The Savvy Traveler » Canada

Exploring Canada online

Jennifer — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:46:06 +0000

Aldus Ford

(NC)-If you’re stuck for summer vacation ideas or can’t get the family to agree on a destination, why not try a virtual trip first?

A recent survey found that travel information sites and queries for directions and maps are among the most popular Internet searches. And there’s certainly no lack of sites, with everything from virtual tours of the hotel room you want to book, right through to the discount vacation broker.

For people looking to plan the perfect vacation, or those who just don’t like surprises, these sites provide a way to “preview” their vacation. Think of it as kicking your vacation’s tires before you take it out for a spin.

Probably the best sources of information for exploring Canada are the provincial tourism sites. They provide easy access to local attractions, travel information and timely updates on special events or programs happening throughout the summer.

Once you’ve picked a destination, it’s time to explore. Favourite applications for would-be travellers are the new, online mapping services which are able to combine traditional road maps with high resolution satellite images. With a simple click of the mouse, you can zoom in to get a bird’s eye view of the city or landmark you want to see.

One of the newest services, Live Search Maps (http://maps.live.ca) offers great 3D images of some of Canada’s most recognizable landmarks and cities. The textured, photorealistic 3D models make it easy to imagine you are walking past the majestic Parliament Buildings or the mighty Niagara Falls.

With all these bells and whistles, it’s easy to forget these sites also provide those seemingly mundane-in comparison-maps and directions. But as you explore that new city or landmark, you’ll be glad you invested time up front researching the right destination and the best routes for your summer travels.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

Montreal: City on the St. Lawrence

Jennifer — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 13:20:34 +0000

Montreal derives its musical-sounding name from a nearby mountain, Mont Royal, which also happens to be one of its main tourist attractions. But there’s much more to this city on the St. Lawrence River than natural wonders, as abundant as those are.

Montreal holds interest for those many tourists who enjoy visiting religious structures around the world.

St. Joseph’s Oratory atop Mont Royal has the second largest dome in the world, following only St. Peter’s in Rome. This unusual work of devotion by Brother Andre was constructed at his urging and holds his very heart, preserved in a glass case inside.

Montreal also is home to a church named Notre-Dame, but unlike many of that name around the world, it is a respectable rival for its more famous cousin in Paris. Filled with amazing wood and marble carvings, and offering a stellar view from the balcony inside, tourists will want to put it high on their list.

But this French-origin city offers more worldly pursuits as well.

The Casino de Montreal offers a fine alternative to Atlantic City in New Jersey. The building sparkles inside and out, a true competitor to and combination of Monte Carlo and Las Vegas. With over 3,000 slots, 120 gaming tables and filled with running brooks, ponds and fountains – inside the casino – gamblers and gawkers alike will not be disappointed.

If there’s any money left afterward, Underground City in downtown offers shopping galore. With hundreds of stores and restaurants along this network of tunnels, there will be something to interest anyone. Far from a dark, claustrophobic web, though, the skylights and spacious atria bring the light of Montreal down below street level. The many miles of the complex connect with dozens of major hotels, shops and restaurants above ground, as well as with Montreal’s Metro subway system.

Visitors can take one of those trains to Old Montreal (Vieux Montréal) to visit the section of the city that has been active continuously since at least 1611.

Founded in 1642, the city has retained many houses over 300 years old, along with the Old Custom House and other popular tourist attractions. At the Old Port you can take a boat ride and imagine what it must have been like for French trappers and Scottish merchants to trade in that far eastern Canadian province. Take a ride down the Lachine Canal to get the full effect.

Montreal offers the Museum of Archaeology and History that will give visitors a literal in-depth look at the artifacts of the city’s past. Housed partly underground, tourists can see many of the objects unearthed and displayed in the exact locations they were found.

For more modern objects of interest, spend some time at the Museum of Fine Arts (Musée de Beaux Arts). Small by some standards, it holds a diverse and beautiful colllection of 18th and 19th century European paintings and decorative arts. It also offers an array of symbolic and utilitarian items from the native populations across Canada.

For a leisurely stroll among the fine flora of Quebec, one could do no better than the Jardin de Botanique, the city’s botanical gardens. Full of an amazing scope and variety of plants, it is one of the most peaceful sites in the area.

But to see something buzzing with activity, wend your way over to the Insectarium and see the transparent beehives and anthills. Offering numerous displays of mounted butterflies, along with hundreds of live spiders and other insects you never knew existed, it’s a delight for kid and adult alike. The Ornamental Black and White Tarantula and the Tailess Whip Scorpion await you.

