0:00

And hello there Peter Mansbridge here, you aren't just

0:02

moments away from the latest episode of the bridge.

0:05

It's Easter weekend and

0:08

we've got a great holiday weekend your

0:10

turn for today. Where

0:12

would you like to go? Outside

0:14

your own province for a holiday.

0:16

Some great ideas coming right up.

0:31

And hello there Peter Mansbridge here in Toronto. Yeah,

0:33

this is going to be a soft one today.

0:37

We've had a lot of hard news in the last

0:39

little while. So we're going to

0:41

take it easy today. We're

0:43

going to take it easy in

0:45

all fronts. Your turn is your

0:47

favorite holiday outside of your own

0:49

province inside Canada. We're

0:53

going to give you some ideas as you

0:55

kind of plot perhaps your summer, what you

0:57

want to do. That's

0:59

one thing and then the random rancher

1:02

goes old soft and mushy and gushy

1:04

and gooey. Wait till you hear his

1:06

rant today. But

1:09

we're going to start with your letters. The

1:12

question was simple. If you can

1:14

name one place in the

1:16

country outside of your own province that

1:19

you'd recommend for a holiday, where

1:21

would that be? We got

1:23

letters. We got lots

1:26

of letters again. And

1:29

most of you follow the

1:31

conditions. A lot of

1:33

you went long. So we've had

1:35

to cut them short. We

1:38

never get them all in. And

1:41

there were a number of people

1:44

who wrote as they do every week. Some of

1:46

them are in here. Some aren't

1:48

because they're trying to encourage

1:51

new writers and we've got

1:53

lots of them this week. Lots of new writers. So

1:56

let's get out. Enough.

1:59

Enough from Peter. Let's hear your turn.

2:03

And a couple of apologies. There's some tricky names

2:05

in here. I'll get them as best I can.

2:09

Both of the writers and of

2:11

the locations. Okay, some

2:14

are great. I've never heard of some of them

2:16

before and I may get the pronunciation

2:18

wrong but we'll give it a try. Donna

2:24

Ouez in Waterloo, Ontario. One

2:27

beautiful spot we lucked upon was

2:29

Tickle Cove in Newfoundland and Labrador.

2:33

The red rock arch was stunning

2:35

over the cove. A delightful spot

2:37

for a picnic. Ben

2:41

Sumac. He's actually in Costa Rica but

2:43

he's soon going to be back in

2:46

Regina. Having

2:48

traveled to or lived in locations

2:50

from Yicklulat in BC to the

2:52

Yukon to Cape Spear in Newfoundland,

2:55

without a doubt the place I would recommend

2:58

is Newfoundland. It is full of

3:00

history. The scenery is varied and

3:02

spectacular but what makes it

3:05

my must see is the

3:07

people. Phil

3:10

Weiner in Hamilton. Without

3:13

a doubt the north shore of Prince

3:15

Edward, Ireland. The seafood

3:17

church dinners, eating fresh lobster at

3:19

picnic tables near the park, north

3:22

rustico and plenty of fabulous golf.

3:25

And the summer weather, don't forget that. But

3:28

my favorite part of PEI in

3:31

the summer are the people and

3:33

their kindness in natural hospitality. That's

3:38

a shout out for the East Coast here today. Logan

3:41

Myers in Mount Stewart, PEI.

3:45

Serving in the Canadian Armed Forces gave

3:47

me the opportunity to see many parts

3:49

of Canada that Jasper, Alberta will

3:52

always hold a special place in my heart. I've

3:55

spent countless days and weeks adventuring through

3:57

the foothills and mountains, hiking,

3:59

camping, fly fishing and skiing.

4:02

My wife and I got engaged at the

4:04

top of Whistler's Mountain and

4:07

even named our youngest son after

4:09

Jasper. Although we are

4:11

both born and raised islanders, the mountains

4:13

of Jasper feel like a second home

4:16

to us. Chris

4:20

Finner in Kempeville, Ontario, just south

4:23

of Ottawa. Moraine

4:25

Lake, Alberta, close to Lake Louise

4:27

in Banff, Alberta, most beautiful

4:30

place on Earth. Snow-capped mountain

4:32

peaks and an almost alien-colored

4:34

blue glacier lake at

4:36

their base. It was once

4:39

the mountain scene on the Canadian $20 bill.

4:42

I asked my wife to marry me

4:44

at this amazing location and

4:46

she said yes. Katie

4:49

Hurst in Sarnia, Ontario. The

4:53

best place outside Ontario, Logbean was a

4:55

cycling trip on Prince Edward Island. Tip

4:58

to tip and everything in between. There

5:01

is an old rail line that has been turned

5:03

into a trail that cuts right across the middle

5:05

of the island. This was

5:07

the best way to see almost everywhere.

5:10

My friend and I had to go off

5:12

trail to get up to Cavendish and to

5:14

the national park, but we

5:16

managed. After all, we couldn't

5:18

skip a chance to see Anne. Dennis

5:23

O'Sullivan in Streetsville, Ontario. That's

5:25

part of Mississauga. My

5:29

recommendation is the lower St. Lawrence North

5:31

Shore, about an hour drive east of

5:33

Quebec City from Bay

5:35

St. Paul to La Melbe. It

5:38

is not that well known outside

5:40

of Quebec, but it is grand.

5:42

It's a fascinating mix of landscapes,

5:45

much who had seen in the numerous art

5:47

galleries of Bay St. Paul. A

5:50

highlight to me was the

5:52

Park Nationale des Hautes-Gourges de

5:54

la R it

6:00

has some great views from the

6:02

heights. Hiking, fishing, canoeing, and even

6:04

biking. Escape the smoke and the

6:06

heat of the cities. Travis

6:10

Moore in Ottawa. In

6:13

2013, I read a

6:16

CBC article about an American tourist

6:18

who visited the downtown hotel in

6:20

Dawson City. That's

6:22

actually the name of the hotel. It's

6:25

not just a downtown hotel.

