| When
to Travel to [southern] Ontario:
Best: May-Sept. To ski, Dec-March.
Worst: Oct-March unless for
winter sports. As always, in July/August crowds and prices will
be up, places to stay down.
Ottawa's Parliament Building and the Rideau Canal, the city's favourite winter skate rink.
Where
to go in Ontario:
Ottawa: Canada's national capital is relatively small with a population
of well under one million, 35% of whom speak French as their first
language.
It's an eminently liveable city, well-planned, traditional in style
and spacious, with an abundance of recreational and cultural activities,
but apart from the National Museum of Civilization, the fantastic
National Gallery and various performing arts centres there isn't
much here that a tourist must do...unless you're a skate freak,
in which case the 5 mile long rink of the Rideau Canal, particularly
during the Winterlude festival, is made for you.
Toronto reflected off Lake Ontario, Canada.
Toronto: on Lake Ontario, Toronto is an energetic, scattered city, with the
main tourist focus on downtown: the Harbourfront Centre of markets,
galleries and boat trips; the Toronto Islands via a short ferry
ride - with walks, restaurants and amusements; more of that at Ontario
Place park; the CN Tower.
A 90 minute drive will get you to the USA via the Peace Bridge,
or to the Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls, Canadian side, Ontario.
Niagara Falls: the world's most photographed sight [pictures
above and top right] keeps on thundering over the top, even though
tacky attractions now envelop it like mist.
You should take a boat under the deluge to really appreciate the
spectacle.
Around the Falls there is also the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory
and Niagara-on-Lake's 'British' village with its well-known Shaw
Festival. More information and Niagara Falls pictures.
Ottawa area sleigh ride, Ontario
Ottawa Activities:
Skiing: there are various pretty good
ski slopes within an hour's drive
Skating: on the 5 mile Rideau Canal,
with heated changing rooms during Jan/Feb.
Walks/hikes: Plenty of these, including
the 125 mile Rideau Trail. The Algonquin Park, near Ottawa is huge
and full of nature's best efforts.
Sailing and canoeing: on the ubiquitous
Rideau Canal of course.
Jogging: Many excellent routes, including
the Rideau Canal.
Golf: 30 courses near Ottawa Well,
what do you expect with all the politicians around? April-November.
Autumn maple leaf colour changes: mid-Sept
to mid-October.
Canada Day, Ottawa, Ontario
Ontario Main
Festivals :
Some festivals are not yet confirmed, so please
check before you book.
Feb, weekends only, Ottawa Winterlude festival [picture
top left] features parades, dances, snow races, ice sculptures,
sleigh rides and more, but especially skating. If you love skating,
this is a definite must-do.
Mid-May, Ottawa Tulip Festival, a five day city-wide street party
for all ages surrounded by 100,000's of tulips.
Summer, one week, Toronto, Caribana West Indian carnival, complete
with parades of calypso bands, parties, ethnic foodstuffs and dancing
in the street.
July, Ottawa, Canada Day, free concerts, fireworks and other events.
May-Nov, Niagara-on-Lake, Shaw [theatre] Festival.
For
some more precise dates see: English
Speaking Festivals
BC
& Alberta | Atlantic
Provinces | Quebec | Manitoba/Saskatchewan
/The North |
