SO MANY CHOICES, ALL IN ONE PLACE
When you can’t decide whether you want big cities or small towns, beaches or boreal forests, or museums or motorsports, you don’t have to choose— you can enjoy all that (and much more) in Ontario, Canada’s second-largest province.
Three times the size of Germany and four times bigger than the United Kingdom, Ontario offers unlimited adventures. Enjoy the view from one of the world’s tallest towers or delve into the earth to learn the history of mining. Canoe across a deserted lake or party with crowds at a rock festival. From culinary festivals and wineries to whitewater rafting and moose, Ontario has it all.
Ontario is home to Canada’s capital, Ottawa, where you can thrill to the Changing of the Guard ceremony on Parliament Hill (visit.parl.ca), see the magnificent Canada Goose Arctic Gallery at the Canadian Museum of Nature (www.nature.ca) and learn about Canada’s military history at the Canadian War Museum (www.warmuseum.ca).
Leave lots of time to explore Toronto, the country’s largest metropolis (www.see torontonow.com). Book early to see world premieres—and, perhaps, a few Hollywood stars—at the Toronto International Film Festival (www.tiff.net). And don’t miss the Aga Khan Museum of Muslim culture (www. agakhanmuseum.org), the Ontario Science Centre (www.ontariosciencecentre.ca), the newly renovated CN Tower (www.cntower.ca) and animals such as penguins and cheetahs at the Toronto Zoo (www.torontozoo.com). CityPASS offers a savings pass on admissions to five of Toronto’s top attractions, including many of those mentioned above. Once activated, it is valid for nine consecutive days (www.citypass.com).
Ottawa and Toronto are just the beginning of what Ontario has to offer. You can also tour wineries along Lake Erie, in Prince Edward County or on the Niagara Peninsula (www.winecountryontario.ca). If outdoor adventure is more your style, camp in breathtaking Killarney (www.ontario parks.com/park/killarney), Sleeping Giant (www.ontarioparks.com/park/sleeping giant) or Algonquin (www.algonquinpark. on.ca) provincial parks, or canoe along the Grand River (www.theheartofontario.com).
TAKE A SMALL-TOWN BREAK
Amble along lanes lined with locally owned shops. Linger over dinner at a table overlooking a waterfall, lake or canal, then unwind in a quaint B&B. Ontario’s many small towns and cities are havens of relaxation.
Take in a play or build a sandcastle on the beach in Grand Bend (www.grandbend. com). Explore charming shops in Niagaraon-the-Lake (www.niagaraonthelake.com), enjoy a spa day in Grafton (www.steannes. com) or unwind at one of Almonte’s many festivals (www.lanarkcountytourism.com). And delve into Ontario’s intriguing history at sites like the Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum in Carp (www.diefen bunker.ca), the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount Hope (www.warplane.com) and the Canadian Transportation Museum and Heritage Village in Kingsville (www.ctmhv.com).
ENJOY WATERFRONT VIEWS
When Ontarians say “cottage country,” they generally mean any of a number of rural regions dotted with clear lakes perfect for canoeing, kayaking, swimming, waterskiing . . . or just admiring from the shore while ensconced in a comfortable hammock. Bring your camera and binoculars, as you may well spot deer, loons or coyotes. Popular cottage areas include Muskoka (www.discovermuskoka.ca), the Kawarthas (www.thekawarthas.ca), Ontario’s
Highlands (www.comewander.ca) and the Rideau Valley (www.rideauheritageroute.ca). Pamper yourself with a restful weekend at one of Ontario’s summer resorts (www. resortsofontario.com).
WHAT’S NEW?
Pimachiowin Aki—a 29,040 sq. km
(11,212 sq. mi.) stretch of boreal forest on the Ontario-Manitoba border that is sacred to the Anishinaabe people—became a UNESCO World Heritage site last July (www.pimaki.ca).
Whispering Springs Wilderness Retreat, 90 minutes east of Toronto, offers luxury camping (“glamping”) in safari tents with ensuite washrooms and king-sized beds (www.whisperingsprings.ca).
New floor-to-ceiling Window Walls atop Toronto’s CN Tower make it easier for guests with mobility challenges to enjoy the view (www.cntower.ca).
Nordik Spa-Nature is scheduled to open its third location—a 3.6 ha (8.9 acre) Nordicstyle spa—in the Toronto suburb of Whitby in the fall (www.lenordik.com/en/).
Yukon Striker, billed as the world's fastest, longest and tallest dive roller coaster, is set to open at Canada's Wonderland amusement park in Vaughan this summer (www.canadas wonderland.com/play/rides/yukon-striker).
