While Western Canada has its urban pockets, much of the region remains a land of wide-open spaces and big skies. The prairie provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan give way to Alberta’s rugged Rocky Mountains, which in turn yield to the wetter, greener Pacific Northwest of British Columbia.
Whether planners opt for colorful cities like Vancouver and Calgary or the great outdoors of Whistler and Banff, a land of distinction awaits groups in every corner of Western Canada.
British Columbia
Visitors to British Columbia always notice the water—along 16,000 miles of Pacific coastline and in its mountainous, temperate rainforests. Vancouver is the province’s largest city, and its seaport handles the bulk of Western Canada’s cargo and cruise ship traffic. It is oriented around the surrounding Strait of Georgia and Stanley Park, one of North America’s largest urban green spaces.
Although parts of Stanley Park and the seawall around Vancouver’s coastline were badly damaged during December and January storms, recovery and restoration efforts were well under way at press time.
Vancouver has a three-year lock on Conde Nast Traveler’s “Best City in the Americas” award in categories like ambience, friendliness, culture, and restaurants. The run-up to the 2010 Winter Olympics, when Vancouver will host ice hockey, figure skating and speed skating, has created an even more favorable buzz, in addition to a number of new developments.
Vancouver is adding nearly 340,000 square feet of space to the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre to handle crowds in 2010 and beyond. The center will complete the major expansion in late 2008 and then enjoy 1.1 million square feet of total space—plus views of the Pacific and coastal mountains.
Vancouver’s meetings hotels are also improving their offerings. The historic Crowne Plaza Vancouver Hotel Georgia is currently closed for a two-year renovation that will reduce room count while increasing room size. The Hyatt Regency Vancouver finished a major guest room renovation in late 2006, while in fall 2007 the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside will start renovating its guest rooms and public spaces.
Other meetings hotels in town include the Marriott Vancouver Pinnacle Downtown, Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Fairmont Waterfront, Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, Pan Pacific Vancouver, Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel, and Westin Bayshore Resort and Marina.
Dave Gazley, vice president of meeting and convention sales at Tourism Vancouver, hails the rebirth of the Yaletown district, which previously offered little besides loading docks.
“That’s the type of area Vancouver didn’t have in the past, and now there are restaurants, bars and lounges,” Gazley says. “It’s really given the city some excellent nightlife options if you want to do a dine-around or a lounge-lizard crawl.”
The vibrant community of Richmond, where Vancouver International Airport is located, is also busy preparing for the 2010 Olympics. The city will be home to the Olympic oval, and it is also expanding group venues with the 2008 opening of a 300,000-square-foot trade and exhibition center.
One of Richmond’s newest meetings-ready properties is River Rock Casino Resort, which debuted in 2005.
Victoria lies at the southern tip of Vancouver Island and is British Columbia’s capital—emphasis on the “British,” since the city’s Victorian ambience persists in the 21st century.
It features a variety of restaurants and hotels, plus views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where orcas occasionally swim by. The city’s mild climate lets visitors golf year-round, attracting retirees and tourists from Canada’s chillier regions.
Visitors should see the Royal British Columbia Museum’s exhibits on provincial and Canadian history, and the Pacific Undersea Gardens also makes a good excursion; this ship’s sunken aquariums hold roughly 5,000 species of marine life.
Group-friendly hotels in Victoria include the Fairmont Empress, Hotel Grand Pacific, Harbour Towers Hotel and Suites, and Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour, and on the outskirts of the city, the new Westin Bear Mountain Victoria Resort and Spa, with a second 18-hole golf course opening this year, is a popular meetings retreat.
In May 2006 the Victoria Conference Centre completed an 8,000-square-foot addition—a translucent, removable canopy that can cover the center’s outdoor courtyard and fountain. The project boosted the center’s existing 40,000 square feet of meeting space by 20 percent while optimizing natural light.
Victoria’s hotel collection is also expanding.
The 55-room Sidney Pier Hotel and Spa will open in May next to Victoria International Airport and the BC Ferries terminal just north of Victoria. It will feature a waterfront restaurant, a spa and meeting space for 60 people.
Additionally, in April the 80-room Oswego Hotel will debut in Victoria’s historic James Bay area, and in March Four Points by Sheraton Victoria will open with 120 rooms and 5,000 square feet of meeting space.
Tiffany Gyles, manager of meeting and incentive travel at Tourism Victoria, sees Victoria’s island location and proximity to both Vancouver and the U.S. as advantages.
“We are the gateway to Vancouver Island, particularly because we have an international airport,” Gyles says. “Also, we are easily accessible directly from Seattle by both boat and plane.”
