ONTARIO
With 35 million gallons of water rushing over Niagara Falls every minute, it’s no wonder Ontario’s Niagara Region is so popular. But there are plenty of other reasons to visit the area too. For wine lovers, there are vineyards to visit. For the thrill-seeker, there is a haunted fort, and for those who just need to be cooled off, the killer whales of Marineland create a sizable splash.
Looking out from the SkyPod level of Toronto’s CN Tower on a clear day, the view can stretch 160 km and bring Niagara Falls into sight.
Many of Toronto’ s best features are right on Lake Ontario. There are beaches where you can scrunch sand between your toes. There are schools that will teach you everything from kite-sailing to sea kayaking. The Toronto Islands are just a short ferry ride away.
Once a desolate chunk of industrial land, the Harbourfront area was taken over by the Canadian government in 1971. Today it’s been transformed into a hive of cultural and artistic activity on the shore of the lake. Harbourfront Centre holds more than 4,000 theatrical and musical events every year.
Old Town Toronto is a community with a rich history. With one of the largest concentrations of 19th-century buildings in Ontario, many now home to art galleries, coffee shops and specialty shops.
At the Toronto Zoo, take a stroll through the Sahara Desert; dive under water and witness otters, beavers and seals in their natural habitat; watch nocturnal animals roam around in a pavilion that simulates night.
For those with inquiring minds, Toronto’s museums can satisfy anyone’s curiosity. The largest is the Royal Ontario Museum, which holds over 6 million objects and artifacts. Fashion lovers will enjoy the unique Bata Shoe Museum and hockey fans can live out their dream at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
What differentiates Ottawa from other great destinations? Here are just a few ways Ottawa stands apart.
The Rideau Canal Skateway, the world’s largest skating rink offers 7.8 kilometres (4.8 miles) of uninterrupted skating (from late December to late February or early March, depending on the weather). Every February, Canada’s Capital Region is host to Winterlude, North America’s greatest winter festival.
Parliament Hill is the seat of Canada’s government, home to both the House of Commons and the Senate. Free tours are offered every day. In the summer, there is a free Changing the Guard ceremony on Parliament Hill each day. There’s also a free Sound and Light Show, entitled Canada: The Spirit of a Country, on Parliament Hill every night after dark between July 5 and September 9, 2007. Images are projected onto the Parliament Buildings.
See the training centre for the famous RCMP Musical Ride, a world-renowned military pageant performed with 32 horses and riders. The RCMP invites visitors to tour the stables and Visitors’ Centre year-round.
Rideau Hall has been the residence of every one of Canada’s Governors General (the Queen’s representative in Canada). Visitors can learn more about the history, roles, responsibilities and activities of the Governor General while exploring this beautiful residence and its grounds.
All aboard the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train for a memorable journey into the past on board one of Canada’s last remaining authentic steam-powered trains.
Museums abound in Ontario. The Canadian War Museum is a spectacular facility on the banks of the Ottawa River. Other museums and galleries (civilization, nature, science and technology, aviation, agriculture, and the National Gallery of Canada) are found throughout the region.
In Southwestern Ontario on Lake Erie North Shore visitors can focus their binoculars on hundreds of species of birds at Point Pelee National Park - one of the world's most renowned bird sanctuaries. Or stroll around Shakespeare Country along the Avon River at the incomparable Stratford Festival. Explore charming little ports-of-call as you make your way to a 4,000-year-old miracle of nature at Long Point Provincial Park - a designated UNESCO world biosphere region.
Along the St. Lawrence Seaway in Eastern Canada and its famous 1000 Islands visitors can bear witness to authentic 19th-century military drills and cannon battles as they ignite the air and the spirit at Fort Henry in Kingston.
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