Let’s be honest, winter is nobody’s favourite season. Who enjoys putting on five layers of clothing and watching their eyeballs freeze? Actually, I lie. In Labrador I met locals who preferred winter because it opened up the entire landscape to snowmobiling and it got rid of all the mosquitoes. Those remote Labradoreans are onto something. Winter brings its own unique beauty, a blanket of snow, mountains of playground, a reason to gather close and celebrate festivities. Farmers put their tools down, and it’s a good time to pick a glass or wine or beer up. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: You can’t do Canada if you can’t do cold. Dress for the weather and you’ll find endless possibilities across the country. Below are just a few examples:
Snowshoe through a vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake
Let a snowshoe expert guide you through the vineyards of Thirty Bench, accompanied by a wine consultant as you sample wines among the snow-covered vines. Warm up with a cup of gourmet chowder next to an outdoor fire, and toast the beauty, taste and adventure of winter in Niagara.
Fat Bike in the Snow at Mont Tremblant
Cycle over fresh powder on a “fat bike,” a mountain bike with comically large tires designed to be ridden over snowy terrain. It’s a perfectly exhilarating and unusual way to experience the slopes and nature of Mont Tremblant. Plus, it’s a fun way to stay active this winter.
Pull an all-nighter exploring Nuit Blanche in Montreal
Nuit blanche à Montréal is one of the world’s largest winter festivals and attracts over a million visitors each year. The highlight of the fest is Nuit Blanche, the most popular single-day event in Montréal (which speaks volumes in a city that hosts world famous jazz and comedy festivals each summer). Hundreds of thousands pull an all-nighter exploring free cultural, musical, culinary, and sports-oriented activities that run from 6 p.m. through 6 a.m.
Lay beneath the Santiago El Grande in Fredericton
When the weather is too chilly to explore the outdoors, look no further than the Beaverbrook Art Gallery for a warm escape that won’t disappoint. Here, the visitors are encouraged to lie on the floor beneath one of the world’s most incredible paintings, Salvador Dali’s Santiago El Grande, which was intended to surround and overwhelm the senses.
Enjoy a “sociable” beer in Halifax
Tour the brewery on Lower Water Street where Alexander Keith created his famous India Pale Ale. On a brewery tour, historical re-enactors walk you through the history of the man, his popular beer, and Halifax itself before you head to an old-fashioned tavern where you’ll sample the fruits of Mr. Keith’s labours. Remember, Nova Scotian locals don’t say “cheers”, they toast with a hearty “sociable!”
Prowl for owls under the stars outside Windsor
Point Pelee National Park, the most southerly point of mainland Canada, is popular with birdwatchers, butterfly chasers, and outdoor enthusiasts, but winter brings its own starlit magic. Designated a Dark Sky Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, stargazing programs run each month with the park open until midnight. Winter programs including the popular Owl Prowl and you can drive to the tip of the park to see ice formations and migrating birds.
Track wolves in the snow outside Saskatoon
The prairies meet the boreal forests in Prince Albert National Park, bordered by dense forests of birch, aspen and spruce, a beautiful panorama that hosts one of the most elusive creatures in Canada – the grey wolf. Wildlife is unpredictable, but this is one of the best places to encounter the wolf, especially in winter. Watch them chase prey across frozen lakes or join the wolf howl when park interpreters lead a caravan of cars to the forest edge for a man-beast conversation.
Get underground, and undercover outside Canmore
Here’s the thing about caves: it doesn’t matter how cold it gets outside, the temperature is always constant. Canmore’s Rat’s Nest Cave stays at 5 degrees Celsius, a cool but manageable temperature for a winter subterranean adventure. Sign up for a tour and you’ll discover stunning cave formations, rocky passages, and even ancient bones.
Snowshoe the Myra Canyon Trestles outside Kelowna
Built by hand at the turn of the 20th century, the 18 trestle bridges and two tunnels that snake along Myra Canyon are a bucket list winter adventure. Hike or snowshoe along the flat former railway that overlooks Kelowna and the Okanagan Lake 3,000 feet below. It’s a 12 kilometre stretch from Myra Station to Ruth Station, or you can take it easy, breathe in the fresh forest air, and turn back for a glass of fine local wine whenever you wish.
Enjoy an eagle extravaganza outside Victoria
In an estuary that flows through Goldstream Provincial Park, a record number of spawned-out salmon waste away in the stream while hundreds of magnificent Bald Eagles arrive from all over the continent to feast. From early December to late January, the eagles help themselves at low tide, creating the perfect opportunity to see these magnificent birds of prey in action. Catch one of the free interpretive programs, a slide show or talk at the Nature House, and bring along a pair of binoculars.
