WINTER THRILLS
Embracing the cold season
Some Canadians cringe at the sight of the first snowflake. Others make the most of winter by getting out and enjoying the crisp, cold air and the snow, ice, mountains and lakes that help make our country such a great place to live.
Here are some spots and activities from coast to coast that will help you embrace winter. Newfoundland and Labrador: Marble Mountain has a good hill for skiers and snowboarders alike, and you won’t find nicer people anywhere on the planet than the folks in Newfoundland. skimarble.com Halifax: Outdoor lovers can lace up their skates at the massive rink at Halifax Commons. They have free skates, helmets and learn-to-skate or learn-to-speedskate programs. The Nova Scotia Ice Wine Festival is an annual celebration that includes lots of fun activities. Quebec City: Expect wild sled rides across the frozen St. Lawrence, parades, musical events, the much-beloved Bonhomme, hot chocolate and mulled wine, and other treats at the world’s best Winter Carnival. carnaval. qc.ca/en/ Montreal: This is a city that knows how to make the most of the cold. The 17th Montreal en Lumiere festival will host special exhibits from China, while chefs from China and Quebec will be on hand to make warming dishes. Ottawa: It can be a little nippy out on the frozen Rideau Canal, the world’s longest outdoor skating rink, but there are plenty of places to stop and warm up with a hot drink or a warm BeaverTail pastry. Better yet, drop into the Fairmont Château Laurier for an after-skate martini. Toronto: You’ll find plenty of places to lace up your skates in The Big Smoke, including the iconic rink at city hall and the pond in High Park. There is often excellent cross-country skiing in the city’s numerous ravines and parks. And there is a downhill ski centre at Earl Bales Park in the city’s north end. Try the city’s Winterlicious program and save on great meals at top restaurants. seetorontonow.com Winnipeg: Now in its fourth year, RAW:Almond (raw-almond.com) claims to be the only pop-up restaurant of its kind in North America. A heated tent on the ice at the forks of the Assiniboine and Red rivers, in which three seatings for about 30 diners are held each night. Guests sit at a long, communal wooden table and the menu is a surprise. Alberta: This winter, Ice Castles, LLC will bring its popular winter attraction to Canada for the first time as it unveils a huge castle made of ice in Edmonton. The acre-sized winter wonderland is crafted by hand, using only icicles and water, and resembles organic formations found in nature, like frozen waterfalls, glaciers or ice caves. icecastles.com. British Columbia: Canada’s most famous ski setting, Whistler Blackcomb, celebrates its 50th anniversary this winter. Look for a number of special events at the resort, which has more than 200 runs on two mountains and was one of the hosts of the 2010 Winter Olympics. whistlerblackcomb.ca.