Canada

This week, “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” returns to Calgary in the Canadian province of Alberta. Better known as the Calgary Stampede, this annual 10-day event features an opening parade, a rodeo, a festival filled with rides and indulgent treats, as well as pancake breakfasts throughout the community. But, perhaps one of the Calgary Stampede’s most intriguing events is the Elbow River Camp, formerly known as Indian Village.

When conjuring up images of Canada, the Rocky Mountains or the CN Tower might come to mind first. Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, rarely lands in the top five of most Canadian travel bucket lists. I would know–I've written some of those. But suppose you're looking for a city break with lots of outdoor adventures, history, and great food served with a side of Canadian charm. In that case, Ottawa is undoubtedly a destination that deserves a look.

Fresh lynx tracks weave through deep powder near Quesnel Lake in British Columbia's Cariboo Mountains. At minus 18 degrees Celsius, the morning air crystallizes our breath as Ryan, our EcoTours BC guide, motions us to pause. Though the elusive lynx remains hidden, its story is written in the snow. Here, it stalked a snowshoe hare. There, it rested beneath a sheltering spruce. Its tracks trace a single line across the surface of a frozen river. The vast wilderness stretches before us, an untamed landscape where mountain peaks disappear into low clouds and ancient forests harbor secrets beneath 27 feet of annual snowfall.

Even the dogs in Toronto wear coats. Whether you’re shopping on Yonge Street or in Kensington Market, puffers don’t just appear in one-of-a-kind vintage stores or the sprawling Eaton Centre mall. Rather, they also cloak Toronto’s dachshunds and greyhounds, who strut through the city as unphased as their owners. On a weekend in December, a particularly spoiled French bulldog dons an embroidered Maple Leafs jersey, not unlike Carlton — the hockey team’s polar bear mascot.

Viewing the Northern Lights is a magical experience that tops bucket lists everywhere. It beckons travelers worldwide to frosty destinations. From now until 2026, the aurora borealis activity is expected to reach its highest levels in 11 years. This uptick in solar activity makes the current era a particularly good time for aurora-viewing vacations. This winter, why not combine the experience of searching for this natural phenomenon with a cultural experience in your choice of winter wonderlands?

The air is filled with swirling snow as my Nordic ski instructor, a slender mature woman named Debra, shows me how to stay upright on skis that are much skinnier than the regular downhill skis I’ve tried before. Before me, snow-cloaked pine trees and a groomed trail shimmer under the backdrop of the towering mountains of Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna, British Columbia.

When I arrive at Healing Farm, I have an overwhelming sense that I’ve come home. This 18-acre organic farm on Vancouver Island’s Saanich Peninsula is everything I love about this part of the world, where I grew up.

Most of us probably remember from history class that Spanish explorers brought horses to North America in the 14th century. Many people are surprised to learn native horses existed before the Spanish arrived, at least in Canada. Ojibwe Spirit Horses, also known as Lac La Croix Indigenous Ponies, are the only known indigenous horse breed native to Canada. Thousands of them lived in harmony with Indigenous communities in (mainly) Northern and Western Ontario and roamed the forests that surround Lac Le Croix.

Formed during the Ice Age when large torrents of water released from melting ice drained into what is now the Niagara River, Native Americans would have been the first to witness the magnitude of Niagara Falls. 

It was a hot summer day when a friend of mine and I pulled into the parking lot of Sombrio Beach, on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. We planned to be there for the day and set up a shady spot on the sand to enjoy our ocean views. We were hoping to see some wildlife — a bald eagle, a sea lion, maybe even a breaching whale.

Why do certain experiences resonate with us the way they do? I spent a single day kayaking around the Clayoquot Sound – such an insignificant amount of time – and yet the experience was

Whether you stay in Toronto for a week or a year, not a day will go by without you finding something new and exciting to do.