British Columbia and Alberta

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When to Travel to BC and Alberta:
Best: May-Sept. Skiing, Dec-March.
OK: Skiing, Nov-May in the Rockies.
Worst: Oct-March unless for winter sports. As always, in July/August crowds & prices will be up.

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Main Festivals guide to Alberta:
Some festivals are not yet confirmed, so please check before you book.
July, Calgary Stampede, a 10 day world-class rodeo riot. A wild yet comradely festival enjoyed by the whole of 'cowtown', events include Chuck Wagon racing, rodeos, a spectacular parade, country music performances and free pancake breakfasts!
July, Edmonton's Klondike Days, 10 days of concerts, racing pigs, racing bath tubs, racing rafts and probably racing prices, though the pancakes are free.
Aug, Edmonton Fringe Festival, wacky theatre of all kinds.
Jan - Feb, Banff/Lake Louise Winter Festival.

For dates see: Eng' Speaking Festivals

Main Festivals guide to British Columbia:
Some festivals are not yet confirmed, so please check before you book.
11-20 April, '03, World Ski and Snowboard Festival, Whistler, snow and music combined!
20 June -1 July, '03, Vancouver International Jazz Festival.
24 July-4 Aug, '03, Vancouver International Comedy Festival.
22 Aug-1 Sept, '03, Victoria Fringe Festival, wacky theatre of all kinds.
Early Nov, '03, Whistler Winterstart Festival, a carnival and events galore.

Activities guide to BC and Alberta:
Wintersports: skiing, dog-sledding, snowshoeing, heli-skiing, sleigh rides, skating, ice fishing and more.
Walks/hikes: Champion walks of all sorts with typically BIG Canada views, travel for hours, days or months.
Water sports: white water rafting, canoeing and kayaking, sailing, fishing.
Whale and seal watching: off the Pacific coast.
Biking and horse riding: all over, hire easily available.
Caving and climbing: the Rocky Mountains.
Wildlife: Bears - black and grizzlies, moose, elk, caribou [reindeer], coyote, wolves, foxes, lynx, bobcats, cougars, mountain goats, deer, bison, beaver, muskrats, bald and golden eagles, and more more more.

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Manitoba/Saskatchewan /The North

Where to go in British Columbia:
Vancouver guide: arguably the best city in Canada, Vancouver is a peaceful, relaxed, water-based city in a dramatic location at the junction of the Rocky Mountains, the Fraser River and the Pacific Ocean.
Winters are wet in the city but nearby skiing is excellent, and summers are warm with plenty of watersports available both inland and along 16,000 miles of British Columbia's coastline.
Lively ambience and plenty of eating and drinking establishments can be found in ex-Victorian Gastown and ex-industrial Granville Island - now suffering from a severe art attack.
When the sun deigns to show its face there are plenty of beaches nearby in English Bay, and huge Stanley Park is a terrific place for kids entertainment, varied exercise facilities and walks along the 8km shoreline.
Overlooking Vancouver, Grouse Mountain [picture top left] has some good ski runs and is minutes away from the city centre, but just 1.5hrs from Vancouver is some of North America's finest skiing - at Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.
Culture vultures should tear a lump off the superb Museum of Anthropology in the University of British Columbia.

Victoria guide: more English than London [probably wetter too], the capital of British Columbia is small, genteel and sits discreetly on Vancouver island.
Afternoon tea at the elegant Empress hotel is simply the done thing, my dear, but do book ahead.
The weather is usually mild and the gardens are rampant - as are the whales off the coast.
The ferry trip to Victoria travels through the pretty Gulf Islands in a most casual fashion.

Where to go in Alberta:
Banff & Jasper National Parks guide [picture top right]: In the Rockies, and both on the British Columbia border the Banff and Jasper Parks are connected by the Columbia Icefield, visitable by snowcoach.
These massive national parks contain majestic scenery in spades, such as the turquoise Moraine Lake, and have plenty of opportunities for all sorts of outdoor pursuits, see the Activities section.
Jasper is the bigger, less developed and less popular of the two parks.
n.b. weather conditions are very changeable in Canada's Rockies, so be prepared.

Calgary guide: a kind of Houston-of-the-north, Calgary is a prairie oil town that hosts the world's greatest western extravaganza, the Calgary Stampede every July, see Festivals.

Edmonton guide: another rich, well developed Canada city, Edmonton's biggest party of the year is July's 'Klondike Days', see Festivals.

More English speaking travel spots:

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