Canada's Signature Experiences Collection expands to 115 members

Canadian Museum of Civilization's Great Hall in Gatineau, Quebec. 

The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) launched a new marketing program in July 2011 called the Signature Experiences Collection. In an effort to attract more international travelers who are looking for the unique and exotic, the inaugural list was comprised of 48 Canadian tourist highlights. In October 2011, 67 additional tourism enterprises were added, bringing the total to 115 members.

According to the CTC, the collection's tourist attractions are located coast to coast and deliver the authentic experiences that "high spending target customers look for when they choose a vacation destination."  It's all part of Canada's tourism brand, Canada. Keep Exploring, and is being marketed in 11 countries: Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United States. The CTC will incorporate the tourism experiences in its marketing materials via social, print, online and broadcast media.

A second application period for new members begins Nov. 15, 2011 and runs through Dec. 15, 2011. Evaluation and selection will be held Jan. 2-Feb. 29, 2012. Here is a sampling of some of the 115 current members (those marked with * are the newest additions).

Arriving by helicopter at BC's Sonora Resort in Desolation Sound. 

British Columbia: Granville Island Market Tour-Edible British Columbia; Luxury in the Wilderness-Sonora Resort; Canadian Rockies Highlights-Rocky Mountaineer; East Meets West at Echo Valley Ranch-Echo Valley Ranch and Spa*; Blooms, Music and Fireworks!-The Butchart Gardens*.

Taking the elevator to Ranahans restaurant at the Calgary Stampede.

Alberta: The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth-Calgary Stampede; Dinosaurs Unearthed-Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology; Soaking up History-Canadian Rockies Hot Springs*; Johnston Canyon Icewalk-Discover Banff Tours*; Paws in the Wilderness-Holiday on Horseback*.

Cadets at Regina's Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage Centre.

Saskatchewan: Cypress Hills Cowboy Adventure-Historic Reesor Ranch; Canada's Iconic Mounted Heroes-Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage Centre.

Churchill, Manitoba is home to polar bears, belugas and birds.

Manitoba: Marvels of Manitoba-Churchill Nature Tours; Birds, Bears and Belugas-Churchill Wild; Polar Bears by Tundra Buggy-Frontiers North; Hermetic Code Tour of the Manitoba Legislature-Heartland International Travel and Tours; Pathway of the Voyageurs-Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge*; The Lazy Bear Wilderness Expedition-Lazy Bear Lodge*.

Experience "Journey Behind the Falls" at Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Ontario: Unique Sky High Adrenaline Rush-CN Tower; Stimulating the Senses! National Gallery of Canada*; Exploring Canada's flavours in a unique culinary destination-Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa*; A Look Behind the Curtain-Shaw Festival Theatre*; Journey Behind the Falls-Niagara Parks Commission*.

The new Hotel-Musee Premieres Nations is in Wendake, Quebec.

Quebec: The Grand Festival of Winter-Quebec Winter Carnival; Mountain Getaway-Chic-Choc Lodge; All That's Jazz-Montreal International Jazz Festival*;  The Grand Hall Tour-Canadian Museum of Civilization*; Huron-Wendat Heritage on the Edge of Quebec City-Hotel Musee Premieres Nations*.

New Brunswick: Hopewell Rocks and Bay of Fundy Coastal Tour-Roads to Sea Guided Tours; Dive into Acadian Culture-Village Historique Acadien; Lobster Tales-Shediac Bay Cruises; Life in 19th Century New Brunswick-Kings Landing Historical Settlement*.

Beer and history at Alexander Keith's Brewery in Halifax. 

Nova Scotia: Step Back in Time to the Birthplace of Great Beer-Alexander Keith's Brewery; History on High: Halifax Citadel-the Halifax Citadel National Historic City of Canada; Cape Breton Island Multi-Sport Kayak, Bike and Hike-Freewheeling Adventures; Tidal Bore River Rafting and Mud Sliding-Schubenacadie Tidal Bore Rafting Park and Cottages; Celebrate Celtic Music Throughout Cape Breton-Celtic Colours International Festival*.

Prince Edward Island: Tong and Shuck-Future Seafoods Inc/Experiences PEI; Giant Bar Clam Dig Adventure-Tranquility Cove Adventures.

Newfoundland and Labrador: Sagas and Shadows-L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site of Canada; A Guided Adventure on Your Own-CapeRace; The Iceberg Quest-Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours*; Picnic with the Whales-Gatherall's Puffin & Whale Watch*; Adventures and Mysteries in the Torngat Mountains-Torngat Mountains Base Camp & Research Station*.

Yukon: Through the Last Great Gold Rush of 1898-Klondike National Historic Sites of Canada; Alsek and Nahanni River Rafting Adventure-Canadian River Expeditions/Nahanni River Adventures; Yukon Aurora Tours-Northern Tales Travel Services Ltd.*; Summer Solstice Eco-Yurt & Yukon Biking Adventure-Bzoreale Mountain Biking*.

Northwest Territories: Aurora Wonderland by Dogsled-Beck's Kennels; Lodge Life and Cultural Traditions-Yellow Dog Lodge.

Nunavut: Cruising Adventures Redefined-Adventure Canada; Narwhal & Polar Bear Adventure on the FloeEdge-Arctic Kingdom Polar Expeditions*; Living the Inuit Lifestyle-Carrefour Nunavut*; A Polar Bear Adventure-The Great Canadian Travel Company.

The Fairmont Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City is a Canadian icon.

National: Historic Railway Hotels-Fairmont Hotels and Resorts; Trans-Canada Experience on The Canadia-VIA Rail Canada.

Photos by Sue Frause

Cupids, Canada's first English settlement, celebrates 400th anniversary

To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Cupids, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Post has created a commemorative stamp. Cupids was the first English settlement in what is now Canada. The stamp was unveiled by Canada Post and community representatives on August 17, 2010 at the Cupids Legacy Centre.

I've never heard of Cupids before, but it's obviously been around awhile. In August of 1610, English colonists led by Bristol merchant John Guy arrived at Cupids. Located on the north side of Conception Bay on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, the colonists established an English settlement on the site.

In 1995, evidence of their colony was uncovered by a team led by archaeologist William Gilbert from the Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation. Since then, the remains of six early 17th-century structures and more than 147,000 artifacts have been unearthed.

The Cupids 1610-2010 stamp features a portion of a 17th-century map of the Avalon Peninsula; this was the first map to show Cupids' location. The coins, glass and rare amber beads on the stamp are images of the uncovered artifacts and highlight the commercial rationale for the settlement.

Steven Slipp of Semaphor Design was the stamp's designer, and attended the unveiling. The ceremony is one of many special occasions to mark the anniversary hosted by Cupids 400 Inc.

Canada Post is printing 1.75 million Cupids stamps with a value of 57 cents, which is the domestic letter rate. Each stamp is 40 mm x 32 mm. The official first day cover cancellation will read Cupids, Newfoundland and Labrador.