6:30

To partake in a unique local

6:32

tradition, a shot of whiskey with

6:34

a mummified human toe in it,

6:36

known as the Sour Toe Cartel.

6:39

The American ended up swallowing the toe,

6:41

subsequently paying the $500 fine. The following

6:43

summer, I embarked on a road

6:45

trip from Victoria,

6:50

BC, determined to reach Dawson and

6:52

experience the toe shot myself. The

6:57

long journey through the Yukon on secondary

6:59

highways was absolutely stunning. In

7:01

the land of the midnight sun, I

7:03

camped on deserted logging roads, bathed in

7:05

icy rivers, and encountered black

7:08

bears, grizzlies, caribou, moose, elk, and

7:10

herds of buffalo. In

7:12

a landscape that was wild,

7:14

unforgiving, rugged, and seemingly untouched.

7:17

Is there any better summer vacation

7:20

than the great Canadian road trip? It's

7:23

always the challenge of the journey that's

7:25

more rewarding than the destination itself. And

7:28

yes, I did take the shot and after being

7:30

told that the new fine for eating the toe

7:32

was $2500. You

7:38

know what? All that's

7:40

true. In fact, in 2019, in

7:43

his will, some guy left all his 10

7:45

toes to the

7:47

bar in the hotel. Christine

7:51

Ramos in Toronto. This

7:54

was an easy one. Prince Edward Island. I

7:57

can't choose any specific town because they

7:59

all have something unique to offer. It's

8:01

truly a romantic, exciting, relaxing

8:03

and fun place to visit. There's

8:06

so much to do there and so much

8:08

natural beauty to take in. Whether

8:10

you want to laze around on

8:13

the beautiful singing sands of Basin

8:15

Head or Kayak through Greenwich

8:18

National Park or

8:20

bring to life your high school

8:22

history lessons by visiting Charlottetown's Province

8:24

House and Argoan

8:27

National Historic Site, there is something

8:29

for everyone. However, my

8:31

favorite memory of PEI is being

8:34

embraced by complete strangers. One

8:37

night at a gas station in Rollo

8:39

Bay with nothing planned, my husband and

8:41

I asked a local islander what there

8:43

was to do for fun. He quickly pointed to

8:46

us in the direction of a farm down the

8:48

road. His directions led us to a barn in

8:50

the middle of potato fields. As

8:52

we timidly walked in we were transported through

8:54

time to what we later learned was a

8:57

cayley. The barn was

8:59

filled with the fiddle sounds of Celtic

9:01

and Acadian roots music. For

9:03

a few dollars we gained access to

9:05

a lifetime memory of learning how to

9:08

four step. It felt like

9:10

we were crashing a private party where no one

9:12

minded, offering us the best

9:14

scones and tea and patiently teaching us

9:16

the various group dances. It

9:18

was an opportunity to really feel the warmth

9:21

of the citizens of PEI. Ted

9:26

Shipman in Sagan, Ontario, that's part

9:28

of Parry Sound. Hands

9:31

down Grasslands National Park in

9:33

Saskatchewan. I've traveled from Gros

9:35

Morne in Newfoundland to Banff

9:37

to Tuk-Tai-Yuk-Tuk and

9:40

most places in between. And beyond

9:43

Grasslands and

9:46

beyond. Grasslands offers hiking,

9:48

camping, dinosaurs, buffalo and

9:50

prairie dogs and a

9:52

big sky country. Doug

9:57

McDougald in Stratford, please visit the Ark

9:59

Arctic, one of the best places, is

10:02

the Olavik National Park on Banks

10:04

Island, which is the most western

10:06

island in the Canadian Arctic and home to the most

10:09

musk oxen anywhere in the world. We

10:12

kayak down the Thompson River for

10:15

two weeks surrounded by Arctic solitude, 24-hour

10:17

fun, and

10:19

the river valley teeming with musk oxen,

10:22

arctic fox and wolves, lemmings,

10:24

snowy owls, and many more species

10:26

of arctic animals, birds and

10:29

fish. This park is hard to

10:31

get to. It's very remote and often with fewer

10:33

than 10 visitors

10:35

per year, although last year

10:37

they had 34. It

10:40

was magical. Raj

10:43

Patrao in Bellingham, Washington,

10:48

just south of Vancouver, right?

10:52

The most memorable vacation I had

10:54

in Canada was renting a car

10:56

in Quebec City and driving counterclockwise

10:58

around the entire Gaspé Peninsula. The

11:01

southern scenic drive along La

11:04

Bay de Cheleur to Percay

11:06

Rock is breathtaking

11:08

with stunning landscapes, sublime scenic

11:10

coastlines, mountaintop viewpoints, and crystal

11:13

blue waters. The

11:15

highlight of the journey is

11:17

Forilon National Park. The

11:20

peninsula's north coast rocky landscape along

11:22

the windswept St. Lawrence is

11:25

a sharp contrast to the south

11:27

side's natural coves and quaint townships.

11:30

To summarize, no crowds, no

11:32

lines, no pollution. Catherine

11:39

Benson in Toronto. I

11:43

have to choose St. John's, Newfoundland as a

11:45

top favourite. It's the people, the

11:47

music, and the beauty. And it

11:49

was one of the windiest, bumpiest,

11:51

most adrenaline pumping airplane landings I've

11:53

ever experienced. A fitting

11:56

metaphor for such a wild and

11:58

wonderful place. Glen

12:00

Rasmussen in Ottawa. My wife and

12:02

I visited Kimmereut, Nunavut,

12:05

in the 1990s on a cruise from

12:08

Greenland to Churchill, Manitoba. We

12:11

tendered ashore in Zodiacs as the inlet

12:13

was very shallow and there

12:16

were no bocking facilities large enough for

12:18

the ship. Once ashore, we

12:20

dumped our life jackets and rubber boots on

12:22

the beach and prepared a set out to

12:24

explore the community. While changing

12:26

into our hiking boots, a young boy

12:28

perhaps eight years old approached us and

12:30

started to play with the life jackets.

