Tailormade Canada

The 'Great Bear Rainforest' protects one of the largest remaining tracts of temperate rainforest left in the world. Stretching along the intricate, island-dotted, coastline of British Columbia, from Vancouver Island north to the Alaskan border, this is a region of spectacular natural beauty and abundant wildlife. Ancient Western Red Cedars – some over 1,000 years old – grow alongside towering Western Hemlocks, Amabilis Fir and Sitka Spruce, each dripping with curtains of lichens and moss, and bisected by numerous glacier-fed streams which flow into the maze of narrow channels, fjords and wooded islands of the fabled ‘Inside Passage’. On land, the forests, estuaries and rocky beaches are patrolled by Black Bears (including the occasional ‘Spirit Bear’, a rare white genetic variant), Grey Wolves, Cougars and, of course, the ‘Great Bear’ itself, the Grizzly! Overhead soar Bald Eagles, whilst offshore Humpback Whales return every summer, joining pods of Orcas, Grey Whales, Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Steller’s Sea Lions and numerous seabirds including Rhinoceros Auklets, the diminutive Marbled Murrelet, Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes, Black and Surf Scoters and parties of twirling Red-necked Phalaropes.

The journey from Vancouver to Vancouver Island is breathtaking. The ferry offers exciting opportunities for a variety of cetaceans and seabirds, with each season bringing its own delights. Bald Eagles are common, and this is a key migratory route for waterbirds including Surf, White-winged and Black Scoter, Pacific Diver, Western and Red-necked Grebes and the beautiful Harlequin Duck. Both Dall’s and Harbour Porpoises patrol these waters, alongside playful pods of Pacific White-sided Dolphins, which move into the area each spring. The pods of salmon-eating 'Resident' Orcas for which this region is famous arrive in June, but the mammal-eating 'Transients’ live in these waters year-round, although their predatory lifestyle makes them a more secretive animal and less easy to view. 

Vancouver Island offers some wonderfully varied scenery. The towering Mackenzie Range is breathtaking, and Kennedy Lake offers lush temperate rainforest wilderness. The spectacular Pacific Rim National Park, which spans more than 130 kilometres of west coast shoreline, is a dramatic area of rocky headlands and pristine sandy beaches pounded by the full force of the Pacific Ocean and backed by some of the region’s last remaining old-growth coastal rainforest. It lies on the main migratory route of the Grey Whale as the species moves between Mexico’s Baja Peninsula and its summer feeding haunt in the Bering Sea. Some, however, remain around Tofino and Ucluelet for the summer. The Pacific Rim is one of the best places in the world from which to observe these magnificent creatures and, whilst scanning for whales (either on land or by boat), plenty of other species may also be seen including Steller’s Sea Lion, Sea Otter, Humpback Whale, a transient pod of Orca, Pigeon Guillemot, Harlequin Duck or the beautiful Tufted Puffin. The mystical rainforests, with their towering Western Red Cedars and moss-covered Sitka Spruce, offer an intriguing avifauna, alongside noisy Red Squirrels and the enigmatic Banana Slug.

Zeballos, in the northwest of the Island, is home to the charismatic Sea Otter and, whilst there are no Grizzly Bears on Vancouver Island, Black Bears are commonly seen – some 10,000 live here! No stay on Vancouver Island is complete without a couple of nights in either Telegraph Cove or Port McNeil and a boat trip out onto Johnstone Strait, the summer and early autumn haunt of the island’s ‘Northern Resident’ Orcas. This is one of the best places to view this impressive cetacean anywhere in the world as the whales tend to favour the strait at this time of year and their movements are monitored by the local whale researchers and the whale-watching operators.

The small town of Churchill is located on the icy shores of Hudson Bay in the Canadian Arctic. It is an area as wild as it is remote and is only accessible only by rail or plane. It has also earnt the nickname of the ‘Polar Bear capital of the world’ and for good reason! These magnificent creatures – the largest of the bears – are forced onto land each summer when the Hudson Bay sea ice melts. The bears then return to the Churchill area during the autumn months to await the re-freeze (a route that sometimes sees animals wandering directly through the town itself!). October and November are amongst the best months to visit for Polar Bear sightings, when trips can be arranged onto the tundra in bespoke, and heated, bear-viewing vehicles called ‘Tundra Buggies’. Other species to look out for in the snowy autumn include Arctic Fox, Caribou, Snowy Owl and plenty of Snow Buntings.

During the summer months, walking safaris can also be arranged here, where sightings of Polar Bears ambling through a carpet of wildflowers can often be enjoyed. At this time of year thousands of ghostly-white Beluga Whales converge at the mouth of the Churchill River, creating one of the Arctic’s most impressive wildlife spectacles. The summer birdlife is also exciting and includes such species as Snow Goose, Hudsonian Godwit, Red-necked Phalarope and Lapland Bunting.

