As the lights go down on Quebec City’s 2007 Winter Carnival, it’s worth remembering that all of Canada’s provinces are prone to a fair amount of celebration.
Whether it’s four-legged friends (Toronto’s Woofstock) or cowboys (Calgary Exhibition and Stampede), there’s always a hootenanny happening somewhere.
Some are among the world’s best in their field, such as the celebrations for the wines of Okanangan in British Columbia, or the Toronto International Film Festival, but all are worth a look.
Don’t miss out on the fun – follow our guide for the next six months.
April 2007
What? TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival, Whistler, BC.
When? April 13-22.
Who would it suit? Gnarly riders and ace skiers. Be in awe of those competing in the Old Spice World Snowboarding Classic and the World Skiing Invitational, or check out one of 50 live concerts during the festival. There are also fashion shows, films, DJ nights and, of course, the Whistler Dogfest, where 200 pooches parade with their owners. Whistler has
8,100 skiable acres of terrain across two mountains, with 200 trails and three glaciers.
Where to get tickets: Many events are free, including what has become Canada’s largest free outdoor concert series.
How to get there: Fly to Vancouver with Air Canada or British Airways from Heathrow. Zoom, Air Transat, Flyglobespan, Thomas Cook Airlines are among the other options for flights. Whistler is around a one-hour, 30-minute drive from Vancouver.
Where to stay: They’re spoilt for choice in Whistler, but if clients yearn for a refreshingly stylish take on a ski resort hotel, then Adara fits the bill, Whistler’s first designer boutique hotel. Or, Crystal Ski offers seven nights from £734 per person (room-only, based on six sharing), staying at the three-star Hotel Blackcomb Lodge in Whistler Village, including flights and transfers.
Log on to: Whistler2007.com
May 2007
What? , BC.
When? There’s a wine festival every season, but the next one coming up is the spring event, taking place between May 3 and 6.
Who would it suit? BC’s Okanagan wine-growing region has been dubbed the ‘Napa of the north’ in reference to its Californian cousin. Anyone who loves good wine and food will enjoy the Okanagan Wine Festivals. They can check out the oldest grape-growing region in BC, with more than 70 wineries to tour.
Where to get tickets: See Thewinefestivals.com
How to get there: Fly to Vancouver with Air Canada, Zoom, Air Transat, Flyglobespan, Thomas Cook Airlines or MyTravel Airways from various UK airports.
Where to stay: Air Transat Holidays has six nights from £659 per person, including three nights at the three-star Sandman Hotel Downtown, Vancouver and three nights at the four-star Grand Okanagan Resort and Air Transat flights. Car hire from £25 per day.
Log on to:Thewinefestivals.com
June 2007
What? Woofstock, Toronto, Ontario.
When? June 9-10.
Who would it suit? Anyone who likes dogs. Woofstock is possibly the world’s largest outdoor festival for our canine friends – and is definitely one of the quirkier things to mark on your Canadian calendar. It’s harmless fun for dog lovers – about 120,000 of them – and their pooches. There’s festive entertainment and shows at the city’s Historic St Lawrence Market Neighbourhood, but be warned: dogs wearing little coats and hair accessories may offend the more serious dog owners of the world. There’s a ‘stupid dog trick contest’ too. Aw, the paw things.
Where to get tickets: Not required: Woofstock is a free for all – man, woman or dog.
How to get there: Fly from Heathrow to Toronto with Air Canada, British Airways and BMI. Zoom also has direct flights from Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff and Belfast.
Where to stay: Recommend one of the Toronto hotels on Pets-allowed-hotels.com. Or, dog lovers could pop in as part of Titan HiTours’ Grand Canadian Coast-to-Coast tour, starting at £1,785, departing June 1 for 17 days. It includes all accommodation and Air Canada international and domestic flights, as well as Titian’s VIP home pick-up service and transfers in Canada.
Log on to: Woofstock.ca
July 2007
What? Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, Calgary, Alberta.
When? July 6-15.
Who would it suit? Budding JRs and outdoorsy types can pull on cowboy boots and 10-gallon hats for what’s now known as the ‘greatest outdoor show on earth’. Saddle up for 10 days of non-stop action, from chuck wagon races and rodeo events to big-name grandstand shows, a giant funfair and city-wide celebrations. Suggest this also as a brilliant event for families.
Where to get tickets: Check out Calgarystampede.com prices for rodeo, chuck wagon and evening show tickets.
How to get there: Air Canada flies to Calgary from Heathrow, or check out services of Zoom, Air Transat, Flyglobespan, Thomas Cook Airlines and MyTravel Airways.
Where to stay: Air Transat Holidays offers seven nights’ room-only at the Sandman Hotel from £845 per person, including flights from Gatwick to Calgary (July 5-12).
Log on to: get yourself a genuine cowboy moniker with the nickname generator – go to the 2007 section on Calgarystampede.com and click online fun.
What? Just for Laughs, Montreal, Quebec
When? July 12-22.