12:33

Eventually, he decided to try to put them all on

12:36

at the same time. After

12:38

about eight or ten jackets, he was starting

12:40

to look like the Michelin man as the

12:42

jackets were a bit bulky. I

12:44

recall the cheek-to-cheek smile he had on

12:47

his face the entire time. Even

12:49

to this day, I occasionally recall that event

12:52

and it always brings me fond memories and

12:54

a smile to my face. Patrick

12:58

Talon in Laudigeanelle, Ontario

13:01

on the Ottawa River close to the

13:04

Quebec border. Banff,

13:06

Alberta is my favorite place to

13:08

visit in Canada. Golf, cycling, hiking,

13:10

fishing, horseback riding in summer, winter

13:14

skiing and trekking at Lake Louise, sunshine

13:16

and Mount Norquay in the winter

13:18

included in the town are a

13:20

wide range of accommodation options,

13:23

dining options and nightlife all

13:25

within walking distance of the

13:27

town center. Adam

13:34

Dufor in Calgary, my

13:37

vote is Whitehorse, Yukon. The

13:39

town itself is surprisingly vibrant in

13:41

the summer months with

13:43

lots of nice places to shop and

13:46

eat. But the reason everybody

13:48

goes up there is to experience some of the

13:50

most beautiful nature anywhere in the world. People

13:53

in any direction out of the city and

13:55

you find towering mountains that meet torrenting

13:58

rivers and turkeys. Lake's all

14:01

amidst a seemingly endless expanse

14:03

of untouched wilderness. The

14:06

best part is that the days are long in the

14:08

summer so you can make the most of a short

14:10

time there. Karen

14:13

Chasles in Guelph, Ontario. The

14:16

best place I've ever visited in Canada

14:18

outside of my province is Mount Robson,

14:21

the highest point in the Canadian Rockies.

14:24

The experience was absolutely magical.

14:27

We took the trail to Bergh Lake

14:29

passing many waterfalls, including

14:31

Emperor Falls along the way. The trail

14:35

was challenging and rugged but

14:38

absolutely breathtaking. We camped

14:41

there overnight and then did a number of

14:43

day hikes including the trail to Snowbird Pass.

14:46

All the trails we hiked were beautiful but

14:48

this was probably the most memorable. We

14:51

hiked along a rock ledge up above

14:53

a river and then turned to continue

14:55

through a mountain meadow that was at

14:57

the time a mass of wildflowers. Then

15:00

we had to scramble up scree,

15:02

a mass of small loose stones that

15:04

covers a slope on the mountain, to

15:08

the pass where we were treated to the

15:10

most incredible view of the surrounding mountains in

15:12

a glacier. I could go on

15:14

and on about this adventure but I'll stop here

15:16

to keep it somewhat short. Matthew

15:21

Sklarczyk in Vernon BC. A few

15:24

years ago my wife and I went on

15:26

an East Coast vacation. Our favorite destination was

15:29

Cape Breton Island. The people

15:31

are some of the warmest and welcoming we have

15:33

ever met. Our bed

15:35

and breakfast was in a house over a century

15:37

old that

15:40

still used skeleton keys to lock

15:43

the doors. The highway meanders through

15:45

rolling hills of the city as

15:47

trees that change colors from

15:49

green to yellow to orange and red

15:51

as the summer ages into fall. Cape

15:54

Breton Island found a moment in time to

15:57

exist and stayed there. fill

16:00

you with a lifetime of wonder and awe

16:02

and you don't even need a passport. Brian

16:07

Hapen in Buckhorn, Ontario just north

16:10

of Peterborough. The best

16:12

place in Canada outside of my home

16:14

province would have to be Resolute Bay,

16:16

Nunavut. In

16:20

August 2011 sadly a plane crashed while trying

16:22

to land. As a result I and a few others from

16:25

my company were brought in to clean up the fuels

16:27

fill. I

16:31

lost a good friend in that crash. Marty

16:33

Bergman, great friend, great Canadian. While

16:40

there I was able

16:42

to experience many things about

16:44

Canada's will, about Canada's

16:47

will not have access to,

16:49

Canadians will not have access to. Such

16:52

as 24 hours of sunlight and

16:54

watching whales hunt fish along the shoreline.

16:57

I had the feeling of time slowing down.

17:00

People there move at a slower pace. You

17:02

don't have the feeling of a rush rush to get

17:04

everything done right now. No it's

17:06

more. I'll get to

17:08

it when I can, they say. Rhonda

17:13

Mathers in Brandon, Manitoba. My

17:16

favorite place to visit is Nova Scotia.

17:18

I just love meandering along the boardwalk

17:20

in Halifax with its buskers. Celtic

17:23

music, boats and beautiful ocean scenery.

17:26

The food is to die for. I love

17:28

lobster. Muriel

17:34

Sainer in Waterloo, Ontario. The

17:36

place I recommend is to Dusac, Quebec,

17:39

Tatasac, Quebec. It's

17:42

a small village east of Saguenay on the

17:44

St. Lawrence River. The

17:46

confluence of the Saguenay and St. Lawrence

17:48

Rivers provides prime conditions for whale watching

17:51

at its best. When I

17:53

was there I experienced five whale species

17:55

on a two hour whale watch. John

18:00

McCaskill in Montreal. Without question, the

18:02

best place to visit in Canada

18:04

is Prince Edward Island.

