Page 21 - 2024-25 Travel Guide to Canada

2BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS:
ALBERTA
Hungry attendees will be happy to hear that
pancake flipping is as much a part of the
Calgary Stampede as bull riding and barrel
racing. In fact, an estimated 200,000 pancakes
are served at free breakfasts hosted city-wide
each July during the 10-day event. Many also
come with a side order of entertainment. The
tradition started in 1923 when chuckwagon
driver Jack Morton began inviting random
folks to share his morning meal; now it serves
as edible evidence of that legendary Western
hospitality (www.stampedebreakfast.ca).
3FISH TALES:
SASKATCHEWAN
Saskatchewan may call to mind waving
fields of prairie grain, yet this landlocked
spot has real waves as well. In fact, 100,000
or so lakes and rivers cover about a tenth of
the province, providing some of the best
freshwater fishing anywhere. World record-
breaking burbot, northern pike and brook
trout have been caught here; trophy-sized
walleyes—Saskatchewan’s official provincial
fish and its most popular game species—also
lure in anglers. Whether you are passionate
about fly fishing or eager to try ice fishing,
experienced local outfitters can set you up
(www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/things-
to-do/fishing).
4BEAR 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
settlements where they can be seen in the
wild. Because it sits on a polar bear migra-
tion route, hundreds pass through as they
travel to the ice floes 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.travel
manitoba.com/churchill).
5DRAMATIC EVENTS:
ONTARIO
Shakespeare said “All the world’s a stage,” and
Stratford—a small city in southwestern
Ontario named for the Bard’s birthplace in the
U.K.—actually feels like one during its
signature event. Typically, each year, from
mid-April through October, the Stratford
Festival draws about half a million theatre-
goers to multiple venues. Founded in 1953, it
had humble beginnings: plays were originally
performed in a giant canvas tent and the
season lasted six weeks. From the start,
however, the festival attracted luminaries
from the theatre world. Sir Tyrone Guthrie
was its first artistic director and Sir Alec
Guinness starred in its inaugural production
of Richard III (www.stratfordfestival.ca).
6COLD COMFORT:
QUÉBEC
What beats walking in a winter wonderland?
How about sleeping in one? At the Hôtel de
Glace, everything—including the glittering
guest room furniture—is made entirely of
ice and snow: some 15,000 tonnes. 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.
POLAR BEARS, CHURCHILL MB • TRAVEL MANITOBA
19
ICE HOTEL, QC • GAËLLE LEROYER
ICE FISHING, TOBIN LAKE • TOURISM SASKATCHEWAN/
ROB WEITZEL GRAPHIC PRODUCTIONS