TRAVEL TO THE 5 WONDERS OF CANADA
You’ve probably never heard of these places, but they are sensational!
Here are five must-visit destinations to add to your bucket list.
1. FOGO ISLAND, N. L.
Quaint meets curious on Fogo Island, off the northeast coast of Newfoundland. For quaintness, look to the postcard-perfect settlement of Tilting Harbour, with its weathered docks, centuries- old fishermen’s sheds, brightly painted saltbox houses and upturned fishing boats. Now for the curious, or should I say, ultracontemporary: Steps away from the granite shores of the brooding North Atlantic are sleek Architectural Digest– worthy artists’ studios sitting on stilts (protecting the lichencovered ground) and the newly opened uberposh Fogo Island Inn, a multimillion- dollar enterprise that’s rejuvenating the local economy. The old world meets new against a backdrop of slow-moving icebergs, silent and mammoth. They’re the one constant. How to make it happen: From Gander airport, drive one hour and 15 minutes to the ferry dock in Farewell, N. L., for the 20-minute crossing. If you’re landing in St. John’s, expect a nearly five-hour drive to Farewell. For more: fogoislandinn.ca, newfoundlandlabrador.com
2. LADY EVELYNSMOOTHWATER PROVINCIAL PARK, TEMAGAMI, ONT.
Needles from old- growth red and white pine trees, some of them 350 years old, cushion the ground beneath your feet. The air is pregnant with silence, save for the rhythmic slapping of calm lake water against rocky shores. To stand still in this 72,400-hectare expanse of wilderness in northeastern Ontario is to truly embrace the beauty of isolation. (Just mind the moose traffic.) Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park is the most popular of the 11 parks in the Temagami region. Ancient portage trails link hundreds of pristine lakes and rivers in a 1,500-kilometre canoe route. This is mecca for backcountry campers and canoeists. How to make it happen: Drive north from Elk Lake, Ont., to Temagami, or enter by water at Mowat Landing on the Montreal River. Floatplanes can be arranged from Elk Lake, Sudbury or Temagami. For more: temagamiinformation.com
3. CHURCHILL, MAN.
Polar bears, beluga whales, northern lights: Mother Nature is Churchill’s publicity machine. Cross the tundra in an all-terrain buggy to see wildlife such as ptarmigans, snowy owls, Arctic foxes and caribou. Called the polar bear capital of the world, the town of Churchill (population: 1,000) is on the western shore of Hudson’s Bay and the northern fringe of the boreal forest, which makes for a landscape that is simultaneously desolate and breathtaking. The best time for bear watching? October and November. To catch the aurora borealis – that incredible display of green, red, yellow and white bands of light – visit on clear nights from late August to early September, or from January to March. Belugas show up from late June to August. How to make it happen: Take a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Winnipeg or brace yourself for a 48-hour train journey. For more: travelmanitoba.com
5. GASPÉ PENINSULA, QUE.
There’s nothing shy about the Gaspé Peninsula. It brazenly juts out into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, showing itself to the world. It has rugged beaches, quaint villages, woodlands, the imposing backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains, and the craggy red cliffs and sandy beaches of Chaleur Bay. Some come for the belugas, seals, cormorants and northern gannets, while others make a beeline for Miguasha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site lauded for its fossils. Lovers of seabirds are drawn to Forillon National Park. The ultimate photo op, however, is Rocher Percé (Percé Rock), the 433-metre-long butte of rock rising with great majesty out of the St. Lawrence River. It demands your attention. How to make it happen: From Montreal, take the picturesque 18-hour train ride along the St. Lawrence. Or drive east from Quebec City; it’s more than 300 kilometres away. For more: tourisme- gaspesie.com
4. KLUANE NATIONAL PARK, YUKON
The striated curves of the immense Kaskawulsh Glacier path suggest the gods have been playing with an Etch a Sketch. Swirling football fields of ice enmeshed with glacial debris loop between jagged, snow- capped peaks. Looking out the window of the five-seater Cessna, you are instantly mesmerized by the grandness of South Arm and Lowell glaciers. Other geological eye candy includes Mount Kennedy and, farther away, Mount Logan (Canada’s highest mountain at 5,959 metres). Kluane National Park is an awe-inspiring stretch encompassing these humongous peaks of ice and snow and rock, much of it untrodden by human feet. Stark ice fields are occasionally blotted by seemingly photoshopped turquoise lakes, and whitewashed mountains are so high they kiss the doors of heaven. You’re left with one lingering thought: Is this real? How to make it happen: Drive two hours (about 150 kilometres) west from Whitehorse along the Alaska Highway to Haines Junction Airport. Kluane Glacier Air Tours operates daily. For more: travelyukon.com, kluaneglacierairtours.com