Issue link: http://read.canadatravelguides.ca/i/1520274
powder-hounds from November to May. Try dogsledding through the untouched Spray Lakes valley, or take a guided ice walk in frozen Maligne Canyon near Jasper. The lakes of Kananaskis Country are a delight for ice fishing in winter and boating, hiking and cycling in the summer. The 4,645-sq. m (50,000-sq. ft.) Kananaskis Nordic Spa includes outdoor hot, warm and cold pools. Alberta's glacier-fed waterways, particularly the Bow and Red Deer rivers, attract anglers with the promise of top-notch trout fishing. In the same day, visitors can play the back nine of a world-class golf course, hopscotch past cactus patches in search of ancient rock carvings in the desert, and then retire to the hotel hot tub to watch the sunset. VENTURING OUT Float your boat down a river or head for calmer waters along Lake Minnewanka or Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. Bonus: hear the crack of avalanches overhead, well out of your path but still powerful. Chase champagne powder from the top of first-rate resorts such as Sunshine Village, Lake Louise or Marmot Basin, or explore them in summer to unveil abundant wildlife and colourful carpets of wildflowers. Canada Olympic Park in northwest Calgary offers a variety of winter and summer activities including: mountain biking, skiing, hockey, outdoor camps, skating and sports training, while Peter Lougheed Provincial Park boasts unparalleled opportunities for adventure all year round. Travellers with time on their hands head north to Wood Buffalo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 44,807 sq. km (17,300 sq. mi.) of protected wilderness where the endangered whooping crane and the world's largest herd of free-roaming wood bison can be found. WHAT'S NEW? For the next few years, from May 1 through June 25 and September 1 through 30, as part of a pilot program, the eastern 17 km of the Bow Valley Parkway connecting Banff and Lake Louise will be closed to public vehicle traffic. Adventure seekers can enjoy cycling this stretch offering spectacular mountain vistas and abundant wildlife sightings. Visitors stepping inside TELUS World of Science in Edmonton will discover a new groundbreaking exhibition this year. Now through September 9 th you can journey back through time in "Dinosaurs: The Exhibition," an interactive exhibition devoted to the world of dinosaurs. Keep your eye out for the Edmontosaurus skull cast, the first ever recorded dinosaur discovered in Drumheller in 1912. Explore Banff on a guided bike tour with Bikescape. The area features some of Canada's most scenic trails. The tours cater to all abilities and ages (www.bikescape.ca). Experience the grit and glory of Stampede's greatest stories at Sam Centre. This new year-round attraction opening in May will bring the Stampede story to life via interac- tive exhibits and digital experiences. (www.samcentre.calgarystampede.com). CITY LIGHTS Alberta's two major cities offer quite different insights into the province, though they share a love of green space, sprawling river pathways and tidy, bustling downtowns. The provincial capital of Edmonton is a government city with a grand legislature building, a thriving arts community and numerous galleries, craft stores and art shops. Most can be found along trendy Whyte Avenue or downtown. In the Arts District, find the modern Art Gallery of Alberta, the Winspear Centre and the Citadel Theatre. Also in this locale is the stunning Royal Alberta Museum, the largest museum in western Canada (www.royal albertamuseum.ca). The meandering North Saskatchewan River cuts a steep swath through the city north of downtown and can be explored by canoe or raft (www.edmontoncanoe.ca). The "Festival City" boasts more than 90 events a year. Its long winters are cause for several events including including Silver Skate winter festival in February. Summer offerings include the Fringe Theatre Festival, the Folk Music Festival, K-Days and Heritage Festival. Located on the North Saskatchewan River, Fort Edmonton Park offers a look at the historic 1886 fort, leading to the 1920s at a new midway and exhibition (www.exploreedmonton.com). Calgary's office towers, which contain the majority of Canada's oil and gas company headquarters, were built to showcase the Rockies on the western horizon. Nearby Chinatown segues to the Bow River pathway and the redevelopment of the East Village neighbourhood has revitalized this historic section of east downtown. The Alt Hotel East Village, and the restaurants and shops in the Simmons Building, are two highlights of the area. The city has preserved much of the sandstone buildings along Stephen Avenue Walk, where many great restaurants and shops are found, along with the Olympic Plaza and the Calgary Tower. Numerous retail stores and eateries are also part of The CORE Shopping Centre (www.visitcalgary.com). The architecturally striking Calgary Central Library is adjacent to the popular Studio Bell National Music Centre, east of downtown's office towers. The library's features include a public art exhibit, a performance hall, community meeting spaces, Indigenous Place Making and early learning centres (www.calgarylibrary.ca). AB 43 PEYTO LAKE, BANFF NATIONAL PARK • TRAVEL ALBERTA