Cavness Vacation Packages

Canada is the most northernly located country in North America. Canada borders the United States of America to the south and the Artic Ocean to the North. Due to it’s extremely northern position Canada is the most northern located country in the world! Being the Second largest country in the world, there is a lot of Canada up north. Canada Consists of ten provinces and three territories, Canada is a country of approximately thirty two million. Canada had two official languages, both English and French.

Canada’s Provinces and Territories are as follows: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Canada’s major cities include Toronto Ontario, Montreal Quebec,
Vancouver Britis Columbia, Calgary Alberta, Ottawa Ontario, Quebec City Quebec, Winnipeg Manitoba, and Edmonton Alberta.

It is beleived that the name “Canada” originated from a Huron-Iroquoian word “Kanata”, meaning village or settlement. Because there is no way to know for sure anymore this is they story that we tell.

Because of Canada’s extreme Land mass, and water on three sides there is something for everyone to see, and do.

Please Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep it, this caption and the following author biography in tact with all hyperlinks active.

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Pixibot. Which is a great web directory and information center for information on all types of topics.

If not in the exact geographical centre of Canada, Winnipeg is certainly in the centre of Canada in most Canadians’ minds. The capital of Manitoba, it is often referred to as The Gateway City, or simply the ‘Peg by locals. It has a long and varied history, starting from when it was called Fort Garry, an outpost of the Hudson Bay Company.

“Cosmopolitan community” is not an oxymoron when describing Winnipeg, it’s a fact. With its vibrant nightlife, world renowned arts scene, chic boutiques and dining experiences to suit every palate, Winnipeg is a trendsetter. Yet its neighbourhoods are steeped in cultural tradition.

This is a diverse but harmonious city with many continental flavors. Historic St. Boniface, the largest Francophone community in Western Canada, is only a short drive from Corydon Avenue’s Little Italy with it’s eclectic mix of shops and outdoor patios. From Ukrainian, to Aboriginal, to Filipino, other cultures have made their presence felt with businesses, stores and restaurants reflecting their heritages.

Speaking of restaurants, perhaps the diversity of Winnipeg is best evidenced in its cuisine; baked, stewed, saut

A historically important trade route, the Yellowhead Highway, also known as TransCanada Hwy 16, was named after an 1800s golden-haired fur trapper named Pierre Bostanais, who the Iroquois referred to as “tete jaune” or “yellow head”. Today it’s a modern highway that provides access to major wilderness areas, parks, historic sites and cultural attractions, including the provincial capital.

The Alberta section of the highway starts in the east at Lloydminster, Canada’s only two-province city, as its main north/south street straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border. Here you can visit the Barr Colony Heritage Center, which is home to the Imhoff Art Collection. It’s also a place to learn about oil production at the Heavy Oil Science Center’s interactive exhibit.

Heading west, you’ll pass through Vermilion before coming to Vegreville. This town has a colorful giant Ukrainian Easter egg that tourists love to have their picture taken beside. A little further from town is the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village where you can learn about many Ukrainian pioneers who helped settle the east-central area of Alberta.

About 50 kilometers before reaching Edmonton, is Elk Island National Park. This was Canada’s first federal wildlife sanctuary established in 1906. Bison, moose, elk and deer roam together in the big park. It is also home to more than 250 species of birds.

Edmonton is the provincial capital, a cosmopolitan city of close to a million people. The city has a little something for everyone, from a wonderfully diverse live music scene, eclectic dining and shopping spots and a lineup of summer festivals stretching from early June to September. One of the most popular is at Northlands Park, where the exhibition known as Klondike Days was held until recently when it was changed to the Capital Ex. While staying true to a number of the traditional activities associated with the exhibition such as the parade, pancake breakfasts, a gambling casino, free entertainment, there is also the Chuckwagon Derby. Over the next several years a variety of new activities and facilities will add to the already exciting atmosphere.

Edmonton also lays claim to the giant West Edmonton Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment complex that offers over 800 stores and many diverse services. It also has 110 restaurants offering every possible variety of dining experience. As well there are numerous attractions including the bumper-boat action of the Deep Sea Derby and the Mindbender which is the world’s biggest indoor triple-loop roller coaster. It also has a large swimming area complete with a sandy beach and its own wave-making machine.

