Ode to a nature commute – part 2, winter
Nearly frozen over Bow River with downtown Calgary in background. (Photo by Gayle Roodman/NCC staff)
This is part two of a four-part series on bike commuting through nature. Read part one – fall here. What kind of wingnut would bike commute in the dead of winter, you ask? Well, this one does, and I’ll tell you why. I find winter...
7 physical activity resolutions…just in time for colder weather!
Snowman on frozen lake (Photo by Peritap, Wikimedia Commons)
There are so many ways to be active while enjoying winter and all it has to offer. Don’t let the dark evenings and chilly weather stop you! Commit to keeping up your healthy, active lifestyle with these tips and ideas. Resolve to make...
Hold the salt, please: The hidden cost of keeping the roads clear
Winter road treatment using salt brine (Photo by Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)
On a brisk Toronto winter morning, my breath hangs in the air as I walk my dog to a nearby park. Our route may seem meandering, but it’s designed with purpose: finding the salt-free sidewalks. I’m grateful that the roads and sidewalks...
Just get out the door
Bluebird sky hike at -30 C. (Photo courtesy of Gayle Roodman/NCC staff)
Back in the day, I was a long-distance runner. When two knee surgeries forced me to finally hang up my Asics for good in 2005, I switched to cycling. And to fill in the gaps in my fitness regime, I threw in hiking, cross-country skiing or whatever...
This holiday, take time to enjoy the winter wonderland
Winter hiking on the Niagara Escarpment (photo by Al Thompson)
With winter storms battering the country from coast to coast and the mercury dropping, it's easy to want to huddle inside by the fireplace. But most of us find that we're happier when we get outside. For my husband and me, some of our happiest...
Heard it from a Scout: Winter camping tips for beginners
Building a quinzhee (Photo by Scouts Canada)
With winter’s temperatures and snow, camping can be tricky. But with a little preparation, you can discover that winter camping can be some of the most fun and unforgettable experiences you can have. Check out our top tips to help make your...
Connecting with nature, people and snowshoes on Stony Mountain, Manitoba
Snowshoers at Stony Mountain Prairie Preserve, MB (Photo courtesy of Julie Sveinson Pelc/NCC staff)
Winter on Manitoba’s wide open prairies is cold, windy and dark, and it seems to go on forever. It is easy to hibernate indoors all winter, under a warm blanket by the fire, with a good book and warm drink, but I wanted this winter to be...
Skis with wolves
Cross-country skiing in search of wolf tracks on the Kenauk property (Photo by Jaimie Vincent)
What do you get when you combine a picturesque winter forest landscape, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and wolf surveying? A dream trip is what I would have said just a few weeks ago. The answer, however, is a very real adventure that I...
Three reasons why it’s important to study winter
Me, my husband and dog bundled up during the polar vortex (Photo courtesy of Meghan Duell)
We tend to think of winter in temperate regions as cold, maybe snowy, maybe grey and with short daylight hours. Maybe you hate winter because you dislike feeling cold, having chapped skin, driving on icy roads and...insert weather problem here...
Something’s Fishy: Polar opposites
Polar bear mother and cub, Jones Sound, Nunavut (Photo by NCC)
Polar bears are the largest bear species and land carnivore in the world. They are found in the Arctic, where they scour sea ice and coasts for their next meal. Two-thirds of the global population of polar bears is found in Canada. The...
