Canada travel guide

Baseball in Canada

Andrix — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:26:32 +0000

ALTHOUGH baseball is seen as an American sport, thegame has a large following in Canada. There are two teams that play in the US’s two major leagues; the well-known Toronto Blue Jays, who won the World Series in 1992 and 1993, and the Montreal Expos, who became the first Canadian team to play in a US league in 1968. Baseball is played in the summer, and the season lasts from April to September (with play-offs through October) and can be a great family day out, with beer, popcorn, an enthusiastic audience, and plenty of between-inning entertainment, to keep the less baseball-obsessed amused. The teams play their rivals in two outstanding stadiums; the Jays in Toronto’s Sky-Dome, an architectural marvel with a retractable roof, and the Expos in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. Good tickets are easy to come by – just book a day or two in advance. Seats further back are almost always available on the day of the game. Seeing one of the minor league teams can also be fun.

Ice hockey in Canada

Andrix — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:52:54 +0000

The popularity of ice hockey in Canada knows no bounds. Every town has arink, and every school, college, and university a team. The North American National Hockey League (NHL) was founded in 1917, and its principal prize, the Stanley Cup, was instituted in 1892 by Canadian Govenor General, Lord Stanley. Today, the league has 30 teams, six of which belong to Canadian cities; the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and the Vancouver Canucks. Although most of the players in both the US and Canada are Canadian, recent years have seen an influx of other nationalities such as Russian, American, and Swedish atheletes playing for the top teams. Renowned for its toughness, the game usually involves a skirmish or two among the players, which often means that this 60-minute game can last up to three hours. The season runs from October to April when the play-offs for the Stanley Cup begin. Hockey stars such as Wayne Gretzky are national icons. He retired in 1999 after 20 years in the game, having captured 61 NHL scoring records. Tickets to the major games can be hard to come by, and should be booked in advance. It is a good idea to contact the club’s ticket lines, or book through Ticketmaster. Minor league and college games are easier to get into, and the University of Toronto and York, Concordia in Montreal, and the University of Alberta in Edmonton all have good teams. Tickets can be bought from the local arena, or direct from the administration center, and are usually a great bargain.

Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens and Butterfly Conservatory

Andrix — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:38:11 +0000

The Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens are located 9 km (6 miles) downstream from the falls and comprise over 40 ha (99 acres) of beautifully maintained gardens divided into several different zones. One of the prettiest areas in summer is the rose garden, which displays over 2,000 different varieties. The extensive annual garden, which houses many rare species imported from all parts of the globe, puts on a year-round show. The gardens also include an arboretum that has examples of many different types of trees from beech and mulberry to magnolia and yew. The butterfly conservatory is even more popular. At the beginning of a visit, a video is shown in the theater. The film explains the life cycle of a butterfly, from egg and larvae through to the emergence of the adult. Several thousand butterflies are housed in a huge heated dome where they fly free – one of the largest collections in the world. A series of pathways pass through the dome, leading past the lush tropical flora on which the butterflies make their homes.

Elk Island National Park

Andrix — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:47:00 +0000

Established in 1906 as Canada’s first animal sanctuary, Elk Island became a national park in 1913. It offers a wilderness retreat only half-an-hour’s drive from Edmonton. This 194 sqkm (75 sq miles) park provides a habitat for large mammals such as elk, the plains bison, the rarer, threatened wood bison, and moose. The park’s landscape of transitional aspen parkland (an area of rolling meadows, woodlands, and wetlands) is, according to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, one of the most threatened habitats in North America. Aspen trees grow mostly on the hills, while balsam, poplar, and white birch grow near wet areas. Plants such as sedges and willows also thrive in the wetlands alongside a host of birds such as the swamp sparrow and yellow warbler. Elk Island is a popular day trip from Edmonton as well as being a picturesque weekend picnic spot for locals. There are 13 hiking trails of varying difficulties and lengths. During the summer a wide range of activities is available in the park including swimming, canoeing, and camping. Cross-country skiing is the most popular winter activity.

North Battleford and Battleford

Andrix — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:42:39 +0000

North Battleford and Battleford, together known as The Battlefords, face each other across the North Saskatchewan River Valley. Named after a ford in the Battle River, the area was the site of age-old conflicts between the Blackfoot and Cree. An important early settlement in the West, Battleford was chosen as the seat of the North-West Territories government from 1876 to 1882. Today, the communities are thriving industrial centers, although the North Battleford branch of the Western Development Museum focuses on rural life. The Allan Sapp Gallery displays works by Allan Sapp, one of Canada’s best-loved contemporary artists. His simple, delicately colored paintings and drawings celebrate
the traditions of the Northern Plains Cree community. Between the Saskatchewan and Battle rivers is the Fort Battleford National Historic Site containing a well-restored North-West Mounted Police post. The stockade has original buildings, including the lookout point in the commander’s residence, officers’ quarters, and restored barracks now housing a museum. Costumed guides tell the story of the time when 500 settlers took refuge in the stockade during the North-West Rebellion.

