The Canadian government is making national parks free this summer for all visitors, as well as providing free admission to national museums, national marine conservation areas and national historic sites administered by Parks Canada. Ottawa also is making it easier to see the country by train, with free travel on VIA Rail for kids aged 17 and under if accompanied by an adult, and a 25% discount for those aged 18 to 24. On top of that, the government is providing a 25% discount on camping fees for Parks Canada properties. “This summer, Canadians can enjoy the very best Canada Read more
Parks Canada
Georgian Bay Islands National Park is a small but fabulous chunk of land that’s only a couple hours north of Toronto. The best way to reach the park is via a short ferry ride from the small but cute village of Honey Harbour, which is just a short drive northwest of Port Severn, off Highway 400. The park is a great spot for hiking and biking, with easy-to-read trails and a bike rental shop in case you can’t bring yours along. We had a great day trip, but you also can arrange for a campsite, sleep in an old-style, wooden Read more
This is one of the great cities of Canada; a vibrant but super-friendly spot where people aren’t in a rush and where drivers stop to let crazed Torontonians jaywalk across a busy street at rush hour. You’ll also find a wonderful waterfront, terrific food and trendy neighbourhoods to explore. Here are some of the top things to see and do in Halifax, and also some suggested places to stay and side trips to take. WHAT TO SEE Halifax Citadel National Historic Site is a former British and Canadian fort that sits on a high hill overlooking the city. A Read more
Things are a little tense these days when it comes to Canada-USA relations, and many Canadians say they intend to stay home for their holidays this year. With that in mind, I’m doing a series of “Canada Strong” travel stories to provide some ideas. Today I look at five great national parks across this great country of ours. Thanks for reading, and as we Canadians are prone to say these days, Elbows Up! KLUANE NATIONAL PARK, YUKON This is a rugged, starkly beautiful spot a couple hours northwest of Whitehorse. The drive to get here is nothing short of Read more
ON THE TRENT-SEVERN WATERWAY IN ONTARIO – We were pulling into a lock north of Peterborough after a few days navigating the Trent-Severn waterway in southern Ontario. We’d passed through the same lock maybe 72 hours earlier on our way north in our 42-foot Le Boat craft, and one of the Parks Canada lock workers recognized us on our return journey. “Hey, guys! It’s Jim and Barbara, right? How’d it go?” There are many things I’ll remember about our five-day, 20-lock trip on the Trent-Severn: my wife admitting she was scared to death at the idea of me piloting a Read more
