Trip Suggestions

Guelph is found within southern Ontario. Southern Ontario and southern Quebec are part of the Saint Lawrence Lowlands, a region famed for its fall colours. Ontario and Quebec are the two most populated areas of Canada.

Ontario

Ontario was formed in the wake of the American Revolution, serving as the destination for the United Empire Loyalists who remained loyal to the crown. Ontario can be divided into 2.5 regions: the very populous south, the very sparsely populated north, and the often-forgotten east. Southern Ontario is a peninsula surrounded by three of the Great Lakes (Lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario). Southern Ontario has some of the most fertile land in the country, and the Niagara region features a number of award-winning wineries. Those areas that have escaped being paved over in the recent wave of suburbanization, feature rolling hills, quaint little farm towns, and maple forests. Point Pelee is the southern-most tip of Canada, and actually extends to the same latitude as northern California. Northern Ontario is part of the Canadian Shield, a stark landscape of granite and pines, popularly represented in the art of Group of Seven. Eastern Ontario is an interim area, home to the capital, Ottawa, the the former capital of Kingston. Ontario's major cities include Ottawa, the nation's capital, and Toronto, the largest city in Canada (and popularly known within Canada as the Centre of the Universe), and Hamilton (the location of our wedding).

Things to do/see:

• In Toronto:
  • The Ontario Science Centre is excellent for both kids and adults.
  • The CN Tower was, until recently, the tallest man-made structure in the world.
  • The Royal Ontario Museum has an excellent collection of dinosaur bones and first nation collections. It has recently reopened after having a controversial piercing with a Liebeskind crystal.
  • The Bata Shoe Museum.
  • The Toronto International Film Festival runs for 10 days after Labour Day.
  • Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world, with approx half of its population having been born outside of Canada.
• In Ottawa:
  • The Parliament Buildings.
  • The National Gallery of Canada, a stunning work of architecture housing a good collection of art, as well as a heck of a lot of different museums.
  • Gatineau Park is a huge wilderness park with hiking, camping, cycling, and even bears! It lies across the Ottawa River in Gatineau (formerly called Hull).
  • Brian's favourite pub in the world, the Manx Pub
• The Niagara region is a lush agricultural and viniculural area that formed the centrepoint of the War of 1812-1814 between Canada and the USA). It is approximately an hour's drive from Hamilton.
  • Niagara-on-the-Lake, a quaint town restored to look as it would have in the 19th century, and home to the Shaw Festival (program for August and September)
  • The area has a number of award-winning wineries (alternate), and is especially known for its ice wines. Most wineries offer tastings and tours.
  • And we shouldn't forget the Niagara Falls.
• In Hamilton:
  • Coote's Paradise is a reclaimed area of harbour land that has been made into a beautiful park.
  • The Royal Botanical Gardens is famed for its lilac collection.
• Kitchener/Waterloo, in an area with a large mennonite and german populations (Waterloo's octoberfest is apparently second only Munich in size). North of the city are the little quaint towns are St Jacob's, Fergus, Elmira, and the lovely town of Elora (with the nearby Elora Gorge), easily accessed by car.
• Towards Lake Huron are picturesque towns and villages such as Goderich and Bayfield. Continuing north is the Bruce Peninsula and, at Tobermory, a drive-on/drive off ferry to Manitoulin Island. The Fathom Five National Marine Park is an underwater national park with a number of shipwrecks and lighthouses. Also up towards the Bruce peninsula there are the beautiful gardens of Larkwhistle.
• The Muskoka and Kawartha regions (the area between Barrie, Parry Sound, Huntsville, and Bancroft) form the boundary between northern and southern ontario, and is popularly called "cottage country".
  • Algonquin Park, a much loved and over-used provincial park, and considered the jewel of southern Ontario.
  • Parry Sound and Georgian Bay, a rugged but beautiful area featuring the historic Ste Marie among the Hurons, the first european settlement in Ontario.
• The Thousand Islands are a beautiful set of islands strung along in the St Lawrence Seaway downstream from the former capital of Kingston. They are still a site of smuggling and piracy. (And there are actually 1865 islands.)

Quebec

Quebec, a vestige of the France's colonization efforts in north america, is predominantly french-speaking. The southern part of the province are centred around the St Lawrence River. At the mouth of river, in the east of the province, is the rugged and picturesque Appalachian area called the Gaspésie. Further upriver are found Quebec's two major cities, Quebec City and Montreal. These cities are some of the oldest cities in north america. Quebec City is celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2008. Montreal is Canada's second largest city, a vibrant cosmopolitan metropolis with a large English/French population. Gatineau is the city across the Ottawa River from Ottawa (mentioned above).

Elsewhere...

Canada is a pretty big country. The Rocky Mountain National Parks (Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, and Waterton Lakes) are found much further west in Alberta and British Columbia. You could drive there, but it will likely take about 3-5 days of hard driving!

To the east are the atlantic provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia (with its famed Peggy's Cove and the stupendously scenic Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island), Prince Edward Island (home to Anne of Green Gables; 2008 is the 100th anniversary of the publication of AofGG), and last but not least, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Getting About

North america is unfortunately besotted with their cars and rail coverage is not terribly extensive or frequent. But fortunately southern Ontario and southern Quebec are reasonably well-served by rail. There is also an extensive bus network. But if you plan to do any travelling outside the major cities then you are unfortunately best off renting a car.

By car

The major car rental companies are Budget, Enterprise, Avis, National, Thrifty, and Hertz. You might find better deals through Travelocity.ca or Expedia.ca.

By rail

National rail services are provided by VIA Rail. VIA has a corridor pass (approx $300) that provides 10 days of unlimited travel between destinations in southern Ontario and Quebec. If you're feeling adventurous, you can also take the rail out west; it's a three-day trip however!

By bus/coach

Coach service is offered through Greyhound, and Coach Canada.

By air

Canada is served by two major domestic airlines, WestJet and Air Canada.

If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask Brian.