After leaving Edmonton, traveling west you will come to Entwistle, famous for is 902-foot railway bridge spanning the Pembina River. Edson follows, with the Edson native interpretive trail, where you can rent teepees overnight. In Hinton, you can learn about the area’s coal mining and forestry industry. Side roads south from both Edson and Hinton lead down the “Coal Spur Line” where vast quantities of coal were strip mined. The coal was shipped by rail to Prince Rupert on the Pacific Coast, where it was loaded onto ships for transport to Japan.

Entering Jasper National Park, the next stop is the town of Jasper but first a side trip to Miette Hot Springs. This is a great place to take a relaxing soak after a long highway trip. It has two outdoor pools, an interpretive center, hiking trails and picnic sites.

Jasper is a tourist destination for thousands every year. This is the home of the internationally famous Jasper Park Lodge about seven kilometers south of the townsite. The lodge is located amid some gorgeous scenery on Lac Beauvert. There’s a very highly rated 18 hole golf course visited regularly by many famous people in movies and TV. Other attractions are the Jasper Tramway and Maligne Lake. The Tramway is Canada’s highest and longest; it takes passengers to an altitude of 7,472 feet atop Whistler’s Mountain and a sweeping view of six major mountain ranges. Maligne Lake is the second largest glacial lake in the world. There is a day lodge with a caf

It’s a national sporting bloodline the likes of which have not been seen in Saskatchewan since Canada’s early hockey domination.

It doesn’t matter that most people have never heard of bunnock, just know that Canada has taken home the last thirteen Bunnock World Championships. They’re held every year in the town of Macklin and there are hundreds of bunnock players making sure that this legacy lives on.

So what is bunnock, you might well ask.

By modern sporting standards, bunnock is rather ancient. It got its start in the 1800s by the Russian cavalrymen, who found that bunnocks, or horse ankles, set up rather nicely on the frozen tundra of Siberia for a lawn bowling-slash-horseshoe pitching type game.

Although the game has undoubtedly existed in many forms, the official version starts out with 52 bones. The eight heaviest are marked as Schmeisers (throwers) while four more are marked as guards. The rest are ordinary soldiers. The guards and soldiers are equally divided, then set on level ground in two straight lines, 10 meters apart.

Four players on either side try to knock down the opposing team’s bones with the throwers. The guards must be knocked down first or penalties ensue. Each team takes turns throwing and the team knocking down the opposing team’s bones first is declared the winner.

The game immigrated to Canada with Russian German immigrants who would pull out the bunnocks at family functions and weddings.

The sport nearly died out before the Macklin Credit Union organized the first World Bunnock Championships fourteen years ago. So serious is the town of Macklin about the sport of Bunnock, visitors are greeted at the town limits with a 32-foot high replica of a bunnock.

The championships started out with only 80 teams and has grown to the 320 teams entered for this year’s championships. Over the years many countries have taken aim at the World Bunnock Championship, but no one has been able to match Canada’s domination at Macklin, where $30,000 in prizes are up for grabs.

Joked an organizer: As soon as someone else wins it will be like hockey, where a Canadian won’t win for fifty years. Actually, it’s a good excuse to have some fun and a good time. Perhaps the best thing is that everyone can play. Last year the youngest competitor was three and the oldest was ninety-two. It’s a sport that generations of families can play together.

The World Bunnock Championships are held every August long weekend. Macklin is near the provincial border between Provost, Alberta and Unity, Saskatchewan, southwest of North Battleford. First started in 1906, Macklin is growing fast and on a sound basis. Many of the original structures have been replaced by modern facilities, new commercial enterprises have been established and an ever increasing oilfield industry has been established. For golfers, there is the nine hole Lakeview Golf Course that has both level and rolling terrain with a scenic lake view setting.

Accomodation in Macklin on the weekend of the championships is pretty much booked up in advance each year, but there are four motels/inns in Provost to the west and another four to the east in Unity. There are campsites in the Macklin Lake Regional Park, but again they are booked up early. There is an airport with commercial flights at North Battleford, about 140 kms away and an international airport at Saskatoon, 250 kms to the east. Car rentals are available in both centers and there is regular bus service from both centers through Macklin.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Canada Vacation

Fort Macleod is a vibrant community of 3,000, located within easy sight of the Canadian Rockies. This town is a magnet for those who are seeking a relaxed rural life style, proximity to the Rocky Mountains, a strong sense of community, access to high speed internet and a short drive to Western Canada’s corporate capital, Calgary. And of course, it’s only an hour’s drive to the scenic wonders of the Rocky Mountains!