Then learn all about the human animal and its products by visiting iSci, Le Centre des Sciences de Montréal. Full of fascinating interactive displays, you could spend a day exploring all it has to offer. Fully exposed muscled skeletons show how the body works in action, while computers in the Information Studio show you the latest tools for learning.

Take a peak at raw nature in the Biodome. A series of ecosystems from around the world, it covers the extremes. From the Polar World of the Arctic and the Antarctic, to the Tropical Forest of South America, you’ll see a glimpse of what life is like without the technology displayed in iSci.

Then visit the Canadian Center for Architecture and see some of the finest creations humans have made out of those raw materials. The library holds 165,000 volumes containing sketches and more. Ongoing exhibits provide in-depth coverage of great builders of the past and present. The two buildings of the museum itself offer visitors a look at two. One is an 1874 mansion, the other a modern U-shaped structure embracing it.

Montreal has a wider range of unusual and interesting sights to see and things to do than almost any other major city. Not usually on the top ten list of cities for tourists, it should be.

Montreal: Canadian Center for Architecture

Jennifer — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:18:44 +0000

One of the few cities to dedicate a museum to the glory of building, the Centre Canadien d’Architecture in Montreal is itself glorious.

The center is actually two separate buildings.

Combining austere Trenton limestone mined in Quebec with traditional old greystone found throughout Montreal, the buildings reflect the twin aspects of the architecture of the city. Providing a permanent library of over 165,000 volumes along with revolving exhibits, it is both a home to scholars and a popular tourist attraction.

The older of the two structures is an 1874 mansion built for the president of the Pacific Railway, Sir Thomas Shaughnessy. The interior, fully restored to its original state, houses an art nouveau conservatory whose intricately decorated ceiling is alone worth a visit.

The newer building, erected in 1989, is a U-shaped structure that wraps the older one. In the western wing is the auditorium, while the eastern houses an atrium with offices and research areas for visiting scholars. Its unusual design is the brainchild of an unusual woman, Phyllis Lambert. An heir to the Seagram’s liquor fortune, Lambert is herself an architect and founder of the center.

In the library, visitors can view sketchbooks, plans and other items that comprise one important aspect of the architect’s effort. Some of the exhibits have featured serious, scholarly displays of historical or contemporary work. The Center has featured exhibits on Mies van der Rohe, John Sloan and others. Other events may focus on lighter topics, such as a review of doll houses or the variety of American lawn designs.

But whether the exhibit is technical or just fun, the museum itself is a fine example of what it exists to portray: the variety of impressive building over the centuries. With a combination of modern urban design and near turn of the 20th century housing, it offers a diverse view of the creative endeavors of a unique kind of artist. For an architect is neither sculptor nor storyteller, but a bit of both in a practical shell.

Across the street is a fascinating sculpture garden that displays work that might very well decorate one of the structures detailed in the mansion library. With an array of odd objects along with traditional gardening, it provides a lovely place to sit and admire the museum buildings from the outside.

Visitors will enjoy coming in the main entrance along the north-facing facade and into the grand stairhall that leads to the public spaces on the first floor. The Canadian maple decor nicely offsets the Alcan aluminum used in the modern parts of the center. Skylights illuminate the interior with natural light, providing a delightful ambiance.

Located at 1920 Baile Street, the CCA contains a bookstore that offers material related to the museum’s contents.

Casino de Montréal

Jennifer — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:19:29 +0000

The Casino de Montréal gets about 15,000 gamblers per weekday, 25,000 on a weekend day. It’s not hard to see why. With 3,000 slot machines alone, there’s a lot of action. But that only begins to cover the possibilities in this gaming house in Quebec.

Once upon a time locals had to go to Atlantic City in New Jersey, or be satisfied with backroom penny ante games. Now tourists and Québécois (the name for inhabitants of the far eastern Canadian province) have an alternative.

Originally built as the French Pavilion for Expo ‘67, the casino is an architectural landmark. Over $300 million was spent renovating the building and the investors appear to have gotten their money’s worth. It sparkles like a big brooch near the water.

The Casino is located on Isle Notre-Dame across from Montreal’s Old Port. Here, visitors can look out on the St. Lawrence river and enjoy the surrounding parkland before making their way into the casino. Festooned with ponds, a running brook, lighted fountains and a cascading waterfall it’s a park and gambling house in one.

The interior continues the water theme, with many of the same elements. Decorated inside to resemble a fine house in Monte Carlo, the building is a Las Vegas showpiece. Smaller than the hotels in that desert city, it nonetheless can pack in the people and please them just the same. Don’t miss out on a trip over the clear glass floor across the running brook near the escalator.