Lynn Canyon Park and Ecology Centre

Andrix — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:11:32 +0000

Located between Mount Seymour and Grouse Mountain, Lynn Canyon Park is a popular hiking destination noted for its lush secondgrowth temperate rain forest. The original 90-meter (295-ft) trees were logged in the early 1900s and a few of the huge stumps with circumferences of up to 11 meters (36 ft) can still be seen lying on the forest floor. Some of the stumps have springboard notches left by lumberjacks of the time. Several marked trails, some of them steep and rugged, lead through the canyon, with longer hikes heading into surrounding park land. Many of the trails, however, are gentle strolls through Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar. If you venture far enough into the forest it is possible to see black bears, cougars, and blacktail deer, but most visitors keep to the main trails where they are more likely to see squirrels, jays, woodpeckers, and banana slugs, which can grow to lengths of 26 cm (10 inches). There are wonderful views from the 50-m (164-ft) high suspension bridge that crosses the canyon. From here, it’s a short walk to 30 Foot Pool, a popular summer spot for sunbathing and swimming. A 40-minute walk takes hikers to the beautiful Twin Falls. The nearby Ecology Centre offers guided walks, shows natural history films, and features interesting displays on the ecology of the area.

Grouse Mountain

Andrix — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:07:56 +0000

From the summit of Grouse Mountain visitors experience the grandeur of British Columbia’s dramatic landscape and stunning views of Vancouver. On a clear day it is possible to see as far as Vancouver Island in the west, the Coastal Mountains to the north and toward the Columbia Mountains in the east. Although there is a tough 3-km (2-mile) trail that goes to the top of the 1,211-m (3,973-ft) mountain, most visitors choose to take the Skyride cable-car. In the summer there are a multitude of activities including mountain bike tours, nature walks, and hang-gliding competitions, not to mention logger sports such as chain-saw sculpture shows. In the winter, the summit has all the amenities of a ski resort, including ski schools, a dozen ski runs, equipment rental, snowboarding, and illuminated slopes for night skiing. At the Refuge for Endangered Wildlife, an enclosed natural habitat that is home to two orphaned grizzly bears, wildlife rangers give daily talks. The Theatre in the Sky presents a video that takes viewers on an aerial tour of British Columbia.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Andrix — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:03:59 +0000

The capilano Suspension Bridge has been a popular tourist attraction since it was built in 1889. Pioneering Scots-man George Grant Mackay, drawn by the wild beauty of the place, had already built a small cabin overlooking the Capilano Canyon. Access to the river below was almost impossible from the cabin and it is said that Mackay built the bridge so that his son, who loved fishing, could easily reach the Capilano River. The present bridge, which dates from 1956 and is the fourth to be constructed here, hangs 70 m (230 ft) above the canyon and spans 137 m (450 ft), making it one of the longest such bridges in the world. Nature lovers are drawn by the views and the chance to wander through old-growth woods (old trees that have never been felled) past trout ponds and a 61-m (200-ft) waterfall. Don’t miss the Big House, where native artists carve totem poles and explain their techniques and heritage.

Lighthouse Park

Andrix — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:00:11 +0000

Named after the hexagonal lighthouse built at the mouth of Burrard Inlet in 1910 to guide ships through the foggy channel, Lighthouse Park is an unspoiled area with 75 ha (185 acres) of old growth forest and wild, rocky coast. The trees here have never been logged and some of the majestic Douglas firs are over 500 years old. There is a variety of hiking trails in the park, some leading to a viewpoint near the 18-m (60-ft) Point Atkinson Lighthouse. On a clear day one can see stunning vistas across the Strait of Georgia all the way to Vancouver Island. A two-hour hike leads through about 5 km (3 miles) of old-growth forest, taking walkers through the fairly rugged terrain of mosscovered gullies and steep rocky outcrops with breathtaking views of the sea and surrounding area. Wear good walking shoes or boots, stay on the trails and be prepared for inclement weather. The drive to the park itself is spectacular. Scenic Marine Drive winds along the West Vancouver coastline edging past beaches, clinging to rocky shoreline and passing some of Canada’s priciest real estate. On the way, there are a couple of towns that are worth a stop. Ambleside has a long beach, which is a favourite with families but packed on sunny summer weekends. From here there are great views of Stanley Park and the Lion’s Gate Bridge. A seawall walkway leads to Dundarave Pier, with panoramic views sweeping from Vancouver right around to the Strait of Georgia. Dundarave itself is a small town with a pleasing cluster of shops, cafés and restaurants, as well as a beach that’s not so busy as Ambleside’s.

Butchart Gardens

Andrix — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:55:37 +0000

These beautiful gardens were begun in 1904 by Mrs. Jennie Butchart, the wife of a cement manufacturer. When her husband moved west to quarry limestone near Victoria, Mrs. Butchart began to design a new garden, which would stretch down to the water at Tod Inlet. When the limestone deposits ran out, Mrs Butchart decided to add to her burgeoning garden by landscaping the quarry site into a sunken garden which now boasts a lake overhung by willow and other trees laden with blossom in spring. A huge rock left in the quarry was turned into a towering rock garden. Today visitors can climb stone steps to see stunning views from the top. As their popularity grew, so the gardens were filled with thousands of rare plants collected from around the world by Mrs Butchart. Today, the gardens are arranged into distinct areas. There is a formal Italian garden with a lily pond that features a fountain bought in Italy by the Butcharts in 1924. The rose garden is filled with the scent of hundreds of different blooms in summer. During the summer the gardens are illuminated and play host to evening musical performances.