Canada: Northern Delights

The Canberra Times - January 19, 2003

It’s curious that so many travellers opt to visit the Northern Hemisphere in summer. To me, northern Europe has always had a special appeal in winter when the crowds are smaller, the Christmas decorations are beautiful and, with luck, snow produces picture-postcard panoramas. And now, after discovering the delights of Canada in winter, I’m even more firmly convinced that people in cold climates really know how to live when the mercury drops. Whether it was the hot buttered rum or the gardens decorated with magical twinkling lights that got me hooked, I’m not sure, but I do know that Canada has a special magic at this time of year.

Skiers have always known that Canada is a great place to visit in winter. But non-skiers like myself might be surprised to learn that there is so much to keep holiday-makers amused in the chilly months. For starters, the locals have so adapted to their climate that one rarely feels cold. Indoors, everything is always heated to the max, while outdoor braziers are common. Picture yourself on a Vancouver balcony overlooking the water, scoffing down fish and chips and a crisp chardonnay. Two fireplaces and overhead heating meant dining at the delightful Sandbar restaurant on Granville Island was little different from the Australian outdoors in spring.

Then there’s the little treats to get you nicely warm inside: roasted chestnuts, delicious egg nog, hot chocolate, mulled wines and warm alcoholic drinks with rum, brandy and apple cider. Vigorous outdoor activities keep the body warm too. Ice-skating, kayaking, icewalking, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and for the truly brave, ice climbing, are popular pursuits. Dog sledding and sleigh rides are offered when there is a good cover of snow, but El Nino was playing games during my December visit to British Columbia and Alberta. The milder than expected weather was a blessing for sightseeing in the Rockies, leaving the Icefields Parkway mostly free of ice for safe and pleasant driving on what must surely be one of the world’s most scenic drives. It also meant being able to walk right up to the start of the spectacular Athabasca Glacier.

It was cold enough, however, for some of the lakes and rivers to freeze, providing the opportunity for icewalking under the watchful eye of an excellent guide from the Jasper Adventure Centre. I’m not sure that I was as grateful as I should have been. Despite strapping special soles on to our shoes to walk in the beautiful Maligne Canyon, I still felt like I was walking on glass and quickly decided I’m a traveller who likes to keep my eyes on the scenery rather than my feet. That I didn’t take to it probably says more about me than the sport itself, as the rest of the party marched on at a cracking pace and apparently found it quite thrilling.

Passive travellers like me still get to experience the amazing wildlife. In the Rockies, we saw moose and elk grazing by the side of the road, and a herd of bighorn sheep, unprepared to budge from the bitumen. The only bears we saw were in a sanctuary at Grouse Mountain, near Vancouver, but oh how impressive and formidable they were. We were grateful for the fence. At Goldstream Park on Vancouver Island, we witnessed the amazing spectacle of salmon returning to the river of their birth to spawn and die, their carcasses providing nutrients for the new generation. It happens over a period of about nine weeks from mid-October. By December, bald eagles and other birds begin moving in to feast on the dead salmon.

Vancouver Island is reached by car ferry or sea plane from the city of Vancouver, the sea plane depositing passengers right in the heart of Victoria, capital of British Columbia. Both Vancouver and the island have a mild, maritime climate, allowing one to play golf or go kayaking in the morning and ski in the mountains the same day. Victoria is a quaint, charming city, with lovely shops and the entire city centre beautifully lit for the festive season. Highly recommended is a visit to the Royal British Columbia Museum, which showcases the human and natural history of the region, and Craigdarroch Castle, an 1890s home built by wealthy coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. With intricate woodwork, Victorian furnishings and beautiful stained glass windows, it is dressed to match the seasons and plays host to musical and other events throughout the year. During my visit, the dining table was lavishly set, Christmas decorations were in place, and displays of period clothing and antique toys added to the nostalgia.

There is more nostalgia at the Fairmont Empress Hotel, which has all the grandeur of a bygone era, right down to afternoon tea with cucumber sandwiches, dainty cakes and tea, specially blended for the hotel and served in Royal Doulton china. Victoria has a very British feel to it, with lots of cosy establishments indulging in this very civilised ritual. What do you do with a garden that is world-renowned for its beauty in spring, summer and autumn but a little bare in winter? You decorate it with lights. Thousands of them. Every year, from December 1 to January 6, the Butchart Gardens are transformed with a magical display that has to be seen to be believed. There’s a lovely display of lights, too, at the VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, and even the zoo in Calgary gets in on the act with a nightly light display, including a tunnel of brightly lit candy canes.

If sightseeing and exercise in the brisk mountain air calls for some indoor relief, charming lodges and beautiful hotels, good food and relaxing spas are available for revitalising body and soul. The newly installed Stillwater Spa at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Calgary is beautifully fitted out with a serenity room and offers spa cuisine. In Banff, a relaxing massage can follow a dip in the hot springs. It’s amazing to think of donning a cossie to swim in an outdoor pool in below zero temperatures. Banff is home to the Banff Springs Hotel, which is like something out of a fairytale with its imposing castle-like facade. It is run by the Fairmont group, which also runs the Jasper Park Lodge, a complex of rustically elegant cabins in a park setting, surrounded by majestic peaks and lakes. Here, in the Edith Cavell dining room, we enjoyed the finest meal of our stay, truly fine cuisine with an emphasis on local produce such as Alberta beef, venison, musk-ox, elderberries and Yukon Gold potatoes.

But more intimate lodges do it well, too, like Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff, where the game used in the restaurant comes from the owners’ property. Little needs to be said about the magnificent scenery in the Rockies, other than it is everything one expects it to be, and more. I had wanted to visit Chateau Lake Louise, another fairytale hotel, ever since I was a child and in my mind I had a clear picture of the hotel with the lake and village around it. As is usually the case, in realising the dream I discovered that I had the geography completely wrong. But dining at a table in the hotel, looking through an arched window over the frozen lake, framed by fir trees and soaring snow-capped mountains, it was even more beautiful than I had imagined. I’m told the lake is equally beautiful, but very crowded, in summer. Give me the winter version anytime.

FACT FILE

For information on travelling in Canada, phone (02) 9954 3377.

© Christine Salins

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