The dress code is strictly enforced – no jeans, shorts or tank tops. That helps keep up the European atmosphere that viewers of James Bond films have come to know and love. There are other items familiar from those movies: roulette, baccarat, poker and more. 120 tables worth in all. They have elements not typically associated with a Bond movie, too, such as Keno tables. Monte Carlo meets Las Vegas.

Along with the gaming tables there are four restaurants, including a French eatery called Nuances, and a cabaret theatre. Nuances is upscale, receiving a Five Star rating two years running. But for those who are just hungry, there’s a snack bar, as well. The Cabaret offers musical revues, comedy and well-known Vegas performers. All are set among the glittering glass and many murals that create the dazzling ambiance.

Dealers speak French and English so they can communicate with just about any visitor. But the language spoken here is numbers – those on the table, the cards and the currency. Come try your luck.

The Casino is easy to reach via the Metro (Montreal’s subway) and bus. Details are available at www.casino-de-montreal.com.

Montreal: City on the St. Lawrence

Jennifer — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 21:20:16 +0000

Montreal holds interest for those many tourists who enjoy visiting religious structures around the world.

But this French-origin city offers more worldly pursuits as well.

Visitors can take one of those trains to Old Montreal (Vieux Montréal) to visit the section of the city that has been active continuously since at least 1611.

Montreal has a wider range of unusual and interesting sights to see and things to do than almost any other major city. Not usually on the top ten list of cities for tourists, it should be.

Montreal Insectarium

Jennifer — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:21:07 +0000

The Insectarium de Montréal, is one of the foremost collections of insects in the world. Possibly the largest in North America, there may be some larger, such as that in New York. But there are none finer. Opened in February, 1990 over 400,000 visitors per year come to be amazed at the collections.

There are six separate geographically themed areas, but any of them offers astounding sights.

Whether you see the Afrotropical’s Goliath Beetle or Tailess Whip Scorpion, or the Oriental Zone’s Ornamental Black and White Tarantula, there’s a crawling creature to amuse and astound.

Don’t miss out on the Neotropical Zone where they keep the Jamaican Walking Stick, the Brazilian Tarantula and the Hercules and Elephant beetles, either. There’s even a Fishing Spider in the Aquarium, not far from the Toe Biter.

The Insectarium has a more-or-less standard mounted collection. Standard, but not ordinary. Filled with thousands of species of wasp, beetle, butterfly and species with only Latin names, it will enchant visitors for hours. There are butterflies of all description and giant walking sticks, iridescent beetles and dozens of furry spiders.

Even more amazing is the outstanding moving exhibition, filled with live species. There’s a transparent beehive that allows viewers to see the busy creatures at work. Not to be outdone, the nearby anthill shows the bees what construction is all about.

Among the many exhibits, visitors can find out how to avoid getting stung by wasps and bees as they learn about the animals lifestyles.

Come watch the Monarch butterflies get tagged at the beginning of their migration to Mexico. Find out how insects survive forest fires and what they do to restore the forest. Come check out the Egyptian scarabs of the type that ate people in the film The Mummy. Come in winter and sign up for the Insect Tasting (Croque-Insectes) event.

There are regular tours in English and French, but most will simply want to wander among the many mounted exhibitions and vivariums. Here they’ll find over a hundred huge live arthropods and dead tiny exoskeletal wonders. Whether amateur entomologist or professional tourist, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Located at 4581 Sherbrooke Street East, not far from the Pie-IX metro station (Montreal’s subway), you can exit at Viau as well.

Montreal iSci Science Center

Jennifer — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:22:00 +0000

Le Centre des Sciences de Montréal, as it’s formally known, is one of the premier attractions in a city already filled with so many. Located along the length of King Edward Pier in Old Montreal, it’s also one of the newer sights. Chock full of the latest computer and video technology, along with hundreds of interactive science-related exhibits, the iSci is a wonder.

That wonder is not merely to behold, but to operate as well. Visitors can enjoy dozens of experiments that demonstrate the principles of electricity and magnetism. Or, they can use one of the many computers to explore the leading edge technology that may make its way into homes in the near future.

The museum has two main exhibition areas – Eureka and Technocity.

Within them, young and old alike can explore the amazing intricacies of the human body. Life-sized displays of muscle clad skeletons show how the parts combine and function to allow for the amazing range of human movement. Displays and videos provide information about how medicine and technology are advancing to not only cure but improve on the basic model.

