Travel Canada For--Wildlife Viewing

This week's New York Times has a review on locations responding to the new demand for more natural wildlife viewing opportunities. The article made reference to the Black Bear experience at the Fairmont Chateau Montebello where bears may be viewed from a screened-in structure in the wilderness. The hotel takes guests to a wild-bear observation sessions, from May until late September to its private 65,000-acre nature preserve.

I personally just returned from Whitehorse and the Southern Lakes area of Canada's Yukon. The month of April provided a spectacular wildlife viewing trip where we saw migrating Trumpeter Swans, Grizzly Bears, Elk, Caribou, Goats, Sheep, Deer, Bald Eagles, & Harrier Hawks. Spring is truly a great time for wildlife viewing before the full foliage takes over, making it more difficult to see through the bushes and trees. Whitehorse Hotels

Canada Travel News in the weekend Star and Globe

Canadian Iconic hotels were featured in today's travel sections. Starting with the Globe and Mail specifice reference was made to the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in Quebec.

Vancouver was referenced in relation to their Doxa Film Fest kicks off on May 23. Reserve Vancouver Hotel Rooms on-line.

Toronto Ontario Receives Praise from Larry King

In a pre show interview on CNN last night, it was interesting to hear Paula Zahn tell Larry King about her visit to Toronto on Monday, and say that "your Canadian friends said to say hello". King asked where she was in Canada. Toronto was the reply, and King then said, "what a great city", and then repeated himself again, "Toronto is a tremendous city". We agree!!

Give us your thoughts about Toronto. Book Toronto Hotels on-line.

Ontario Travel Events Feature Grey Owl and his Wives

North Bay and Mattawa to hold

Celebrations recognizing the lives of two native women who changed the life
of the mysterious conservationist, author and lecturer, Grey Owl will take place
in June 2006. Grey Owl (Archie Belaney) who was "the best known Canadian
author andlecturer in his day" in the 1930s was nurtured by two powerful native
women. With the influence of his first wife Angele Egwuna from Bear Island on
LakeTemagami in Northern Ontario, he learned the language and way of life that
made him one of Canada's best known early conservationists and supporters of
the native way of life.

Gertrude Bernard from Mattawa, Ontario, more widely known as Anahareo,
was married to Grey Owl for 11 years and precipitated his transformation from
a woodsman to his highly successful later life as a conservationist, writer
and lecturer. Anahareo was featured in the 45 million dollar Grey Owl movie in
1999. She wrote two books on her life with Grey Owl and won the Order of
Canada and other recognition for her conservation work.
Angele and Anahareo will be recognized in two separate events in June
2006.

THE NORTH BAY EVENT - June 10, 2006The life of Angele Egwuna will be celebrated in an art exhibition fromSaturday June 10 to July 13, 2006 at the W.K.P. Kennedy Public Art Gallery inthe Capitol Centre in North Bay. The official opening is at 2 p.m. onJune 10th , 2006. On Thursday June 15th two well-known authors with aninterest in Grey Owl's life will talk and sign their books at the CapitolCentre at 7 p.m. Armand Garnet Ruffo who has written a play about Grey Owl anda remarkable book of poetry Grey Owl: The Mystery of Archie Belaney will talkabout Grey Owl's many formative years in Biscotasing. "Hap" Wilson, the authorof many books including his recent The Cabin: A Search for Personal Sanctuarywill talk about Bear Island and show some if his remarkable photography of thearea. A tour of the exhibition, the Grey Owl Movie and a talk by curatorArlington Hoffman will take place during the day on Thursday.
North Bay Event: contact the Gallery Director/Curator Dermot Wilson at (705) 474-1944 ext. 231 or email him at dwilson@capitolcentre.ca or log on to the gallery website http://www.kennedygallery.org/ North Bay Information

THE MATTAWA EVENT - June 17, 2006
Mattawa will celebrate the extraordinary life of Anahareo on the 100th
anniversary of her birth (June 18, 1906) on Saturday, June 17, 2006, with a
Cultural Gathering on Explorers Point in Mattawa Ontario. Several members of
her family will be present as well as various dignitaries. Admission to this
celebration of Anahareo's life is free.
Beginning at 10:30 a.m., June 17th, there will be a full schedule of
fascinating events - including, music, drumming, dance, theatre,
presentations, unveilings, displays etc. followed by a Traditional Feast. A
Sacred Fire will burn from sunrise on Friday, June 16th, through the Saturday
event. The Grey Owl movie will be shown on Friday at the Mattawa Movie Theatre
on Main Street. There will be a mass on Sunday at 11:15 for Anahareo at
For further information: Mattawa Event: contact Jennifer Jocko at (705)
744-3733 or log on to http://www.culturalgathering.com/
for the schedule of events;

