Tag Archives: Canada

The Ice Hotel of Quebec.

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Hôtel de Glace. Photo by | Copyright: Creative Commons
Contributor: atimian (Editor)
Comprised of 15,000 tons of snow and 500,000 tons of ice, the Hôtel de Glace, Canada is a massive undertaking, yet each spring it completely disappears.
With only a four-month lifespan, the Ice Hotel takes a month and a half and 60 full-time workers to finish its rooms, but the result is a spectacular blend of chilly, natural architecture and ambient pastel light.
Altogether, the hotel features 85 bedrooms along with a club, art gallery, and even a chapel that usually hosts a handful of weddings.

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Every inch of the hotel is created out of ice, including the furniture.
To make the rooms more livable, beds are covered with furs, blankets and sleeping bags tested to arctic temperatures.
The only areas of the hotel that are heated are a few outdoor bathrooms, along with a few outdoor hot tubs to add to the experience.
Considered an example of a pure ice structure, the hotel is not supported by anything except the icy walls, which can be as thick as four feet to insulate the hotel.
Although you might not get four-star service, the Hôtel de Glace is certainly a unique experience as it changes in layout and complexity every year.
via Hôtel de Glace | Atlas Obscura.

Frozen Trees Lake Ontario

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Christopher Jobson
Landscape photographer Timothy Corbin recently captured some stunning photos of ice-laden tress on the shore of Lake Ontario.
It’s amazing is to see the evidence of what must have been hours of violent waves creating layers of ice that now hover over water or ice that’s now perfectly serene. 
You can see a couple more shots over on his Flickr stream.
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See more Images via Frozen Trees on the Shores of Lake Ontario | Colossal.

‘Spirit Island’, Jasper National Park.

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Text & Photography By Christopher Hawkins
Spirit Island is one of the most iconic locations in Alberta despite its small size. Emerald waters, pristine conifers and rugged snow-capped peaks surround the island.
The box canyon where Maligne Lake resides was named the “Hall of the Gods” by Mary Schaffer, the first European to discover the lake in 1908.
However, the island itself has been a site of spiritual significance to the native Nakoda people long before European settlers arrived.
Reaching the island is no small endeavour, requiring a 30-mile drive from Jasper on Maligne Lake Road to the dock, and then travelling by boat for 8.7 miles to the final destination.
Source: Photographing Spirit Island, Jasper National Park, Alberta

The Quebec City I Love.

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Rue St. Louis – Photograph by Susan Seubert
Keith Bellows, Editor in Chief, National Geographic Travel
When I was growing up, Quebec City was something of an also-ran compared to Montreal, its brasher, more idiosyncratic sibling and my hometown. My family would often drive the 150 miles up the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City, and as a kid I recall coming away a little underwhelmed. I
t seemed so dutiful and reserved next to the “sin city,” as Montreal was known. Sure, Quebec City could lay claim to a marginally more storied history—symbolized by the star-shaped Citadelle and the once bloody Plains of Abraham, where the British and French clashed over control of what would become Canada. But next to Montreal it lacked panache.
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Notre-Dame de Quebec – Photograph by Susan Seubert
No more. These days the cities have reached a comfortable détente over which has the most to offer. They are simply different. Quebec City’s warren of cobblestone streets, hulking Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, and Upper and Lower Towns are backdrop to its francophone fashion shops, chansons echoing off centuries-old cut-stone buildings, and air heavy with thick Québécois accents—a combination that’s unique in all North America. The food has gone from pedestrian to a superbly traditional force of gustatory nature (many dishes draw on local ingredients).
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Raclette – Photograph by Susan Seubert
When it turned 400 years old in 2008, Quebec City also seemed to turn a corner. Now it is a truly modern city with old bones. My advice: Learn a little French, try it out on the residents, and you’ll enter a world where the locals will help you unlock the keys to street-level Old France.
See more via I Heart Quebec City — National Geographic.

Lone Orca swims near Haida Gwaii, British Columbia.

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An orca swims near Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands), in British Columbia, Canada.
Image Credit: Photograph by Kevin Lanthier / Getty
The killer whale or orca is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member.
Killer whales have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey.
Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as seals and other species of dolphin.
Source: A Photo Appreciation of Whales – The Atlantic

The Colourful Themed Garden of Montreal.

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Mosaiculture “is a refined horticultural art that involves creating and mounting living artworks made primarily from plants with colourful foliage (generally annuals, and occasionally perennials).” montreal-3
The 2013 was held at the Montréal Botanical Garden and features some 22,000 plant species and cultivars distributed throughout 10 exhibition greenhouses and 30 themed gardens.montreal-6
via Monumental Plant Sculptures at the 2013 Mosaicultures Internationales de Montréal | Colossal.