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 settlements 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 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.travelmanitoba.com/churchill).

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 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 theatregoers 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).     

6. Cold 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 cozy. Built anew each year, the Hôtel de Glace in Valcartier Vacation Village is open from January to late March (www.valcartier.com/en/lodging/hotel-de-glace-ice-hotel)

7. Claws Célèbre: New Brunswick

Shediac, a cute Acadian fishing 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 nine-day Shediac Lobster Festival. A favourite event, “La Grande Table,” is the famous lobster dinner served on a gigantic, long table where hundreds of people gather for a delicious locally sourced meal (www.shediaclobsterfestival.ca). 

8. Cliff Notes: Nova Scotia

The Joggins Fossil Cliffs 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 Pennsylvanian “Coal Age” of Earth history. Some 200 species of fossilized plants and animals have been discovered here, among them Hylonomus lyelli, the earliest known reptile and the first 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.jogginsfossilcliffs.net).