Five fall adventures to catch across Canada before the season is over

Fall is Canada’s most ephemeral season – for those who don’t take advantage of the subsequent few weekends, when the leaves are changing and the apples are ripe for choosing, you’ll should wait an entire 12 months to recapture the magic. Listed here are a number of under-the-radar seasonal activities to explore across the country before they’re gone:

Reach latest heights on the Golden Skybridge and Malahat Skywalk in B.C.

Desirous to see the autumn colors? In British Columbia, two latest viewing platforms elevate guests for sweeping views of the forest cover. In 2021, the Golden Skybridge opened with the country’s highest suspension bridges at 80 and 130 metres above the Columbia Valley, surrounded by the Rocky and Purcell mountain ranges. There are many other adventuring opportunities here too, corresponding to ziplining, mountaineering and axe throwing. The Golden Skybridge is in Golden, B.C., 90 minutes west of Banff.

Alternatively, head to Vancouver Island for a totally accessible option to look out and over a forest of arbutus trees on the Malahat Du, 45 minutes north of Victoria. The 600-metre spiral platform brings guests 250 metres above sea level. The SkyWalk, which opened in 2021, is fully accessible to strollers, walkers, and wheelchairs, offering higher access to panoramic views of Mt. Baker, the Finlayson Arm fjord, the Saanich Peninsula and even into the USA. After journeying as much as the highest of the platform, adventurous visitors can take a shortcut back to land with a 50-metre-long spiral tube slide to the bottom.

Immerse in Indigenous culture in Saskatoon, Sask.

Not only a draw for international tourists and native school groups, Keith Henry, president and chief executive officer at Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, has noticed a rise in interest in Indigenous tourism from domestic travellers, too. “Indigenous tourism, in my opinion, is reconciliation in motion,” Mr. Henry explains. “Visit these businesses. Spend a while attending to know their stories. Buy some local Indigenous artwork.”

Mr. Henry says that more Indigenous communities are entering the accommodations sector, just like the Dakota Dunes Resort, south of Saskatoon. “The Whitecap Dakota [First Nation] have opened up a wonderful resort with hotel-style accommodations and Indigenous-themed art all throughout. We didn’t have these kinds of companies five, six, seven years ago,” he explains.

Meanwhile, just north of Saskatoon, the Wanuskewin Heritage Park is completing a $40-million renovation which incorporates latest gallery spaces and exhibits of their interpretive centre, meeting places for elders, and a present shop with handmade items from First Nation artisans. Visitors can take part in guided walks to learn more about Indigenous bison hunting methods while weekend dance presentations feature regional styles corresponding to fancy shawl, hoop and jingle dress.

Stay at a renovated motel in Ontario

Roadside motels are having a moment in Ontario. The June Motel, in Prince Edward County, opened in 2017 and its owners had purchased their second property, in Sauble Beach, by 2019. Since then, renovated motels have popped up everywhere in the province, from Penny’s Motel in Thornbury to Calabogie’s Somewhere Inn, an hour west of Ottawa.

These properties often boast vintage decor accents and a retro vibe as a throwback to the heyday of roadside motels within the Nineteen Sixties and 70s. On the Kent Motel, just south of Niagara-on-the-Lake in Queenston, 18 rooms are outfitted with vintage furnishings and art, each with its own look. With the summer rush over, these motels offer a fun getaway before winter begins.

Andrew Duffy is certainly one of the owners of the Sweetwater Group, which incorporates the Kent Motel, South Landing Inn and the Woodbourne. The pandemic lockdowns allowed him the chance to update the Kent Motel property.

“The constructing looked prefer it hadn’t been touched because the Nineteen Eighties,” Mr. Duffy explains. Sourcing latest furniture throughout the pandemic was difficult with supply shortages, so Mr. Duffy turned to vintage stores to outfit the motel’s rooms. “We went to consignment shops and antique shops in Peterborough and Toronto and commenced making collections by color and vibe.” Items like a Nineteen Seventies fibreglass pressed plate, vintage posters and textiles help complete the look in each room.

Family vacations at the brand new Club Med in Charlevoix, Que.

Canada isn’t a destination traditionally known for its all-inclusive resorts, but a latest Club Med in Charlevoix, Que., which opened in December 2021, means families don’t should travel to the Caribbean for all-in vacations. Positioned alongside Le Massif mountain, visiting in the autumn before ski season offers quite a lot of family-friendly outdoor activities. Hike through 20 kilometres of trails, a few of which overlook the St. Lawrence River, take a mountain bike ride through the forest or hop on a scenic round-trip gondola ride to view fall foliage in style.

All meals are included in a Club Med stay. Childcare services are also freed from charge at the children’ clubs, allowing parents some free time for activities like yoga and meditation classes or spa treatments (at a further cost).

Renovated viewing platforms at Peggy’s Cove, N.S.

The long-lasting lighthouse, granite rocks and boulders of Peggy’s Cove have attracted tourists here for a long time. But those self same rocks pose a security hazard as rogue waves are known to splash up on shore, causing slippery conditions and even sweeping visitors out into the ocean.

To enhance safety conditions on the attraction, an accessible viewing platform was built, opening in the autumn of 2021. “It’s an overhanging viewing deck that’s wheelchair accessible,” explains Clare Tidby, vice-president of selling at Discover Halifax. “Our partners at Develop Nova Scotia worked very closely with the community – they need to share Peggy’s Cove with the world, but they need to do it safely.” Halifax-based architect Omar Gandhi was hired to design the platform which elevates guests above strong ocean waves while also taking rising sea levels into consideration. A fall visit to Peggy’s Cove could offer easier access and higher photo opportunities because the summer crowds have dwindled.

Ms. Tidby recommends pairing autumn visits to Peggy’s Cove with a close-by ‘Rails to Trails’ hike for experiencing the region’s fall colors. “They’ve taken the railways and turned them into trails which can be good for biking and mountain climbing,” she explains. “They take you from one community to a different through the trees as they alter.”

The author was a guest of the Kent Motel, which didn’t review or approve this text.