Kids and grown-ups both will enjoy all the fascinating puzzles and games available. Brain teasers, optical illusions and intricate geometric toys will give even the brainiest a real run for their gray matter. Try to outsmart a chess program or figure out why one ball looks larger than another of exactly the same size. Try to beat the clock by unlocking a group of rings that appear to have no openings.

The world of engineering is given wide support with displays on how buildings stand and, sometimes, why they fall. Bridges longer than some cities and higher than some skyscrapers are detailed, explaining how they function.

Information Studio provides numerous exhibits on how the world of computers is changing life and the growth of knowledge. Super-fast computers that use Quantum Mechanics are not far from reality. See a live demonstration of how they work. Matter Works showcases some of the most impressive technological achievements to date… and gives some clues about what’s coming up in the future.

The science center also includes one of the biggest IMAX theaters in North America. With its seven-story screen and state-of-the-art sound system, viewers will get a thrill ride through environments familiar and new. Seating almost 400, the audience can vote on how the story evolves by selecting different scenarios.

With more than 600,000 square feet of display space in a space-age glass and steel building, the iSci is a work of science and art all its own. But it also houses a fine family restaurant, the Porto Fiorentino, that seats 1,000. Have a good meal and look out over the harbor while you enjoy cooking demonstrations, piano concerts and other events held there.

Located at the corner of de la Commune and St. Laurent in Old Montreal, Le Centre des Sciences is easy to reach via the Metro (Montreal’s subway). Just exit at Champ-de-Mars. For details, see: www.montrealsciencecentre.com

Montreal: Lachine Canal

Jennifer — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:23:04 +0000

Using waterways to move goods, aid industry or simply for transportation has been done for centuries. But the excellent canals and ports used today didn’t always exist, and sometimes creating them took generations. So it is with the Lachine Canal in Montreal.

One area of this complex of islands in Quebec contain a natural feature called the Lachine Rapids. Like most rapids, they can be fun for adventurers, but they’re a real problem for commercial activity. As early as 1689, less than 50 years after the city’s founding, enterprising locals tried to forge a canal around them. But, owing to government resistance, lack of funds and absence of engineering knowledge it took over a hundred years to become a reality.

But in 1825, the Lachine Canal did finally open, linking Montreal’s harbor to the Ottawa River. Down the canal moved ships large and small bringing goods, transporting people and providing the area with a much needed efficient waterway. It served that purpose for over 100 years, until finally in 1959 it was obsoleted by the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Not surprisingly, the canal and surrounding area then took a turn for the worse, becoming run down and useless. But in 1988, the federal government began efforts to revitalize Lachine Canal, planting trees and creating a small, thin park along its edge. Today, those efforts have blossomed into one of Montreal’s most popular tourist attractions.

Lachine Canal now offers everything from a leisurely walk amid beautiful scenery to kayaking and boat rides and other water-related fun things to do. Private boat owners can take pleasure craft down the canal. Commercial tourist companies offer tours that provide historical overviews of the many old factories that dot the shore.

There are even upscale condos one can buy to enjoy the view. Part of the condos is an existing 150-year old historic tower that was once used to manufacture bullets. Molten lead droplets were let go from the top, forming spheres under gravity and hardening in the cool water 100 feet below.

Since 2002, the canal area has offered visitors a view into Montreal’s fascinating past. The Fur Trade at Lachine is a National Historic site that provides insight into the active exchange that took place along its shores more than two hundred years ago. Part of the tour provides a look at stone warehouses of the Hudson Bay company and others dating from the early 19th century. Not far away there are beautiful old railway bridges, tunnels and pedestrian bridges to explore.

The park area is also an active archaeological site with scientists and interested parties working to uncover aspects of Quebec’s past. Part of the effort involves opening up the huge triangular entrance to the once-active locks that allowed large cargo ships to reach the area.

Kayaking is a popular activity, too. Visitors can join two to six man kayak teams and paddle their way down the canal for a trip that can go on for hours. Many other companies offer two hour and longer relaxing cruises. They sail up and down the canal on comfortable ships along the 14km (8mi) stretch from Old Port to Lake Saint-Louis.

But one of the most pleasant and popular things to do at Lachine Canal is simply take a bicycle tour down the shore and enjoy all the great scenery, snapping a few photos. It isn’t hard to imagine what it looked like 200 years ago, since much of the area is relatively unchanged.

The canal entrance and tours are near Atwater Market in Old Port, with easy access to public transportation. Just take the Metro (Montreal’s subway) to Square Victoria.

Montreal: Mont Royal

Jennifer — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:24:03 +0000

Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, builder of Central Park in New York, the parks atop Mont Royal provide one of Montreal’s finest attractions. From there the view of the St. Lawrence River along its edge, as well as that of the city itself, is breathtaking.

