Form Required: Calgary/Banff Tour

Last week, we shared a form for the potential Aug/Sept Calgary + Banff trip. Many of you clicked the link but did not fill out the form. If you’re interested in coming on the tour, you need to fill out this form so we can reach out. If we don’t get any responses this time, or fewer than 30 people want to do the tour, we will just cancel it.

If you’re interested, please read and fill out this form.

Thank you!

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As mentioned above, Victoria Day honours Queen Victoria's birthday and unofficially marks the start of summer across the country. It's also known as the May long weekend and a popular time for camping. However, it is not a statutory holiday across the entire country and in Quebec, the day is National Patriots’ Day.

Either way, many people enjoy the long weekend, and there are several events across the country as well, some of which include fireworks, parades, and outdoor festivities.

🎆 Major Fireworks Displays

• Toronto, ON: Ashbridges Bay Park hosts a spectacular fireworks show on May 19 at 10 PM. Canada’s Wonderland also offers a display on May 18 at the park's closing time.

• Ottawa, ON: As part of the Canadian Tulip Festival, a combined fireworks and drone show lights up the sky on May 18.

🎉 Parades & Festivals

• Victoria, BC: The Thrifty Foods 125th Victoria Day Parade kicks off at 9 AM on May 19, featuring over 100 floats, bands, and performers along Douglas Street.

• Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival: Held on May 17–18 at Topaz Park, this event offers Scottish music, dancing, and traditional games.

• Nobleton, ON: Celebrating King Township’s 175th anniversary, the town hosts a full day of festivities on May 19, including a parade and community events.

🎶 Entertainment & Nightlife

• Victoria Day Weekend Boat Party (Toronto, ON): Enjoy a 3-hour cruise with live DJs, dancing, and city skyline views on May 17.

• Victoria Day Weekend Boat Party (Vancouver, BC): Sunset views, rooftop dancing, iconic landmarks, epic vibes. Learn more here.

• Victoria Day SpeedFest (Bowmanville, ON): From May 16–18, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park hosts NASCAR races, food vendors, and a fireworks display on May 17.

🏕️ Family-Friendly Activities

• Luxton Spring Fair (Victoria, BC): From May 15–18, this event offers carnival rides, games, and local vendors.

• Upper Canada Village (Morrisburg, ON): Experience 1860s life with historical reenactments and traditional celebrations on May 18th.

🦆 More Things to Do

• Outside of actual events, there are plenty of other ways to enjoy Canada during the long weekend. Consider one of the many tours offered in Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa, Halifax, or Banff.

Beaver Bites

• One of the top things to do in Saskatoon, the Prairie Lily waterboat, is cancelling their season due to low water levels caused by mismanagement from the Sask Party.
  
  

• Want to do something extra special this summer? How about sleeping in a Canadian historic site? Here are some unique experiences to add to your bucket list. 
  
  

• Typically, when we hear bad things about Air Canada, it’s due to delays, bags, or cancellations. This time, however, it’s about their logo. Turns out, the iconic Air Canada maple leaf is not a native sugar maple but a Norway maple, which is an invasive species in Canada. The botanists who pointed out think they should change it. Something tells us that just won’t be in the budget.
  
  

• If you’re okay with flying in a plane decorated with the Norway Maple, you’ll be pleased to know that AC is now offering free Wi-Fi for Aeroplan members on several North American and Caribbean flights.
  
  

• If you love a good cocktail as much as we do, you’ll want to check out this list of the top 50 bars in North America. While many are in Mexico City and New York, 8 can be found in Canada, including Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
  
  

• While we’re shocked that CBC didn’t reach out to us about the best places to visit in Canada this year, it’s always cool to see what locals recommend. Here are the 10 places people recommend the most.
  
  

• If you haven’t been to Canada’s Wonderland yet, now is the time to go. Canada’s longest, tallest and fastest roller coaster is about to open.

Just for Fun

• Metallica isn’t Canadian, but they might deserve honorary citizenship after donating $80,000 to two Toronto charities following their sold-out concerts in the city. We think all bands and big shows should do this in every city they perform in.
  
  

• While we debated picking up some good sales on a pair of jeans when HBC started closing its doors, this B.C. billionaire made a bid to buy all 25 locations.
  
  

• These are Canada’s most valuable brands in 2025.

• Want to reach 65k+ Canadian travellers for your brand? Reach out (reply to this email) to sponsor an edition of Must Do Canada.