18:07

I've been fortunate enough to marry into an

18:09

annual trip to the island as my partner's

18:11

family has a quaint, no-frills

18:13

cottage in Cavendish. Well,

18:17

I haven't explored the whole island yet, but

18:19

plan to. I'm convinced you can't go wrong

18:21

anywhere you stay, as it's easy and

18:24

worth exploring. James

18:27

McKenzie in Victoria. The

18:30

best vacation spot in Canada outside

18:32

my province is Amherst Shore, Nova

18:34

Scotia. This lovely

18:36

spot has ocean views where you can

18:39

see across the Northumberland Strait to PEI

18:41

and New Brunswick's Cape Torrentine, or

18:44

Tyne. The beach has

18:46

the warmest waters I've swum in north of

18:48

the Caribbean, and when the tide

18:51

is out, there are kilometres of soft, red

18:55

sandbars to stroll along and tide

18:58

pools to explore. Perfect for letting

19:00

kids run around and keeping

19:02

an eye on them without having to leave the comfort

19:04

of a beach chair in your book. Marilyn

19:08

Wallace in good old Fanny Bay, British

19:11

Columbia. As

19:13

you drive across the sweeping wide

19:15

Saskatchewan Prairie northwest of Regina, you

19:17

can find one of Canada's most

19:19

uniquely unforgettable natural wonders. Little

19:22

Manitou Lake has long been a place

19:24

of healing for indigenous peoples, as

19:27

the high mineral concentration bubbling up

19:29

from an underground spring is

19:31

known to rejuvenate achy muscles and

19:34

joints. The intense buoyancy

19:36

of the water is created by a salinity

19:39

level that is about five times

19:41

out of the ocean, which makes it

19:43

impossible for anyone to sink. I've

19:45

never known a deeper sense of relaxation

19:48

than I experienced at Little Manitou Lake.

19:51

That sounds great. Steve

19:55

Abbott in

19:57

Toronto. My nominee is Grosslorn Newfman.

20:00

The 8 F's,

20:02

fabulous, fun. The local

20:04

people are such enjoyable company.

20:06

Fantastic fjord. Western Brook

20:08

Pond, a Canadian icon. It's a hike

20:11

to the boat, but wheelchair accessible and

20:13

worth every step. Flavorful

20:15

food, don't miss out on the lobster,

20:17

the scallops, the shrimp, every restaurant is

20:19

a winner. Fancy footing.

20:22

Walk to the earth's core, a table lens. Might

20:26

fit the lighthouses to close to the overall natural

20:28

beauty into my F theme,

20:31

but they are there too. Linda

20:34

McAlpine in Ottawa. Two

20:37

summers ago my husband and I traveled

20:39

to Grand Monand Island in New Brunswick.

20:42

What a great road trip. The

20:44

ferry ride to the island is a whale watching

20:46

trip in itself. The chowder

20:48

on board was excellent. We camped in

20:50

a delightful place with a multitude of

20:52

bunnies hopping around the place. We

20:55

hiked a great deal of the coastal trail. Wonderful

20:58

food and friendly people and did I mention

21:00

the views and sunsets? Just

21:02

go. Shannon

21:05

Bradley Green in Cochrane, Alberta. I'm

21:09

going to pick camping at Petter Bay on

21:11

Vancouver Island. There are

21:13

campsites right on the bay and it's

21:15

also close to the wonderful Galloping Goose

21:18

biking trail, which is truly breathtaking in

21:20

terms of the forest and ocean. Lindsay

21:24

Ross in Sydney, Nova Scotia. I'd like

21:26

to suggest Quebec City as a great

21:29

summer vacation spot. When

21:31

I was in university my mother and I

21:33

took a weekend trip there. We saw a

21:35

fireworks competition in front of the waterfalls at

21:38

Parc de la Chute Montmerie C'erse

21:41

de Soleil under an overpass on

21:43

Stroll beautiful Old Quebec. We

21:47

took the long way home on the far

21:49

side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence via

21:51

ferry and saw beluga whales. It

21:54

was relaxing and exciting. I've very fond

21:56

memories of that trip and cannot recommend

21:58

Quebec City enough. Lenny

22:01

Hausberg in Toronto, Ontario, a fabulous

22:04

place to visit in this wonderful

22:06

country is Suris, Manitoba. It's

22:09

a little place off the beaten path, maybe

22:11

20 or 30 minute drive from the Trans-Canada

22:13

Highway. It's home to Canada's

22:16

longest swinging suspension bridge. There's

22:19

a fantastic rock shop that one can

22:21

visit and get advice and directions to

22:23

the local rock quarry and agate

22:25

pit. And

22:28

peacocks roam free all over Suris. When

22:30

you see all the colorful peacocks it

22:32

will blow your mind. One

22:36

more before we take our halfway break. I

22:38

have to go, this is Darrell Gish

22:41

in Moose Jaw, I have to

22:43

go with Cypress Hills. I know

22:45

this road can be disqualified since

22:47

it's in Saskatchewan, my

22:49

home, but it's

22:52

in Alberta as well. That's true. I

22:55

find it incredible that it was not covered

22:57

by ice during the last ice age, leaving

23:00

an ecosystem intact that has survived to

23:02

this day. An ecosystem

23:04

with the same flora and fauna found

23:07

along the foothills of the Rockies. Perhaps

23:10

its elevation is a savior to

23:12

the lodgepole pine for this species, does

23:15

not go very far east in the

23:17

northern boreal. And

23:19

the fall colors throughout the rolling

23:22

slopes, wow. Isn't

23:25

this amazing? People

23:29

travel around the world and good for

23:31

them that they have that opportunity. But

23:33

there's so much to see here, so

23:36

much to see here. Just

23:39

take a quick break. I

23:42

will come back, lots more letters. And the

23:44

random rancher, as I said, this is a

23:46

different kind of rancher. He's

23:48

all soft and gooey. He's

23:51

all mushy. He's a happy man

23:54

this week, right here

23:56

on the bridge. Coming right back

23:58

after this. And

24:09

welcome back. You're listening to The Bridge right here

24:11

on SiriusXM, Channel 167. Canada

24:14

Talks are on your favourite podcast platform.

