Issue link: http://read.canadatravelguides.ca/i/651528
TRAVEL GUIDE TO CANADA FLOURISHING FLORA The maple leaf is our national symbol, yet this time of year the tree's sap matters just as much because making syrup from it is a rite of spring. About 80 percent of all maple syrup comes from Canada and, as the sap rises, producers from Ontario to the Atlantic kick into high gear for "sugaring off." Québec alone has 400-odd cabanes à sucre (sugar shacks), so there are lots of places where you can see the sweet treat made, then sample it poured on pancakes or poured over snow to create taffy-like la tire. Blooming fl owers are another sure sign of spring. Residents of Victoria do a blossom count in late February, gleefully broadcasting the results; and before long the city's acclaimed Butchart Gardens are awash with colour ( www.butchartgardens. com ). But it takes the rest of the country time to catch up. The Devonian Botanic Garden outside Edmonton doesn't open until May (www.devonian.ualberta.ca ); ditto for notable Maritime cousins including Nova Scotia's Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens (www.historicgardens.com ) and New Brunswick's Kingsbrae Garden (www.kingsbraegarden.com ). Summer Summer—when the weather is warmest, the days are longest and the tour options are broadest—is the peak period for vacationers. Landlubbers have plenty to do and warmed-up water beckons, making this the time for a true surf-and-turf experience. LANDƒBASED ACTIVITIES The number of hiking and cycling enthusi- asts enjoying recreational trails continues to multiply in summer. Towering mountains, moreover, tempt an increasing number of climbers: with the Coast Mountains and Rocky Mountains to the west, the Appalachians to the east, the Canadian Shield in between, and the heart-stopping St. Elias Range to the north—the choices are endless for intrepid types who have set their sights high ( www.alpineclubof canada.ca ). When something more down to earth is in order, Canada's National Parks deliver (www.pc.gc.ca ). During July and August they put together a full roster of programs, enabling visitors to participate in scheduled events that run the gamut from horseback riding and birdwatching to interpretive walks and nighttime stargazing sessions. The fact that many of these are affordable or free, and geared toward families, is a welcome bonus. BEACHES If beach bums had to pick a single prov- ince, it would probably be P.E.I. Boasting over 800 km (500 mi.) of sand and saltwater temperatures that can reach 21ºC (70ºC), the smallest province is a summer paradise. From the sandy expanses of Cavendish and Greenwich—both part of Prince Edward Island National Park ( www.pc.gc.ca/eng/ pn-np/pe/pei-ipe/visit.aspx)—to the "singing sands" of Basin Head (www. tourismpei.com/provincial-park/ basin-head), there is a beach to suit every taste. Tourists continuing cross-country, though, don't have to wait until they hit the Pacifi c to take the plunge again. Witness Wasaga Beach on Georgian Bay (www.wasagabeach.com ), the world's longest freshwater strand; or Lake Winnipeg's aptly-named Grand Beach (www.grand beachtourism.com ), complete with 12-m (39-ft.) high sand dunes. Then there are the beaches of Saskatchewan's Little Manitou Lake where it's never a case of sink or GreenWiCH BeaCH, Pe • toUriSM Pei/StePHen HarriS FOUR SEASONS