We got into the Arrivals and there’s a Spa shop on the left, and to our amazement — THEY SOLD TIM HORTONS COFFEE AND DOUGHNUTS!.. We picked ourselves up a coffee and doughnut – and for the UK – at a reasonable price – the Doughnuts were 89p each but if you bought a Large coffee, hot chocolate, laté or cappuccino – with a doughnut you could get both for £2.19! ..

Anyway — that’s my swooning over the amazing story of Tim Hortons in the UK over with . . So – Today’s article is courtesy of the Metro. On the tram heading to work – and find a great article featuring Montreal and the food aspect of the city – so Here is ‘Take a big bite out of Montreal’ By Sarah Baxter of The Metro:

Foodie Canada: Gordon Ramsay got into a bit of a stew when he opened his first Canadian venture in Quebec’s largest city. But it does just fine without him BY SARAH BAXTER

In August, Gordon Ramsay launched his first restaurant in Montreal. On opening night, the sprinklers went doolally and diners were forced to evacuate. Unfortunate? Perhaps. But I think Montreal was trying to tell him something: a watery way of delivering its own f-word.

The Quebec city doesn’t need Sweary Gordon. It has an incredible food scene already. This metropolis, floating on an island in the St Lawrence River, mixes French, north American and immigrant influences to mouthwatering effect. And there’s always another great local deli/chocolatier/charcuterie the next block up.

Clutching a C$8 (£5) travelcard, I am riding the 55 bus up Boulevard St-Laurent, the city’s north-south artery. Inauspiciously for a gastronomic quest, I begin opposite a McDonald’s. ‘There’s one by our final bus-stop too,’ grins guide Ruby Roy, who is along for the ride. ‘It’s a useful landmark but we won’t be going inside…’

Indeed not. The idea is to travel up St-Laurent, hopping off when something takes our fancy. En route we’ll pass through Chinatown, the Festivals Quarter, trendy Mile End, Plateau Mont-Royal and Little Italy. And we’ll do a lot of eating.

‘Let’s get off here,’ says Ruby a few minutes up the road. This is the Jewish Quarter, centre of the rag trade in the early 20th century. Plaques display historical detail while local kitsch-cool vintage shops sell outfits almost as old. We head to a place called Schwartz’s, its windows crammed with smoked beef brisket.

‘Schwartz’s is a Montreal institution,’ says Ruby. ‘They smoke the meat upstairs, the same way they have since 1928.’ Its leather-topped stools and cafeteria tables are rammed; a queue snakes out the door. The smell is fantastic.

Back on the bus, we pause at Avenue Rachel – down here lies Banquise, the place to try a Quebec classic: poutine. Essentially cheesy chips and gravy, it fills the culinary niche of the kebab. Helpfully, it’s open all night and gets rather popular at 3am.

Then it’s on up to Avenue Laurier, where Ruby points out Dieu du Ciel: ‘There are 390 microbreweries in Montreal; this is one of my favourites.’ It’s a bit early for a pint but we continue down the street, Ruby bombarding me with neighbourhood tips: ‘Rumi does amazing Middle Eastern food. Charcuterie Vito is the best – everyone knows Vito. And Le Croissanterie Figaro – I thought, how good can a croissant be? But hey, they’re good.’ Even the hip local shops are in on the game: cool cookware store Les Touilleurs runs gourmet food workshops in its little kitchen.

I am salivating, so Ruby leads me to Fairmont Bagel. No Montrealer would eat bagels from anywhere else. I watch as the bakers hand-roll dough rings at lightning speed; they’re dipped in honey water, baked in a wood-fired oven on long paddles then tossed into a steaming pile of bready deliciousness. It real is an Atkins nightmare.

Excruciatingly there’s not time to get to Maison Cakao – home, says Ruby, of the city’s best brownies. Instead we amble past typical Montreal houses (staircases on the outside, leafy balconies) and ride the 55 up to McDonald’s, eschew Big Macs for Jean-Talon, one of four markets set up in Montreal’s poorer neighbourhoods during the Depression. It’s more gallery than grocery, with fresh produce laid out like works of art. We try Québécois blueberries, crunch honeycrisp apples, nibble cobs from ‘Madame Corn’. There is also an area where chefs cook produce from stalls to give buyers lots of recipe ideas.

Round the edges are small shops selling everything from spuce beer to moussaka (made by local nuns). In one deli, chillers heave with cheese. I try one – Very nice, I tell Ruby. She smiles. ‘Yeah, but I prefer the cheese store at Atwater Market.’ But that’s on the other side of town, I say – you’d go 10km for a bit of cheese? ‘Of course,’ she replies, nonplussed. Only in Montréal.

> Five way to work off lunch in Montreal

• Hire a city bike: In 2011 Montreal was voted the most bike-friendly city in north America, due to its 350km of bike trails and handy city-bike scheme. There are also guided tours – try Montreal on Wheels (www.caroulemontreal.com), which runs a fine three-hour highlights ride for C$55 (£34).

