The Prairies
Flydrive: Heartland Explorer. Nine-day independent itinerary by All Canada Travel and Holidays across rugged terrain and spectacular mountains. Route to and from Calgary takes in Waterton Lakes National Park; Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon and Alberta’s Badlands. Departures until October 2 cost from £405 per person twinshare, plus accommodation and car.
Polar bear watching: one week at Churchill in Manitoba with Windows on the Wild. Departures in October cost £2,015, including flights, occasional meals, accommodation, excursions and guides. Many other operators feature shorter trips, including 1st Class Holidays with four/five days from £1,006 round trip from Winnipeg. International flights not included.
Fishing: three to seven-day packages at Island Lake Lodge on Stevenson Island, Manitoba, from £1,275. Includes fly-in trips to surrounding lakes and rivers by floatplane. Part of the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association. Its Internet site is at: http://www/mloa.com
Ranch stays: Travel 4 offers three-night stays at two ranches in Alberta until the end of October, including accommodation, all meals and horse rides. The Rafter Six Ranch Resort on the Kananaskis River costs £282 per person twinshare, and the family-run Homeplace Ranch at the foothills of the Rockies is priced at £199. Daily transfers from Calgary cost £16 each way.
Lodges and chalets: Lakeside CP Jasper Park Lodge at Jasper, Alberta, with a wide range of facilities, costs from £53 per person per night twinshare. Bear Hill Lodge, Jasper, from £33 twinshare. Offered by Vacation Canada.
City stays: Globespan has expanded its range of stays in Calgary with a choice of five hotels. The first-class Coast Plaza Hotel costs from £28 per person per night twinshare. All Canada Travel and Holidays has three-day Edmonton Shopping Extravaganza packages from £93, covering two nights’ accommodation, daily breakfast, lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and discount shopping coupons.