CITY LIGHTS
Toronto is a magnet for cosmopolitan travellers. Browse for merchandise in flagship international stores along Bloor Street and luxurious shops in Yorkville (www.bloor-yorkville.com), or unique boutiques and galleries in the restored Victorian-era buildings of the Distillery District (www.thedistillerydistrict.com). Teeter 116 storeys above the city on the CN Tower’s EdgeWalk (www.edgewalkcntower.ca). Relax on the shores of Lake Ontario at Harbourfront Centre (www.harbourfrontcentre.com), or on the green parkland of the islands across the city harbour (www. torontoisland.com). Luxurious hotels, noted restaurants, and professional baseball, hockey, basketball, football and
soccer—Toronto has it all.
In Ottawa, the first stop for many is Parliament Hill. The Centre Block is closed for extensive renovations, but tours of the temporary homes of the House of Commons and the Senate—in the West Block and the Government Conference Centre, respectively—are available (visit. parl.ca). The Hill overlooks the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage site that draws cyclists, boaters and skaters (www. parkscanada.gc.ca/rideau). Nearby, farmers’ stalls, independent boutiques and popular nightclubs keep the ByWard Market humming from morning to night (www. byward-market.com). TD Place at Lansdowne Park is home to the city’s Canadian Football League franchise, the Ottawa REDBLACKS (www.ottawaredblacks.com), as well as the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League (www.ottawa67s.com).
The excellent attractions in the province’s smaller cities range from the
Art Gallery of Hamilton (www.artgalleryof hamilton.com), the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough (www.canoemuseum.ca) and the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in Sault Ste. Marie (www.bushplane. com) to public markets such as the Kingston Public Market (www.kingstonpublicmarket. ca), the Covent Garden Market in London (www.coventmarket.com) and the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market in the heart of Mennonite country (www.stjacobsmarket.com).
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Whether you’re a nature novice or a seasoned outdoor adventurer, Ontario has wilderness space for you—and many ways to help you enjoy it.
Unspoiled landscapes vary from the remote lakes and rivers of fly-in fishing camps (www.visitsunsetcountry.com) to the quaint cottage country of Thousand Islands National Park (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/ thousandislands).
The Ontario Parks’ Learn to Camp program offers hands-on practice in pitching a tent and cooking outdoors at seven of Ontario’s provincial parks (www.ontario parks.com/learntocamp).
Wherever you go, you can choose from an incredible range of adventures. Train your binoculars on migrating birds at the Pelee Island Bird Observatory (pibo.ca/en). Walk high above the forest floor in the Ganaraska Forest (www.treetoptrekking. com/parks/ganaraska). Hunt for rare stones in Bancroft (www.hastingscounty.com/visit/ rockhounding) or hike an outstanding long-distance trail (www.ontariotrails.on. ca). The Canadian Canoe Route (owl-mkc. ca/mkc/info/thecdncanoeroute) starts in Toronto and finishes in Ottawa. Go crosscountry or downhill skiing near Collingwood, on the scenic shores of Georgian Bay (www. visitsouthgeorgianbay.ca). Dive among shipwrecks at Fathom Five National Marine Park near Tobermory (www.parkscanada.gc. ca/fathomfive) or in the St. Lawrence River (www.1000islands.com/sunken-treasuresthe-wrecks-of-the-1000-islands). Zip through the trees at Skywood Eco Adventure near Brockville (www.skywoodzip.com) or Long Point Eco-Adventures in St. Williams (www. lpfun.ca), or fly 67 m (220 ft.) above the Niagara Gorge on WildPlay’s MistRider Zipline to the Falls (www.niagarafalls.wild play.com/mistrider-zipline). Try cycling, sailing, kayaking, rock climbing, spelunking, snowmobiling, dogsledding, ice fishing, snowshoeing or snowboarding!
HERITAGE AND CULTURE
Theatre lovers are spoiled for choice in Ontario. Toronto alone offers blockbuster performances by Mirvish Productions (www.mirvish.com) and a wide range of plays presented by other theatre companies; check What’s On TOnight for tickets (www.whatsontonight.ca). In Ottawa, the National Arts Centre offers dance, music by the National Arts Centre Orchestra and others, and English and French theatre (www.nac-cna.ca/en). Elsewhere, noteworthy theatre festivals include the Stratford Festival (www.stratfordfestival.ca) and the Shaw Festival (www.shawfest.com). Classical music fans can revel in performances by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (www.tso.ca) and the Canadian Opera Company (www.coc.ca), while dance aficionados enjoy the National Ballet of Canada (national.ballet.ca).
Fine art has many homes across the province, including the Art Gallery of Ontario (www.ago.ca), the McMichael Canadian Art Collection (www.mcmichael. com) and the National Gallery of Canada (www.gallery.ca). Learn about Indigenous Peoples of Ontario at Petroglyphs Provincial Park near Peterborough (www.ontarioparks. com/park/petroglyphs) and the Museum of Ontario Archaeology in London (www. archaeologymuseum.ca). Indigenous history is also one of many topics covered by the world-renowned Royal Ontario Museum (www.rom.on.ca/en).
