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Steam Whistle Brewing is a brewery in Toronto, Ontario. The company produces a premium pilsner lager packaged in distinctive green glass bottles and a non-twist cap. They only use four natural ingredients: spring water from Caledon, Ontario; hops from Germany; two-row barley; and yeast. In 2004, Steam Whistle Pilsner was voted best beer in Toronto at the Golden Tap Awards. Steam Whistle has also been voted Best Toronto Microbrewery by the readers of NOW, Eye Weekly and XPress in Ottawa.

So why am i featuring them hm? Well that’s because it makes a nice couple hours visit. If you don’t have a huge amount of time before going somewhere else later in the day – why not pop here for a short tour?

There are a variety of prices for the tour depending on what gift you wanted at the end. For $10 you can have the basic tour with a bottle opener. For $14 you get the same tour with 4 cans of pilsner. And for $15 you can have the tour and 6 bottles. All of which are excellent value.

The three founders are former employees of Upper Canada Brewing Company before it was bought by Sleeman’s. The original name for the beer was going to be “Three Fired Guys Brewing Company” since they were all fired from Upper Canada Brewing Company when it was purchased by Sleeman; however, they chose Steam Whistle Brewing to evoke an image of steam rushing from a factory’s whistle signaling the end of the work day. Embossed at the bottom of Steam Whistle bottles is “3FG” as an inside joke, referencing “Three Fired Guys”. (more…)

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If you’re looking for something different while you’re in Toronto, a change of pace maybe? Why not take some time to catch a Ferry to the Toronto Islands and spend some time in the park?

The Toronto Islands are a chain of small islands in the city of Toronto, Canada. They are located in Lake Ontario just offshore from the city centre, and provide shelter for Toronto Harbour. The islands are a popular recreational destination, and are home to a small residential community and to the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. They are connected to the mainland by several ferry services.

The islands comprise the largest urban car-free community in North America, though some service vehicles are permitted. Recreational bicyclists are accommodated on the ferries, and bicycles, quadracycles, and canoes can be rented on the islands as well.

So, when you arrive you’ll be on Centre Island. When you’re choosing your ferry there are actually three routes, any of the ones which aren’t the airport would suit you best. The views of Toronto from these islands are amazing, but the best spot to see the views from is Algonquin Island. Check one of the maps which are available – to see which way you will need to go to get to it. It is certainly worth the walk! (more…)

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It’s Monday! It’s also March tomorrow, so how about we stop thinking about those post-Christmas diets now hm?

If you haven’t been to Canada yet, you’ll almost certainly walk into restaurants and find something on the menu called Poutine. Now, don’t be scared of its particularly unique name! Poutine is actually something that most people in the UK can relate to.. We have all (well.. most of us) gone to the chip shop and got either Chips with Gravy, OR Chips with Cheese .. Well .. although technically it wouldn’t be technically correct – if you had cheese and gravy on the same tray of chips, that is almost poutine! Now, i say almost because for it to be truly poutine, the cheese needs to be cheese curds, not just your normal cheese.

As you can see from the picture, poutine is definitely not the most elegant looking of foods, but lets face it, it beats the looks of mushy peas now doesn’t it! Besides, Canadians have always been known for their no-nonsence approach, and food in my opinion should always be about flavour, and not looks. (more…)

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Posted in Alberta, British Columbia, Canada Trip.co.uk, Montreal, Muskoka, Niagara, ON, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Places to Eat, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver | No Comments »

When i was a kid, i loved science. I remember one birthday my parents took me to Eureka in the UK, and i still remember it fondly! One of the things special about Eureka is that it’s a Science Museum which allows kids to learn through play, and the place I’m looking at today; Science North, looks at things in the same way.

