Maritime and French heritage are just two parts of the bountiful cultural buffet that awaits groups that meet in Eastern Canada, while cosmopolitan, meetings-equipped urban centers, dramatic coastal venues and rolling woodland terrain are also enticing aspects of the region. Encompassing the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador, Eastern Canada’s diversity satisfies a wide array of groups.
Ontario
As the commercial heart of the nation and most populace province, Ontario is home to the major cities of Toronto, Windsor and Ottawa, while scenic regions such as Niagara Falls and Muskoka are inviting natural havens.
Toronto has been defined as “New York run by the Swiss”—a nod to its cosmopolitan culture and clean atmosphere. It is one of the most multicultural cities in the world and features excellent accessibility from major U.S. metros. Modern conference facilities, a variety of attractions and 7,000 global restaurant dining options are some of what make the city a favored business destination.
Heading the city’s more than 2.5 million square feet of meeting and exhibition space are Metro Toronto Convention Centre, with 600,000 square feet of space and 10,000 hotel rooms within walking distance, and Toronto Congress Centre, with 1 million square feet of space following a major expansion. Meanwhile, International Centre has boosted its half-million square feet of space with a 50,000-square-foot conference center expansion.
“Competition for high-value meetings business is more global than ever,” says David Whitaker, president and CEO of Tourism Toronto. “Meeting planners recognize that Toronto is well positioned as an international meeting place, and the city’s untold story is gaining a wider profile.”
Windsor is just across the river from Detroit, and it is Canada’s automotive capital. Its culture scene includes one of Canada’s finest collections of art in repositories like The Odette Sculpture Park and The Art Gallery of Windsor.
At press time, the expansion of Caesars Windsor, formerly Casino Windsor, was set for completion in June. The centerpiece of the $400 million project is a 5,000-seat entertainment center, while the property also features 100,000 square feet of convention space and more than 700 guest rooms with the addition of the new 369-room Augustus hotel tower.
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, and it fuses all the cultural components of an international city where ambassadors and foreign dignitaries gather to do business. Its impressive array of architecture includes the city’s Gothic Revival-style Parliament Buildings, the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and the National Arts Centre. Augmenting the architecture are lots of green spaces, such as the beautifully configured Rideau Canal, as well as sophisticated restaurants, galleries and shops.
Ottawa Congress Centre accommodates up to 5,000 people for sessions, and beginning in August, the facility will undergo a 25-month redevelopment, tripling its floor space (currently 84,000 square feet). Major meetings hotels include Fairmont Chateau Laurier, Lord Elgin Hotel and Westin Ottawa. The University of Ottawa and Carleton University also offer modern facilities and full convention services.
Beyond Ontario’s metros, provincial playgrounds like Niagara Falls are also popular, with miles of natural beauty and numerous meetings-equipped casino resorts. Its Table Rock Complex is nearing completion of a $32 million redevelopment that will include a grand hall and restaurant overlooking the falls and accommodating up to 1,000 people.
Additionally, the Muskoka region encompasses 2,500 square miles of forest and lakes north of Toronto, as well as several meetings-ready resorts. At Muskoka’s new Red Leaves Resort, Canada’s first JW Marriott Resort will debut in October.
Meanwhile, Thunder Bay is a picturesque, meetings-friendly locale on Lake Superior’s western shore.
Quebec
Canada’s largest province geographically has a unique blend of French and English cultures in its stunning landscapes, quaint villages and cosmopolitan centers of Montreal and Quebec City.
Montreal, just a 45-minute drive from the U.S. border, has the buzz of New York City with a Paris veneer. Old Montreal is the popular historic district along the St. Lawrence River near the 330,000-square-foot Montreal Convention Centre. It’s the quarter where visitors explore cobblestone streets by horse and carriage or by foot, eat in European-style bistros, browse trendy shops, and sleep in high-end boutique hotels.