Vancouver Island stretches nearly 300 miles northwest from Victoria and includes inlets, heavily forested provincial parks, and towns and small cities with surprisingly modern, meetings-ready properties, and the 38,000-square-foot Vancouver Island Conference Centre is slated for an early 2008 opening in the town of Nanaimo.
Vancouver Island’s property lineup includes the 22-acre Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa, Resort and Conference Centre, featuring 13 conference rooms and a new spa, the largest in British Columbia.
Other options throughout Vancouver Island include the Mt. Washington Alpine Resort, Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community, Kingfisher Oceanside Spa and Resort, Brentwood Bay Lodge, Sooke Harbor House, Wickaninnish Inn, Poet’s Cove Resort and Spa, and the new Elk Ridge Estate.
On nearby Sonora Island, the Sonora Resort and Conference Centre features fishing and whale watching, plus 2,510 square feet of meeting space.
Vancouver Island’s visitation outlook is good, says Dave Petryk, president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver Island, estimating annual tourism increases of 4 percent.
“We feel we have significant opportunity pre-Olympics and during the games, but the greatest opportunity is to leverage the media attention the games will bring Canada and British Columbia to encourage visitors to return to visit Vancouver Island in the years following,” Petryk says.
Already North America’s No. 1 ski resort, Whistler-Blackcomb is awaiting its turn as an Olympic star and gearing up with developments to host several events of the 2010 Winter Games.
While ski season is dominated by winter sports (or spa time and yoga classes, for those not keen on the snow), hikers, mountain bikers and golfers come out in full force during spring, summer and fall.
Whistler’s list of meetings-friendly properties includes the Adara Hotel, Delta Whistler Resort, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Four Seasons Whistler, Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa, Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre, Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside, Sundial Boutique Hotel, and Westin Whistler Resort.
The area’s major group venue is the Telus Whistler Conference Centre, with 65,000 square feet of space.
This spring, the Nita Lake Lodge will debut in Whistler’s Creekside area with 77 studio and one-bedroom suites, plus 4,000 square feet of meeting space.
In addition, Canadian First Nations tribes will open the Squamish-Lil’wap Cultural Centre to celebrate their history and culture via a theatrical center, outdoor arts and crafts demonstrations, and an in-house artist training program. The center will have the capacity to host receptions for up to 300.
Alberta
If Alberta resembles a U.S. Great Plains state, visitors can think of Calgary as its Denver—on the plains, yet backed by the Canadian Rocky Mountains. It’s Alberta’s largest city and bills itself as the “Heart of the New West,” embracing a cowboy past while welcoming an economic boom.
Calgary citizens have built big-city cultural institutions like the Alberta Ballet, Calgary Philharmonic, Calgary Opera, and museums documenting everything from science to the grain industry to children’s creativity. The downtown Olympic Plaza Cultural District encompasses the 132,000-square-foot Telus Convention Centre, plus restaurants, a performing arts center, coffeehouses, and art galleries.
The Telus Convention Centre is connected to the Calgary Marriott, Fairmont Palliser and Hyatt Regency Calgary by elevated indoor walkways.
Other group options include the Delta Bow Valley Downtown Calgary, Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire and the boutique Hotel Arts.
Jan Desrosiers, senior manager of business and leisure sales at Tourism Calgary, says Calgary’s meetings business posted record figures in 2006, and she expects 2007 to be even better.
“Calgary is certainly becoming the focal point for business in Western Canada—in terms of economic status but also in terms of our history and heritage, and Western flavor,” Desrosiers says.
Edmonton is Alberta’s capital and is beautifully situated in the North Saskatchewan River Valley. It is a major hub for exploiting Alberta’s mineral wealth, which funded amenities like downtown’s Shaw Convention Centre, whose new Hall D opened in March. Its 30-foot-high windows have views of the valley below, which has made a big impact on visitors, says Cliff Higuchi, the center’s assistant general manager, pointing to a recent meeting of the Canadian Society of Association Executives.
“They saw the sun set as they were eating dinner, saw some entertainment, and at the conclusion of the event there were fireworks that redirected their attention outside to the river valley,” Higuchi says. “It was phenomenal how they got reconnected to the outdoor space from the indoor space.”
Meetings-oriented properties in Edmonton include the Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe Edmonton, Fairmont Hotel McDonald, Sutton Place Hotel Edmonton, and Westin Edmonton.
In nearby Enoch, the new Edmonton Marriott at River Cree Resort is another group favorite, with views of downtown Edmonton and the surrounding countryside, as well as a casino.
Alberta’s Banff National Park is a crown jewel of Canada’s park system, and a short drive west of Calgary and Edmonton.
The town of Banff is located here at an elevation of 4,800 feet, giving visitors a taste of alpine air the moment they arrive. Banff is surrounded by taller peaks, adding visual drama that makes the park Canada’s No. 1 incentive destination.
The Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and Rimrock Resort Hotel are all popular meeting and incentive options.
Lake Louise itself is about 35 miles west of Banff proper, and also nearby is Jasper, which has become an outdoor-sports mecca for everyone from mountain climbers to white-water rafters. Planners book groups at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, which has Canada’s highest-rated golf course.
Kananaskis Country is another nearby mountain playground, where groups can retreat to the Delta Lodge at Kananaskis.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba
Saskatchewan is Canada’s breadbasket, with rivers that drain into both the Arctic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Saskatoon is Saskatchewan’s largest city and nicknamed the “City of Bridges” for its seven spans across the Saskatoon River. The city skyline’s major landmark is the Bessborough Hotel, while the University of Saskatchewan and its research facilities are important employers.
TCU Place is Saskatoon’s largest meetings venue, with 104,000 square feet of space following the completion of a 52,000-square-foot expansion in spring 2006.
In addition, Prairieland Park finished its 58,000-square-foot Hall E expansion project in December, which increased meeting space to nearly 200,000 square feet.
Silvia Martini, director of convention marketing and travel trade for Tourism Saskatoon, says recent meeting venue expansions are raising Saskatoon’s profile.
“We are hosting the JUNO music awards [Canada’s Grammies], and we now have over 750,000 square feet of convention and event space,” Martini says. “We are certainly capable of holding larger conferences and events.”
Regina is Saskatchewan’s capital and its abundant trees, bike paths and golf courses give it a parklike feel. Its most distinctive feature may be Wascana Centre, a 2,300-acre park built on Wascana Lake that contains the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Powerhouse of Discovery Science Centre and IMAX Theatre, and other outstanding cultural features.
The Saskatchewan Trade and Convention Centre is the city’s primary gathering venue, and Regina Park is home to the Credit Union EventPlex and the Queensbury Convention Centre.
In November, a 118-room Wingate Inn will open next to the Saskatchewan Trade and Convention Centre. The property will feature an executive boardroom.
Other notable properties include the Sandman Hotel, Suites and Spa, Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Regina and Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites Regina.
The province of Manitoba encompasses the eastern edge of Western Canada, and its landscape contains a procession of beautiful lakes leading north to Hudson’s Bay.
Winnipeg is Manitoba’s capital and biggest city, with about 700,000 people and 6,600 hotel rooms.
Despite its nickname of “Winterpeg,” the city gets abundant year-round sunshine.
Lori Walder, director of marketing and communications at Destination Winnipeg, says the city has beautiful summers yet knows how to prepare for winter.
“Winnipeg is renowned for high-quality service and really sort of stepping up. Every conference gets noticed,” Walder says.
The city features the Winnipeg Convention Centre, and meetings-ready properties include the Fairmont Winnipeg, Delta Winnipeg, Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre, Place Louis Riel All-Suite Hotel, and Fort Garry Hotel, several of which are enhancing facilities.
The Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre recently renovated its lobby, meeting rooms, restaurant, and lounge, and planners will also appreciate its 40,000-square-foot ballroom.
The Fairmont Winnipeg is in the midst of a renovation aimed at returning the property to AAA Four Diamond status. The project is slated for completion by September.
The Place Louis Riel All-Suite Hotel plans to wrap up a renovation of its guest rooms, meeting rooms and public space this fall.
Meanwhile, the Fort Garry Hotel’s recently opened Ten Spa offers the only hammam (Turkish-style bathhouse) in Western Canada.
For More Info
ALBERTA
Banff Lake Louise Tourism Bureau 403.762.8421
www.banfflakelouise.com
Edmonton Economic Development Corporation 780.424.9191
www.edmonton.com
Tourism Calgary 403.263.8510
www.tourismcalgary.com
Travel Alberta 780.427.4321
www.travelalberta.com
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Tourism British Columbia 800.HELLOBC
www.hellobc.com
Tourism Richmond 604.821.5474
www.tourismrichmond.com
Tourism Vancouver 604.682.2222
www.tourismvancouver.com
Tourism Vancouver Island 250.754.3500
www.vancouverisland.travel
Tourism Victoria 250.414.6999
www.tourismvictoria.com
Tourism Whistler 604.932.3928
www.tourismwhistler.com
MANITOBA
Destination Winnipeg 204.943.1970
www.destinationwinnipeg.ca
Travel Manitoba 800.665.0040
www.travelmanitoba.com
SASKATCHEWAN
Tourism Regina 306.789.5099
www.tourismregina.com
Tourism Saskatchewan 306.787.9600
www.sasktourism.com
Tourism Saskatoon 306.242.1206
www.tourismsaskatoon.com
