As Canada’s largest province and main economic engine, Ontario is home to both the nation’s capital, Ottawa, and its business and financial center, Toronto. According to the latest statistics from the Ontario Ministry of Finance, the province is populated by 38.7 percent of all Canadians, and generates 37.1 percent of the nation’s GDP.
That’s one hard-working place, but like all Canadians, Ontarians work to live, and when it comes to relaxing and having fun, they characteristically head for the great outdoors.
Whether hiking, biking, canoeing—or hanging off the edge of towers--the culture of getting outside and getting wind in your sails means a ready-made menu of recreational, experiential and inspirational adventures for groups. Most are seasonal, but the following mix of eight urban and rural options, via land, air and sea, are ready choices for getting “out and about.”
EDGEWALK, TORONTO
www.edgewalkcntower.ca
Readying for the start of its third season in April, this singular high-altitude adventure takes groups of up to six people on a 20 to 30 minute walk atop the CN Tower’s 360 Restaurant--1,168 feet above the ground.
Wearing red jumpsuits and trolley-harnessed (a technology pioneered at the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb in Australia) to an overhead safety rail encircling the restaurant’s roof, “EdgeWalkers” experience a 360-degree, hands-free aerial tour of Toronto’s skyscrapers, waterfront, islands and far-reaching environs. For the ultimate thrill, walkers can lean backwards off the five-foot ledge into thin air—breathtaking, to say the least.
“Many companies have embraced the opportunity to organize unique corporate team building and client appreciation EdgeWalks, followed by a celebratory meal in 360,” says Irene Knight, the CN Tower’s manager of public relations. “In just three years, EdgeWalk already has bucket-list status.”
HARBOURFRONT CANOE AND KAYAK CENTRE, TORONTO
www.paddletoronto.com
Located on the edge of Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto, this longtime operator, in business for over 30 years, is among the most popular urban paddling centers in North America.
From mid-May to September, the outfit offers group kayaking, big voyageur canoeing, paddleboarding, social and exercise outings, corporate team exercises, youth camps and other programs on Toronto’s inner harbor and around the islands and beaches of the Toronto Archipelago. Off-season activities, meanwhile, include in-pool kayak instruction, social dinners and world-wide tours.
The lakeside venue’s location, within walking distance from the Rogers Skydome, Toronto Convention Centre, CN Tower, Harbourfront Centre and other key group coordinates, is a major plus, along with friendly instruction from certified paddling guides.
“With the scenic 13 Toronto Islands just a 20-minute paddle away, this is your source for relaxation and to learn new skills,” says Dave Corrigan, the facility’s general manager. “Increase your health and wellbeing and come discover the most picturesque and natural side of Toronto from a new perspective--on the water!” PageBreak
ANDREW’S CHARTER, MISSISSAUGA
www.andrewscharter.ca
Lake Ontario, and especially the area around Toronto, is a major destination for salmon and trout sport fishing. Historic Port Credit, in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, is ranked third in Outdoor Canada’s top 20 Pacific salmon fishing, with Toronto coming in third.
Corporate and private groups can hook into the action aboard one of the “Limos on the Lake” operated by seasoned old salt Captain Wayne Andrew, whose fleet includes the largest (61 feet) charter vessel on Lake Ontario.
Along with fishing charters, Andrew and his experienced crew also offer pleasure and sightseeing cruises around Lake Ontario, with custom and special event programs available along with five-hour tours throughout the Toronto Islands and the city’s waterfront.
ONE AXE PURSUITS, ELORA
www.oneaxepursuits.com
Founded in 2001 by Frederick Schuett, an expert climber and mountain expedition leader, this multi-faceted outfit, headquartered about 75 miles west of Toronto, offers recreational and extreme outdoor adventures throughout southern Ontario and beyond.
Specializing in corporate team-building, One Axe caters to all skill levels with programs including traditional rock climbing, ice climbing up frozen waterfalls, spelunking through caves and rappelling down limestone cliffs. Locally, the company offers a full-day extreme ziplining program across the popular Elora Gorge, where participants launch from the edge of an 80-foot cliff and fly 200 feet across the gorge before rappeling to the river below.