Comprising over a hundred hectares, and reaching to 234m (725ft), Mont Royal (from which the city’s name derives), offers a variety of things to see and do. Just sitting in the cafeteria inside the Chateau is alone worth the trip. From here, the buildings of Montreal are easily visible against the bold blue sky present in winter and summer. The western lookout, built in 1906 and named Belvédère Kondiaronk for a local Huron chief, offers equally spectacular vistas.

Inaugurated in 1876, the park encloses woodlands, man-made lakes, a ski slope, a sculpture garden and much more. Locals and visitors alike can enjoy sports on the tennis and basketball courts, let their kids play in the pool or just relax and enjoy the view. There are numerous bicycle trails along gravel paths and, in winter, cross-country skiing is popular.

In summer, a popular activity known locally as Tam-Tams is held. Montrealers play drums (which give their name to the event) near the monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier. Visitors come to hear the music and watch the locals perform a communal dance.

Not far from St. Joseph’s Oratory, the large copper-domed basilica on the mountain, there are other religious motifs as well. A large cross illuminates in purple during the time a Pope dies and another is elected. There are two cemeteries in the area – Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery (Catholic), Mount Royal Cemetery (non-denominational). Both are a pleasant place to walk and contemplate.

For a more avant-garde activity, visitors can enjoy the Beaver Lake pavilion. Retro-futurist in design, it offers a snack bar and, in the winter, skating is nearby. There are numerous sculptures, retained from a large show held in 1964, that dot the slope above.

The mountain is also home to the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) transmission facility. There are two large buildings and a 100m (310 ft) candelabra tower, which generates nearly all of Montreal’s TV and FM radio broadcasts. For those interested in stellar engineering, it’s an awesome sight.

An alternative peak is the site for the University of Montreal, which is also worth a visit. For those who enjoy academic architecture, the tower is a location of note.

Access to the mountain is simple. Any hill with a base near downtown will lead up to the top. Those preferring to ride rather than walk can take a bus or take the Metro (Montreal’s subway). Cars are permitted, as well. Just drive up Côte-des-Neiges.

Montreal Botanical Garden

Jennifer — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 21:25:01 +0000

The Jardin Botanique de Montréal happily resides in one of the most lush areas of North America. It was founded in 1936 by one of Canada’s premier botanists, Frère Marie-Victorin and houses over 100,000 specimens representing 20,000 species. Second in size only to Kew Gardens in London, it is easily a rival for New York’s famed institutions.

There are nine public greenhouses and over 20 others that house research and maintenance plants from the world over. There are here some of the rarest medicinal herbs in the world, lovingly cared for by the Jardin’s gardeners. Associated with The Botanical Institute of the University of Montreal, it has the expertise and interest that has helped create one of the world’s finest botanical treasures.

Those specimens sit contentedly in a rock garden, a Chinese garden, a Japanese garden and many other attractions. There is a collection of alpine plants, orchids and a large variety of other flowers. Few botanical gardens can boast such a wide assortment of species from so many climate zones.

The Chinese Garden is one of the site’s proudest displays. It is reported to be the largest outside of Asia and holds hundreds of native species of that continent, such as the well-known penjing. Its winding paths and artificial mountain are the epitome of the Chinese style.

Nearby is the Japanese Garden with its renowned bonsai collection. Here you can see miniaturized, but not dwarf, species of all kinds. Bonsai are not genetically modified, but trimmed, pruned and groomed to retain their small size. Miniature plum, pine and windswept species of many types are here. Visit the tearoom when you’ve finished and enjoy a Japanese Tea Ceremony.

The Jardin also has an area that holds plants of a kind that might be found in the Sonoran desert. Cacti and succulents even bloom here, despite the variable cold and hot weather for which Quebec is famous.

At the west end of the city, the Jardin offers a relaxing arboretum, featuring willows and chestnuts, along with dozens of other tree species. Not far away is the famed Medicinal Plant Garden where species that have supplied cures since the Middle Ages can be seen.

Emulating a garden that might easily have been found in a monastery, you can hear about the most modern science used to care for them. Ask one of the friendly tour guides all about which of the herbs can help.

Along with the delightful plants there are waterfalls that mist the air, which will be appreciated on one of those typical hot Montreal summer days. One of the best times to visit is mid-August when many of the plants are at their most active. Visitors can sit and enjoy the smell of the orchids while they relax before continuing.

Located at 4101 Sherbrooke Street East, the Jardin Botanique is easy to reach via the Metro (Montreal’s subway). Just exit at the Pie-IX station.