24:17

Back to your letters for this week's your

24:19

turn. The question was, outside

24:22

of your own province, what's

24:25

your favourite vacation inside Canada? Where

24:28

was it? And why

24:30

did you like it so much? And

24:32

we've had lots of great answers here already.

24:37

So here we go as we enter this Easter

24:39

weekend. Kelly Garner in

24:42

Yerclulit, one of the

24:44

prettiest places in the country, let me tell

24:46

you. So where do you

24:48

go if you're in Yerclulit on the

24:50

west coast of Vancouver Island? I

24:53

nominate the Canadian Badlands, says

24:55

Kelly, including Drumheller, Alberta and

24:57

the Dinosaur Provincial Park. The

25:00

Canadian Badlands have canyons,

25:02

hoodoos, cacti, visible sedimentary

25:04

layers, all things we

25:07

don't tend to associate with our nation. The

25:10

Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller tells

25:12

a fascinating story of how Canada's

25:15

physical landscape has changed over time,

25:18

with the ideal conditions to preserve not

25:20

only fossils but tissue of dinosaurs

25:22

during the large scale extinction. Many

25:25

of these are on display within its walls.

25:28

Just outside of town you can hike at

25:30

Horse Thief Canyon. Further hiking

25:33

opportunities exist at the Dinosaur

25:35

Provincial Park, a UNESCO World

25:37

Heritage Site. Whether you're

25:39

a dinosaur science enthusiast or not,

25:42

the Badlands are a must-see. Nicole

25:48

Bienvenue Okay,

25:50

we're not quite sure where she lives now. She

25:53

said she's originally from Montreal, but there's a

25:55

hint she may live in BC now. Whatever

25:58

the case is, her favorite spot in We

26:00

bought Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia,

26:03

where you'll find the memorial for Flight 111. You

26:06

remember Swiss Air Flight 111? It

26:09

was on a flight from, I think, New York to

26:11

Geneva. Crashed September 2,

26:13

1998, killing all 229 people on board. The

26:18

investigation determined that faulty wires caused

26:21

the plane's flammable insulation to catch

26:23

fire. Anyway,

26:27

there's the famous lighthouse at

26:29

Peggy's Cove. That area

26:31

feels so peaceful by the Atlantic Ocean.

26:34

More of us need to visit our great country and

26:37

be proud to be Canadian. Mary

26:40

McCallum in Pictou,

26:44

Nova Scotia. I

26:48

would have to say it's Fernie, BC. It has

26:50

the best of both worlds in summer or winter.

26:53

It's nestled in the mountains in the Kootenai

26:55

region. Activities like mountain

26:58

biking, hiking, fishing

27:01

in the summer, and just as much to do in the winter.

27:03

It's a city but has a small town feel.

27:06

Great coffee shops, the best dog park I've

27:08

ever seen. Restaurants and

27:10

breathtaking views. Derek

27:14

Dilibow in Ottawa. The

27:16

place that comes to mind for me is Nelson, BC.

27:19

Nestled in the Selkirk Mountains in southern

27:21

BC and on the crisp, cool Kootenai

27:24

Lake. Nelson is a charming

27:26

town that feels like a home away from

27:28

home. It's kind of

27:30

a hippie town, kind of. Oh

27:33

yeah, where many Vietnam draft dogs

27:35

are settled in the 70s. And

27:38

it's kept that sort of vibe and

27:40

its beauty is unquestioned. Bob

27:43

Dunn in Calgary. The most beautiful

27:45

place in Canada is the recently completed

27:47

Fundy Trail Parkway in New Brunswick. Spectacular

27:51

views along the 3 kilometre

27:53

highway, packed with hiking

27:55

trails, beautiful inlets, and gorgeous, geologically

27:58

interesting beaches. and the highest

28:00

tides in the world. Close

28:03

to historic St. John and next door to

28:05

the quaint village of St. Martins. I'm

28:09

not sure if I want to recommend people go there

28:11

or just save it for myself. Susan

28:14

King, Ajax, Ontario, just

28:17

east of Toronto. If

28:20

I had to pick somewhere outside of my home

28:22

province to spend time, it would have to be

28:24

somewhere with a paddle in the waters around Tofino,

28:26

BC. The entire area

28:28

is so fresh and wild and spending

28:31

any time at all

28:33

in the clockwise area will shrink

28:35

some of your nerves and anxiety.

28:37

Salt water, seaweed, seals and salmon

28:40

dinners is all perfect. Mary

28:43

Newcomb in Cumberland, BC. That's

28:46

also on Vancouver Island. Without

28:49

any doubt, my favorite place outside of

28:51

BC is Lunenberg, Nova Scotia. Lunenberg

28:54

is the home port of the world-famous

28:56

racing schooner Blue Nose 2. The

28:59

Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic is a

29:01

must along with the Fisherman's Memorial and

29:04

award-winning restaurants were the best seafood ever.

