Issue link: http://read.canadatravelguides.ca/i/809166
from downtown Toronto during peak travel seasons, as well as savings booklets, gifts with minimum purchase, coat and parcel checks, free WiFi and discounts at nearby hotels. The mix of full-price and discount retailers includes Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, Tommy Hilfi ger, Sephora, Vans and many more . The company's newest outlet mall is the Outlet Collection in Winnipeg, a 37,100-sq.-m (400,000-sq.-ft.) destination with more than 100 retailers, slated to open in late spring. There are many other outlet malls across the country well worth a visit. In Richmond, British Columbia, McArthurGlen is a fi ve-minute drive from Vancouver International Airport and is easily accessible by the SkyTrain rapid transit system. The complex is home to international names such as Coach, Armani and Fossil. In Québec, the Premium Outlets complex near Montréal attracts shoppers with promises of discounts of 25 to 65 percent on brands such as MaxMara and Gucci. UNIQUE NEIGHBOURHOODS Across the country, historic sites and pedestrian-scaled neighbourhoods are home to one-of-a-kind stores. Along False Creek in Vancouver, Granville Island is a one-time industrial site that was reclaimed and redeveloped in the 1970s. Today, it features a farmers' market, bakeries, restaurants, and artisans crafting everything from pottery to sake. Dating back to the 1870s, Calgary's Inglewood has recently evolved into a hip hub of galleries, music venues, cafés, and boutiques specializing in everything from bedding to spices. Its counterpart in Saskatoon is Riversdale, once home to carriage makers and furniture stores and now the site of two theatre companies, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, a fashion design school and scores of quirky shops. For vibrant street life in retail-rich Montréal, the Plateau Mont-Royal neigh- bourhood is a good bet. The Forks in Winnipeg, a former rail yard at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, has been reclaimed and is now a hive of activity. One of the city's top tourist attractions, it is busy with restaurants, specialty retailers, a farmers' market, out- door performance spaces and the landmark Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Speaking of farmers' markets, several across the country date back to the 1700s or early 1800s, including the Saint John City Market in New Brunswick, the ByWard Market in Ottawa, the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto and the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market. Also in Halifax, a district of shipping warehouses built in the early 19 th century is now a popular waterfront destination called the Historic Properties, where visitors can explore a range of boutiques and enjoy premium ice cream, craft beers and fresh seafood. Finally, one of Canada's most pictur- esque shopping streets is the narrow rue du Petit-Champlain in Québec City. In December, when it is decorated with Christmas trees and usually at least dusted with snow, it is like something out of a Dickens novel—if Dickens had been French-Canadian. ONLY IN CANADA For many travellers, the highlight of a trip is fi nding a unique item to bring home and proudly display or give as a gift. Fortunately, Canada has no shortage of those. BANFF, AB • BANFF & LAKE LOUISE TOURISM/PAUL ZIZKA 58