an outrageously beautiful lake and several smaller ones nearby, towering, snow-clad mountains, spectacular canyon drives, gushing waterfalls and a very laid-back feel to the main town, which is so small it makes Banff look like a metropolis. The main hiking attraction is a knobby outcropping called Bear’s Hump. It’s a rise of about 800 feet and has some very steep sections and a half-ton of switchbacks, but I managed it in a half-hour and there were small kids bounding along beside me at times. You pass tiny yellow and pink flowers along the way if you’re in early summer and soon find yourself surrounded by fragrant Ponderosa pines and ancient rock. The views from the top are nothing short of remarkable, with Waterton Lake stretching out far to the south into the U.S. and jagged, ancient peaks flanking the water. Especially striking are the row of outcroppings on the U.S. side called Citadel Peaks. The Prince of Wales Hotel, which seems to tower over the lake from below, looks like a Rocky Mountain doll house from the Bears’ Hump. Try a short driving or moped trip to Red Rock Canyon and to Cameron Lake, and don’t miss a boat trip on Waterton Lake. Other spots I enjoy in Alberta include Edmonton, which has great food and an increasingly lively downtown, and Heritage Park in Calgary, which has lovely old buildings and a stunning collection of old cars and gas pumps.

MANITOBA

This is one province I really haven’t paid enough attention to, having been to Winnipeg for a conference 10 years ago for maybe four days and then having to leave. Still, I got a flavour for the city and had a great time. Assiniboine Park  is one of the top urban parks in North America, a sprawling complex of green space, gardens and attractions that was designed in 1904 by a student of legendary parks planner Frederik Law Olmsted (Central Park in New York and many others). Gardeners will take great delight in the floral displays and ponds, as well as the sculpture garden. Inside the Assiniboine Park Zoo, the Journey to Churchill might be the best place in the world to observe polar bears, as you can watch them play in the water from a glass tunnel below their enclosure and admire their grace and agility.  The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is the only national museum of Canada that’s located outside the Ottawa region, and it’s a beauty. You’ll find compelling stories of human struggles – and human foibles – from around the world, as well as Canadian stories. At the top, the Tower of Hope provides awesome views of the city. If you’re hungry or hot, stop at the city’s famous Bridge Drive-in, aka the BDI, for a milkshake or a bite to eat.

YUKON

There’s something about folks who live in tough climates that I just love. They have a sense of independence and a do-it-yourself attitude I find highly appealing. And they don’t come much tougher — or more colourful — than in Dawson City. There’s a colourful history to Dawson City, thanks in part to the “women of the evening” during the gold rush. You can learn about some of the madams’ stories on a fun walking tour of the town offered by Parks Canada. At one point, locals ran the working women out of town. One enterprising madam set up shop on an island in the Yukon River. To get there, men would have to cross a bridge. Dawson City being a small town, everyone who saw the men crossing the bridge knew where they were going, so a local kid started renting fishing poles to the men so they could claim they had other reasons to head to the island. You can stay in a former brothel if you book a room at Bombay Peggy’s hotel. It’s said that a local clergyman in the Catholic Church performed a blessing for the building when it opened as a hotel, calling it “the old whorehouse.” You don’t want to miss a chance to try the famous Sour Toe cocktail, a 49-year tradition at what’s now called the Sourdough Saloon, where they place an actual human toe in a shot glass of alcohol and get you to drink the liquid. If your lips touch the toe, you get a certificate and get yourself enrolled in the Sour Toe Club. The club now stands at more than 95,000 members, yours truly included (I’ve done it twice). In Whitehorse, check out the lovely walk along Miles Canyon. A couple hours west of Whitehorse is magnificent Kluane National Park. I also recommend a visit to the sand dunes (yes, really) of the Carcross Desert.

NOVA SCOTIA

The Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia is only a short drive from Halifax, but it’s another world. When I was there a few years ago I didn’t see a chain hotel or a franchise restaurant anywhere. What I did find were beautiful, quiet bays, goofy but inspiring folk art places and a lovely lodge with great kayaking and tons of activities for families. Only a half-hour from downtown Halifax along Highway 207 you’ll find Lawrencetown Beach Provincial Park, a long and wonderful stretch of sand. This is one of the top surfing spots in Canada, and you’ll find several places to rent a board or get a lesson. Taylor Head Provincial Park has a lovely beach and rugged hiking trails, while Ecum Secum is a small village with a pretty white church. How do you not love a town called Ecum Secum? One of the best places to stay on the Eastern Shore is Liscombe Lodge, about two and-a-half hours from Halifax without stopping. They have a main lodge and cottages spread out over a large, grassy site along a pretty river, where you can use their kayaks or canoes. The food isn’t fancy but it’s good and reasonably priced, and the dining room has wonderful views of the river. It’s an outstanding spot for families. Other NS faves for me include Wolfville, where you’ll find amazing wine and a very cute town, and  the Cabot Trail, one of the world’s best driving trips.

QUEBEC

The Eastern Townships are a wonderful part of Quebec, perhaps an hour from Montreal but a world away. Look for bucolic, handsome villages such as North Hatley and Sutton. There are decent ski hills for winter, and the area is a hotbed for cycling. Douglass Beach is a fine place to cool off on a hot day if you’re in the Knowlton area, while Marina Knowlton might be the closest thing the Eastern Townships have to a tiki bar. Spa Eastman is one of the most popular places to stay, while Manoir Hovey has been home to Hillary and Bill Clinton on at least one occasion. Hillary also has stayed in Knowlton at the low-key Auberge Lakeview Inn. Not far away, Auberge West Brome has lovely rooms and outstanding food, while Ripplecove Lakefront Hotel and Spa is a beautiful spot on Lake Massawippi. Just outside Magog is Bleu Lavande, a gorgeous lavender farm. The Charlevoix region and the town of Baie Saint Paul are terrific spots east of Quebec City. The Fairmont Chateau Montebello is a wonderful hotel on the Ottawa River.

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

I love every part of the province, but I had one of my best visits a few years ago when I spent several days in and around Rocky Harbour and Bonne Bay in western Newfoundland. Anchors Aweigh is a fun band that plays at the Anchor Pub at the Ocean View Inn in Rocky Harbour. The music was mostly upbeat when I was there, with not only traditional tunes but also a wacky bit where they wedded local lyrics about fishing trawlers to the tune of “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. They also had their long-time accordion player, the rubber-faced and utterly frantic Reg Williams, dress up in women’s clothing for a few tunes. Band leader Wayne Parsons at one point called Williams “the best cross-dressing accordion player in the province.” I also spent a few hours out on Bonne Bay in a seaworthy kayak, courtesy of Gros Morne Adventures. We cut across the bay to the quiet waters under a massive wall of rock, watching a very brave tern dive-bomb a bald eagle and casting our eye down at diaphanous pink jellyfish scooting along in the clear, blue water.  Don’t miss a boat tour on Western Brook Pond, a truly majestic, fjord-like body of water northeast of Rocky Harbour. Twillingate, Newfoundland has remarkable hiking and icebergs in late spring/early summer, while St. John’s is one of the great cities of North America.