29:07

It just doesn't get better. Allen

29:12

Bell in Ottawa. The best place my wife

29:14

and I ever went on vacation with our

29:16

kids was Carpoon

29:19

Island in Newfoundland. It's

29:22

on the very northern tip of Newfoundland. Nobody lives

29:24

on the island, so you stay in a house

29:26

where the lighthouse keeper used to live. The

29:30

two couples that worked there kept you fed

29:33

and comfortable, but other than

29:35

you, other than

29:38

that you were on your own to

29:40

explore the island and join the beautiful

29:42

views of the ocean and the incredible

29:45

treeless landscape. My

29:47

wife and I went there for three nights with

29:49

our two kids who were 11 and 13 at

29:51

the time and they loved it. No Wi-Fi,

29:54

no video games, but

29:56

they actually thought it was fantastic. Warren

30:00

Boyd in Oshawa, Ontario. In

30:04

my 20s I started travelling Canada for work.

30:06

We mainly drove everywhere we went and we

30:09

drove to some of the far outposts of

30:11

Canada. Labrador City,

30:13

Yellowknife, Vancouver Island. While

30:16

I really enjoyed driving, the best part was staying

30:18

in small town Canada for 2-4 months at

30:20

a time and really immersing ourselves

30:22

in the communities and meeting the people.

30:25

While I always looked forward to going home

30:27

when the job was done, there's one place

30:29

that was always stuck with me to this

30:32

day. New Minus

30:34

Nova Scotia in

30:36

the Annapolis Valley. This place is

30:39

truly a hidden gem. The people,

30:41

the culture, the history, not to mention the

30:43

great pubs and restaurants, serving

30:45

farm fresh food and locally brewed beer.

30:48

I promise you will fall in love. Alex

30:56

Michael in Shania, Ontario

30:59

near Thunder Bay. My favourite

31:01

Canadian destination is the James Bay

31:03

neighbourhood in Victoria. Cherished

31:05

not only for the beauty of Vancouver

31:08

Island but also for its walkability. I

31:11

explore in different directions. Heading

31:13

west leads me to nearby grocery

31:15

stores, shops, coffee houses and restaurants.

31:18

To the south I relish the breathtaking

31:20

ocean views. Heading north

31:22

brings me to the picturesque Inner Harbour

31:24

and Parliament buildings. While heading

31:26

east leads me to Fisherman's Wharf. I

31:29

make two trips here annually, sometimes to

31:31

visit family and at other times to

31:34

escape from family. David

31:38

Lapine in Ogden,

31:42

Quebec City. On

31:46

the Vermont border on the shores of Lake

31:52

Memphra Maga Gog in

31:55

the Eastern Townships. In the summer of 1970

31:57

I spent three months in the High Arctic

31:59

aboard the the Coast Guard icebreaker

32:01

John A. McDonald. I

32:03

was a young officer cadet in the

32:05

Canadian Navy doing summer training between my

32:07

third and fourth years at

32:09

university. The highlight

32:11

of the trip was sailing

32:14

through Hecate Strait on

32:17

through Norwegian Bay to Eureka and to

32:19

the head of Tankaree

32:21

Fjord. That

32:23

was in the Northwest Territories then. Now

32:26

it's in Nunavut. If you

32:28

can get there, you'll be rewarded by the

32:30

most incredible scenery anywhere, a vacation of a

32:32

lifetime, never to be forgotten. Eureka

32:35

used to be one of those due line stations up

32:38

in the High Arctic in the 50s and 60s. I

32:41

traveled there in the 60s. I believe

32:44

me there wasn't much there then. Lisa

32:49

Woodfine and the Gatineau. Occasionally

32:54

thought of as the drive-through province for

32:56

little scenery along the highway, there are

32:58

many gems to be explored in New

33:00

Brunswick. My favorites among

33:02

many beautiful locations are Misku

33:04

Island Lighthouse in the Acadian

33:07

Peninsula, where I got my

33:09

first look at the Aurora Borealis, and

33:11

anywhere along the rugged Fundy

33:13

coastline, such as Cape Engage,

33:15

Mary's Point, Fundy Trail Parkway,

33:17

and Slacks Cove. Derek

33:22

Forsyth in Edmonton. Grand Manan Island is the place

33:24

I'd recommend as a place to visit if you're looking for

33:26

a great place to unplug and unwind. It's tucked away in

33:28

the Bay of Fundy off the

33:31

southwest corner of New Brunswick and can be

33:33

accessed only via an hour and a

33:36

half ferry ride from Blacks Harbor. It's a

33:38

great place to hike, cycle, walk the beaches, or

33:40

dig into your summer reading

33:44

list in a time when the world seems to be

33:46

moving faster and faster. I think it's important

33:50

to find a quiet place to charge the batteries,

33:52

take in the spectacular views, and sample some amazing

33:56

local cuisine. Sayed

34:03

Seyedan in

34:06

Toronto. If

34:08

I have to name one place that

34:10

would be the Icefield Parkway through Jasper

34:12

National Park and Banff National Park in

34:15

Alberta, I was amazed by the countless

34:17

activities and natural beauties that were offered

34:19

along the highway. Exhilarating

34:21

hiking trails and gondola rides,

34:23

turquoise lakes and waterfalls, old

34:26

towns and architectures, natural

34:29

habitats,like bears, elk, deer, etc etc

34:31

etc… Sussex

34:38

Inc in Regina. Some

34:40

of my favorite vacations took place when I lived

34:42

in Vancouver in the 90's.

34:45

We spent much of our free

34:47

time visiting the Pufana,

34:49

etc., while holding our poppa

34:51

and sleeping bags in the car.

34:53

I was amazed by

34:55

the variety of wonderful spots within a couple

34:58

of hours of the city. It

35:00

was incredible for a prairie boy.

35:02

The ocean, mountains, old growth forests,

35:04

but I especially loved the Gulf

35:06

Islands. Each island seemed to

35:08

have at least one gym. They were

35:10

unlike any other parks I had ever visited,

35:13

especially Montague Harbor on Galliano

35:16

Island. It had a tiny

35:18

walk in a campground overlooking the harbor.