This second-largest French-speaking city in the world has an entertainment culture replete with theatrical performances, hockey games and casino gaming, along with world-famous events like Just for Laughs and the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
“Montreal is a great option for American groups because we offer the ease of access from all major U.S. hub cities,” says Luc Charbonneau, director of sales and marketing, business market, for Tourism Montreal. “We have a tight facilities package of no fewer than 8,000 deluxe guest rooms within walking distance of our convention center. And our U.S. clients, comprising about 45 percent of our group sales, tell us their participants leave with special memories because Montreal gives them a truly different experience, a wonderful mix of Europe and North America.”
The city’s diverse hotel lineup is aggressively expanding with additions such as the Westin Montreal.
The famed Laurentian Mountains lie 90 minutes north of Montreal, and they are home to the ski and golf center of Mont-Tremblant, with numerous meetings-ready hotels and resorts, as well as Centre des Congres Tremblant.
European style reaches its North American apex in the provincial capital of Quebec City, where four centuries of history are being celebrated throughout 2008. Narrow cobblestone streets, historic districts, churches, and former battlefields recall 18th century Europe. Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the heart of the city.
Groups gathering at major hotels like the iconic Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac or Hilton Quebec enjoy walking the city’s streets past parks, squares, trendy boutiques, and historic attractions.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick, located next to Maine, is the gateway to Atlantic Canada and has a maritime history that centers on the Bay of Fundy, home to the highest tides in the world. The French landed on these extensive shores over four centuries ago, and more than one-third of New Brunswick’s population speaks French today.
Saint John dates to 1785 and offers heritage stops like the bustling stalls at Saint John City Market on Charlotte Street.
The Saint John Trade and Convention Centre’s 40,000 square feet of space is complemented with over 1,500 guest rooms, many of which connect to the facility via enclosed walkways from the adjacent Delta and Hilton hotels, both of which are undergoing renovations.
As the provincial capital, Fredericton lies on the Saint John River and has been designated “Cultural Capital of Canada” for 2009. The city was settled by United Empire Loyalists after the American Revolution, and the history of the era is on display in historic homes and cemeteries.
An $80 million convention center is set to break ground this summer in downtown Fredericton.
St. Andrews by-the-Sea is the nation’s first seaside resort community. Founded in 1783 by Loyalists, it has many preserved original buildings—some of which were floated into town on barges from Maine at the end of the American Revolution.
The Fairmont Algonquin Resort presides over the seaside scene from the hill where its original version was built in 1889, and it continues to provide groups with 21st century amenities like The Spa at Fairmont Algonquin.
St. Andrews used to be prime location for “rum runners,” who under cover of darkness, shipped thousands of kegs of rum to the U.S. from its shores across the Bay of Fundy. Fun themed group evenings replete with some of those characters, blackjack tables, roulette wheels, and craps games provide memorable occasions. Throw in cameo appearances by Elliott Ness and his Untouchables, and the madam of the house and owner of the illegal gaming establishment, and you have a setup for some hilarity that can send guests into a mock jail if things go awry.
Prince Edward Island
Canada’s smallest province lies in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and is accessible by air, ferry or car over the eight-mile-long Confederation Bridge, which connects with New Brunswick. PEI is known for its seafood, potatoes, mussels, quiet coastal ambience, pristine beaches, and pretty countryside.
Charlottetown is the capital, and with a population of 32,200, it offers many of the modern amenities and diversions of a large metropolis in an idyllic setting.
Inns and other small and intimate accommodations epitomize the island’s culture for small groups, and larger gatherings can utilize the Civic Centre or the new Seaport Event Centre.
“PEI conferences typically enjoy a 10 percent to 15 percent higher attendance rate,” says Jo-Ann Thomsen, director of sales, PEI Convention Partnership. “Our island is a lively place, with festivals, concerts, theater, and more, so meeting delegates can return home from their conference relaxed and refreshed, especially if they make a vacation of it and bring the entire family.”
Nova Scotia
When Scots settled in Nova Scotia over 200 years ago, they brought ale brewing, Celtic music and golf, and today visitors enjoy the continuing traditions. The province now has more than 60 courses, among them Highlands Links, which is rated Canada’s No. 1 course by SCOREGolf magazine.
Halifax is the largest city in the Maritime Provinces, and its harbor welcomes over 100 cruise ships annually. The harbor faces Dartmouth and casts a long view north to the city’s two massive landmark bridges, and south to the open North Atlantic Ocean. The city is replete with unique heritage sites for private events, such as a reception onboard a tall ship or a dinner in the Maritime Museum, famous for its display of items from the 1912 Titanic disaster.