The town boasts the best weather of the Prairie Provinces, including the highest number of sunlight hours in Canada. The Chinook conditions provide mild winters and cooling breezes in the summer.

Few places can transport visitors back in time like Fort Macleod. It’s not difficult to see why while strolling through downtown, with attractions like the Empress, Alberta’s oldest operating theatre and the Fort Museum, a former outpost of the NWMP, forerunners of the modern day Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Fort Macleod provides access to the famous Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. Golfers can also play the oldest golf course in Western Canada, situated amidst a landscape of foothills and grasslands.

From a distance, Fort Macleod looks like any other town. It is at a crossroads that once hosted Indian encampments, wagon trails and buffalo grazing grounds, in view of the Porcupine Hills that front the ancient and majestic Rocky Mountains. Its location, 102 miles south of Calgary and 32 miles west of Lethbridge, makes Fort Macleod an easily reached oasis from the urban bustle of the cities.

The last frontier in the west is home to Alberta’s only Provincial Historic Area. As you get closer, there is a definite feeling of being in two very different eras. Here, past and present co-exist. The place, known 150 years ago as Blackfoot Crossing, became a North West Mounted Police barracks and trading post in 1874. The town gradually took shape alongside the Oldman River, named for the “Grandfather” of Blackfoot mythology and within easy view of the majestic Rocky Mountains.

Fort Macleod’s historic area draws you into the past to a time when the North West Mounted Police, Blackfoot Indians and pioneer settlers were the only inhabitants. Main Street is dotted with gift shops, antique stores, motels and restaurants. Right in the middle of the Historic Block is the “Jewel of the West”, the Empress theatre, which is the oldest continually-operating theatre in Western Canada.

Continue your downtown stroll over to the Fort Museum of the North West Mounted Police (NWMP), a replica of the original fort where historical re-enactments are the order of the day. You’ll also find intriguing exhibits showcasing North West Mounted Police and Blackfoot Indian history. From July 1st to the Labour Day Weekend you can enjoy the Fort’s own NWMP Musical Ride four times daily, 10:00 am, 11:30 am, 2:00 pm, 3:30 pm, weather permitting.

From the Fort, you can wander down to the Oldman River, the river that is always changing. A Wilderness Park on the other side of the bridge is a nature preserve, filled with wildlife and native plants. Or take “A Walking Tour of Fort Macleod” and learn about the early life and history of the town. Tour guides and locals can provide those extra tidbits that add flavour to history. You might ask about the bullet holes in the giant art nouveau mirror over the bar in the Silver Grill or about Eddy, the ghost of the Empress Theatre.

Located 18 km north and west of Fort Macleod, at a place where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains meet the great plains, is one of the world’s oldest, largest and best preserved buffalo jump’s known to exist, Head-Smashed-In. The site has been used continuously by aboriginal peoples of the plains for more than 5,500 years.

Head-Smashed-In is known around the world as a remarkable testimony of prehistoric life. The Buffalo Jump bears witness to a custom practiced by native people of the North American plains for over 5,500 years. Thanks to their excellent understanding of topography and of bison behavior, the Blackfoot tribe killed bison by chasing them over a precipice and subsequently carving up the carcasses in the camp below. In 1981, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated the jump as a World Heritage Site placing it among other world attractions such as the Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge and the Galapagos Islands.

The Blackfoot, fiercely independent and very successful warriors, controlled a vast region stretching from the North Saskatchewan River in Alberta to Yellowstone River of Montana and from the Rocky Mountains to the Cypress Hills on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. It was not until the coming of the North West Mounted Police in 1874, over 130 years ago, that Euro-Canadian settlement in the region began. Indeed, until the near extinction of the buffalo in 1881, the Blackfoot pursued their traditional lifeways. Only with the loss of their food supply were they obliged to adapt to the new era.

A short drive southwest of Fort Macleod is Waterton National Park, with a reputation as one of the most stunningly beautiful parks in North America. On the way is the town of Cardston with its monolithic Mormon Tabernacle, the largest outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. And straight west of Fort Macleod is the highway through the Crowsnest Pass that accesses the Kootenay Region of southeastern British Columbia.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Canada Vacation.

Manitoba is in Central Canada, the most eastern of the three prairie provinces. It shares the US border with Minnesota and North Dakota in the south and stretches north to the Port of Churchill on the Hudson Bay and beyond. It has wheat fields, oil and gas wells, commercial fresh water fishing, mining and a forest industry. It also has a lot to offers tourists.

