WORDS CATHERINE BEST
Putting yourself at the mercy of the Butcher’s Knife might not be on your bucket list of Canadian travel experiences, but it should be. Ontario’s fearsomely named rapid has been slicing and dicing white water rafters for generations. And they love it.
You’ll find this legendary water grenade on the Ottawa River within a 10 kilometre run of white water known as the Rocher Fendu rapids. The rapids, including the creatively titled Bus Eater and Dragon’s Tongue, churn up some of Canada’s best white water west of the Rockies, attracting adrenaline junkies from across the globe.
ONTARIO
There are water-based adventures for every type of traveller in Ontario, be it slow, fast or somewhere in between.
ONTARIO
It’s one of the more adventurous ways to see Canada, and you can ride the rapids all around the province. Find your paddle poise on Rice Lake in the rural township of Keene, before upping the adventure stakes on the Madawaska River, where a full day of canoeing awaits. Finally, arrive at OWL Rafting Resort at Foresters Falls on the banks of the storied Ottawa River. Known as Kichi Sibi, or ‘great river’, by Algonquin First Nations, the Ottawa was the major east-west highway for Indigenous peoples, Western explorers and fur traders.
Going slower ...
... or much faster! There is something for everyone.
Paddling along the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site running through Ottawa.
Water-based adventures abound in Ontario (this is a province which has borders on both Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes, after all). For something more leisurely than rocketing down the Ottawa in a cloud of foam, why not try an urban adventure canoeing on the Rideau Canal? Ottawa’s historic waterway becomes a giant ice-skating rink in winter, but in summer it’s a mecca for flatwater paddling. Extending more than 200 kilometres from Kingston to Ottawa, the Rideau is North America’s oldest continuously operating canal and comprises a series of rivers, lakes and connecting locks.
Nothing quite prepares you for the sheer volume of water at Niagara Falls.
And then there’s the falls. The the inimitable Niagara Falls are actually made up of three separate falls. The largest – the Horseshoe Falls – is an impressive 670 metres across and 57 metres tall. Join a boat cruise and prepare to be awed as you witness more than 3000 tonnes of water thunder down the falls every second.
Canada’s largest city Toronto, is only a 90 minute drive away from the Niagara Falls, on the shores of Lake Ontario, and it’s a long held opinion that the best views of Toronto’s dramatic skyline are from the water.
The CN Tower is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Toronto.
Niagara Falls are just as good at night as they are during the day.
Paddling upstream in Algonquin National Park.
If you prefer wildlife with your waterways, canoeing in Algonquin National Park has you covered. Take to the water at sunrise on Surprise Lake and don't be startled when you spot a moose grazing on the bank or a beaver returning to its lodge. Continue your canoe adventures with a paddle to Otter Bay to explore boreal forest, beaver ponds and the Canadian Shield – the largest expanse of exposed Precambrian rock on Earth. Trade boats for boots on a hike to Lookout Bluff, where you will be rewarded with spectacular views overlooking the lakes of Algonquin. If you can’t get enough of paddling there’s also the option of a magical night canoe – gently cruising through a universe of shimmering stars, where the sky becomes almost indiscernible from the water.
Trade paddles for hiking boots, and check out some of the wildlife in Algonquin.
Big skies and bright nights.
Clear nights and starry skies are common in Northern Ontario.
Speaking of the sky, an eye-popping flight from Thunder Bay on Lake Superior will take you over hundreds of glistening lakes and Christmas tree-canopied boreal forests of Northern Ontario. Touch down at Miminiska Lodge, a wilderness outpost on the shores of the lake of the same name and accessible only by air. This is true Canadian backcountry bliss – an off-the-radar destination comprised more of water than land. It’s an area rich in Indigenous culture, and any AWT stay begins with a welcome ‘smudge’ (similar to a smoking ceremony) by the First Nations community.
Miminiska Lodge is only accessible by air, so you'll have it all to yourself.
Miminiska is ideal for fishing, canoeing, hiking and photography.
Miminiksa is an anglers paradise (try your hand at catching a Trophy Brook Trout) not to mention a haven for canoeing, hiking and photography. Enjoy dinners (fish obviously featuring strongly on the menu), sunset yoga and tall tales by the campfire about the one that got away. It will be hard returning to civilisation.
SPEAK WITH AN ADVENTURE WORLD TRAVEL DESIGNER TO CREATE YOUR CUSTOM ITINERARY NOW!
Algonquin Canoe Adventure
5 DAYS | 4 NIGHTS | FROM $1419*
Explore Algonquin Park’s western boundary on a lodge based adventure.
Ontario Outdoor Adventures
9 DAYS | 8 NIGHTS | FROM $3559*
Stay at a wilderness resort set in the maple woods on the banks of the Madawaska River in Ontario.
Wilderness North
5 DAYS | 4 NIGHTS | FROM $7639*
This adventure takes you deep into the boreal forests, stunning landscapes and the deeprooted history of the Ontario wilderness.
Handpicked Ontario & Quebec
15 DAYS | 14 NIGHTS | FROM $4585*
This Eastern Canada journey will direct you through beautiful parks and countrysides, through modern and historic cities.
SPEAK WITH AN ADVENTURE WORLD TRAVEL DESIGNER TO CREATE YOUR CUSTOM ITINERARY NOW!
Algonquin Canoe Adventure
5 DAYS | 4 NIGHTS | FROM $1419*
Explore Algonquin Park’s western boundary on a lodge based adventure.
Ontario Outdoor Adventures
9 DAYS | 8 NIGHTS | FROM $3559*
Stay at a wilderness resort set in the maple woods on the banks of the Madawaska River in Ontario.
Wilderness North
5 DAYS | 4 NIGHTS | FROM $7639*
This adventure takes you deep into the boreal forests, stunning landscapes and the deeprooted history of the Ontario wilderness.
Handpicked Ontario & Quebec
15 DAYS | 14 NIGHTS | FROM $4585*
This Eastern Canada journey will direct you through beautiful parks and countrysides, through modern and historic cities.