• Kayak the Lachine Canal: The historic Lachine Canal flows for 14km from Montreal’s port to the Musée de Lachine, and you can navigate parts of it by kayak, pedal-boat or canoe. H2O Adventures (www.h2oadventures.ca) rents equipment between May and September.

• Yoga-stretch in Le Plateau: Combine a cycle tour with some body conditioning. Fitz & Follwell (www.fitzandfollwell.ca) runs Bike & Yoga tours, on which you pedal around the bohemian Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood and pause in its parks to do the Downward-Facing Dog. Three-hour trips cost C$69 (£43).

• Run up Mount Royal: The hill that gives the city its name is the place where locals go to escape the city. There are 200 hectares of green space, riddled with bike and hike trails, centred on a 234m-high ‘mountain’; however, gradients are gentle, making it ideal for a postpoutine jog.

• Ski or stomp the Laurentians: This mountain range, just over one hour by bus from Montreal, is an outdoor playground of hills, lakes and lovely villages. In summer, hike and kayak; in inter, head for Mont-Tremblant, Quebec’s top ski resort. See www.laurentians.com

My perfect Montreal day – Ruby Roy, Montreal tour guide
‘Hire a bike in Old Montreal and cycle to Atwater Market. Pick up the bread of the month at Première Moisson, plus some chevre noir (my favourite Quebec goats cheese)  at Fromagière Atwater, wild blueberries and some Asian specialities from Satay Brothers. Next, follow the bike path along the Lachine Canal, eat your picnic at Lake  St-Louis, then cycle back via the rapids. Stop at Boris Bistro for a drink – it’s my favourite terrace in Old Montreal.’

To see the article on the Metro’s website visit their article’s page here: http://www.metro.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/878520-montreal-touches-all-parts-of-the-globe-with-its-culturally-rich-cuisine

If you’re looking to travel to Montreal, Canadian Affair offer the lowest priced flights to Montreal that you will find – if you’re planning your trip, check out their website and see if you can save some money for your favourite restaurant!

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Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in most jurisdictions of Canada, with the provinces of Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia being the exceptions. Where a company is regulated by the federal government (such as those in the telecommunications and banking sectors), it is recognized regardless of status provincially.

Thanksgiving corresponds to the English and continental European Harvest festival, with churches decorated with cornucopias, pumpkins, corn, wheat sheaves, and other harvest bounty, English and European harvest hymns sung on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend and scriptural selections drawn from biblical stories relating to the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot.

While the actual Thanksgiving holiday is on a Monday, Canadians might eat their Thanksgiving meal on any day of the three-day weekend, though Sunday and Monday are the most common. While Thanksgiving is usually celebrated with a large family meal, it is also often a time for weekend getaways.

Canada’s top professional football league, the Canadian Football League, holds a nationally televised doubleheader known as the “Thanksgiving Day Classic.” It is one of two weeks in which the league plays on Monday afternoons, the other being the Labour Day Classic. Unlike the Labour Day games, the teams that play on the Thanksgiving Day Classic rotate each year.

Unlike the American counterpart, Thanksgiving parades are not common in Canada; in fact, there is only one that coincides with the holiday. That parade, known as the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Parade, gets significant national attention as a result and is broadcast nationwide on CTV and A.

Still, these days, the significance for Thanksgiving for Canadians is being together with family and friends, and enjoying Thanksgiving dinner together!

So, to all of our Canadian readers, Happy Thanksgiving!!

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Currently Expedia are promoting how you can Save up to 30% off the price of hotels in Toronto Click here for information and check out the prices for your next Canada Trip!

Toronto sky scrapers

We’re half way through summer, and to be fair we haven’t really had a great one weather wise – so why not look forward, no matter whether you’ve already been on your holiday this year, or looking to book for a break later this year – Have a look and see what you can save by booking your hotels at Expedia.co.uk

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Booth’s rock trail starts one kilometre south of the Rock Lake Campground Office. After skirting two small lakes, it climbs to the top of a large cliff known as Booth’s Rock – where the trail gets it’s name funnily enough, descends the far side of the lookout and loops back to the starting point. The trail is 5.1kilometres long and fairly rigorous but may be easily covered in a couple of hours by an active person. From the cliff top you will have a magnificent view of Rock and Whitefish lakes and several hundred square kilometres of Algonquin Park will lie before you.

The trail guide for this trail tells you many things about how man has once again changed and is – or could change Algonquin Park and some of its hidden treasures. Not always for the worse though. On one side for example, it talks about Rosepond Lake. People have always found Rosepond Lake to be particularly intimate and enchanting. Hidden away from the rest of the planet by its whispering cordon of gaunt and lonely Black Spruce, the little lake lives a life of its own. The delicate orchids and the cool, deep moss near the water’s edge, the basking frogs and the furtive schools of minnows all seem to be as remote and secure from man’s troubled world as they could possibly be…
And yet, the truth is that Rosepond Lake is not nearly so safe as it may appear. The highly industrialised North American societies smelt ores and burn coal and oil in enormous quantities, The trouble is that we try to get rid of the smoke and gasses created – by releasing them up giant chimneys into the atmosphere. The pollutants may indeed travel hundreds of kilometres from their sources but eventually they do come back down to earth. Usually washed out of the sky by rain and snow – which is why, even here in Algonquin Park, the rain is often so acidic that no fish could live in it.
The only thing that has saved the park lakes so far is their ability too neutralize the acid rain that falls into them. The worry is that this ability may eventually be used up and the acidification of the lakes would follow. This danger has reduced thanks to the new U.S. and Canadian air pollution controls but some sensitive lakes can still be overwhelmed, at least temporarily, and damaged by acidic melt water when the snow melts each spring. 48,000 lakes in Ontario, including hundreds in Algonquin Park are sensitive enough that very little would be needed to push them over the edge and down the path to outright acidification. It wouldn’t matter that Rosepond Lake seems to be remote and cut off from the rest of the world. It would die all the same because of man-made pollution originating far away – and are we really ready to say good bye to these beautiful life filled lakes?

