Issue link: http://read.canadatravelguides.ca/i/651528
TRAVEL GUIDE TO CANADA ICY ALTERNATIVES From climbing frozen waterfalls in the Rockies to snowkiting over frozen lakes on "The Rock" (Newfoundland), cool options abound. If you want to stick with the classics, you can skate alfresco almost anywhere—even in the middle of major cities—given the wealth of natural and artifi cial rinks. Variations on tobogganing, similarly, are available on countless hills and slick pro tracks, like those at WinSport's Canada Olympic Park in Calgary ( www. winsport.ca) or the Whistler Sliding Centre (www.whistlerslidingcentre. com). And don't forget snowshoeing, an ancient mode of transportation made easier by today's lighter equipment. Folks who dream of yelling "mush" can try dogsledding, another time-honoured tradition, in most provinces and territories. Snowmobiling is a speedier update, and there's no shortage of trails; you'll fi nd more than 22,000 km (13,670 mi.) worth just in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Of course, simply sitting back to savour the aurora borealis is appealing, too. While Mother Nature's dazzling light display is visible in many northern locales, clear skies and an enviable position below the aurora oval make Yellowknife an optimal observation point ( www.astronomynorth.com ). Not to be outdone, city dwellers host their own dazzling seasonal celebrations. Foremost among them is the Québec Winter Carnival —the world's largest winter festival—which brings snow sculptures, sleigh rides and cold-weather competitions, all enhanced by the joie de vivre of historic Vieux-Québec, from the end of January through mid- February ( www.carnaval.qc.ca/en ). Top draws elsewhere include Winterlude in the National Capital Region (www.pch. gc.ca ) and Winnipeg's Festival du Voyageur (www.festivalvoyageur.mb.ca ). Spring The fi rst day of spring can look very different depending on where you are. Some Canadians will be digging out from the latest snowstorm; others will already be in gardening mode. No matter when the thaw sets in, though, it's greeted warmly. TRAIL MIX Events like the World Ski and Snowboard Festival, staged in Whistler each April, prove how persistent the white stuff is (www.wssf.com). As the mercury rises, however, even winter wonderlands morph into playgrounds for sunnier pursuits. In fact, once the snow melts, it isn't uncom- mon to see mountain bikers tackling the vertigo-inducing slopes that Alpine skiers formerly swooshed down, or nature buffs taking to the paths their Nordic counter- parts traversed earlier. Each province and territory has trails that put lovely landscapes within easy reach of hikers and bikers. The marquee one is the Trans Canada Trail which, when complete, will be the longest of its kind in the world ( www.tctrail.ca ). P.E.I.'s pastoral section—the gently graded Confederation Trail—follows a converted rail bed across the island from tip to tip (www.island trails.ca ). If that sounds daunting, city systems such as Saskatoon's Meewasin Valley Trail (www.meewasin.com ) or the Grand Concourse in St. John's, give urbanites a taste of the country (www. grandconcourse.ca ). VanCoUVer, BC • toUriSM BC/toM rYan