Travel Guides to Canada

4 BEAR NECESSITIES: MANITOBA You can see a polar bear just by picking up a "toonie"—the two-dollar coin. But if you want an up-close look at the planet's largest land predators, make tracks for Churchill. This tiny community on the western shore of Hudson Bay is one of the only human settle- ments where they can be seen in the wild. Because it sits on a polar bear migration route, hundreds pass through as they travel to the ice fl oes in October and November. Cool Tundra Buggies—complete with oversized wheels and an outside viewing platform— take guests to observe them on unforgettable day tours ( www.everythingchurchill.com). 5 DRAMATIC EVENTS: ONTARIO Shakespeare said "All the world's a stage," and Stratford—a small city in southwestern Ontario named for the Bard's birthplace— actually feels like one during its signature event. Each year, from April through October, the Stratford Festival draws about half a million theatregoers to multiple venues. Founded in 1953, it had humble beginnings: plays were originally per- formed in a tent. From the start, however, the festival attracted luminaries from the theatre world. Sir Tyrone Guthrie was its fi rst artistic director and Sir Alec Guinness starred in its inaugural production of Richard III ( www.stratfordfestival.ca). 6 COLD COMFORT: QUÉBEC What beats walking in a winter wonder- land? How about sleeping in one? At the Hôtel de Glace, everything—including the glittering guest room furniture—is made entirely of ice and snow: 30,500 tonnes of it to be exact. Its thick walls act like a thermos, so you can chill without getting too chilly; and the ice-block beds, topped with a solid wood base and a comfortable mattress, an isolating bed sheet and Arctic- rated sleeping bags, are très cosy. Built anew each year, the Hôtel de Glace is in Valcartier Vacation Village and open from January to late March ( www.hoteldeglace-canada.com). 7 CLAWS CÉLÈBRE: NEW BRUNSWICK Shediac, a cute Acadian fi shing community, bills itself as the "Lobster Capital of the World." Whether or not that's technically true, this town obviously loves the King of Crustaceans. One is proudly displayed on its coat of arms; another—a 55-tonne whopper, albeit made from metal—is its main attraction. Moreover, since 1949, it has honoured the catch du jour each July during the fi ve-day Shediac Lobster Festival. The highlight of the event is a nightly contest during which recruits attempt to crack and consume three lobsters as quickly as possible ( www.shediaclobsterfestival.ca). 8 CLIFF NOTES: NOVA SCOTIA The Joggins Fossil Cliff s on Chignecto Bay are more than just another pretty rock face. After all, they provide an unparalleled look at what life was like 300 million years ago during the Carboniferous Period. Some 200 species of fossilized plants and animals have been discovered here, among them Hylonomus lyelli, the earliest known reptile and the fi rst known vertebrate able to live entirely on land. Cited by Charles Darwin in The Origin of Species, this 15-km-long (9.3-mi.), tide-washed UNESCO World Heritage site has been dubbed the "Coal Age Galápagos" ( www.jogginsfossilcliff s.net). 9 A RECORD-BREAKING BRIDGE: PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Although P.E.I. joined Confederation in 1873, the province wasn't physically connected to the rest of Canada until the billion-dollar Confederation Bridge opened between Borden-Carleton and Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick, 124 years later. Comprised of almost 13 km (8 mi.) of curvaceous concrete, the so-called "fi xed link" qualifi es as the longest bridge in the world spanning ice-covered water. It took a team of more than 5,000 workers four years to build this 11-m-wide (36-ft.) engineering marvel; motorists can cross it in a mere 12 minutes ( www.confederationbridge.com). 10 MIXED SIGNALS: NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR The provincial capital's leading landmark, Signal Hill, is crowned by an imposing stone tower, which was erected to commemorate the arrival of Giovanni Caboto in 1497. The Genoese explorer is better known to anglophones as John Cabot. Coincidently, CONFEDERATION BRIDGE, PE • SHUTTERSTOCK/DAVID P. LEWIS SHEDIAC, NB • DESTINATION CANADA 14 14

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