The flip side of coarse is how man has altered things for the better through studies and better understanding nature. The trail guide tells of how certain parts of the trail you walk on actually were very very different just a hundred years ago, the trees having been burnt or cut down for logging purposes, and the ground simply littered with more shrubs than trees – conservation having played its part into creating some of the forest that you find yourself in. The leaflet again touches on the plight of wolves. When Algonquin Park was established in 1893, protection was given to most of the Park’s animals. However, wolves were considered vermin, by even most conservationists. The object of ‘wolf management’ at the time was their extermination, and snares were set throughout the Park. Although some 50 to 60 wolves were killed every year, their numbers remained relatively stable. In 1958 the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources began a program of research into the life of the wolf. This, and other recent work, has helped to clear away many of the fantasies told about wolves and to establish that they are a fascinating and natural part of the environment.
This knowledge came too late to save the wolf from extinction in much of the world.. the UK being one such example.. Even today, wolves are only protected in only a handful of places and they are gone or vanishing from most of their former range in Europe, Asia and North America. Today, Algonquin Park is one of the very last accessible places where the wolf can said to be common. Even so, you probably will not see one, but if you are in Algonquin Park this month (August) each year, you may hear a pack. It was descovered in the wolf research program that wolves will howl in answer to human imitations of their voice. Every August Algonquin Park makes a special effort to locate a pack near the highway and then take visitors to see them. The response of Park visitors to these “public wolf howls” leaves little doubt that the wolf itself is converting its deadly enemy – man – into its most appreciative listener.

The trail its self of coarse boasts amazing views, but like almost all of my trail articles – i don’t want to spoil the surprise by putting up photos of it, I’d rather you head over yourself and get your own photos! The views on this trail are so good that people make an annual trip up the trail to marvel at the spectacular view of the Algonquin landscape. Some people have never seen landscape like it and actually assume that the country stretching out to the horizon is ‘primeval wilderness’ though, as the trail guide explains – as pretty and seemingly untouched as it looks now – thanks to the preservation of the Park, even from these views, you can see locations where for example there was once there was a saw mill.

And – as i always say, Remember.. if you’re going to park up anywhere in Algonquin Provincial Park or do any of the trails, you’ll need to pull up at the gates (big buildings just off the side of the road either end of Highway 60) and go in to get a Permit. These are $16.00 currently but the rates do change depending on the time of year, so remember to check out their website (linked at the bottom of the article!)

Make sure you’ve picked up one of the Algonquin park news papers (aka the Information Guide) while you’re getting a permit, they’re free and they’re very .. VERY useful to use the map on the back so you know where you are going!

Before you go on any of these trails, remember to have brought with you, proper walking equipment – for example decent walking shoes with a good degree of tread, and comfortable clothes suitable for what ever the weather may be on the day you go on the trail. Another thing you’ll want to factor in is the bugs! If it’s forecast to be warm, chances are you’ll be up against the Mosquitoes and or Black Fly – so bring your bug repellent! .. When i was there last month the blackfly were swarming – and they can leave a nasty bite, so a deep woods type anti-bug spray is advised.

So that’s the Booth’s Rock Trail and some of the things it tries to show you in the trail guide, as well as of coarse it giving you some amasing views – so like all the trails, if you’re up for a walk – don’t miss this trail! Remember with the views, also come cliffs – so if you take your kids on this trail – try to make sure they dont run off!

For more information about Algonquin park – remember to check out our Algonquin Provincial Park section
And you can also visit Algonquin Park’s official Website.

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The Lookout Trail, situated 39.7 kilometres from the West Gate, is a 2.1 Kilometre loop which climbs up through a young Algonquin forest to the top of a high cliff, follows the cliff brow for 100 metres, and then descends back down to the parking lot.
In addition to the spectacular view from the cliff top, the trail affords several good opportunities to observe a variety of Algonquin Park’s geological features.
As you walk along the trail, you are surrounded by life. There are trees and shrubs and then, down in the dead leaves and decaying wood on the forest floor, millions of microscopic plants and animals create the organic soil which sustains the forest. It is only on the trail path itself that we can even glimpse the underpinnings of this great living system; thousands of hikers have worn away the soil and exposed jumbled assortments of rocks, sand, and gravel.