Cozy pubs with traditional fiddle music, the occasional shanty and fresh seafood are plentiful among Canada’s oldest-surviving waterfront warehouses, restored to their original condition.
Within walking distance of the harbor are about 3,000 hotel rooms and the World Trade and Convention Centre, offering 100,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. Meanwhile, the city is expanding its hotel inventory, with roughly 700 new guest rooms coming online in the next few years.
One of Canada’s most visited National Historic Sites, the Citadel, provides costumed guides and a variety of gathering venues, while the new Cunard Centre, a converted waterfront cargo shed, has 53,000 square feet of space.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfies will tell you their province is geographically closer to Ireland than it is to western Canada. And that carries a lot of cultural diversity.
In historic St. John’s, the province’s commercial center, Irish tunes and lively music emanate from pubs along George Street, an area that’s reminiscent of Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
The recently expanded Delta St. John’s Hotel and Convention Centre is the city’s major meetings property, with 403 guest rooms and 18,000 square feet of meeting space. The Mile One Stadium, a multipurpose site located next door, has another 36,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space.
St. John’s is situated on the Avalon Peninsula, where wildlife watching is plentiful. Newfoundland and Labrador is probably best known for its towering icebergs, pods of breaching whales, herds of wild caribou, and flocks of Atlantic puffins. This is where the coastal outdoors can get really wild, yet sophisticated meeting facilities are nearby.
“There’s a rich culture and heritage to work with here in the “Far East of the Western World,” around which much can be created,” says Brenda Walsh, Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism’s marketing specialist for meetings, conventions and incentive travel. “The new Humber Valley Resort complex, nestled in the forest on our west coast, can form the accommodation base for helicopter trips to beaches for lobster boils or a five-minute drive to team spelunking [in sea caves], fly fishing tournaments on the river and car rallies to coastal villages.”
The new resort has 250 three- to six-bedroom chalets, an award winning golf course and an Aveda spa.
For More Info
NEWFOUNDLAND/LABRADOR
Destination St. John’s 709.739.8899
www.destinationstjohns.com
Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism 800.563.6353 www.newfoundlandandlabrador.com
NEW BRUNSWICK
Fredericton Tourism 506.460.2041 www.tourismfredericton.ca
New Brunswick Tourism and Parks 800.561.0123 www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca
Tourism Moncton 506.853.3590 www.gomoncton.com
Tourism Saint John 506.658.2990 www.tourismsaintjohn.com
NOVA SCOTIA
Destination Halifax 902.422.9334 www.destinationhalifax.com
Nova Scotia Department of Tourism and Culture 902.425.5781 www.novascotia.com
ONTARIO
CVB of Windsor, Essex County and Pelee Island 519.255.6530 www.visitwindsor.com
Muskoka Tourism 800.267.9700 www.muskokatourism.ca
Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation 800.263.7836 www.ontariotravel.net
Ontario’s North 705.674.4455 www.ontariosnorth.ca
Ottawa Tourism 613.237.5150 www.ottawatourism.ca
Thunder Bay Tourism and Economic Development 800.667.8386 www.visitthunderbay.com
Toronto Convention and Visitors Association 416.203.2600 www.torontotourism.com
Tourism Hamilton 905.546.2666 www.tourismhamilton.com
Tourism Niagara 905.984.3626 www.tourismniagara.com
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Tourism Prince Edward Island 902.368.4444 www.peiplay.com
QUEBEC
Eastern Townships Tourism 819.820.2020 www.easterntownships.org
Laurentians Tourism Association 800.561.6673 www.laurentides.com
Quebec City Tourism 418.641.6654 www.quebecregion.com
Tourisme Montreal 514.844.5400 www.tourisme-montreal.org
Tourisme Mont-Tremblant 819.425.2434 www.tourismemonttremblant.com
Tourisme Outaouais 819.778.2222 www.tourismeoutaouais.ca
Tourisme Quebec 514.873.2015 www.bonjourquebec.com
