TAKE A SMALL-TOWN BREAK
Amble along lanes lined with locally owned
shops. Linger over dinner at a table overlooking
a waterfall, lake or canal, then unwind in a
quaint B&B. Ontario's many small towns and
cities are havens of relaxation.
Take in a play or build a sandcastle on the
beach in Grand Bend (www.grandbend.com).
Explore charming shops in Niagara-on-the-
Lake (www.niagaraonthelake.com), enjoy a
spa day in Grafton (www.steannes.com) or
unwind at one of Almonte's many festivals
(www.lanarkcountytourism.com). And
delve into Ontario's intriguing history at
sites like the Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War
Museum in Carp (www.diefenbunker.ca),
the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in
Mount Hope (www.warplane.com) and the
Canadian Transportation Museum and Heritage
Village in Kingsville.
ENJOY WATERFRONT VIEWS
When Ontarians say "cottage country," they
generally mean any of a number of rural
regions dotted with clear lakes perfect for
canoeing, kayaking, swimming, waterskiing . . .
or just admiring from the shore while
ensconced in a comfortable hammock. Bring
your camera and binoculars, as you may well
spot deer, loons or coyotes. Popular cottage
areas include Muskoka (www.discover
muskoka.ca), Peterborough and the
Kawarthas (www.thekawarthas.ca) and
Ontario's Highlands (www.comewander.ca).
Pamper yourself with a restful weekend at one
of Ontario's summer resorts (www.resorts
ofontario.com).
WHAT'S NEW?
Interzip Rogers is a unique way to discover
the National Capital Region with an urban
zip-line across the Ottawa River between
Ottawa and Gatineau, Québec (www.inter
zip.ca).
In Almonte, the Dairy Distillery makes
vodka from a surprising ingredient: leftover
milk sugar from Ontario farms (www.dairy
distillery.com).
Groupe Nordik is scheduled to open its third
location—Thermea Spa Village—a Nordic-
style spa in the Toronto suburb of Whitby
this year (whitby.lenordik.com).
Mountain Bay Cliffs opened last summer at
Canada's Wonderland amusement park, just
north of Toronto. Visitors experience the
exhilaration of cliff jumping from a variety of
heights into the water below (www.canadas
wonderland.com).
CITY LIGHTS
Toronto is a magnet for cosmopolitan
travellers. Browse for merchandise in
flagship international stores along Bloor
Street and luxurious shops in Yorkville
(www.bloor-yorkville.com), or unique
boutiques and galleries in the restored
Victorian-era buildings of the Distillery
District (www.thedistillerydistrict.com).
Teeter 116 storeys above the city on the CN
Tower's EdgeWalk (www.cntower.ca/brave-
the-edgewalk). Relax on the shores of Lake
Ontario at Harbourfront Centre (www.harbour
frontcentre.com), or on the green parkland
of the islands across the city harbour
(www.torontoisland.com). Luxurious
hotels, noted restaurants, and professional
baseball, hockey, basketball, football and
soccer—Toronto has it all.
In Ottawa, the first stop for many is
Parliament Hill. The Centre Block is closed
for extensive renovations, but tours of the
temporary homes of the House of Commons
and the Senate—in the West Block and the
Government Conference Centre, respec-
tively—are available (visit.parl.ca). The Hill
overlooks the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World
Heritage site that draws cyclists, boaters and
skaters (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/rideau).
Nearby, farmers' stalls, independent
boutiques and popular nightclubs keep the
ByWard Market humming from morning to
night (www.byward-market.com).
The excellent attractions in the province's
smaller cities range from the Art Gallery of
Hamilton (www.artgalleryofhamilton.com)
ON
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CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM, OTTAWA • SHUTTERSTOCK/HOWARD SANDLER
Special Events
www.festivalsandeventsontario.ca
JANUARY
• TWENTY VALLEY WINTER WINEFEST,
JORDAN
FEBRUARY
• WINTERLUDE, OTTAWA
MAY
• CANADIAN TULIP FESTIVAL, OTTAWA
• FESTIVAL OF BIRDS, POINT PELEE
NATIONAL PARK
JUNE
• LUMINATO, TORONTO
• RBC CANADIAN OPEN, TORONTO
JUNE – JULY
• TD OTTAWA JAZZ FESTIVAL
JULY
• HONDA INDY, TORONTO
• RBC BLUESFEST, OTTAWA
• TORONTO CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL
AUGUST
• FERGUS SCOTTISH FESTIVAL AND
HIGHLAND GAMES
• SIEGE AT FORT ERIE
SEPTEMBER
• TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER
• KITCHENER-WATERLOO OKTOBERFEST
• PUMPKINFERNO, MORRISBURG AND
SUDBURY
OCTOBER
• NUIT BLANCHE, TORONTO
NOVEMBER
• ROYAL AGRICULTURAL WINTER FAIR,
TORONTO
NOVEMBER – DECEMBER
• FIRST LIGHT AT SAINTE-MARIE AMONG
THE HURONS, MIDLAND
NOVEMBER – JANUARY
• WINTER FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS, NIAGARA FALLS