History buffs can choose from meticulously preserved historic sites and living history museums, including Fort Henry (www.forthenry.com) and Upper Canada Village (www.uppercanadavillage.com) in Eastern Ontario; Fort George (www.parks canada.gc.ca/fortgeorge) and Old Fort Erie (www.niagaraparks.com/visit/heritage/ old-fort-erie) near Niagara Falls; Fort York (www.fortyork.ca) and Black Creek Pioneer Village (www.blackcreek.ca) in Toronto; Doon Heritage Village (www.waterloo regionmuseum.ca/en/index.aspx) in Kitchener; and the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum in North Buxton, near Chatham (www.buxtonmuseum.com).
MUST SEE, MUST DO
Discover an underwater wonderland of some 16,000 creatures at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada in downtown Toronto (www. ripleyaquariums.com/canada).
Make maple syrup at one of the only places in the world where you can do so from spring through fall: The Deakins Bed & Breakfast in Killaloe (www.deakinbandb.com).
See one of the world’s most diverse lilac collections at Canada’s largest botanic garden, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington (www.rbg.ca).
Have a drink at the 2016 Canadian Moonshine Distillery of the Year: Murphy’s Law in Elmira (www.murphyslawmoonshine.com).
Thrill to the thunder of North America’s most powerful cataract, Niagara Falls, where nearby attractions range from great shopping and family fun to glittering casinos (www.niagarafallstourism.com).
Revel in Ontario’s glorious fall colours aboard the Agawa Canyon Tour Train, which departs from Sault Ste. Marie (www. agawatrain.com). Further north, board the seasonal Polar Bear Express, a train that takes you from Cochrane to Moosonee on the shores of James Bay (www.ontario northland.ca/en/home).
Howl with wolves at the Haliburton Forest Wolf Centre, home to one of the world’s largest wolf enclosures of its kind (www. haliburtonforest.com/things-to-do/ wolf-centre).
Cutting across Southern Ontario from Windsor to the Québec border and stretching over 3,000 km (1,864 mi.), the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail—open for cycling, hiking and other types of non-motorized transport—links 140 communities and hundreds of parks and natural areas (www.waterfronttrail.org).
Learn about everything from the earth’s crust to the far reaches of the galaxy at Science North in Sudbury, which features a planetarium, a butterfly gallery and a wetlands lab, as well as Dynamic Earth— recently expanded to include an outdoor science park and playground, complete with mining equipment (www.science north.ca).
Delve into Canada’s fur-trading history at Fort William Historical Park, a living history site in Thunder Bay (www.fwhp.ca).
SCENIC DRIVES
The 1000 Islands Parkway winds along the St. Lawrence River, where you can kayak, canoe, scuba dive or take a boat tour (www. visit1000islands.com/communities/1000islands-parkway-on).
Driving routes through the Ottawa Valley illuminate everything from logging history
to ghost towns (www.ottawavalley.travel/ Valley_Explore/Drive/Driving_Tour_Guide. html).
The Apple Pie Trail winds through scenic landscapes in the Blue Mountains region (www.applepietrail.com).
The Loyalist Parkway between Trenton and Kingston traces Ontario’s late 18th century history (www.pec.on.ca/lpa).
There are scenic routes in Southwestern Ontario for a range of interests, from birding to beaches (www.ontariossouth west.com).
The area around Stratford is home to culinary trails devoted to chocolate and to bacon and ale (www.visitstratford.ca/ culinary-adventures).
Enjoy rugged, dramatic vistas and superb camping along Lake Superior’s north shore (www.superiorcountry.ca).
FAMILY FUN
Amusements abound at Wild Waterworks (www.wild-waterworks.com), Playdium (www. playdium.com) and Canada’s Wonderland (www.canadaswonderland.com). Santa’s Village appeals to both toddlers and teens (www.santasvillage.ca). Little ones might also enjoy Storybook Gardens (www.story book.london.ca). Plane buffs should see the Canada Aviation and Space Museum (www. ingeniumcanada.org/aviation/index.php). Gamers flock to The Rec Room, a large arcade and entertainment complex near Toronto’s Rogers Centre (www.therecroom.com) and to Ctrl V, a virtual-reality arcade chain with multiple locations in Southern Ontario, including a flagship arcade in Waterloo (www. ctrlv.ca). Budding mechanics can tour a Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada plant in Cambridge (www.tmmc.ca/en/plants/ plant-tours). Finally, sites for animal lovers include the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory (www.cambridgebutterfly.com) and African Lion Safari (www.lionsafari.com). For more inspiration: www.ontariotravel.net.