Here are ten suggestions that a visitor might want to consider in Manitoba, some in the colder months and some in the warmer parts of the year.

You might consider making Winnipeg the hub of your stay in Manitoba. The provincial capital, it’s a multicultural city proudly reflected in its festivals and offers art, music and food. Restaurants serve everything from Ukrainian perogies to a blending of regional and Californian cuisine. Performing arts offer an array of productions throughout the year in theatre, music, opera and dance. The Winnipeg Art Gallery has the largest collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. And of course shopping malls, casinos, museums and historic sites beckon. Families will love The Forks, the Children’s Museum, Fort Whyte Centre and the Assiniboine Park Zoo, where wild animals delight the children, along with a statue of a very famous bear named after Winnipeg — Winnie-the-Pooh.

A two-and-a-half hour flight north of Winnipeg, Churchill Manitoba is known around the world as polar bear central. For a safe adventure, head out over the tundra in specially designed vehicles for safely viewing the bears. Photographers and wildlife enthusiasts so inclined can even eat, sleep and rise right out on the capes, in the midst of the glorious bears, as hundreds of them roam the coastline every October and November awaiting the freeze of the Hudson Bay.

In summer, polar bear central turns into the beluga belt, as thousands of the 900-pound whales come to feed in the waters near Churchill on the Hudson Bay. You can actually paddle or snorkel among these majestic creatures and watch them watching you! You can also enjoy watching and listening to these highly vocal whales from a 32-passenger boat.

Riding Mountain National Park is edged by a high, rugged escarpment and is an island of wilderness over the agricultural landscape. Wildlife thrives in the vast mix of forests, meadows and broad valleys, crisscrossed with more than 300 kilometres (180 miles) of trails, maintained superbly year-round. This is the time and place to keep a camera ready for sightings of moose, elk, beaver, black bear, fox and if you’re very lucky, lynx or wolf.

Manitoba’s plentiful waters yield more than 10,000 trophy-sized fish very year. The north is peppered with fly-in lodges and many more are road-accessible. Arctic grayling, brook trout, lake trout, northern pike and walleye thrive here. Some of the best giant channel cat fishing in the world can be found in Winnipeg’s Red River. The fly fishing is best in Manitoba’s western reaches and you might need a guide to find the best spots.

Seeing the northern lights in Manitoba has been called one of the top 25 adventures of a lifetime. January to March in Churchill have some of the best shows when nature sends her lasers to make shifting curtains of spectacular northern lights. A facility with see-through domes built into the roof makes light viewing a warm and comfortable experience for visitors unaccustomed to Churchill winters.

Manitoba is diverse, so are the parks. Sand dunes roll at Spruce Woods Provincial Park, ancient granite graces much of the Whiteshell and waterfalls amaze near Paint Lake Provincial Park. Baldy Mountain, Manitoba’s highest point, is at Duck Mountain Provincial Park, where glaciers receded some 10,000 years ago. Hikers and bikers are attracted to the extensive trail networks through the broad valleys and lush Canadian Shield forests. Bike along one of the biggest lakes in the world – Lake Winnipeg – at Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park or paddle for days in Grass River Provincial Park.

If you want to experience total relaxation, consider camping or renting a cottage on some of the biggest and best lakes in the world. Soak up the summer heat on the water’s edge and dive in when you can’t stand it any more. Eat well, then later, float soundlessly in a streak of moonlight and gaze at an endless canopy of stars.

Manitoba attracts two-thirds of Canada’s more than 500 species of birds and is considered a birder’s paradise. In spring, the birds fly north in amazing flocks in the hundreds of thousands over the lakes, marshes and forests. A North American birding hotspot, Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre, won the coveted 2002 British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow award for Best Environmental Experience. Delta Marsh also offers great viewing, as does Riding Mountain National Park, home to more than 260 bird species, including great grey owl and Connecticut warbler. Birders fly to Churchill for stellar sub-arctic birding.

And finally, stay at a bed-and-breakfast or on a country vacation farm during one of the hundreds of small-town fall suppers. This is a great opportunity to meet with the local Manitobans who will be sure to make you welcome.

This has been just a sampling that is representative of what Manitoba has to offer its visitors. Whether in the winter or in the summer, Manitoba will provide you with an unforgettable holiday.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Canada Vacation

Nova Scotia is Canada’s Atlantic province with a long history of seafaring and fishing. Its coastline is often rocky and treacherous for all boats that venture too close, or are lost in the fog banks. Lighthouses were built over the years and the Lighthouse Route is a tour from Yarmouth to Halifax along Nova Scotia’s South Shore. There are over twenty lighthouses on the Lighthouse Route following Hwy 3 for over 570 kms.

