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
Banff
Considering a winter break but need to stay on a budget? You’re not alone. A recent independent survey of Canadian travellers commissioned by Marriott Bonvoy revealed that 68% of Canadians are planning a vacation by the end of the year, but more than 75% plan to do so on a budget. Laura Pallotta, regional vice president of sales & distribution, Canada, Marriott International, has offered five simple tips on how to save this season. 1. Book direct – Shop around all you like, but often, booking directly with the property can net you major savings. You not only save on Read more
American lawmakers and business officials are ratcheting up the pressure on the Trudeau government Ottawa to get rid of the controversial ArriveCan app. Nearly 1,500 emails have been sent to federal MPs and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino since the Canadian American Business Council’s new campaign, “Travel Like it’s 2019,” went live two weeks ago, The Canadian Press reports. The online campaign calls on Ottawa to scrap the troublesome ArriveCan app, a mandatory pre-screening tool for visitors to Canada, and to tackle the backlog plaguing the Canada-U.S. trusted-traveller system known as Nexus. Critics have blasted ArriveCan for causing airport congestion Read more
Do you ever dream of playing some of the finest golf courses in Canada, but you weren’t sure what they were? If so, then here’s your chance to learn everything you need to know about the best courses across the country with the publication of SCOREGolf’s exclusive rankings of Canada’s Top 100 golf facilities. And the No. 1 course in Canada? It’s Cabot Cliffs in Inverness, Nova Scotia, which has been rated the top course since it opened in 2015. Rounding out the Top 10 are St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto; Fairmont Jasper Park in Jasper, Alta.; Read more
A driving trip in Calgary, Banff and Lake Louise is a beautiful thing; an iconic Canadian trip like no other. When you take it in a new Mazda CX-50 it’s that much more special. The folks at Mazda Canada were kind enough to let me use one of their new CX-50 SUV’s for a week earlier this month. As a guy who normally drives a 2010 model SUV, I jumped at the chance. The Mazda folks met me at the Calgary Airport after I got off my plane with a lovely, steely blue model. Unfortunately, my flight was more than Read more
