20 Canadian Towns That Fill Up With Charm During the Winter

The Canadian winter is harsh, yes, but you have to admit that it’s really beautiful too. Icicles sparkling in the morning sun, snow-capped treetops, frozen streams and waterfalls: it’s as if you’ve stepped through a wardrobe and into Narnia, but without the evil queen. Many towns in Canada turn into gorgeous winter wonderlands and make for perfect getaway destinations. So, put on your winter woollies and dust off your sense of adventure. Here are 20 Canadian towns that fill up with charm during the winter.

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St. Jacobs, Ontario

Located in the Waterloo region, St. Jacobs is home to Canada’s largest year-round farmers' market. It also has a sizeable Mennonite community that still uses horse-and-buggy transportation. In winter, the entire town is decorated in twinkling lights for the holidays and there are plenty of artisan workshops in historic buildings where you can escape from the cold.

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Churchill, Manitoba

Beluga whales make Churchill one of the best places to visit in July. However, it’s in winter that Churchill lives up to its claim to fame. This is when polar bears come to the area to hunt for seals as Hudson Bay freezes over, making Churchill the Polar Bear Capital of the World. Because these animals are dangerous, venturing out on your own isn’t recommended, but you can spot the bears from specially modified vehicles.

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Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Located where the Niagara River flows into Lake Ontario, Niagara-on-the-Lake is a popular summer tourist destination. However, you’d be missing out if you didn’t visit in winter. When the town’s historic buildings are covered in snow, you can see why so many movies have been filmed here.

There’s another great reason to come in winter though: from January 11 to 27, Niagara-on-the-Lake takes part in the Niagara Icewine Festival, which celebrates the region’s famous sweet dessert wine.

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Grand Falls, New Brunswick

Grand Falls is located on the Saint John River near Canada’s border with the United States. It’s named after the waterfall found right in town. In winter, the falls freeze over and turn into surreal columns of ice.

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Merrickville, Ontario

Merrickville is considered one of the most beautiful places in Ontario. With its many heritage buildings and thriving community of artists, it’s a great place to visit any time of year. In winter, though, the place to be is the village skating rink, located just off the Rideau Canal, which winds its way through Merrickville.

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Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia

Peggy’s Cove is famous for its lighthouse and is one of Nova Scotia’s most popular summer tourist destinations. In winter, though, the town has a unique charm. The crowds are gone so you can take stunning Instagram-worthy pictures of the lighthouse surrounded by snow before heading to one of the local restaurants for some warming seafood chowder. After all, winter is lobster season in the area.

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Mont Tremblant, Quebec

Mont Tremblant looks just like a ski resort somewhere in the Alps. In fact, skiing is what the town is most famous for. Après-ski, the pedestrian village’s bars and restaurants fill up with people sharing tales of the day’s snowy exploits. Here in the Laurentian Mountains, there’s still good skiing to be had even at the end of winter, making Mont Tremblant one of the best places to visit in April.

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Sheffield Mills, Nova Scotia

Winter isn’t generally known as a great time for bird watching, but in Sheffield Mills, this is when the big birds come out. On the weekends of January 26 to 27 and February 2 to 3, the small farming community hosts Eagle Watch, complete with live music, pancake breakfasts and hundreds of bald eagles.

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Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Technically, Yellowknife is a city – but with its small population, it feels more like a large, bustling town. With its many opportunities for outdoor pursuits, it’s one of the best cities to visit in Canada during summer. Yellowknife is also where you can experience a true Canadian winter, complete with dog-sled races, ice fishing, snowshoeing and an ice road right across the Great Slave Lake. The Snowking’s Winter Festival from March 2 to 31 features a castle made of ice.

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Iqaluit, Nunavut

At first glance, Iqaluit doesn’t really look like the world’s most charming city. However, its charm lies in its people. Winter is when you can experience the best of Inuit traditions, from dog-sledding to igloo-building. Iqaluit is also one of the best places to see the Northern Lights, which come out to play on clear winter nights.

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Shaunavon, Saskatchewan

Shaunavon is a small farming town in southwest Saskatchewan and is within easy reach of attractions like the Frenchman River Valley and Grasslands National Park. Its streets lined with heritage buildings could easily have been the set for a Western movie. In winter, the flat prairie terrain here turns into a giant playground in the snow.

Fun fact: this tiny town has produced more Winter Olympics athletes per capita than any other place in Canada.

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Canmore, Alberta

Canmore is an extraordinarily pretty town in the Bow Valley and flanked on all sides by the Canadian Rockies. Its summer folk festival makes it one of the best places to visit in August, but in winter, the main event is the Canmore Winter Carnival, held this year from February 1 to 10, 2019. Where else can you play street hockey against such a spectacular backdrop?

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Jasper, Alberta

Jasper is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park and is a favourite base for lovers of the great outdoors. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat-tire biking are just some of the winter activities you can enjoy here. Play hockey on frozen lakes or go searching for frozen cascades: the park is home to some of Canada’s must-see waterfalls. When it’s time to retreat indoors, Jasper has plenty of restaurants and bars. You can also visit a craft brewery.

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Whistler, British Columbia

Whistler is probably Canada’s most famous ski resort. Of course there’s much more to do here than downhill skiing: how about ice sailing, for instance? There are plenty of shops, bars and restaurants where you can escape the cold too. In winter, Whistler fills up with seasonal workers from all around the world, making it a truly cosmopolitan town. If you decide to stay, you’ll be happy to know that Whistler is one of the places with the lowest taxes in Canada.

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Plaster Rock, New Brunswick

If your idea of the perfect winter is heading outside to play pond hockey, you may want to head to the cute little village of Plaster Rock. Every year, this is where the World Pond Hockey Championship is held and as the name suggests, teams come from all over the globe to compete for the title. The 2019 event will take place from February 14 to 17.

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Elmira, Ontario

Elmira is one of Canada’s most underrated towns. Located in the region of Waterloo, Elmira still boasts a large Mennonite community. Towards the end of winter, the town hosts a festival that celebrates something as Canadian as, well, maple syrup: the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival is the largest one-day event of its kind in the world. In 2019, the festival will be held on April 6.

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St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador

The town of St. Anthony is at the end of the Viking Trail. Even though it’s a coastal town, in winter it’s all about land-based activities in the snow. Snowmobiling is very popular here, as are snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. You might also see some blue whales offshore. The nearby L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site is especially beautiful in winter, when snow covers the ancient Viking settlement.

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Tofino, British Columbia

Tofino is Canada’s surfing capital and just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean that you can’t go catch some waves. In fact, Tofino is one of the world’s best destinations for winter surfing. It’s not for the faint of heart, though. After all, while Tofino doesn’t generally see snow in winter, the town experiences gale-force winds and very rough seas. The bad weather has become an attraction in itself: Tofino is a prime destination for storm watching, one of the great Canadian adventures to try.

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Ucluelet, British Columbia

Like nearby Tofino, Ucluelet is a popular storm-watching and hiking destination on the west coast of Vancouver Island. However, winter brings more than storms to the town. Towards the end of March, whale watching season begins and Ucluelet and Tofino host the Pacific Rim Whale Festival. One of the best things about Ucluelet in winter though is that the local bars and restaurants become a cosy refuge where you can meet new people over a board game.

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Banff, Alberta

Banff is by far one of the most beautiful places in Canada. The mountains are spectacular and in winter, people flock here for the skiing. If you prefer to stay cosy instead, Banff Upper Hot Springs offer warm pools with breathtaking views. The town itself also has many quaint shops and galleries, as well as great restaurants.