Travel insider: Stargazing in Alberta, the Ritz’s new resto, Ontario taste tours
Where to see the sights, in the sky or in the city
Star status
Southern Alberta’s Waterton Lakes National Park is now one half of the world’s first transboundary International Dark Sky Park; over the border, Montana’s Glacier National Park makes up the other half. The certification — just granted this month by the International Dark Sky Association — recognizes the epic stargazing you’ll find there. The two parks already share three other joint titles, as an International Peace Park, Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage site.
Science show
A new, 6,000-square-foot digital immersion gallery has opened at the Telus Spark Science Centre, Calgary’s science museum. Stroll through the debut installation, “Every Second,” and you may recognize the distinctive lilt: Actor and nature buff Isabella Rossellini does the narration for the exhibit, themed around the moments in a lifetime. Written and directed by Montreal-based artist collective Les 7 Doigts (The 7 Fingers), the show will go on until Jan. 30, 2022.
Table talk
Set to open steps from the Toronto International Film Festival bustle, the Ritz-Carlton Toronto will debut their latest dining concept, Epoch Bar & Kitchen Terrace, on Sept. 1. Located on the lobby level, with terrace views of Simcoe Park, the new space will offer a farmto-table take on Brit gastrobar fare.
Taste tours
Tickets are on sale for RendezBrews (Sept. 23 to 26), an event organized by the Toronto Craft Beer Festival and RendezViews, the city’s massive, mural-painted downtown patio. Expect to find 40-plus different beers, with an emphasis on small, indie and traditional craft brewers. If you’re looking to get out of town for food and drink, the Culinary Tourism Alliance launched “the Great Taste of Ontario,” a collection of 80 downloadable passports, or shortlists of spots to visit. Sign up at thestar.com/newsletters to get our weekly Travel Headlines newsletter in your inbox.