Science North is an interactive science museum in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The complex, which is Northern Ontario’s most popular tourist attraction, consists of two snowflake-shaped buildings on the southwestern shore of Lake Ramsey, just south of the city’s downtown core, as well as a former ice hockey arena which includes the complex’s entrance and an IMAX theatre. The snowflake buildings are connected by a rock tunnel, which passes through a billion-year-old geologic fault. This fault line was not known to be under the complex during the construction of the building in the early 1980s. Where the walkway reaches the larger snowflake, the Inco Cavern auditorium is frequently used for temporary exhibits, as well as for press conferences and other gala events. (more…)

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If you’re heading out to Southern Ontario this year, visiting Niagara Falls is a must. Almost every trip that i take to Canada usually ends up with us at Niagara for at least one of our days. The atmosphere combined with the beauty of the parks, and of coarse the natural wonder that are the falls themselves make it unmissable… and with a full events schedule through 2011 there’s always something happening through the year! Here’s a couple of events I’ve picked out from the many;

Winter Festival of Lights runs until 31st January so if you’re heading out next week you should be able to catch it still! Visit the 28th annual Winter Festival of Lights, Canada’s largest lights festival with nearly 2 million lights and over 100 animated lighting displays, including the world-famous Enchantment of Disney displays. You’ll also enjoy spectacular fireworks; Concerts at the Arena and children’s entertainment; Candy Cane Lane 5K Race & Fun Run; Winter Festival Candle Light Stroll as well as a variety of dinner theatre shows. Don’t miss all there is to see and do in Niagara Falls during the Winter Festival of Lights! .. Oh yes – and admission is free!

Jan 1st – 31st: Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Festival Snow draped vineyards and warm hospitality collide during the Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Festival. Icewine comes to life as each of the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake offer distinct events sure to leave a sweet taste in your mouth. In addition, the Heritage District will be the site of a variety of Icewine-inspired events, the flagship event being the Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Village. Held on January 22 and 23 from11 am to 5 pm, the event pairs Icewines from the 25 Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake with Jazz music and Icewine-infused delicacies from Niagara-on-the-Lake dining partners. Admission is free. (more…)

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When i went on holiday with my family as a kid, my mum always had to visit at least one market.. if not more – to buy gifts or things for the house – or simply find something interesting. I have to admit, these days were not the most fun! However, here i am, writing an article on a Market – recommending you visit on your holiday!

So! Why am i doing this? – Two reasons, it’s a food market, and you wont regret it!

Regular readers probably know by now – i love food, and Canadian food is simply amasing – so when you go to a market like this, you know you’re getting the very best of the best food available. I’d recommend you pop to the market round lunch time – you’re guaranteed to find something you want to try, or buy.

There is everything available in the market from the many vendors located there – And if you’re self catering you’ll quite likely come out with a number of bags of breads, meats, fish, cheeses and confectionery! If you are there round lunch time, why not pick up something especially Canadian – a peameal bacon sandwich, or maybe you could try some of the shrimp gumbo (a stew) that’s available? Another fantastic point about this place is its sat right in the centre of the city, not far from the main train station, The Rogers Centre and the CN Tower! So you could tag this place onto a visit to another attraction!

St. Lawrence Market is one of two major markets in Toronto (the other being Kensington Market). It is located South-west corner of Front and Lower Jarvis Streets. It was established in the early part of the city’s history and was once home to Toronto’s first permanent city hall and jail house from 1845 to 1899. (more…)

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Well, it’s Monday – and with Christmas being on Saturday, i hope you have all your shopping done! Isn’t it crazy how of all things, snow is causing problems for Santa this year in the UK!
I decided today’s article will be again on a transport type topic – a place to visit in Ottawa, that being the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.

The museum’s collection contains a wide variety of civilian and military aircraft, representing the history of Canadian aviation from the pioneer era before the First World War up to the present day. Particularly noteworthy is the collection of vintage bushplanes from the 1920s to the 1940s. The military aircraft represent aircraft flown by Canadians in the First World War, Second World War, and the Cold War. The museum’s best known exhibit is the surviving components of the Avro Arrow interceptor from the late 1950s.

