There have been more travelers going to the Canadian Arctic region in recent years for both business and tourism. Adventure tourism companies are beginning to promote the Arctic as a unique destination to experience the natural beauty and wildlife of the north as well as the culture of the native Inuit who live there. As a result of the creation of the Nunavut territory and government, the capital city of Iqaluit has been growing as Inuit from smaller Arctic communities migrate to the city for more job opportunities. This growth has created the increase of business travelers to the Arctic.

Getting to the Arctic has always been a problem for travelers since there are no roads that go up there from southern Canadian cities. The Arctic communities are very isolated from the rest of Canada as well as from each other. Flying in has been the only option although many coastal Arctic areas are serviced by cargo boat during the summers as well. For the average traveler, the air option is the only way to go. Although travel to the Canadian Arctic has increased, the number of travelers going up north is very small compared to number of travelers between southern Canadian cities. As a result, the major Canadian carrier Air Canada and certainly none of the US carriers service the Arctic. The only commercial airlines which service the Arctic (Nunavut and Northwest Territories) for the average traveler are First Air and Canadian North. A smaller airline called Air Inuit services the native Inuit communities in Nunavik (Arctic Quebec). First Air and Canadian North both fly out of Ottawa. First Air also flies out of Montreal while Canadian North also has flights departing from Edmonton and Calgary. These Canadian North flights will stop in Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories before continuing to Nunavut. So travelers will have to get to one of these Canadian cities from their points of origin in order to connect with an Arctic carrier. Getting to a smaller Arctic community such as Cape Dorset will involve an additional connection in Iqaluit. Read the rest of this entry »

Canada’s East Coast – from Ontario to the Maritimes – is best explored by car. Winding roads, pristine nature, thriving cities, and plenty of towns and rural spaces in between, all demand a week or two’s attention with a slow cruise through the best of the region.

Here’s a brief list of top attractions to help you plan your East Coast Road Trip.

Toronto is the biggest city in Canada, and (arguably) it’s business, culture, and capitalism hub, Toronto is full of historic sights, cultural happenings, and really great dining, shopping, and nightlife.

Montreal is widely regarded as one of the most fun cities in Canada, Montreal has an Old Town that will appeal to history and architecture buffs, botanical gardens loved by nature lovers, and a great pub and club scene for night owls.

Take the North Shore route passing through scenic towns and village to Quebec City, a historic city definitely worth a night or two. This is the best place to soak up authentic French Canadian culture.

Deschambault is a 19th century village just west of Quebec, with a pretty setting on the St Lawrence river.

Trois-Rivières is the second-oldest French city in the province featuring a lot of great architecture. You can also take a short drive to the community of Cap-de-la-Madeleine and Our Lady of the Cape, Canada’s national shrine to the Virgin Mary. The stone chapel shrine was built in 1714 and has been considered ‘miraculous’ since 1888. Read the rest of this entry »