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Things to Do in Canada 223
Mother's Day
Good morning!
Did you know? Mother’s Day, which takes place on May 11th this year, was first celebrated on May 9th, 1914. Anna Jarvis, who is known as the one who started it all, wanted to commemorate her mother, who was a peace activist and cared for wounded soldiers during the American Civil War. Back then, it was celebrated by attending church services and wearing a white carnation. Nowadays, it has become quite commercialized, but it still acts as a great time to show appreciation for your mother.
Speaking of Mother’s Day, it’s just around the corner, so for the 223rd edition of the Weekly Goose, we’re giving you 8 Mother’s Day “gift ideas”, an update on the summer Calgary tour, and more!
Enjoy
Update: Special Calgary/Banff Tour Just for You
For some reason, we can’t respond to questions made on the polls, so to make things easier, we’ve created a form that answers some of the questions we’ve been asked, details the current itinerary, details the costs, and has questions for you to answer so that we can better assess the situation and reach out to you personally by email.
If you’re interested in a potential Calgary/Banff/Drumheller tour in August or September, please read and fill out this form.
Thank you!
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8 Things to Do for Mother’s Day
Not sure what to do or what to give this Mother’s Day? We thought we’d make it easier by giving you 8 fun ideas!
1. The Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa
If you live in or around Ottawa, or plan to go, not only is the Canadian Tulip Festival one of the most beautiful things to see in the country but it also has ties to the World Wars, just like Mother’s Day.
2. Afternoon High Tea
For some reason, most moms love a good High Tea. Perhaps it’s the chance to feel a bit distinguished and enjoy some high-quality tea and sweets with your loved ones, usually held in a beautiful setting.
There are all sorts of High Tea experiences across Canada. Most Fairmont hotels offer them, as well as some historic sites and unique tea houses. Your best bet is to search in your specific city. However, we do have one guide about high teas in Calgary if you’re in the area…
3. A Day at the Spa
With so many incredible spas in Canada, this is a great way to give your mom a day of relaxation. It could be an indoor spa in the city or a Nordic spa surrounded by nature. It might include things like massages and facial treatments, or maybe it’s just a day to enjoy saunas, hot tubs, and cold plunges.
Some of our personal favourites over the years include Winnipeg’s Thermea, Quebec’s Nordik Spa-Nature, the Kananaskis Nordic Spa, and even something as simple as this floating spa in Kelowna. There are hundreds of options across the country, but if you’re in Ontario, you might like the article below…
4. Enjoy a Winery Tour
If you happen to be visiting or living near one of Canada’s wine regions, such as Niagara-on-the-Lake or the Okanagan Valley, consider taking your mom on a winery tour.
Below are two articles we put together for Kelowna and Niagara-on-the-Lake…
5. Plan a Picnic in the Park
Every city in Canada, and probably every town as well, has beautiful parks that are free to visit. Make this Mother’s Day memorable by preparing a picnic and finding a beautiful spot within one of the many parks to sit down and enjoy a meal while surrounded by nature and views. Perhaps pack some orange juice and sparkling wine for a surprise mimosa as well.
6. Enjoy a Special Meal
Another great Mother’s Day gift is simply taking her out for a delicious meal. Depending on timing or interests, this could be breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. It could be her favourite spot or somewhere new. Sometimes what we like to do is open up Google Maps or Apple Maps, type in restaurants, and see what pops up nearby. Check out the reviews, dig a little deeper, and decide on something that you think she will love.
We have many food guides on Must Do Canada, so you’re best bet is to visit the site and do a search. You can always start here as well.
7. Take Mom on a Local Tour
While you may think you know the place you live, there’s a good chance you don’t. We’re often surprised by how many people don’t explore their town or city. If you live in a major city, there’s a good chance there’s a walking tour, food tour, brewery tour, or some other kind of tour that explores the city in a variety of ways. If there is, sign up for one and take your mom to have a fun day out and to learn things about the place you call home. If it’s a standard walking tour, pair it with a nice lunch or dinner.
You can always search for local companies or start with one of our many guides:
8. Give Mom the Gift of Adventure
If you’d like to tie in a physical gift with adventure, particularly in Alberta, consider our Alberta Adventure Scratch-Off Cards, which are the perfect way to explore the best of the province—waterfalls, hikes, hidden gems, and more—all waiting to be revealed.
Beaver Bites
While we don’t often stay at ultra-fancy hotels, we do appreciate their beauty. Here are 25 of the best new hotels around the world. If you’re looking for a Canadian 5-star hotel, one of the most recent stays we had was the Muir Hotel in Halifax.
Speaking of high-end hotels, this Vancouver Island resort was just recognized as one of the best new affordable luxury hotels in the world. Among some of the features noted are a 10,000-square-foot garden, an apiary, and an orchard, which supplies fresh ingredients to the on-site restaurants. Located in Campbell River, it sounds like a new hotel for our bucket list.
Looking for a great stargazing-friendly road trip? These two Canadian destinations cut in Outside Mag, but we at Must Do Canada know there are hundreds more in this wonderful country.
Hiking is a great way to see Canada’s rugged wilderness, but for some, spring can be a butt-kick when it comes to allergies. Here’s how to make the best of it.
Customers seem to be winning battles lately with airlines. Air Canada was ordered to pay $10 million in damages to passengers who were overcharged for airfare.
Just for Fun
Nunavut can be a hard place to reach, but if you’re looking for a fun way to experience it, check out North of North, a new Canadian Hit TV show on Netflix. This is how the community and Netflix created an entire production ecosystem in Canada’s far north.
Beloved retailer MEC looks like it has found a buyer, and that buyer is Tim Gu, a Canadian textile mogul and real estate investor. It’s so great to hear that it will once again be “Canadian”.
Two Canadian cities were named among the world's most romantic, and at least one of them will probably surprise you.
It’s no secret that social media, AI, and bad people have come together full force to spread misinformation. But some are fighting back. GetFact.ca is Canada’s first citizen-led defence against misinformation.
Want to reach 65k+ Canadian travellers for your brand? Reach out (reply to this email) to sponsor an edition of Must Do Canada.