Rocks and gravel may not seem particularly awe-inspiring to most, but when you stop and think about it, everything we come in contact with, even our oceans and lakes – is ultimately sitting on such mundane stuff. What’s more, rocks, sand and gravel go to make up the living layer of soil which supports all life, including our own. There is, in fact, hardly anything more fundamental in our world and all its life, than the rocks we normally take so much for granted – and lets face it – these exposed rocks – have seen much of the park’s history, from the first peoples that inhabited the area until today – when you get to add yourself to the rock’s history. This trail asks questions such as “How were the rocks formed..?” “Why exactly are there boulders and gravel strewn along the trail anyway?” and “How was the lookout created?.. in the middle of a forest?”

This trail takes us back in time, just over 11,000 years – to explain exactly how the landscape was shaped. As the guidebook explains, ‘four times in the last one million years, the Earth’s climate has undergone major cooling trends’, each followed by a warmer – tropical period. It has been suggested that contrary to popular belief, since we have – in geological terms, just come out of a glacial period, that the Global Warming that is so wildly reported as being purely a result of human activity – is actually simply the natural cycle of the warming after the cold glacial period. Still, When the cooling trends occurred, there were places in Canada where the summers were so short and cool that the snow from the previous winters never completely melted before the snow began to fall again. The result was that snow piled up, year after year until it was thousands of metres thick. By this time, the stupendous weight of the accumulation had transformed the snow to ice – just like when you pack a snowball until it becomes like a rock.. only imagine the force being millions of times stronger. With the snow packed into ice, it began to ‘flow’ outwards from the centres of heavy snowfall. Over thousands of years, several of these slowly moving ice sheets or glaciers joined and continued to spread until almost all of Canada and much of the northern U.S.A. were deeply covered by ice. The fourth and last ice sheet here in Algonquin – melted back from the highway 60 area of Algonquin just 11,000 years ago. Before that, as much as three km of glacial ice, towering into the clouds crushed the very trail you walk on. The forces slowly carving into the landscape as they moved, and all the debris that it calved off of the landscape – is what you are now walking on – the gravel, pebbles, sand – - and even the boulders you’ll see – all dropped when that glacier melted back – and some of it could have been carried many kilometers in its journey until being dropped, buried, exposed and stepped on by you – walking this trail.

As you can imagine – with a title like The Lookout – this trail has a spectacular view – so as you’re walking this trail, appreciating nature, learning about how the landscape was sculpted – you’ll come across the cliff – giving you large panoramic views over the hills, forests and lakes.

And – as i always say, Remember.. if you’re going to park up anywhere in Algonquin Provincial Park or do any of the trails, you’ll need to pull up at the gates (big buildings just off the side of the road either end of Highway 60) and go in to get a Permit. These are $16.00 currently but the rates do change depending on the time of year, so remember to check out their website (linked at the bottom of the article!)

Make sure you’ve picked up one of the Algonquin park news papers (aka the Information Guide) while you’re getting a permit, they’re free and they’re very .. VERY useful to use the map on the back so you know where you are going!

Before you go on any of these trails, remember to have brought with you, proper walking equipment – for example decent walking shoes with a good degree of tread, and comfortable clothes suitable for what ever the weather may be on the day you go on the trail. Another thing you’ll want to factor in is the bugs! If it’s forecast to be warm, chances are you’ll be up against the Mosquitoes and or Black Fly – so bring your bug repellent! .. When i was there last month the blackfly were swarming – and they can leave a nasty bite, so a deep woods type anti-bug spray is advised.

So that’s the Lookout Trail, remember to keep kids close as the cliff doesn’t have safety rails – but if its a nice day, like its forecast to be tomorrow, it’d provide you with some amazing photo opportunities.. Remember to let me see them if you do!!

For more information about Algonquin park – remember to check out our Algonquin Provincial Park section
And you can also visit Algonquin Park’s official Website.

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Today’s featured trail is the Centennial Ridges Trail.

The Centennial Ridges Trail is a 10 kilometre loop which takes you along two high, parallel ridge systems and features some of the park’s most outstanding scenery. It is a very demanding trail that visits five separate cliffs and involves much climbing. At the highest point you will be 170 metres (560 feet) above the parking lot, but because the trail has several major rises and descents, the total vertical distance you will have to climb during your outing is approximately 360 metres (1,200 feet). It’s not advised to head out on this trail unless you are in good health and good physical condition. And with this Trail its absolutely essential that you wear sturdy, ankle-supporting boots, and give it six hours to take on this challenge!… And of coarse, if you do happen to have kids who are as adventurous as you – the cliffs are not fenced, so keep them close to you at all times.

The trail was opened in 1993 as part of Algonquin’s centennial celebrations and, at its various lookouts and scenic viewpoints, it honours 11 representative historic people who have helped shape the present day park and make it so famous as a place to understand and appreciate the natural world.