Those visiting the region in the autumn and winter may also be rewarded with the ethereal flickering of the Northern Lights dancing across the night-time skies, its vibrant colours lighting up this breathtaking landscape … perhaps with the sound of distant Wolves howling in the wind!

Churchill truly is a ‘bucket list’ destination, with some incredible, one-in-a-lifetime experiences to enjoy.

There is much to explore across this superbly diverse and beautiful region of Canada, with its towering mountain ranges, spectacular waterways, historic cities, boreal forests, breathtaking coastline and a wonderful array of wildlife, alongside a rich culture and indigenous heritage.

Québec’s extensive boreal forests, some of which encompass part of the mighty Appalachian Range, are outstanding and harbour such delights as Spruce Grouse, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee and Black-backed Woodpecker. The region also offers the visitor some wonderful mammals. Highlights include Moose and Beaver in Fundy National Park, Black Bear and Woodland Caribou in the Parc de la Gaspésie and many more besides.

Spring and autumn see the mass migration of birds through eastern Canada and the many wetlands, forests, and coastal habitats offer wonderful opportunities to witness this natural spectacle. Highlights might include Snow Goose, Cape May, Northern Parula, Black-and-White and Blackburnian Warblers (amongst many others), Swainson’s Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Northern Saw-whet Owl. The vast mudflats of the Bay of Fundy and the wetlands that edge the beautiful Ile Miscou to the north attract numerous waders and other waterbirds including White-rumped, Semi-palmated, Stilt, Baird’s and Least Sandpipers, Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitchers and Hudsonian Godwit.

In the ‘fall’, as the landscape becomes swathed in a spectacular reds, oranges and golds of autumn, an interesting variety of cetaceans and seabirds crowd into the Bay of Fundy. Fin and Humpback Whales, Atlantic White-sided Dolphin and even the rare Northern Right Whale, are all possible along with Great Shearwater and Wilson’s Petrel. Here, one can also stay on Grand Manan Island, a jewel in the Fundy Isle network, dotted with picturesque fishing villages and offering some of the most exciting migration birding in Canada. Québec’s St Lawrence Seaway, too, will feature as a highlight of any autumnal trip, when Blue, Humpback, Fin and Minke Whales can be viewed, alongside a small resident population of Beluga Whales.

Founded as a fur trading post in 1608, Québec City – the cradle of French civilisation in North America – must surely rank as one of the most beautiful cities in the world with its uninterrupted views of the St. Lawrence River (one of Canada’s most important migration ‘flyways’), its narrow streets rising steeply from the port to form a winding maze inside the city walls, bordered by brightly painted houses, museums and boutiques. Its beautiful old quarter is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The impressive waterfall at Parc de la Chute-Montmorency, is also found nearby. Higher than Niagara Falls, in winter it becomes a vertical wall of ice and offers a true challenge to climbers seeking thrill and adventure.

Southern Ontario offers an interesting mix of exciting wildlife and spectacular scenery, and is an excellent option for self-drive exploration.

Between Lakes Erie and Ontario and straddling the United States and Canadian border lies Niagara Falls, one of the world’s great natural wonders. Niagara is actually a group of three waterfalls, with Horseshoe Falls the largest, and the only one to lie on Canadian soil. The combined flow rate of Niagara is the highest of any across North America and, with a drop exceeding 50 metres, this is an unmissable sight!

Lying at the southernmost extremity of mainland Canada, Point Pelee National Park is probably the most famous migration hotspot in all of North America! Jutting south into Lake Eire, the point is the first landfall for weary spring migrants crossing the lake on their way north and, as such, can experience huge falls of birds given the right weather conditions. In May the trees can be festooned with a kaleidoscope of colourful American warblers, plus numerous other vireos, thrushes, orioles, sparrows and buntings. During the summer months, you can wander the trails or take to the water by canoe as cicadas bring the forest alive around you. In autumn, thousands of vibrant Monarch Butterflies pass through as they make their incredible journey south to the mountains of central Mexico. For a few very special days, the butterflies rest here, before taking off across Lake Erie – a truly spectacular sight.

To the north of Toronto lies Algonquin Provincial Park, a vast area of mixed southern hardwood and northern coniferous forests dotted with a plethora of sparkling lakes. As well as offering numerous hiking trails, the park may be explored by canoe, drifting through the glassy water as it reflects the deep greens of the surrounding forest. Algonquin is home to some of the best of Canada’s wildlife, with highlights including Moose, White-tailed Deer, Beaver and Black Bear. Indeed, this is one of the best places in Ontario for Moose sightings! Over 270 bird species have been recorded within the park including Canada Jay, Spruce Grouse, Pine Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting and plenty of Common Loons (Great Northern Diver). This area is particularly picturesque in the ‘fall’, when the forests burst into intense reds, oranges and golds that simply take one’s breath away.

With these fantastic locations, and many, many others besides – all easily accessible by car – it will be difficult to leave!