It's time to start planning your summer holiday and there has never been a better time to explore what's close to home. There are new attractions, hotels, festivals and events springing up across the country.
This summer Revelstoke Mountain Resort is unveiling North America's first Brandauer Mountain Coaster.
Set to amp things up this season, the single-track coaster will launch from the resort's Revelation Lodge, travelling 1.4 kilometres and dropping a heart-thumping 279 vertical metres all while rushing through ski runs, thick forest and a tunnel.
With cutting-edge monorail construction this sleek design is built close to the ground, allowing enthusiasts to feel a rush similar to mountain biking. As an added touch, participants can control their speed, which can clock in as high as 42 kilometres per hour.
If you prefer to get wet, head to the Thompson Okanagan area where you can learn to Flyboard. There are now eight locations (in Kelowna, Osoyoos and Gimli) of Canadian Jetpack Adventures where Flyboard instructors will have you flying effortlessly over the water in no time. No prior training required, but you must be at least 12 years old. Packages start at $89
Meanwhile it's all about the music in Calgary this year. Fresh off hosting the Junos, the city is set to open Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre in July. It opened briefly for some pre-Juno parties but the official opening is this summer.
It will house NMC's 2,000+ piece collection of instruments, artifacts, sound equipment and Canadian music memorabilia, along with three Canadian music halls of fame—the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Collection. It includes a 300-seat performance space on the second floor and a restored blues club, the King Eddy Hotel, which will once again come alive as a music venue.
The Aga Khan Museum is not brand new but Torontonians have been slowly discovering this relatively new museum dedicated to presenting an overview of the artistic, intellectual and scientific contributions that Muslim civilizations have made to world heritage.
The museum's permanent collection of over 1,000 objects includes masterpieces that reflect a broad range of artistic styles and materials. These portraits, textiles, miniatures, manuscripts, ceramics, tiles, medical texts, books and musical instruments represent more than ten centuries of human history and a geographic area stretching from the Iberian Peninsula to China.
In collaboration with Canadian adventure recreation company WildPlay Ltd., Niagara Adventure Excursions is introducing two new attractions to be located on the lands of The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) in Niagara Falls.
Zip Lines at Niagara Falls will offer four parallel zip lines that will descend a distance of 670 metres from NPC's Grand View Marketplace into the Niagara Gorge below. It will provide stunning picture-perfect views of both the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
Aerial Adventure Course, located alongside the Niagara Parkway at the Whirlpool at Thompson Point, will be a playful and active outdoor experience for all ages. The Kids, Classic, and Extreme courses are the first of their kind in the Niagara Region. Guests will navigate self-paced obstacle games, which include, zip lines, ladders, rope swings, scrambling walls, hanging nets, spinning logs, wobbly bridges, tightropes, monkey bars, and more suspended surprises.
Meanwhile in Quebec's Eastern Townships the Foresta Lumina is an amazing lights and arts display that changes the Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook from a lovely impressive trail to hike in the day to a full on spectacle in the evening.
Nova Scotia's Order of Good Cheer is alive and well as several new attractions in that province are all about raising a glass. The Halifax Beer Bus will take travellers around Halifax to taste and learn all about Halifax's exploding craft beer scene. In Guysborough, check out the new Authentic Seacoast Distillery, which produces GLYNNEVAN® Whisky, a uniquely Nova Scotian rye whisky.
Saint John, New Brunswick will play host to a new festival this summer called AREA 506 Festival, which will be held on the New Brunswick Day long weekend from July 30 – August 1. It will be showcasing the best of New Brunswick using shipping container facilities and other locations in uptown Saint John.
