Noteworthy: The Great White North teems with summer vacation gems

By Bruce Penton on April 23, 2025.

Vacationing in Canada instead of the United States this summer isn’t the end of the world. True, U.S. tourist traps like Yellowstone Park, Disneyland, Disneyworld and a baseball trip to Seattle will be on the no-go list, but there are dozens and dozens of Canadian choices to satisfy people of all ages.

For Dad, how about a fishing trip to northern Saskatchewan or Alberta? Some of the best pike and pickerel fishing can be found in either of those provinces. For the kids, Drumheller is the dinosaur capital of the world, and a family can spend a day at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in that community.

Not into dinosaurs? How many Hatters have made the trip west to visit the Writing on Stone Provincial Park? A day trip to the mountains can be exciting for everyone – stop in Kananaskis and then head on to Canmore for dinner. The old reliable: Spend a day or two in Edmonton. Hit the West Edmonton Mall. Tour the Legislative Buildings. Find out when the Elks are playing and enjoy some Canadian Football League action.

Or, just stay home in Medicine Hat. There’s so much to do here. Take a tour of Medalta. Camp for a day or two at Echo Dale or at the Gas City campground. Take a trip on the Sunshine Trolley. Enjoy one of the city’s outdoor pools or find a spray park for the kids.

Trying to fill a two-week vacation? Head for the West Coast. Maybe visit a seldom-seen friend or relative. Take a ferry ride to Vancouver Island.

Is baseball your thing? Visit Canada’s centre of the universe, Toronto, and take in a couple of Blue Jays’ games. Then head over to Ottawa and tour the many attractions of our nation’s capital.

So much to consider doing this summer. And the above is just a tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of Canadian attractions that will serve the purpose of bolstering Canada’s economy, and opening your eyes to what our country has to offer.

Just don’t look south. The dollar’s exchange rate is horrible, too. Look east, west or north.

â€¢ How did you commemorate 420? Do you have any idea what 420 represents?

April 20 (4/20) is an unofficial marijuana holiday. There are a variety of explanations for how those three digits came to connect with marijuana. Some say it was a police code for a pot bust. Some say students at a California college would meet at 4:20 p.m. daily to smoke some weed. Others say a line in a Bob Dylan song is responsible.

Whatever the source, 420 is a relatively new number in our society’s lexicon.

Hard to believe that marijuana has become so accepted in our society these days. Fifty years ago, people went to jail and served hard time for possession or distribution of marijuana. Today, polls show 62 per cent of Canadians agree with the fairly recent laws to decriminalize the drug, which the medical profession uses to treat pain while also providing a high to recreational users.

Albertans are among the highest (pardon the pun) supporters of legal cannabis. Quebec leads the way with 66 per cent approval, followed by Alberta and Ontario at 64 per cent. The U.S. overall approval rate is reportedly 75 per cent. In the States, only 15 per cent of the population admit to using marijuana, but the demographic that has seen the largest increase is in the 65-and-over crowd.

â€¢ Short snappers: It seems the only sane thing happening with the U.S. economy these days is the fact that so many Trump voters and MAGA folks are going public with their regret about how they marked their ‘X’ back on Nov. 5. … Not sure if other golf courses in the area are doing this, but Riverview Golf Club in Redcliff has reduced rates for military and first responders. … The last world leader to meet with Pope Francis before the liberal pontiff died on the morning of Easter Monday was U.S. vice-president J.D. Vance. Anti-MAGAs might say it was a little bit of hell before heaven for the beloved Pope. … Political polls indicate the Canadian federal election race is getting closer, so next Monday evening looks like it will be a nailbiter. If it’s a minority government, does that mean the NDP’s Jagmeet Singh will determine which direction the country will take? … The Weather Network says the first day we can expect a high in the 20s won’t be until Friday, May 2, but the winds that day are forecast to be gusting to 65 km/h. Those frowns you see are on the faces of local golfers.