The Lighthouse Route begins, appropriately, at one of Nova Scotia’s most dramatic and historically significant lighthouses. The Yarmouth Light stands on the rocky point of Cape Forchu, named by Samuel de Champlain in 1604. The original lighthouse, built in 1839, was replaced by the current structure in the 1960s. Rising 23 meters above the ground, the lighthouse’s two-million-candlepower beam can be seen over 30 nautical miles out at sea. The town of Yarmouth is an historic seaport whose proximity to New England and rich offshore fishing grounds contributed to the town’s development and prosperity.

The Lighthouse Route leaves Yarmouth on Route 3 and after passing Roberts Island and Glenwood Provincial Park, the side road on Route 335 leads to the French-speaking communities of West Pubnico, Middle West Pubnico and Lower West Pubnico. Settled in 1653 by Acadians, these villages make up the oldest Acadian settlement in the province. In Middle West Pubnico, a monument displays millstones used here in 1699. Also in West Pubnico, the Abbott’s Harbour Lighthouse offers a pleasant place for a picnic. The many islands in the area can be explored by sea kayak.

Many of the small towns and villages along this coastline, like Wedgeport, West Pubnico and Woods Harbour, depend on the sea for their livelihood. Colourful fleets of longliners, trawlers and scallop draggers work the offshore fishing grounds, while smaller craft like lobster boats harvest the inshore areas. At Woods Harbour the lighthouse, built in 1900, sits on a rock ledge in the harbour.

In Shag Harbour you can climb the tower in the Chapel Hill Museum for a panoramic view of the sea and outlying islands. At night the lights of several lighthouses- at Cape Sable, Bon Portage Island, Seal Island and Woods Harbour-are visible from this point. The rocks around Seal Island, called the Sea Wolves by Champlain, wrecked hundreds of ships before the building of the first lighthouse in 1830.

The Lighthouse Route continues to the busy service centre of Barrington Passage, where it turns right on Route 330 to Cape Sable Island, a noted birding destination. Cape Sable Island offers an excellent view of the stately Cape Sable Light, the tallest in Nova Scotia. Just beyond Barrington Passage is Barrington, an attractive village with several historic attractions. The replica of the Seal Island Light was built in 1979 as a lighthouse museum. Enjoy the panoramic view of Barrington Bay from the top. The massive Fresnel lens is the one that warned vessels away from the Seal Island shore.

At Port La Tour, a right turn off the Lighthouse Route leads to Smithville and Baccaro, where the Baccaro Lighthouse offers a terrific vantage point for watching seabirds. This loop road rejoins the Lighthouse Route near Shelburne but first it turns right at Port Clyde and follows the coast to Birchtown. About a thousand Blacks who came to Shelburne with the Loyalist migration in 1783 first settled the village of Birchtown. At the time, this was the largest free Black settlement in North America. The village was named in honour of General Birch, the New York commandant who gave protection to Black Loyalists who supported the British during the Revolutionary War.

The next stop is Shelburne, a town whose rich history and picturesque charm has captured the hearts of many and attracted the attention of the film industry. Shelburne was settled in 1783 when 3,000 United Empire Loyalists, who had maintained allegiance to the British Crown during the American Revolution, arrived by ship from New York City, creating an instant boomtown in the wilderness.

The Lighthouse Route continues along the shore, reaching historic Liverpool, “Port of the Privateers”, the privateering capital of North America between 1760 and 1812. South of Liverpool is the scenic Western Head/Mersey Point Loop which brings you to the Western Head Lighthouse, where surfers, a variety of sea birds and harbour seals are often seen, along with a view of Coffin Island Lighthouse in Liverpool Bay. 208 From Liverpool, the Lighthouse Route continues to Brooklyn, birthplace of the former country music star Hank Snow. Now the Route follows a scenic coastal loop to Beach Meadows, where Beach Meadows Park features a white sand beach and more striking views of the Coffin Island Lighthouse. In Port Medway, the attractions include the Port Medway Lighthouse Park and the Medway Head Lighthouse.

Turn right at Crescent Beach and follow the sign to LaHave Islands. Before you enter LaHave, turn right to go to the Fort Point Museum, a former lighthouse-keeper’s house and site of the Fort Sainte-Marie-de-Gr