Travel Ideas: Best Canadian Destinations for Families

Canada spans far and wide, so if you're looking for a place to explore, this country is not short on options. Here are just some of the great destinations that are perfect for family fun. 

For sport-crazy kiddos: Tofino, British Columbia 

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Most Canadian cities offer the gamut of sporting options for young kids. This past winter, our boys enjoyed parkour and kayaking (indoors) for the first time, as well as more mainstream athletics like soccer and hockey.

But there are only a few places in the country where you can catch a wave. Nova Scotia offers some solid options, but the surf capital of Canada is definitely Tofino, in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on Vancouver Island. Pacific Surf Co. offers lessons for the whole family, even catering to young children, between 6 and 12 years. (A three-hour lesson for a family of four or five goes for $349.) If you’re not quite surf-ready, bodyboards (or boogie boards) are also available to rent, as are stand-up paddlleboards.

Bonus? Nothing tuckers out tireless children like a day on the water.

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For young patriots: Charlottetown, PEI

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If you're looking for a bit of history with your sunshine, try the birthplace of Confederation, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

When you and the family aren't taking in history lessons, spend the rest of your vacay exploring P.E.I.’s red-sand beaches: gorgeous to behold and a novelty for kids not native to the province. Provincial park beach locations (there are eight of them) have lifeguards on duty during the summer months. And don’t forget to take in a performance of the Anne of Green Gables musical at Charlottetown’s Confederation Centre for the Arts.

For future scientists: Drumheller, Alberta 

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Every year, my in-laws load up their vehicle with all of their grandchildren for a road trip from Edmonton to Drumheller. Most people think mountains when they come west, but for our kids, this Dinosaur Valley three hours southeast of Edmonton and 90 minutes northeast of Calgary is much more exciting. Located in the Canadian Badlands, Drumheller is the dino capital of the world.

Prehistoric attractions include the World’s Largest Dinosaur, the Royal Tyrrell Museum (Canada’s only exclusively palaeontological museum) and the Fossil World Dinosaur Discovery Centre.

The Badlands geography is breathtaking and exotic-looking, and the kids will especially love racing around the hoodoos — sandstone pillars formed over millions of years.

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For eager road-trippers: Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

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An epic cross-Canada road trip seems fitting any summer if you can get the time — just pack your bags and cruise along the Trans-Canada Highway. But with kids? That kind of a car commitment is totally out of the question. What’s doable, however, is the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island. Back in the '90s, my parents did it with three kids under 12, and we survived.

The trail is just shy of 300 kilometres, offering spectacular views of the island’s highlands. Go whale-watching, visit Cape Breton Highlands National Park or splurge for a stay at the Keltic Lodge.

For cosmopolitan kids: Montreal, Quebec

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The charms of Montreal are obvious: the cobblestone streets, the European vibe, the overall joie-de-vivre. But while you appreciate the subtleties of one of Canada’s great cities, there are also a bunch of things the kids will enjoy, too. Head to Île Sainte-Helene for Canada’s second-largest amusement park, La Ronde; nibble on some goodies at one of Montreal's outdoor markets (like the Jean-Talon market or Atwater market), and learn about the environment at the Biosphere. Or, simply hit one of the city’s beaches and then go for ice cream in Old Montreal. Because, really, what’s a better Canadian summer experience than that?