Issue link: http://read.canadatravelguides.ca/i/651528
TRAVEL GUIDE TO CANADA This spring, WestJet makes travelling between St. John's and London (Gatwick) easier by a launching a non-stop service linking the cities (www.westjet.com). Stylish boutique hotels keep sprouting up in the capital: note the debut of Jag in late 2014 and The Luxus in 2015 (www. steelehotels.com; www.theluxus.ca). A new Category III landing system at St. John's International Airport will facilitate take-offs and touch-downs on foggy days (www.stjohnsairport.com). Marble Inn Resort, just east of Corner Brook, is now packaging multi-day adventures to Gros Morne and the Torngat Mountains (www.explorenewfoundland. com). CITY LIGHTS St. John's—which earned a spot on National Geographic's list of "Top 10 Oceanfront Cities" last year—is a compelling mix of old and new. Designated heritage venues and classic Crayola-coloured houses blend with contemporary offi ce buildings in this upbeat seaport. Shops, galleries and restaurants, many of which give tradition a modern twist, are plentiful. So are bars: jumping George Street reputedly has more per square metre than any street in North America! The province's largest urban centre also boasts its broadest selection of accommodations—business class and boutique hotels, historic inns and quaint B&Bs among them ( www.stjohns.ca). Corner Brook, Newfoundland & Labrador's second city, makes a convenient base for sports and nature-loving day trippers. Sitting in the shadow of the Blow Me Down Mountains, it puts visitors within easy reach of both Marble Mountain and the Humber Valley. An average annual 5-m (16-ft.) snowfall draws an international contingent of downhill and cross-country skiers to the former, while the latter is a favourite locale for anglers and golfers. Sailing or kayaking on the boater-friendly Bay of Islands is a memorable alternative ( www.cornerbrook.com ). THE GREAT OUTDOORS Naturally, this province has much in store. For starters, it is home to four national parks, including Mealy Mountains (the country's newest and Atlantic Canada's largest), which will welcome its fi rst guests in a few years. The remaining three—Gros Morne in western Newfoundland, Terra Nova in eastern Newfoundland and the Torngat Mountains on Labrado r's northern tip—are stand-outs in their own right. Collectively, they offer activities ranging from snowshoeing and snowmobil- ing to hiking, biking and botanical treks, along with kids' programs and campfi re events for all ages. These parks, however, don't hold a monopoly on outdoor fun. Take the Humber River area: although known primarily as a winter skiing and snow- boarding destination, it promises warm- weather pursuits like hiking, rappelling, golfi ng and caving too. On-the-water options in Newfoundland & Labrador include world-class salmon fi shing, sea kayaking and whitewater rafting. Increasing numbers of scuba divers and snorkellers are donning dry suits for a peek at what lies beneath as well. If you would rather see the sights from a boat deck, whale and birdwatching trips are widely available, but that's just the tip of the iceberg . . . literally and fi guratively. June through early July, berg chasing is so popular that the tourism board maintains a website to track the movement of these mountains of ice ( www.icebergfi nder.com). QUICK FACT THE PROVINCE IS ISOLATED ENOUGH TO WARRANT ITS OWN TIME ZONE ŠNST, .— HOURS AHEAD OF EST‹. SPECIAL EVENTS MAY • trails, tales and tunes festival, norris Point MAY Ÿ SEPTEMBER • Gros Morne theatre festival, Cow Head JUNE • the iceberg festival, St. anthony JUNE Ÿ SEPTEMBER • Seasons in the Bight theatre festival, trinity JULY • exploits Valley Salmon festival, Grand falls-Windsor • fish, fun & folk festival, twillingate • Sound Symposium, St. John's AUGUST • Brigus Blueberry festival • festival of flight, Gander • Great Labrador Canoe race, Happy Valley-Goose Bay • Muddy Hole Scuff 'n Scoff , Musgrave Harbour • newfoundland & Labrador folk festival, St. John's • royal St. John's regatta OCTOBER • fogo island Partridgeberry Harvest festival DECEMBER • north america's first new Year, St. John's MARCH ¦§¨ • tim Hortons Brier (Canadian Men's Curling Championship), St. John's www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/ ThingsToDo/FestivalsEvents noon DaY GUn, SiGnaL HiLL nationaL HiStoriC Site • ParKS CanaDa/DaLe WiLSon NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR