Among the many programs inspired by Canada’s 150th anniversary this year is the ParticipACTION 150 Play List. Created by ParticipACTION, the Toronto-based national nonprofit organization established in 1971 “to make physical activity a vital part of everyday life” for Canadians, this year-long initiative in collaboration with the Canadian government and leading Canadian corporations challenges every citizen to complete a list of 150 physical activities “that make us Canadian.”
Voted on by nearly a half-million nationals, the list does just that, with cheerful choices including pillow-fighting—I witnessed an organized mass pillow fight in front of City Hall while in Toronto for this story—wood-chopping and Harry Potter-inspired Quidditch.
And, reflecting the national embrace of sport, physical activity and the great outdoors, the list also features plentiful health and wellness choices.
Offering points and prizes for participation, the program, which is administered online, includes the many heart-pumping options available at any time to Canadian groups.
From Toronto and Ottawa to Niagara, Muskoka and other scenic locales, Ontario is a premier showcase of Canadian wellness, with sustainability, mindfulness and cultural awareness also counted in the “confederation” of group options.
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From innovative fitness concepts to facilities at the forefront of medical innovation, Toronto is flush with health options.
The Groove EDGEucation offers unique corporate teambuilding workshops, conference activations and activity breaks across Ontario for organizations of any size.
“With technology hugely impacting the workplace, people need more opportunities to be physically active, use their minds, and feel confident with themselves and within their community,” said former professional dancer Michelle Hillier, the company’s “co-visionary” and director of EDGEucation. “Based on principles of dance and movement and customizable for all kinds of groups, The Groove engages the body, brain and being in a corporate ‘digital detox.’” She added that, “our sessions are Wi-Fi free, but the connections are out of this world.”
One of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs, the MaRS (originally Medical and Related Sciences) Discovery District is a dynamic 1.5 million-square-foot facility where entrepreneurs in health, science and technology converge with venture capitalists, lawyers and potential partners to create the future.
Incorporating the Heritage Building, where the discovery of insulin in 1921 headlines a rich legacy of groundbreaking achievements, the architecturally striking multi-venue center offers versatile meeting and event space ranging from the Collaboration Rooms to the spectacular four-story, 62-foot-high glass atrium.
From its rooftop Bee Project to the LEED Gold-certified Gold Tower, the MaRS Center typifies Toronto’s embrace of sustainability. The majestic Fairmont Royal York has generated buzz for years with its rooftop beehives, while in nearby Mississauga, MPI board member and restaurateur Trevor Lui develops award-winning sustainable, environmentally responsible events at preeminent meetings and event venue the International Centre.
Hilton’s health- and mindfulness-focused “Meet with Purpose” program for meetings professionals has reached Canada at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale, with the Toronto Hilton reportedly next. Programs at the iconic Westin Harbour Castle include guided group runs along the Lake Ontario waterfront, while the five-star Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto offers an original in-room yoga video program, complete with information card and lululemon mat. Groups can also book treatments at the hotel’s Moroccan-French Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie Paris.
Ottawa, the nation’s capital, has just as many fit options.
Connecting groups with nature, Tours Expedition Ottawa offers customizable experiences that embrace the changing seasons, including canoeing, hiking, biking and skiing. Providing the requisite equipment plus transport to and from guest hotels, the company offers additional seasonal outdoor activities, including camping, night tours and adventure spas, all including nutritious meals.
Summertime groups can take advantage of two unique free programs. Each Wednesday at noon, weather permitting, government workers, residents and visitors gather on the Parliament Hill lawn for a mass guided one-hour yoga class. Minutes away and close to most major downtown hotels, Ottawa City Hall offers free hour-long drop-in fitness and mindfulness classes. Last year, these included Taoist Tai Chi, Hatha Yoga led by the Rama Lotus Yoga Centre, and Zumba.
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Indigenous Walks offers walking tours of downtown Ottawa from a contemporary indigenous perspective, with private, customized programs for groups. From May to October, Aboriginal Experiences offers groups of 25 or more the rare opportunity to see indigenous culture from across North America at a native village on Victoria Island. Located in the middle of the Ottawa River and overlooked by Parliament Hill, it’s a scenic spot for programs that include traditional cuisine, pow-wow dance performances, guided tours and craft workshops.
Groups can also explore the breathtaking First Peoples Hall at the event-capable Canadian Museum of History, while the stunning National Gallery of Canada, also hosting private functions, debuts its Canadian and Indigenous Galleries this May. Integrating, rather than separating, indigenous from Canadian art, the new exhibits aim for “a more complete telling of the Canadian story.”
The centrally located Westin Ottawa offers guest rooms with a treadmill or stationary bike for private workouts anytime. With running gear delivered directly to their room, guests participating in the brand’s RunWESTIN program have routes that include the Rideau Canal, Ontario’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Environmental health is a top priority at downtown’s Shaw Centre. This stunning LEED Gold-certified convention venue, “Canada’s Meeting Place,” features low-flow plumbing using storm water, a high-reflective roof, comprehensive waste management and other advanced programs. Meeting planners can also participate in the Tablee des Chefs program, which donates surplus food from events to people in need.
Country Cures
Set on 200 acres about 30 minutes south of Ottawa by car, Strathmere has hosted conferences, executive retreats, meetings and workshops for Ottawa and Ontario groups since 1979. Offering 9,000-plus square feet of space and seven unique meeting rooms for groups from 10 to 180, the property features 34 guest rooms, including seven in a restored 1860 farmhouse, and recently added a spa and wellness retreat.
With programs that include wellness walks, regenerating detox packages and yoga by candlelight, plus field-to-plate fare, superfood smoothies and detoxifying juices, this bucolic escape is among many wellness options in Ontario’s countryside and smaller destinations.
In Niagara-on-the-Lake, the AAA Four Diamond, 220-room White Oaks Resort & Spa complements 67,000 square feet of premier meeting space with its renowned Fitness Club. Staffed by fitness experts and racquet professionals, this sprawling facility offers racquet sports, cardio and strength training, one-on-one and group personal training, yoga, Pilates, swimming and more. Plus, it offers one of Ontario’s largest spas, with 17 treatment rooms and a devotion to complete well-being.
At the Rideau Canal’s southern end on Lake Ontario’s eastern shores, historic Kingston is home to the boutique Rosemount Inn & Spa. Featuring 11 guest rooms, some with luxurious “bubble bath deep” tubs, this 1850s Tuscany villa in downtown’s “Old Stones” district comes with meeting space for 11 around an antique table in the Edwards Suite. Offering corporate packages, the on-site Vinotherapy Spa provides services such as massage and aromatherapy, as well as wine-inspired products.
Amid the pristine lakes of northern Ontario’s Muskoka region, groups can enjoy yoga, snowshoeing and other activities at the JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa. Across the river from Detroit in southern Ontario, the Windsor, Essex and Pelee Island region is renowned for outdoor and ecotourism activities, with group bases that include the Vegas-style Caesars Windsor.
Billed as a “greener kind of highway,” the Hub is a roughly 12-mile multiuse trail encircling Sault Ste. Marie, Canada’s alternative energy capital across the St. Mary’s River from upper Michigan. And from rock climbing to kick-sledding, Thunder Bay’s Nor’West Outdoor Centre offers a full range of year-round ecotourism activities.
