Ontario

Ontario is the most populous and wealthiest province in Canada and the country’s historic center. It’s the seat of Canada’s manufacturing, export, business, entertainment, and communications industries. It’s home to Canada’s largest city, Toronto, and national capital, Ottawa, both within an hour’s drive of the U.S. border. The appeal of Ontario, says Helen Lovekin of Ontario Tourism, “knows few boundaries.”

Ontario’s boundaries are expansive, indeed. Stretching from the southernmost edge of the Arctic watershed—home to polar bears and beluga whales—to the vineyards of Niagara and Lake Erie, Ontario reaches down to Point Pelee, the country’s southernmost tip just south of Detroit.

Nearly 40 percent of North America’s population is within a day’s drive of Southern Ontario, and by plane, train, car, or coach, most major hubs are 90 minutes away from 60 percent of the U.S. population. While the ascending Canadian dollar—currently at a 50-year high—is spurring increased Canadian tourism to the U.S., Ontario still wins on value-added product diversity.

“From urban sophistication to magnificent resorts to the northern lights,” Lovekin says, “Ontario has just about everything groups could want.”


Toronto

Trade shows and tourism go hand-in-hand in Canada’s largest city. Last November, the University of Guelph in Ontario announced results of its first-ever look into the tourism impact of consumer and trade shows in North America. The study found that more than 2.3 million people visit the Greater Toronto area each year to attend a show, generating direct regional expenditures of $1.1 billion.

Canada’s top convention city is expanding its luxury hotel portfolio, adding close to 1,000 rooms over the next four years. The five-star parade includes the recently opened, 77-room Hazelton, with a 267-room Ritz-Carlton and a 256-room Trump Tower coming in 2009. Meanwhile, Four Seasons and Shangri-La have announced properties opening in 2011.

“Meeting planners continue to look to Toronto for their first meeting outside the U.S.,” says Andrew Weir, Tourism Toronto’s vice president of communications. “With a strong hotel and convention center combination, and a cultural experience that is accessible but unmistakably and authentically Canadian, Toronto is well positioned as a first step outside the U.S. for association and corporate groups.”

Tourism Toronto’s Attendance Building Toolkit, Star Treatment Program and other advance services ease the way for planners, while a variety of mega-expansions will provide more gathering space than ever. The Toronto Congress Centre is doubling its exhibition space to more than 1 million square feet, while the Direct Energy Centre, the International Centre and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre are all significantly expanding.

With over 7,000 restaurants and prodigious cultural offerings, Toronto is the perfect place for the attendee-tourist. The historic Distillery District has become a top destination, the spectacular Michael Lee-Chin Crystal addition to the Royal Ontario Museum is a must for off-site events, and hidden jewels such as Arcadian Court exemplify a rich offering of inspiring gathering places.

Even New York City is impressed; it just opened its first Canadian tourism marketing office in Toronto.


Niagara Falls

Second in size only to Africa’s Victoria Falls, the 188-foot Niagara Falls is one of the world’s signature attractions. As a backdrop for conventions and meetings—groups can even have the falls illuminated with their corporate colors—this natural wonder has few peers.

With its 28,000-square-foot grand hall, sprawling gaming area and breathtaking view of the falls from terraced walkways, the 374-room Fallsview Casino Resort is a star venue among a 16,000-plus room portfolio that includes the 209-room Americana Conference Resort and Spa and the 670-room Sheraton on the Falls.

The Niagara Parks Commission is completing a $32 million redevelopment of the Table Rock Complex. Scheduled for a June opening, this venue will feature a new grand hall and restaurant right on the brink of the falls, capable of hosting convention dinners of up to 1,000.

From mid-October to mid-May, the Summit Suite atop the landmark Skylon Tower, rising 775 feet, is available for private functions. Accommodating up to 200, this unique perch, accessed by the tower’s exterior “Yellow Bug” elevators, has a commanding view above the falls.

Wine lovers rejoice—50 wineries dot the Niagara peninsula along the shores of Lake Ontario. Just 15 minutes north of the falls—and at a similar latitude to Napa Valley and the Bordeaux region of France—is the charming Niagara-on-the-Lake, home to the Shaw Festival of theater and world-renowned ice wine. The Niagara Ice Wine Festival in January is a must.

From Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake, history buffs can visit an array of battlefields, museums and military re-creations for memorable journeys into the past.

The region also has golfers in mind, with three of Canada’s top-rated public courses and one of the longest playing seasons in North America.


Muskoka

Just 90 minutes north of Toronto, Ontario’s beloved “cottage country” enchants visitors with sparkling lakes, pine-clad islands and the pink granite beauty of the Canadian Shield.

First recognized by the Victorians for its rejuvenating qualities, this idyllic 2,500-square-mile paradise is home to a large resort collection. Conference-ready facilities include the acclaimed Deerhurst Resort, fresh off a multimillion-dollar expansion and with room for up to 1,000 delegates, while Toronto Life Magazine rated the Northridge Inn and Resort, located in a less-traveled area of northern Muskoka, one of Ontario’s top resort destinations.

Muskoka’s magic is in its variety, making it one of Canada’s favorite destinations. In popular Gravenhurst, Muskoka Wharf is an 89-acre waterfront treasure and home to the RMS Segwun, North America’s oldest operating steamship. With over 22 cascades, Bracebridge is known as the waterfall capital of Canada, while in Lake of Bays, the 465-foot Dorset Fire Tower offers 300-mile views.

With 30,000 islands, Georgian Bay is the place for ultimate boat cruises; it is also home to the Big Chute marine railway bridge, unique in North America.

For good sporting fun, the annual Canadian National Pond Hockey Championship at the Deerhurst Resort draws 1,200 players from around the world.


Ottawa

Canada’s capital city and fourth-largest metropolitan area, Ottawa is home to many federal museums, galleries and other attractions that create an exciting cultural milieu. Compact and walkable, the city offers a treasure trove of pre- and post-event draws.

Celebrations abound, from the annual Canadian Tulip Festival in May to the three-week Winterlude this February, all wrapped up in a relaxed urban vibe. There is the grandeur of Parliament Hill, the stunning Canadian Museum of Civilization, and the National Gallery of Canada, featuring a neo-Gothic chapel interior among its event spaces.

First established in 1826, the expansive Byward Market is a premier dining and entertainment destination, while the historic 126-mile Rideau Canal, a portion of which becomes a skater’s paradise in winter, recently earned UNESCO World Heritage recognition—the first in Ontario.

On the convention front, the existing Ottawa Congress Centre will be replaced with a state-of-the-art gathering facility by April 2011, tripling the current floor space. The plan will increase foliage and green space, improve pedestrian flow, and provide a park-like setting in front of the new facility.

“This is a huge win for Ottawa,” says Jantine Van Kregten, Ottawa Tourism’s director of communications, referring also to the recent completion of the project’s required $140 million financing.

A 168-room Hilton Garden Inn is under construction outside Ottawa International Airport and slated to open in June.

Meanwhile, the new Le Cordon Bleu culinary instruction program in the professionally equipped kitchens at the Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute (also home to the AAA Five Diamond Signatures restaurant) is a great group choice. The weekend program comes with accommodations at the meetings-friendly Fairmont Chateau Laurier, while four-day guests stay at the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel, another popular meetings property.


Kingston

Located at Lake Ontario’s eastern end where the Thousand Islands begin, Kingston offers uniquely Canadian experiences for groups—along with world-renowned freshwater shipwreck diving.

The first capital of the Upper Canadas (today’s Ontario and Quebec), Kingston, also known as Limestone City, counts historical sites like Fort Henry and a thriving artistic scene among its appealing traits. Musicians Avril Lavigne, Bryan Adams and Steppenwolf’s John Kay were all born here, and festivals abound.

The Military Communications & Electronics Museum and the Mac-Lachlan Woodworking Museum are among several worthy cultural institutions. The popular International Hockey Hall of Fame honors Kingston’s claim of being the birthplace of ice hockey.

Currently under construction is the Kingston Sports and Entertainment Centre. With completion slated for this month, hometown band The Tragically Hip will play the inaugural concert.

Meetings-capable hotels in town include the Ambassador Conference Resort and Four Points by Sheraton Kingston. Minutes from Kingston’s lively waterfront, the historic 21-room Hochelaga Inn & Spa has a luxury day spa and meeting space.

