What's New In Canada
Where else would you hear someone casually mention that, "The beluga whale migration is kind of neat," as a young guy named Scott who represents the vast, northern Ontario wilderness told me. We know Ontario as the home of cosmopolitan Toronto, but Scott tries to drum up interest in all the rest of it, a huge, undeveloped area that includes 329 provincial parks and 7 national parks. There are no roads, hundreds of lakes and rivers, Canada's largest game preserve at Chapleau, and tiny villages of fewer than 50 people. You get there by float plane and stay at little hunting and fishing lodges. At one point, Scott circled a vast, wilderness area on the map and said, "This is all canoeable."
Likewise, a big, former rugby player named Anthony was extolling the virtues of northern British Columbia, far away from the city streets of Vancouver and the chic ski hills at Whistler. You fly up to the town of Prince George, he said, rent a car and go looking for moose and bear. The town of Stewart is right next door to Hyder, Alaska and is the place to visit enormous blue glaciers. Prince Rupert has a grizzly bear sanctuary. It's not a place to go looking for spas and movie stars; "It's more for adventurous types who hope to see bears," he said.
In Ottawa, you can tour museums and watch movies like Dr. Strangelove in the old bunker that was built to shelter Canadian parliament members during the cold war. Moncton was named "Canada's Politest City" after Readers Digest dropped ten wallets with cash around town and they were all returned intact. Winnipeg, a pleasant woman named Janice told me, is known for its arts and culture. Winnipeg??!! It never seems to crack my list of top cultural places in North America, but that shows you what I know. "We put out a lot of creative types," said Janice, ticking off the theater companies, art galleries and indie bands that perform in the city. "And we're considered to be quite isolated," she added. It's just a 7.5-hour drive due north from Minneapolis, after all.
Vancouver is gearing up for the 2010 Winter Olympics, with a new metro line to the airport from downtown opening next year. Whistler is booming with real estate and all of the Games' skiing venues. The charming town of Victoria on Vancouver island has new restaurants and attractions, including a paddle-through fish-and-chips shop, and new activities at the gorgeous Butchart Gardens.
Let's face it, there is a lot to do and see in Canada, and we'd better get started. Just close your eyes, point to a spot on the map and book your float plane. It's all canoeable up there.