At one of the posts along the route, you learn that the first person to propose a 20 to 30 township sized reserve in the area now occupied by the park was Robert W Phipps, Clerk of the forestry in the Ontario government’s Department of Agriculture and Arts. Strongly influenced by growing concerns in North America’s agricultural and forestry’s experts that the continent’s wood supply and climate were being endangered by the rapid, wholesale clearing of forests, Phipps insisted that it was crucial to stop agricultural settlement and land clearing in this part of Ontario. “When covered with extensive woods”, he wrote “the principle heights of land form reservoirs which supply the sources of numerous rivers, give moisture to the numerous small lakes and watercourses.. below them, and preserve throughout the whole country a fertility, invariably much impaired when the forests are removed.” Powerful lumbermen of the day were quick to support the idea of a forest reserve as well. From experience elsewhere, they knew only too well that the encroachment of settlers meant loss of forest through clearing and increased forest fires, so they readily agreed with Phipps’ believe that the land in question “in forest forever should remain”.

Of coarse, the history isn’t the main thing you’d be doing this trail for.. the views and challenge are of coarse the main attraction – and there really are some spectacular views – landscapes of forests, rivers, hills all able to be viewed in the six hours you’ll spend on this trail – but as ive said it’s not a trail for the light hearted..

And – as i always say, Remember.. if you’re going to park up anywhere in Algonquin Provincial Park or do any of the trails, you’ll need to pull up at the gates (big buildings just off the side of the road either end of Highway 60) and go in to get a Permit. These are $16.00 currently but the rates do change depending on the time of year, so remember to check out their website (linked at the bottom of the article!)

Click on the image above to see a full panoramic of one of the marshes along this trail

Make sure you’ve picked up one of the Algonquin park news papers (aka the Information Guide) while you’re getting a permit, they’re free and they’re very .. VERY useful to use the map on the back so you know where you are going!

Before you go on any of these trails, remember to have brought with you, proper walking equipment – for example decent walking shoes with a good degree of tread, and comfortable clothes suitable for what ever the weather may be on the day you go on the trail. Another thing you’ll want to factor in is the bugs! If it’s forecast to be warm, chances are you’ll be up against the Mosquitoes and or Black Fly – so bring your bug repellent! .. When i was there last month the blackfly were swarming – and they can leave a nasty bite, so a deep woods type anti-bug spray is advised.

And that’s Centennial Ridges. Or at least the briefest glimpse into this large winding trail. I don’t want to get into too much detail with it – simply due to the fact that you really have to see this tail for yourself to be able to appreciate it fully – which is one reason I’ve not included any of the epic views in this article! I’ll leave taking pictures of those – up to you!

For more information about Algonquin park – remember to check out our Algonquin Provincial Park section
And you can also visit Algonquin Park’s official Website.

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Canada Day is however, for the benefit of those who aren’t entirely familiar with the day, is not an ‘independence day’ – Far from it in fact! It is the birthday of Canada. The commemoration of the 1st July 1867, when the enactment of the Constitution Act 1867 was brought into being – uniting three British colonies into one unified country; Canada. Originally the day was called Dominion Day, but when Canada gained its full independence from the United Kingdom in 1982, its name was changed to Canada Day.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Canada for today, you’ll be witness to patriotism we rarely ever see in the UK, and strangely we never seem to be given the opportunity to express. The Canadian patriotism is something that fills me with a happiness.. A country and its people, proud to be who they are and where they are – and for me at least, i believe the Canadian patriotism is at the perfect level – it’s loud and proud, but not offensive or overly in peoples faces – an example where a country in the world has simply got things right. But then, we are talking about the only country in the western world not to actually go into recession in the most recent financial crisis – so it’s not unfamiliar territory for Canada to be the ones who got it right!

So what if you aren’t in Canada? Well, you may jut be in luck. A couple of months ago you may remember me featuring this, as a heads up towards the event. Canada Day has come to the UK. Canada Day London is the biggest celebration for Canada Day outside of Canada, and like everything Canadian, 110% is put into ensuring the event is filled with a massive schedule of events, and Canadians and tourists who visit Canada will find some familiar logos around the place – one of the biggest being Tim Hortons! – Tim Hortons Coffee and Doughnuts are coming to London, so if you can get yourself there.. Make sure you do!

Canada Day London 2011 promises to be even bigger and better than ever before with more cultural activities, more food and drink from across Canada and a great new line-up of music and entertainment. Whether it’s watching the coveted Trafalgar Cup street hockey tournament, sampling uniquely Canadian food and drink or rocking out to some of Canada’s finest bands, this event is jam packed with exciting activities and performances for everyone.

Canada has no shortage of artistic greats like Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Celine Dion and Brian Adams. New waves of artists like Arcade Fire, The Dears, Nelly Furtado and Nickelback are taking the international stage by storm. Montreal has been heralded as the global epicentre of indie music by Spin and the New York Times.

As part of Canada Day in London, Canada on Stage is a live concert starting at 6pm in Trafalgar Square, showcasing a stellar line-up of Canadian music talent.

This year’s performers includes: Blue Rodeo, Karkwa, Alex Cuba, The Mahones, Lennie Gallant, Devon Sproule, Jill Barber, Oh My Darling, Justin Hines, Tammy Weis and James Bryan.