Who would it suit? Anyone who loves a laugh. This is the world’s largest and most prestigious comedy festival, bringing together the funniest performers from around the globe. This year is the Just for Laughs 25th anniversary so there’s bound to be more on the line-up than usual. Take your pick from more than 1,500 hilarious shows as well as free outdoor events. Look out for the Brit Com shows – an annual highlight – last year’s stars included Jimmy Carr and John Cleese.
Where to get tickets: Details on Hahaha.com
How to get there: Air Canada and British Airways have flights to Montreal from Heathrow, while Zoom flies from Gatwick.
Where to stay: Montreal is packed with big-name hotels from Le Meridien to W, as well as a clutch of cutting-edge boutique hotels such as Hotel St Paul and Hotel Le Germain. Or travellers might like to take in Just for Laughs as part of Titan HiTours’ eight-day Quebec Delights flydrive, which includes accommodation and car hire from £483. Flights are extra.
Log on to: Hahaha.com
August 2007
What? Festival Vancouver, BC.
When? August 5-19.
Who would it suit? A great event for true music aficionados, this annual event focuses on classical, jazz and world music. Come this summer, the theme is Nordic music and the sounds of Asia and there’ll be around 50 concerts and events covering a diverse musical spectrum.
Where to get tickets: See Festivalvancouver.bc.ca
How to get there: Fly to Vancouver with Air Canada or British Airways from Heathrow. Zoom, Air Transat, Flyglobespan, Thomas Cook Airlines are among the other options for flights.
Where to stay: There are many sophisticated choices to go with such a prestigious event, such as the Four Seasons or Fairmont hotels, or one of the event’s partner hotels such as Rosedale on Robson, in the trendy Yaletown district. Premier Holidays offers four nights at the Coast Plaza Hotel and Spa in Vancouver from £999 per person, including breakfast and Air Transat flights from Gatwick.
Log on to: Festivalvancouver.bc.ca
What? Discovery Days Festival, Dawson City, Yukon
When? August 16-21.
Who would it suit? Explorers, adventurers, those with a nose for gold… Dawson City in the Yukon is in the heart of Canada’s Klondike gold country and August is a good time to go. The city is just 165 miles south of the Arctic Circle so gets its best weather and more than 20 hours of sunlight in the summer. During the gold rush, Dawson City was the biggest city west of Toronto and it celebrates the day the first nuggets were discovered – August 16 1896 – with a festival taking in a street parade, Gold Tournament and the Yukon Riverside Arts Festival. Also, August 20-26 is time for the 2007 World Gold Panning championship.
Where to get tickets: Most events are free and don’t require tickets.
How to get there: Air North (Flyairnorth.com) connects the Yukon capital of Whitehorse with Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, or Air Canada flies daily between Whitehorse and Vancouver. Then hit the road for the 325-mile journey to Dawson City, driving the Klondike Kluane loop – preferably in a motorhome as that’s how everyone does it.
Where to stay: Frontier offers a 14-night Yukon Highlights tour from £934 per person, including accommodation, car rental and ferry passage Haines-Skagway. Air Canada flights in August to Whitehorse start at £1,035 per person.
Log on to:Touryukon.com
September 2007
What? , Toronto, Ontario.
When? September 6-15.
Who would it suit? Anyone interested in films and celebrity spotting, the festival is the world’s second-largest film festival showcasing more than 250 films from around the world. For 10 days, the whole of this cosmopolitan city comes alive with public screenings, parties and stargazing, making the festival a must-do for fans, critics and celebrities alike.
Where to get tickets: at Bell.ca/FilmFest.
How to get there: Fly from Heathrow to Toronto with Air Canada, British Airways and BMI. Zoom also has direct flights from Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff and Belfast.
Where to stay: Jetsetters might like the Hyatt and Fairmont, while young filmmakers and fans will love designer hotels such as Le Germain, SoHo Met, The Cosmopolitan and The Drake. Travel 4 offers three nights at the three-star Courtyard by Marriott and flights with Air Transat from £521.20 per person. Tel: 0870 608 2444.
Log on to:Bell.ca/FilmFest
What? International Shellfish Festival, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
When? September 14-16.
Who would it suit? Dedicated lovers of seafood. The Prince Edward Island International Shellfish Festival is known as the biggest ‘Kitchen Party’ in Atlantic Canada. From tips on how to eat the region’s best oysters, through to daily shellfish culinary demos and the Padreno Prince Edward Island Chowder Championship, it’s a shellfish fiesta. Kids will love the ‘World is Your Oyster’ programme, the Atlantic Veterinary College Marine Touch Tank. Families can head off on a Peake’s Wharf Boat Cruise for a guided tour.
Where to get tickets: There’s a small charge for daily admissions to the food tents.
How to get there: Flights are available to Halifax (Nova Scotia, then drive over to Prince Edward Island) with various carriers from a range of UK airports, including Air Canada, Canadian Affair and Zoom.
Where to stay: Air Transat Holidays offers seven nights from £757 per person. This includes a night at the four-star Pictou Lodge, Pictou; three nights at the four-star Rodd Charlottetown Hotel; a further night at the Pictou Lodge; two nights at the Lord Nelson, Halifax, as well as flights with Thomas Cook.
Tel: 0870 074 7474.
Log on to:Peishellfish.com