Bison or Buffalo--Canadian Herds Reviving

On a recent trip to the Yukon, we were anticipating viewing free range Wood Bison in the open plains and fields, however luck was not with us. We did however see a range of wildlife from Grizzly Bears, to Mountain Sheep, Elks, and Caribou.

For novices like myself, a Buffalo and a Bison are interchangeable, however in the world of wildlife biology there are some subtle differences, and in the Yukon there are wood bison, as opposed to the plains bison in southern Saskatchewan and southern Alberta. A new heard of plains bison will be released in Grasslands National Park on May 24 th just south of Swift Current. The Globe and Mail covers this story "Running with the Herd" in the May 10th travel section.

Book Swift Current Hotel Rooms on-line.

Regardless of type, bison are impressive social animals that live in herds. They are the largest land mammals in North America, reaching weights of over one ton (909 kilograms). They prefer open habitat and are relatively tolerant of humans and related activities. These characteristics make them an ideal species for wildlife viewing and as a tourist attraction.

Alberta Museum Purchases Rare Native Canadian Artifacts

Museum Archaeology Collection Expands

It is appropriate that during National Museum Month the Royal Alberta Museum has purchased several aboriginal artifacts as reported in today's Globe and Mail.

These purchases and recent additions will make this collection one of the best in North America Stan Reynolds, one of the most famous collectors of historical aboriginal material in western Canada, has provided many types of stone tools, such as arrowheads and spear points, but also artifacts made of shell, bone, antler, glass and metal. Reynolds has artifacts going back
to the very earliest evidence of human occupation of Alberta, dating back some 11,000 years.
Archaeology at Royal Alberta Museum

Canada Warms up For Nature Lovers

Migratory Bird Day

A celebration for bird lovers takes place at Tommy Thompson on Migratory Bird Day in Toronto May 13. Check out www.trca.on.ca.

Gray Jays in the News

The Toronto Star reports on Gray Jay's habitat in Algonquin Park the southern most part of their range in Ontario. See page F4, Sat. May 6. by Peter Gorrie.

Canada Featured in Travel Publications

From Authors' Festivals to Smoked Meat

Canadian Travel destinations in the Toronto Star this weekend of May 6, include Quebec's north shore, the Maritme History, and changes regarding how fishermen have adapted to tourism. Book Quebec Hotels on line.

Also in the Toronto Star,Montreal's culinary flare is highlighted by Richard Ouzounian with his 10 suggested restaurants.. My favorite is Schwartz's for Montreal Smoked Meat. Book Montreal hotels on-line

The Toronto star features a full page story on Birding Prince Edward County Festival from May 13-22. Adventure travel on Georgian Bay is also featured with a Kayak experience out of Killarney Ontario. Book Ontario Hotels on-line.

For literary afictionados, The Globe and Mail talks about the Port Medway Readers' Festival in Nova Scotia this summer and includes Grahame Gibson, and Canada's most famous female writer Margaret Atwood. Book Nova Scotia Hotels On-line

Canadian Travel Warms up with Spring Colours

Ottawa Tulip Festival

The weekend of May 6,7, signifies the start to the warmer season in many regions of Canada. The Ottawa Tulip Festival, the largest in the world opens this weekend and runs through to May 22. Reserve your accommodation now for the May Victoria Day long weekend. Book
Ottawa hotel rooms on-line.

Frog Watching At the Wye Marsh Midland

Take a sunset walk at Ontario's Wye Marsh
and see the Spring Peepers with a Wye Marsh
naturalist. 7:00-9:00 p.m. Sat. May 6. Book
Midland Hotels On-line

Crane and Sheep Viewing Festival
in the TownOf Faro on May 5-7 in Canada's
Spectacular Yukon. Book Yukon hotels on-line.

Travel Canada This Spring and Summer

The weekend of May 6,7, signifies the start to the warmer season in many regions of Canada.

The Ottawa Tulip Festival, the largest in the world opens this weekend and runs through to May 22. Book Ottawa hotel rooms on-line.