The Experience Canada Pavilion will be set up and opening at 10:30am for anyone wondering about visiting Canada. Drop by the Experience Canada Pavilion and learn about the excitement and adventure of traveling to Canada. Visit Canada’s provinces at the pavilion and get information on all the hot travel spots.

The whole event starts in just an hour’s time from this article being published, starting at 10:30am – and the celebrations go on until 10pm tonight – so don’t miss this if you can make it to the show, it’s something you’ll always remember being at!

Canadian Affair, the company we always recommend as having the lowest cost flights going to and from Canada will also be there at their own stall – so while you’re there, remember to call in and have a chat to see what offers they have at the moment to help you go from ‘little Canada’ in Trafalgar Square today – to the real thing!

Canada Day London will be tweeting from the event live today on Twitter @canadadaylondon

Canadian Affair will also be joining in on the live tweeting from the event, so if you want to have a look what theyre doing right now check them out @CanadianAffair .. AND dont miss out on your chance to enter Canadian Affair’s Competition for a pair of free flights at their Facebook Page – http://www.facebook.com/CanadianAffair

And of coarse, while you’re on twitter, why not follow us @canadatrip so that you’re always up to date with the most recent article!

So, i think there’s only one last thing to say – HAPPY CANADA DAY to Canadians everywhere, hope you all have a great time

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The Beaver Pond Trail winds two kilometres through rugged Algonquin terrain, offering excellent opportunities to observe the roll of the beaver in the park environment. You may or may not actually see beavers during your walk, but everywhere about you will see signs, informing the observant hiker of their presence, activities and influence.

The Beaver is considered one of Canada’s national symbols, up there with the moose, the maple leaf and ice hockey – so this Trail is perfect if you want to enjoy a hike through the Algonquin landscape, while learning more about these special creatures. The trail takes you round in a circuit, visiting ponds, lakes, rivers, dams and meadows – and these features were not necessarily there all the time, As the trail guide explains to you, Beavers have had a significant impact on the landscape they live in.. an impact so significant that their effect on the environment is second only to humans as far as tailoring the landscape to their own needs.

At post two on the trail you visit a typical beaver pond – one of thousands in Algonquin Park. It is such a common place sight in fact, that we sometimes forget what an extraordinary thing it is. By damming the stream,. the beavers have actually changed the environment to suit their own needs – from a forest with a stream trickling through it, to a wide open pond, one or two meters deep.

In summer, the pond provides the beaver with a safe refuge from predators, since it is much more at home in water than on land. In winter, the advantages conferred by the pond are even more vital. Because the water in the pond is a metre or more, it does not freeze to the bottom and the beaver can swim under the ice to get sticks from the food pile accumulated the previous autumn, return to the feeding chamber of the lodge and leisurely eat the food, all in perfect safety from predators.
Because beaver ponds (especially small ones like the one at post two) are not continuously occupied, the lodge may or may not be in use at the time of your visit. If abandoned the lodge will appear as a collapsed, grassy knoll projecting from the water. An occupied lodge can usually be told by its greater height, the fresh mud and sticks plastered on the outside and the absence of grass.
Occupied or not, the lodge began as a large mound of sticks and mud piled up by the beavers. When the pile was about one metre above the water the beavers cut a tunnel from well below the surface of the water, up through the pile, to the waterline. There the beavers rounded out a feeding platform a few centimetres above the water and formed a higher sleeping platform floored with shredded wood to make a soft bed. Except for the very top of the lodge, the entire outer surface is plastered with mud – so when the winter arrives the dome becomes a thick, hard frozen layer of insulation against the cold and predators – complete with a breathing hole at the top.

I’m not going to go into much more detail about the other features you will see on the trail, as it’s much better for you to pick up the guide book and actually walk this trail yourself to get the full benefit of it – and of coarse, seeing it with your own eyes as you will the lodge i have talked about above – is significantly better than just having someone on a blog telling you about it right?

As on almost all the trails, the guidebook is $0.50 which you can pay for at the pipe immediately where you pick up the booklets at the start of the trail.

And – as i always say, Remember.. if you’re going to park up anywhere in Algonquin Provincial Park or do any of the trails, you’ll need to pull up at the gates (big buildings just off the side of the road either end of Highway 60) and go in to get a Permit. These are $16.00 currently but the rates do change depending on the time of year, so remember to check out their website (linked at the bottom of the article!)

Make sure you’ve picked up one of the Algonquin park news papers (aka the Information Guide) while you’re getting a permit, they’re free and they’re very .. VERY useful to use the map on the back so you know where you are going!

Before you go on any of these trails, remember to have brought with you, proper walking equipment – for example decent walking shoes with a good degree of tread, and comfortable clothes suitable for what ever the weather may be on the day you go on the trail. Another thing you’ll want to factor in is the bugs! If it’s forecast to be warm, chances are you’ll be up against the Mosquitoes and or Black Fly – so bring your bug repellent! .. When i was there last month the blackfly were swarming – and they can leave a nasty bite, so a deep woods type anti-bug spray is advised.

So, that’s Algonquin Park’s Beaver Pond Trail – take it steady and see what more you can find out about these industrious creatures while you do!

For more information about Algonquin park – remember to check out our Algonquin Provincial Park section
And you can also visit Algonquin Park’s official Website.

