Q6.Where can you skate outdoors on a Olympic-size skating rink? (P44) ![]() Adventures for DaytrippersSt. Lawrence Market ToursThe St. Lawrence market offers 2 hour walking tours of the market with a local historian. See the doorway of the original city hall and the remains of a former jail. Walk through the historic St. Lawrence Market stopping at different vendors to try their samples and neighbouring streets. Tours are held Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10 am and tickets are available at the main entrance of the market. 93 Front Street East, Toronto. www.stlawrencemarket.com/tours.htmlOutdoor Fun in BronteSkating is an excellent outdoor winter activity for the whole family and wonderful exercise! Oakville’s Bronte Creek Provincial Park is an ideal place to put on skates (your own or rent them) and glide to music on a lighted Olympic size outdoor rink. The park store serves hot food and drinks and provides skate rentals. There’s also a children’s farm and play barn open daily. Bronte Park also offers a place to step back in time, all seasons. Visitors can view living history demonstrations in an 1890s farmhouse or take the children to the playbarn. Located just west of Toronto between Burlington and Oakville. www.brontecreek.org/The Haliburton Forest Wolf Centre and Dog SleddingIn July of 1996 the Haliburton Forest Wolf Centre opened its doors to the general public. Today the pack - Smudge and Granite, the Alpha pair, and their siblings and offspring, - roams freely in a 15 acre enclosure, one of the largest of its kind in the world. The Wolf Centre contains numerous exhibits, a small cinema/classroom, a retail area featuring a wide selection of wolf related books, tapes and graphics as well as a large indoor observatory overlooking the feeding area within the wolf compound. The park also of fer s a 2-hr. dog sledding ride in the winter. Gliding through snow-covered forests and over frozen lakes pulled by a team of dogs is a distinctively Canadian experience. No experience is required and all equipment, guides, snacks and instruction are provided for a fee. In the winter, open from Thanksgiving to Victoria Day, on Saturdays and Sundays only. 2 hr. drive north east of Toronto. www.haliburtonforest.com/wolf.html/Explore Brantford: Art, History & SportsGlenhyrst Art Gallery is located on a beautifully landscaped sixteen-acre park on the banks of the Grand River. The building (a private residence) was bequeathed by the original owner as a place for artistic and cultural pursuits. Today the Gallery has a permanent collection of over 700 works of art. It also offers contemporary fine art exhibitions, guided tours, classes, events, and a gift shop. www.glenhyrst.caMelville HouseLocated high on the bluffs overlooking the Grand River and the town of Brantford is Alexander Graham Bell’s first North American residence known as "Melville House". This is where he invented the telephone and made his famous first telephone call on July 26, 1874. www.bellhomestead.caThe Wayne Gretzky Sports CentreThis beautiful facility includes a Sports Hall of Recognition, arenas, Olympic sized pool, warm water pool, sauna, waterslide, fitness centre, fully equipped weight room, tennis courts & football fields. Brantford is 1 hour west of Toronto www.brantford.ca‘Tis the season of winter festivalsFamily outdoor fun is one of the characteristics of the Canadian spirit, often captured at one of the many of the winter carnivals, snow fests, winter fests, ice festivals and winter light festivals north of Toronto. Barrie WinterfestA good winter festival in Barrie is Winterfest. Held each year during February at Heritage Park & Memorial Square (check website for dates closer to the date!), it is a real Canadian winter adventure for the whole family. Downtown Barrie is transformed into a winter wonderland complete with outdoor and indoor activities for all ages to enjoy including dog sled rides, horse-drawn wagon rides, midway, lumberjack shows, skating, polar bear swim, pancake breakfast, crafts, story time, and so much more. The kids will enjoy exploring the ice maze and slipping down the giant snow sculpture with slides carved right into the snow of ice into visual masterpieces. 1 hour north of Toronto www.barrie.caSnofest, PeterboroughCarnival Peterborough is held in January (check website for dates closer to the date). Visitors enjoy a pancake breakfast, sleigh rides, snowman contests and much more. All events are free and family friendly. 2 hrs. northeast of Toronto www.peterboroughmuseumandarchives.caOrillia Winter CarnivalHeld in February (check website for dates and information), the festival provides cool family fun for all ages! Pancake breakfasts, Shivers’ ice castle, snow sculptures, dog sled rides, live entertainment, polar bear dip and more. 1.5 hrs. north of Toronto www.orilliawintercarnival.caPlease send your comments about our featured articles to info@beachesliving.ca. Also let us know what subject would you like to see in our future issues. |