OFFSHORE SIGHTS THAT DELIGHT
Maybe it’s the fresh air, maybe it’s that there are fewer things obstructing your view. But being out on a boat is always a great way to spend time when you travel. With that in mind, Jim Byers looks at 10 classic ways to see Canada from the water.
TORONTO
The Toronto Islands are one of the great attractions of the city. The ferry boats cost just a few dollars and take only five or 10 minutes, but you’ll be rewarded with fantastic views of the skyline of Canada’s biggest city. If you go to Wards Island, head toward the Eastern Channel entrance to Toronto Harbour to check out funky island homes and excellent views.
VICTORIA
The Victoria ferry harbour boat stops at various points around the bay — as guides point out birds’ nests — and gives you upclose views of the house boats that are docked in the harbour. On the way back toward the main dock, you’ll get Instagram-worthy shots of the provincial parliament building and the iconic Fairmont Empress Hotel.
THE ROCKIES
Lake Louise has more tourists, but Moraine Lake is just as pretty and perhaps more dramatic. You can pick up a canoe near the Moraine Lake Lodge for a halfhour. As if admiring the craggy mountains that rise up into the sky isn’t enough, there’s also a waterfall you can admire at one end of the lake.
CHARLOTTETOWN
The main shopping areas of Prince Edward Island’s capital city are away from the water, but there are several companies operating tours of the harbour. One option is Peake’s Wharf Boat Tours. You also can take a sailing voyage with Saga Sailing Adventures. Or a lobster excursion with Top Notch Charters. Tons of options in a charming Canadian city.
QUEBEC
The lovely Parc national des Hautes- Gorges-de-la-Riviere-Malbaie lies a couple hours east of Quebec City. Narrated boat rides of the gorges take you past towering cliffs where eagles swirl on silent patterns of air. Some of the rock formations resemble animals, such as monkeys. One tour guide once tried to tell me that a pattern in the rock mirrored the face of Adolf Hitler.
SASKATOON
You’ll get great views of the Meewasin Valley and downtown Saskatoon as you glide along in the 120-passenger, white Prairie Lily riverboat on the South Saskatchewan River. They do regular cruises, plus dinner and brunch trips, with fantastic views of towering, overhead bridges and the city’s new, spit-and-polished waterfront parks. You also can combine a ride with a ticket to see a play put on by Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan. A trip along Western Brook Pond is one of the great boat rides in Canada. Although technically not a fiord because it doesn’t open directly to the ocean, the pond feels very much like one due to the high mountain walls that surround the lake. Exceptional views all around and, most of the time, magnificent waterfalls you can view. Look for moose or other critters along the shore.
VANCOUVER
The city is blessed with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to water tours. A kayak or canoe ride out of Granville Island is a good way to see the city and also get some exercise. Folks not quite ready for that kind of excitement can try the adorable ferry boats that bop around False Creek, stopping at the Science Centre, Granville Island and Yaletown.
WINNIPEG
The folks at Splash Dash run half-hour tours of Winnipeg that leave from The Forks, a popular gathering spot in the centre of town. Captains will point out places of interest along the way in a city that’s gaining more attractions all the time, including the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
The shores of Lake Superior don’t get nearly the traffic of natural areas closer to Ontario’s big popular centres, but the scenery is fantastic and it’s the largest freshwater lake on the planet. Discovery Charters out of Rockport will take you to glorious islands and romantic lighthouses, all the while entertaining you with stories of shipwrecks and colourful locals. jim@jimbyerstravel.com