35:21

There were often fire bands, but these made

35:23

the park even better. The

35:25

night would be pitch black with the only light

35:27

coming from the sailboats moored in the harbor below.

35:29

It was magical. It's

35:32

been years but I can still picture it like it

35:34

was yesterday. I'm sure it's changed

35:36

over the years but if it

35:39

only is half as nice as it used

35:41

to be then it's well worth the visit.

35:45

Spencer Stinson in Blenheim, Ontario.

35:49

The summer between my grades 11 and 12, my

35:53

family took the full summer to drive all

35:55

the way to Vancouver Island via Northern Ontario

35:57

and across the prairies. trip

36:00

I'd recommend the hike around Mount

36:02

Assiniboine in BC, guided or

36:04

unguided depending on your skill level. I

36:07

still remember the first night hearing this booming

36:09

crash throughout the night. The

36:11

next morning I asked the guide what the heck

36:13

was that and he said it was a

36:15

massive chunk of the glacier at the

36:18

base of the mountain crashing into the lake during

36:20

the summer thaw. I

36:22

can honestly say 20 plus years later

36:24

I've never heard anything like that again.

36:28

Julie Reind in Calgary. One

36:32

of the best places I traveled to was

36:34

the Yellowhead Highway in BC from Smithers to

36:36

Terrace to Prince Rupert. It's

36:39

gorgeous untouched wilderness. The

36:41

biggest surprise was the

36:43

Niska Memorial Lava Bed Provincial

36:45

Park. A gorgeous drive

36:48

through a lava field from a

36:50

volcanic eruption around the year 1700. Lakes had

36:52

drowned forests, airfalls

36:55

all within the lava field. It

36:58

was just really cool. Nancy

37:01

Abba in Toronto. My

37:04

favorite place in Battle Harbor,

37:06

Newfoundland in Labrador. Remote

37:08

and definitely off the beaten path. It's

37:11

a nine mile journey by ferry from

37:13

Mary's Harbor in Labrador. A

37:16

mercantile salt fish premise was established there between

37:18

1770 and 1775 and operated until around 1992.

37:20

It's a living museum with

37:29

numerous buildings, more than 200

37:31

years old, many restored, hiking

37:34

paths, seasonal icebergs, fabulous views,

37:36

lovely accommodations and wonderful friendly

37:38

people. Harold

37:41

Smith in Thompson, Manitoba. I

37:46

recommend the town of Wascosu

37:48

in Prince Albert National

37:50

Park, Saskatchewan. Beautiful

37:54

lake and long sandy beach right beside

37:56

a lovely resort town with a rich

37:59

history. Camp

38:01

in Beaver Glen campground or stay in one

38:03

of the resorts in town. Try

38:05

your hand at fishing for walleye. That's

38:08

a pickerel. Color

38:11

walleye out west. Central

38:14

Canada's best tasting sport fish here

38:16

here. Bruce

38:18

Armstrong in Port Dover, Ontario, north shore

38:20

of Lake Erie. About an hour from

38:22

Hamilton. The Onion Bay

38:24

region in the northernmost part of Newfoundland

38:26

is home to some of the friendliest

38:28

people anywhere. It boasts

38:30

a beautiful view of Labrador and

38:33

the North Atlantic where you may see icebergs

38:35

even during the summer months. The

38:38

walking trails are rugged yet provide

38:40

stunning displays of nature at its

38:42

finest. And do not be surprised

38:44

if you sight a moose or two at close

38:46

range. For the history

38:48

buffs, a visit to the ancient

38:50

village of Lancel Meadow is

38:52

a must where knowledgeable guides will

38:55

recount the early days of the Vikings

38:57

and a village constructed nearly 100 years

38:59

ago. I

39:02

think we're talking a thousand years ago, right? This

39:06

area is not a tourist trap and it's

39:08

a long way from anywhere but well worth

39:10

the effort. Frank

39:14

Wang in Surrey, BC. For

39:17

one to have a truly life changing experience

39:19

I believe they need to see something big.

39:21

I mean really big. Normally

39:23

I'd say go see the Rockies. As

39:26

I'm from BC my out of province

39:28

pick would be Niagara Falls. When

39:31

you see the massive span of the falls,

39:33

the thundering sounds and the huge plumes of

39:35

mist, it instantly

39:37

fills you with a sense of awe. Gigantic

39:40

natural wonders like this give

39:43

you perspective on

39:45

just how small you are

39:47

on this earth. There's

39:52

two letters left and I think

39:56

in their simplicity.

40:00

They sum up in many ways what most

40:03

people here today had to say. Gordon

40:06

Shepherd in Collingwood, Ontario writes, The

40:09

best place to visit in Canada is

40:13

anywhere you can afford to get to. We

40:16

are privileged to live in a country that

40:18

is beautiful and diverse from

40:21

coast to coast to coast. You

40:25

got that right, Gordon. And

40:28

here's the other one. Barry Hoffman

40:30

in Burlington, Ontario writes, So

40:36

hard to narrow down to just one. So

40:39

I'll push the envelope here. Tofino,

40:43

British Columbia and

40:46

Petty Harbour, Newfoundland. No

40:49

explanation required. If

40:51

you know, you know. If

40:54

you don't know, look at a map.

