- Must Do Canada
- Posts
- Things to Do in Canada 259
Things to Do in Canada 259
Winter Trips by Personality
Good morning!
Did you know? Canada is home to the world’s largest naturally frozen skating rink. When conditions line up, the Rideau Canal Skateway stretches nearly 8 km through the city — longer than 90 Olympic hockey rinks laid end to end. It is now open for those wanting to try it out!
Speaking of winter skateways, that’s just one of the many ways to enjoy the winter. For some, it’s an adventure. For others, it might be relaxing in a Nordic spa surrounded by hot tubs and crackling fires. Some love cozying up in a cabin and just admiring the snow-covered views. For people like us, it’s all the above.
What kind of winter traveller are you?
We wanted to do something fun this week, so we made a 30-second quiz to match you with the winter trip that actually fits you. Take the quiz, share your results on social media if you want, and next week, we’ll share which winter personality showed up the most.
Enjoy the 259th edition of the Weekly Goose!
Read
What Kind of Winter Person Are You?
Enjoying Quebec’s Winter Carnival.
There are two kinds of winter trips: The ones you love and the ones you wonder why you booked.
The difference usually isn’t the destination — it’s who the trip is for.
This week, we’re matching winter trips to your personality, not someone else’s idea of fun.
Below are the five kinds of winter personalities. But before you dig into it, don’t forget to take the quick 30-second quiz.
🔥 The Adventure-First Type
You think winter is a feature, not a flaw.
This is you if: Cold temps energize you, snowstorms don’t scare you, and you’d rather be outside than cozy.
Your peak winter experiences:
• Ice canyon walks and frozen waterfalls
• Snowshoeing or winter hiking
• Big-mountain ski towns
• Northern lights chasing
Where this shines: Places like Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Yukon, and many other national and provincial parks across the country.
🧖 The Cozy-But-Make-It-Nice Type
You like winter — just not suffering.
This is you if: You want fresh air and snow… followed by hot water, good food, and a fireplace.
Your peak winter experiences:
• Nordic spas
• Scenic towns with cafés and shops
• Heated chairlifts (yes, that’s a thing)
• Boutique lodges and cozy hotels
Where this shines: Places like Québec City, Mont-Tremblant, Banff, and many more. As adventurous as we are, we always look forward to an outdoor spa in the winter.
👨👩👧 The Family Planner
Fun matters — but so does sanity.
This is you if: You want winter trips that work for kids and adults, without constant negotiating.
Your peak winter experiences:
• Winter festivals and light displays
• Skating trails and tubing hills
• Indoor-outdoor attraction combos
• Walkable cities with lots to do
Where this shines: Many Canadian cities with big winters, such as Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, and Montreal.
Ice sculptures at the Ice Magic Festival in Lake Louise, Alberta.
🍷 The “Winter, But Chill” Traveller
You’re here for vibes, not frostbite.
This is you if: You want great food, culture, and atmosphere — winter is just the backdrop.
Your peak winter experiences:
• Food-forward cities
• Museums, galleries, and indoor attractions
• Winter markets and festivals
• Short walks between warm places
Where this shines: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver
😴 The Anti-Winter Winter Traveller
You don’t love winter — but you love weekends away.
This is you if: You’re fine with winter as long as it’s low-effort and comfortable.
Your peak winter experiences:
• Luxury hotels
• Spa weekends
• Indoor attractions
• Easy, short escapes
Where this shines: Major cities, spa destinations, hotel-centric trips
So… Which Winter Person Are You?
Adventure-first?
Cozy-but-nice?
Family planner?
Chill traveller?
Anti-winter escape artist?
We’ll share the results next week, but feel free to share on social media and tag us so we can see!
Why Scratch-Off Adventures Work for Every Personality
Not everyone wants the same winter trip — and that’s exactly why scratch-off adventures work. They remove the guesswork. They take away the dreadful decision-making. After decades of exploring Canada, we’ve hand-picked 50 incredibly fun things to do around Ontario, BC, and Alberta, with more destinations coming.
One scratch. One plan. Zero overthinking.
International Departures (Sponsored by Intrepid Travel)
Adventure outside the ordinary
Trusted specialty outdoor retailer, REI Co-op, has teamed up with the world’s largest adventure travel company, Intrepid Travel, to create a collection of active trips. From farm stays in Costa Rica to sunrise summits on Kilimanjaro, each trip is led by a local expert with small group sizes capped at 16.
For T&Cs and to view the full collection of trips in 85+ destinations, visit rei.com/travel.
Watch
Although Kelowna is mostly famous for its summer season with wineries, shimmering lakes, and hot weather, we travelled there in the winter and were totally blown away.
Beaver Bites
Air Canada and WestJet might be feeling the pressure to improve services now that the federal government has opened its skies to more competition from the Middle East.
Speaking of Air Canada, a baggage handler almost got a free trip recently, after getting trapped in the baggage hold. The Toronto-to-Moncton plane was heading down the runway when passengers suddenly heard screams from below.
WestJet passengers are also feeling the pinch, particularly in their legs. WestJet’s new seat configuration is drawing major criticism from both customers and employees as economy seat leg room gets even smaller, all in a push to offer cheaper economy fares and more expensive premium fares.
Visiting Calgary? The High Performance Rodeo is back for its 40th anniversary, bringing its popular winter arts festival to downtown Calgary with more than 30 productions that include theatre, music, cabaret, comedy, and hybrid performance.
Looking to hit the slopes? It’s been a record year for snow in the Canadian Rockies, and out of the five top ski resorts in North America right now, four of them are in Canada.
Manitoba’s Riding Mountain National Park just added a beautiful snow pavilion in a bid to attract more people to the park during the winter. With stunning scenery, a Nordic spa, beautiful frozen lakes, and lots of winter activities, this is a place to experience Peak Winter.
Want to reach 62,000 Canadian travellers for your brand? Reach out (reply to this email) to sponsor an edition of Must Do Canada.