Also on site are interactive activities on the science of flight, films, demonstrations, a boutique, and guided tours.

A few of the tours take the visitors “behind the scenes” to see conservation and restoration work in progress, and pieces which are in storage. (more…)

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If you’re heading to Ottawa, there’s one place you’re going to have to go see. That is the Parliament Buildings of coarse!
Parliament Hill (colloquially The Hill, in French: Colline du Parlement) is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings — the parliament buildings — serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural elements of national symbolic importance. Parliament Hill attracts approximately 3 million visitors each year.

Parliament at Christmas

Originally the site of a military base in the 18th and early 19th centuries, development of the site into a governmental precinct began in 1859, after Bytown was chosen by Queen Victoria as the capital of the Province of Canada. Following a number of extensions to the parliament and departmental buildings and a fire in 1916 that destroyed the Centre Block, Parliament Hill took on its present form with the completion of the Peace Tower in 1927. Since 2002, an extensive $1 billion renovation and rehabilitation project has been underway throughout all of the precinct’s buildings; work is not expected to be complete until after 2020.

The 88,480 square metres (952,391 sq ft) area, maintained by the National Capital Commission, is named by the Parliament of Canada Act as Parliament Hill and defined as resting between the Ottawa River on the north, the Rideau Canal on the east, Wellington Street on the south, and a service road (Kent Street) near the Supreme Court on the west.[The south front of the property is demarcated by a Victorian High Gothic wrought iron fence, named the Wellington Wall and in the centre of which, on axis with the Peace Tower to the north, sits the formal entrance to Parliament Hill: the Queen’s Gates, forged by Ives & Co. of Montreal. At each southern corner of the quadrangle are also smaller gates for every-day access. (more…)

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Well, the days of truly original ideas to get over problems has probably past, as these days i think we can be pretty sure to say that almost every problem or chore in life has something invented to make that job a little easier. Today’s article is about one of those ideas, though these days people favour other methods generally – than using this particular one.
Big Chute Marine Railway is a boat lift at Lock 44 of the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario, Canada. It works on an inclined plane to carry boats in a cradle (without a filled tank) over a change of height of about 60 feet (18 m). It is the only marine railway of its kind in North America still in use.

The problem is – how do you get a boat up this big steep hill… A. make a railway to scoop up the boat and put it down in the higher water!
In 1914, contracts were let to have 3 locks built to connect the Severn River to Georgian Bay; at Port Severn, Big Chute, and Swift Rapids. With the start of World War I, however, there was a shortage of manpower and resources. Lock 45 at Port Severn was nearing completion, so it was finished as a small, “temporary” lock (it remains in use to this day). The locks at Big Chute and Swift Rapids were not completed, with “temporary” marine railways being built instead. The original Big Chute Marine Railway was completed in 1917, and could only carry boats up to 35 feet (11 m) long, preventing navigation by large commercial vessels. The Swift Rapids Marine Railway was completed in 1919, using the same plans as the Big Chute railway. (more…)

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While i was over this October i decided to once again shine a light on Gravenhurst.. mainly since i knew my photos didn’t really do it justice. We went on a pretty miserable day which didn’t show exactly what the place truly was like.. So – we headed back on a glorious sunny Autumn day to have a wander round the lake and have some lunch at the Sunset Grill. We were also lucky enough this time to go on a day where the Muskoka steam ships were running! Unlike the previous visit!

As you can see, its quite a contrast to the grey-sky photos on my previous Gravenhurst article!
The Sunset Grill was as good as last time, and this time i made sure to have the peameal Bacon sandwich – along with a coffee. It was the first time I’d gone to Gravenhurst with my partner in crime – and although i did mention that the coffees were free-refill he had a hot chocolate – that although very nice – my free refills did make him jealous! Where as i had my sandwich with the trademark chunky veggies (raw carrot and cucumber sticks with a dip) – he had a toasted bagel as something lighter.
(more…)

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