41:01

As I said, there were more letters

41:03

here. These

41:05

are the ones I picked to read

41:07

today. But

41:09

when you look at all the letters that we

41:12

got this week, here

41:16

are the top three provinces. Okay,

41:18

there are lots of different locations. But in

41:21

the top three provinces that

41:23

were picked. Number

41:25

three was Nova

41:27

Scotia. Number

41:30

two was British

41:32

Columbia. And

41:35

number one, number

41:37

one, Newfoundland

41:40

and Labrador. You

41:45

know, it's hard to get

41:47

to all the places in our country. My

41:50

job has allowed me to do

41:52

that. To

41:54

get to all the provinces. Live

41:57

in some of them. visit

42:00

all of them and the territories. We

42:05

had letters representing

42:09

choices for each province, each

42:11

territory. Number

42:15

one was Newfoundland Labrador. I've

42:17

been lucky. I don't know how many times I've been

42:19

to Newfoundland Labrador, usually

42:23

on work or giving speeches or going

42:26

to Mark Critch's wedding

42:28

a couple of years ago. And

42:32

it really is fantastic.

42:36

But somebody in one of these letters made the point

42:38

earlier that all of

42:40

these places are

42:43

not just great places to visit

42:45

because of their natural beauty and

42:47

the excitement surrounding the physical

42:50

location. It's the people.

42:53

It's the Canadians who live there. They're

42:56

so welcoming. Listen,

42:59

we have polarization problems on issues.

43:01

Yeah, absolutely. But at

43:03

our core, we're

43:06

Canadian. And

43:08

it's days like this and

43:11

hearing from you on your choices that make you

43:13

feel so good about the country.

43:16

We've got issues. But

43:20

as our history shows, we will

43:22

eventually deal with them. All

43:28

right. I did

43:30

say we had the random rancher because it

43:32

is Thursday. But

43:35

I'll tell you, this

43:38

is a different kind of random rancher than the

43:40

one we're used to. That

43:44

enough from me. Let's hear

43:46

from him. Here we

43:48

go. This week's random rancher. Look,

43:55

I realize lately that I've become somewhat

43:57

less of a random rancher and more

43:59

of a predictor. rancher. EVs,

44:02

the environment, politicians, carbon

44:04

tax, blah blah blah.

44:07

So burnt toast doctor, here's

44:09

a light one out of left field. Canadiana,

44:12

or more precisely the Canadiana gleamed

44:14

by growing up in front of

44:16

a TV that had all of

44:18

three channels and two of them were

44:20

kind of bad. But that said,

44:23

I've got nothing but great memories from

44:25

it. I mean to this day

44:27

I can't count to 12 without doing its

44:29

Sesame Street style. You know, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. And

44:36

then there were the National Film Board vignettes. If

44:39

you don't remember them or you're too

44:41

young, take the time to Google it.

44:43

They're fantastic. Not only did I

44:46

learn about my country from them, but they

44:48

gave me a passion for all things Canadian.

44:50

From those singing Cape Breton coal miners

44:53

to the log driver's waltz, they

44:55

exposed me to a wider version of

44:57

being Canadian than what I had just

45:00

growing up on the prairies. And

45:02

they stuck with me for the most part. I

45:04

mean, I still don't know what liver pills

45:06

are, but I do know Bill

45:08

Miner was the first person to say hands up.

45:11

I know he robbed a train and I

45:13

totally remember the last line. Hands

45:15

up, said the sergeant. Hands up.

45:18

They're great and for the most part,

45:20

those vignettes were ahead of their time.

45:23

They were inclusive and often

45:25

super creative, maybe sometimes

45:27

a little too creative. I

45:30

mean, if you ever want proof there were

45:32

some hardcore 70s hallucinogens going on at the

45:34

NFB, just watch the

45:37

Flynn Flawn vignette. It's a

45:39

weird one, but I do remember visiting

45:41

the statue of Flinta Betty Floniton on

45:43

a family trip to Flynn Flawn and I was

45:45

excited to do it. But

45:47

it wasn't just kids programs and vignettes

45:49

on those three channels. There were

45:52

a lot of sports, very Canadian

45:54

sports, and it's those sports that stuck with

45:56

me to this day. I'm

45:58

talking about hockey. NFL

46:00

football and especially curling.

46:03

There was just something about the way they were presented.

46:06

I mean, there was very little hype and

46:08

the voices were all pretty unique. I

46:11

know for some people the voice of sports

46:13

would be Dick Ervin or Bob Cole or

46:15

Danny Gallivan, but for me it

46:17

was always Don Whitman. Maybe

46:20

that's my western bias showing that Whitman

46:22

was the voice of everything. I

46:24

mean, if the CBC had televised the

46:26

Tiddlywinks tournament, they'd have tapped

46:29

Don Whitman for the play-by-play. It

46:31

was his voice that introduced me to Canadian

46:33

sports. And to this day, I still

46:36

love them. I'm CFL all the

46:38

way and curling. Well

46:40

how could you not love something that was born

46:42

of knitwear and corn brooms? It's

46:45

all part of the Canadian experience, or

46:47

at least my Canadian experience, and I

46:49

love it. So good luck to

46:51

the Gushu rank of the Worlds. I

46:54

love being a Canadian and I hope you

46:56

do too. Well

47:00

there you go, the

47:03

random rancher with his

47:05

take for this

47:07

holiday weekend. Doesn't that make

47:09

you feel all soft and bubbly inside? Well

47:13

I hope you do. I hope you have a great weekend

47:15

coming up. Tomorrow on the Good Friday

47:17

edition of Good Talk, it's

47:20

the program we packaged last week. It hasn't been

47:22

aired yet. It's the program we packaged last week

47:25

in front of a live audience of the Shadow

47:27

Laurier in downtown Ottawa with

47:29

the help of the Carleton University Political

47:31

Management Course. Their

47:34

questions are answers. Hope

47:36

you enjoy it. That's tomorrow.

47:39

I'm Peter Mansbridge, thanks so much for listening. Talk

47:42

to you again. Well

47:45

on tape tomorrow, better than next,

47:48

on Monday. Take

47:50

care, have a great weekend.