With over 25 courses, Kingston is an established golf destination, while its renowned waterways are hot spots for boating, including kayaking and sunset cruises.


Sault Ste. Marie

Located in the heart of the Great Lakes, Sault Ste. Marie—actually two cities divided by the Saint Mary River along the international border—are the oldest in Ontario and in Michigan. As Ian McMillan, Tourism Sault Ste. Marie’s executive director, explains, the region, colloquially known as the Soo, is at the forefront of Canada’s eco-revolution.

“With the construction of 126 wind towers, which provide enough electricity for 45,000 homes, and a large solar power farm coming in 2009, we are rapidly becoming Canada’s green capital,” McMillan says.

Nature, heritage and the great outdoors are integral to the Soo experience, McMillan adds.

Celebrating the history of northern Ontario’s legendary bush and float planes, the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre is a popular choice for banquets, receptions and other events. During the summer, the museum’s hangar doors open to overlook the river.

Other star attractions include the Agawa Canyon train, offering one-day wilderness tours 114 miles north along Lake Superior and a private railcar for executive meetings, and the Sault Ste. Marie Casino.

The 140,000-square-foot Steelback Center features 17,000 square feet of floor space and four meeting rooms, and with more than 1,600 hotel rooms, the Soo is perfect for bi-national gatherings.


Windsor, Essex County and Pelee Island

Situated on a tiny beach-fringed peninsula, Point Pelee National Park is mainland Canada’s southernmost point. As the annual rest stop for migratory birds and butterflies, it is also a nature lover’s paradise, and one of the many surprises of this region just across from Detroit.

“We offer travelers from all market segments an exciting destination with a variety of experiences, with a unique southern location that is easily accessible to 60 percent of the entire population of the U.S. and Canada,” says Sandra Bradt, director of tourism for the CVB of Windsor, Essex County and Pelee Island.

Vegas-style gaming is arriving full force in Windsor. Casino Windsor—having already added a 400-room hotel tower, a 5,000-seat entertainment venue and 100,000 square feet of convention space over the past two years—will open a $1 billion resort this year named Caesar’s Windsor.

“This will be a first-class venue for meetings, exhibitions and trade shows, with the added excitement of gaming—and your winnings are tax-free in Ontario,” Bradt says.

The region’s wine trail offers tours and tastings at 14 wineries, with the beverage theme extended via the Walkerville Brewing Company and the home of Canadian Club Whisky.

Museums dedicated to the War of 1812 and the Underground Railroad display the area’s integral role in U.S. and Canadian history.


Thunder Bay

Named Baie de Tonnere by 17th century European fur traders, Thunder Bay has been a gathering place through the ages. Set your meeting compass for a rugged wilderness dramatically backed by Lake Superior and the Precambrian Shield, where legends like the Sleeping Giant and the Maiden of the Mist endure to this day.

Popular group options include Fort William Historical Park, the world’s largest reconstructed fur trading post, and golf at the luxurious Whitewater Golf Club. A full menu of outdoor pursuits, from kayaking to snowmobiling, complements spectacular natural wonders like Eagle Canyon and Kakabeka Falls.

As northern Ontario’s largest urban center, Thunder Bay has a diverse collection of full-service meetings hotels, including the 267-room Valhalla Inn, the 182-room Victoria Inn, and the Best Western Nor’Wester Resort Hotel, with meeting space for 500 people.


For More Info

CVB of Windsor, Essex County and Pelee Island    519.255.6530     www.visitwindsor.com

Kingston Economic Development Corporation    613.544.2725     www.kingstoncanada.com

Muskoka Tourism    705.689.0660     www.muskokatourism.ca

Niagara Falls Tourism Visitor and Convention Bureau     905.356.6061     www.niagarafallstourism.com

Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation    800.668.2746     www.ontariotravel.net

Ontario’s North    705.759.5462     www.ontariosnorth.ca

Ottawa Tourism    613.237.5150     www.ottawatourism.ca

Toronto Convention and Visitors Association    416.203.2600     www.torontotourism.com

Tourism Sault Ste. Marie    705.759.5432     www.sault-canada.com

Tourism Thunder Bay    800.667.8386     www.visitthunderbay.com