by YP Contributor
Put it this way: there’s a reason Canucks are known globally as experts on sub-zero climates. While some are age-old and others are positively millennial, these cool winter traditions and activities add magic to the most Canadian season of the year. [Image credit: iStock.com/buzzanimation]
It goes without saying that Canadians score gold in the maple syrup category and this longstanding winter tradition celebrates our knack for the golden elixir. Quebec has kept the legacy of sugaring off alive via sugar shacks set up across the province. First up in the affair is a maple syrup-themed feast (think: stew, baked beans, lots o’ pork, and beavertails). Afterward, go for a walk amidst the maples and help yourself to a maple syrup lollipop (hot syrup is poured into snow and rolled up with a popsicle stick). You know Montreal’s infamous Au Pied de Cochon? Even they’ve got a cabane à sucre in St.-Benoit-de-Mirabel, very worthy of the travelling foodie – if you can nab a reservation.
Call us crazy, but sub-zero temperatures can’t keep Canadian urbanites off their favourite patios, from Edmonton’s Café Bicyclette to The Drake Hotel’s infamous Sky Yard in Toronto to Reflections’ trendy Scandinavian-style winter patio in Vancouver (and boy, does the list go on). It’s a testament to the ways we love our fire pits, fur blankets, and perhaps a little vin chaud.
Backyard hockey rinks have long been a mainstay of Canadian winters, but cities across the country have made sure that their residents have plenty of spots to take a glide too. Calgarians choose Rosemont Rinks, while Vancouver skaters flock to the architecturally inspired Robson Square Ice Rink. Montrealers prefer the super-long oval track at Parc Maisonneuve, where they can enjoy the 1976 Olympic Stadium and sky-high evergreens as a backdrop. Toronto hosts dozens of outdoor rinks from east to west, but our most famous is the rink at Nathan Phillips Square, the site of the city’s iconic (and oh-so-selfie-worthy) TORONTO sign.
British Columbia may boast some of Canada’s mildest winter temperatures, but back in 1920, they sorted out a way to show their Canuck chops: take a swim in the Pacific Ocean on New Year’s Day (because what could be more Canadian than that?). Polar Bear dips take place across the country, but Vancouver’s is indisputably the longest standing. Post-swim, the thousands of participants warm up at neighbourhood spots like the Beach Ave location of the Cactus Club and The Sylvia Hotel (it hosts a Polar Bear Swim breakfast every year).
The upside to winter temperatures that race to -40 C? Two words: Ice. Structures. Whether it’s Whistler’s novelty Ketel One ice room at Bearfoot Bistro, the Hotel de Glace in Quebec City, or the party-worthy Chill Ice House in Toronto, there’s something respectable about a place that’s so cold you can build an ice palace that can stay standing for weeks on end.