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We discovered this place early in our trip last month, and went back a couple of times. The photos included in this article are actually of the third visit – as we wanted to make sure we didn’t miss the things you can actually do while there. A few of the things, such as the Heritage Railway, the Chief Commanda II, and The Boat we may be featuring some time in the near future – but today we’re going to focus just on the marina.

The marina and the walkway around the shore of the lake provides a quiet and pleasant place to sit and just enjoy the quiet as well as the beauty of Lake Nipissing. If, after spending some time relaxing you and the kids fancy heading to a beach however, just the other side of the marina you’ll find a clean well kept beach including a kids play area which your kids can expend some surplus energy!

While we were there on this particular day, we were also lucky enough, whilst walking up the pier towards the Chief Commanda II’s moorings, to see a helicopter practicing its fire fighting skills, the helicopter flying in and low as it dipped its giant water bucket into the lake, before then once again heading back up into the sky and over land to dump the water over a target area still easily within view.

The marina is hardly one of those places that few people know about – because it does get relatively busy on nice days, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that it is still one of the nicest places in North Bay to simply go to relax. And if you fancy doing something a little more while you’re there, and you fancied getting around on something a little more stylish than your feet – or a little more fun for your kids, there are two and four person pedal cars which you can hire out for a cost of $20 an hour for the two seater, or $25 an hour for the four seater.

Still the star of the show really is Lake Nipissing, and with how the marina and lake front has been set up and managed by the local council it provides you with plenty of benches to sit and relax, beaches to sunbathe or take a swim in the lake – rentals as I’ve said including bikes – as well as kayaks and being located not too far a walk from the main town its easily accessible from most places – though we’d always recommend picking yourself up a tourist map and leaflets from a mall such as Northgate Mall.

Getting to North Bay remember is fairly easy. You have the choice of landing at either Ottawa and driving west, or Toronto and driving north. If you’re looking to head out to North Bay – remember to check out Canadian Affair’s flights, as well as their special offers, as they often have return flights to Toronto and Ottawa from the UK, from around £320

So I’ll leave you with a couple of photos from round the marina – and of coarse the map below so you know how to find it!

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We have, since we set up almost two years ago, always recommended Canadian Affair for flights, where you can get return tickets to Canada for as little as £318 including taxes.

Canadian Affair charter Thomas Cook flights, as well as Air Transat so you you have the piece of mind when you book that you can choose flights by which ever company you’re most familiar with (though Air Transat is my personal favourite). There’s two reasons for us always recommending Canadian Affair. The first being we ALWAYS book our flights to Canada with them – and have now been on 18 flights over the last 7 years, so we have huge experience with them. The second being – they are simply, the cheapest place to book flights to Canada from the UK. I know.. i search every few weeks, always looking to book my next trip!

Thomas Cook 757 at Toronto

Even if you may have heard of Canadian Affair before, there are deals that many people miss, so I’d always recommend checking out their Special Offers page before you start entering dates – so you can ensure you get the best deal before you book your tickets.

With most people, and understandably, the biggest factor is getting the cheap flights to Canada, but there’s more to Canadian Affair than simply being the cheapest flights to Canada! They strive to give you the best customer service possible, for example in the numerous times i have needed to contact them via email, they have always responded the same day – and on a couple of occasions within 30 minutes of me actually submitting my query!

They also provide you with choice. If your closest airport is Manchester and you want to get flights from Manchester to Toronto or flights from Manchester to Ottawa, you can! Likewise you also have the choice of getting your flights from Gatwick to Toronto and flying back from Toronto to Liverpool if you wanted.

Canadian Affair offer flights from the following UK airports: Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Newcastle and Exeter. Their destinations include Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Edmonton, but they also do package holidays to various resorts around these locations (such as Niagara Falls) in addition to their flights.

Remember to have a look at our full review from last year on Canadian Affair, details in it are for a trip we took in 2009 but service has only got better since then: Travelling to Canada with Canadian Affair in 2010

If you want to keep up to date on the latest offers we find, and our latest articles, be one of the first to find out by following us on Twitter!

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But a Holiday isn’t all about the flight right? And different people like different types of holidays. Some relaxing – taking the kids out to some of Canada’s best attractions, Some adventuring through types of wilderness that can only be found here, Some just looking to soak up the culture – or even go shopping. But whatever you want to do while on your Canada trip, we try to find places which you will love, and tag them to the locations you’re looking to Visit!

For example, if you’re heading out to have a drive round Ontario – check out our Ontario category. Or, if you’re planning on spending your time in a particular city or destination such as Toronto, then have a look at the places we’ve reviewed and featured in our Toronto Category. We are also building up a portfolio of Provincial Parks – The one we are focusing on at the moment is Algonquin Provincial Park which is easily accessible after landing in Toronto or Ottawa and you’re guaranteed to be able to spend your entire holiday camping, or staying in a hotel just outside the park – enjoying the unspoilt wilderness – and discovering everything the parks have to offer..