Urban corporate team-building adventures, held in Toronto and other locations, include “Mission Impossible,” where participants, dressed completely in black, navigate an obstacle course to the accompaniment of the Mission Impossible theme song. It’s a fitting choice: the company also has a stunt division that works with the TV and film industry.
RENT-A-BIKE, OTTAWA
www.rentabike.ca
Cycling is a love affair going back years in Canada’s capital, and this long-wheeling operator, conveniently located on the World Heritage Rideau Canal in an adapted railway tunnel under the Hotel Chateau Laurier, has been providing bicycles and guided tours since 1981.
Groups of 40 or more people can “hub and spoke” like the locals on current model year equipment and if desired, accompanied by an experienced guide. Ottawa benefits from an impressive network of recreational pathways—some 112 miles linking the city’s green spaces, attractions and more—and cycling is an ideal way to experience the city’s many charms.
Generally lasting from between two and four hours, seasonal escorted rides (owner Harry Musson and his staff can also help map out self-guided expeditions) chase such scenic routes as the Rideau Canal and the Ottawa River and leave lasting impressions of the city’s grandeur. PageBreak
SAUNDERS FARM, MUNSTER
www.saundersfarm.com
Canada’s capital city, remarkably, has more than 1,260 farms within its boundaries. Located in Ottawa’s rural southwest corner, about 30 miles from downtown, this family-run working farm is a favorite destination for all kinds of fun activities.
Featuring century-old heritage log buildings set on 25 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and paved pathways, the farm is best known for its ten natural mazes, including seven made from hedges, two from wood, and a stone labyrinth.
From May to October, corporate, association and other groups can embark on brain-teasing team exercises in the mazes, while enjoying picnics and other activities on the farm.
“Our guests love the opportunity to run, laugh and play in a beautiful outdoor setting,” says Director of Fun Mark Saunders, who has run the farm with his wife Angela for 37 years. “The more we can provide unique, fun and whimsical activities--whether it’s our hedge mazes, our rustic play structures or our historic log buildings--the more our guests create lasting memories and want to return.”
NATURAL WONDERS ATTRACTIONS, NIAGARA FALLS
meetings.niagaraparks.com
Established in 1885 as an agency of the Ontario government, the Niagara Parks Commission owns and operates many of the key visitor and hospitality venues in legendary Niagara Falls, including the collection of experiences known as Natural Wonders Attractions.
For planners, this is a one-stop shop for organizing leisure tours, companion programs, team building and other group activities. Exclusive event packages include a wide range of memorable programs, such as the famed Maid of the Mist boat ride and the unforgettable Journey Behind the Falls, which places guests behind the thundering crash of water from the mighty Horseshoe Falls. The White Water Walk takes groups alongside some of the most turbulent rapids in the world, while Niagara’s Fury is a new multi-sensory 360-degree immersive experience.
In addition to winter and fall VIP packages, wine tours and golf outings, groups can also work with the Niagara Parks’ sales team to organize special themed programs which include dining at local restaurants.
BACK COUNTRY TOURS
www.backcountrytours.ca
Located two hours north of Toronto, the Muskoka region has been long-favored by Ontarians as a getaway and vacation destination for its cottages, camps and historic Victorian-era resorts. Set amid 2,500 square miles of towering pines and sparkling lakes and rivers, this natural paradise, dramatically unfolding atop the pink granite of the Canadian Shield, is an open invitation for groups to get out and explore.
Headquartered in the village of Dwight—which lies within striking distance of Huntsville, waterfall-rich Bracebridge and Gravenhurst, all established group destinations—Back Country Tours offers explorations of the Muskoka wilderness via ATVs, snowmobiles, jet skis and even Hummers.
From half-day guided excursions to multi-day adventures, the company, which also operates out of nearby Haliburton, groups of all skill levels experience thrill rides across more than 1,800 miles of deep forest riding trails.
Regular Meetings Focus East Jeff Heilman is a regular fan of getting out and about in Ontario and across Canada.