So, Reviews.. Where to start! We have 200 articles on Canada Trip.co.uk, all offering advice about where to go, what to see, how to save money and where to stay.. so when asked to pick out specific reviews, its a difficult choice to make! Below are some of the articles of places you absolutely must visit if you’re in the cities they’re located in..

Toronto

Toronto Zoo
Toronto zoo is one of the must see locations on your trip if you’re in the Toronto region – though remember to give yourself a whole day to look around this amazing place – When i visited in May, it was a beautiful sunny day, we got there in the morning and still didn’t quite get to see everything in the zoo… (more..)

Canada’s Wonderland, Toronto
While you’re in Toronto – why not take a day to visit Canada’s Premiere Themed Amusement Park! Whether you have kids young or old, or even if you don’t have any – Canada’s Wonderland is guaranteed to be a day you wont forget! (more..)

The CN Tower, Toronto
If you’re flying into Toronto Pearson International Airport, you may be lucky enough to be greeted to Canada with a beautiful cityscape of Toronto, set on the background of Lake Ontario – The city skyline of Toronto, no matter where you go in the world will always have a needle looking building to its centre – this is the truely world famous CN Tower Toronto. (more..)

more Toronto articles…

Ottawa

Parliament Buildings, Ottawa
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… (more..)

Canada’s Wonderland, Toronto
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. (more..)

more Ottawa articles…

Vancouver

Toronto Zoo
Back now to Vancouver – and one of the city’s key attractions – The Capilano Suspension Bridge. Not a place to go if you have a fear of heights, but if you’re clear of that – you’ll find the trip out to this attraction to be something special, and something you’ll remember for a long long time. The Capilano Suspension Bridge is a simple suspension bridge crossing the Capilano River in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada… (more..)

Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Aquarium is Canada’s largest Aquarium, and also a non-profit organisation! They dedicate their efforts to effect the conservation of aquatic life through display, interpretation, education, research, and direct action. You will experience all this and more when you go visit them! (more..)

Fort Langley National Historic Site
My personal thoughts are that if you truly want to get to know somewhere, then you should always go a little bit further to learn about how it came to be this way in the first place, hence my love for history! So, I’m shining the spot light on Fort Langly National Historic Site of Canada in Vancouver, BC… (more..)

more Vancouver articles…

Halifax

Halifax, NS
Another one of the cornerstones of places to visit in Canada would certainly be Halifax. Halifax was the site of the first British town in Canada, founded in 1749. Since then, the area has evolved to be home for a diverse mix of people. Charming fishing villages, farming communities and Atlantic Canada’s largest city are just some of the things which Halifax has to offer. (more..)

Halifax Citadel
Located within the centre of Halifax, this fort is easy to get to from wherever you may be staying in the city. Though a little word of warning – each day at noon a cannon is fired as a symbol of Halifax’s military history.. This often comes as a great shock, being so loud, to unsuspecting tourists – so now you wont be one of them! (more..)

York Redoubt, Halifax
York Redoubt as a place to visit is both an interesting historic site, as well as a fantastic spot to take pictures of the surrounding landscape, and not only that it’s only a very short drive from the city its self… (more..)

more Halifax articles…

Quebec / Montreal

The Citadelle, Quebec City
And I’m once again going to delve into the history of Canada. Anyone who happens to be a member of English Heritage or National Trust in the UK may be interested in Castles, and simply for its imposing position, significance and importance – The Citadelle in Quebec City I would probably most likely compare to Dover Castle, as far as visitor experience is concerned. (more..)

Montreal Biodome, Montreal
If you or your kids ever wanted to be able to visit a number of different places around the world within a few hours, the Montreal Biodome is the place you’ll want to take your family!… (more..)

Canadian Railway Museum
f you have kids, love history and or trains – this is one place that if you’re in Montreal in Quebec, you will not want to miss out of your trip! (more..)

more Quebec / Montreal articles…

Calgary / Edmonton

Calgary, Alberta
Nestled in the foothills of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, Calgary, Heart of the New West is a place where visitors come to explore the heritage of the Canadian West. This safe, clean and vibrant city offers the best of all worlds: a cosmopolitan city of over 1 million people and breathtaking outdoor adventure in pristine wilderness. Not only does it offer amazing wilderness, it has an immense number of activities for you and your family to head off to! (more..)

Edmonton, Alberta
Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta and is well known for its scenic river valley and a thriving music and art community. Located 294 km (183 mi) north of Calgary, Edmonton is home to North America’s largest shopping and entertainment complex, West Edmonton Mall. More than just a shopping centre, West Edmonton Mall also has a giant water park, a man-made lake, a skating rink, two mini-golf courses, 21 movie theatres, a Vegas-style casino and an amusement park with 25 rides and attractions. (more..)

The Calgary Tower
Officially opened June 30th 1968, the ‘Tower’ has become the City of Calgary’s most famous and identifiable physical landmark. One of the first Towers of its kind, the Calgary Tower offers the best view in Calgary and is a must-see on any tourist’s itinerary… (more..)

more Calgary / Edmonton articles…

Remember, you can check any of the categories on the left to specify if you’re looking for anywhere that isn’t listed here. For the latest articles, feel free to head back to the home page and have a look around!

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