HINTERLAND HIATUS Leave Toronto’s city streets behind, and a comfortable two-hour drive through Southern Ontario brings you to the Niagara Region – home to some eye-catching attractions. Business Traveller Asia-Pacific explores
NIAGARA FALLS
Few Canadian attractions stick in the memory quite like a visit to Niagara Falls, the collective name of three waterfalls – the American, Bridal Veil and Canadian Horseshoe falls – that straddle the international border between Canada and the US. The falls are a major tourist attraction renowned for their beauty, but also a valuable source of hydroelectric energy – providing power to both nations. To get an up-close view of this majestic natural wonder, Niagara Cruises (
niagaracruises.com) provides two tour packages: the “Voyage to the Falls Boat Tour” (C$19.95/ US$15) includes a 20-minute daytime ride to the heart of the Niagara Gorge, while the slightly pricier “Falls Total Tour Package” (C$28.80/US$21.60) comes with an added 30-minute souvenir audio guide that details the geology and history of Niagara Falls. Alternatively, a helicopter ride over the falls is a spectacular and singular experience; gazing through the window at the turbulent rapids and thundering waterfalls, with the surrounding flatland stretching to the horizon, presents an awe-inspiring sight. On a clear day, you can even see the faint outline of Toronto to the north and the shores of Lake Erie to the south. The thrilling ride lasts roughly 12 minutes, comes with headsets for each passenger with taped commentary available in 12 languages, and the Bell 407 helicopter holds six passengers. A ride costs C$140 (US$105) per person, but there are family and group rates available (niagarahelicopters. com; open daily from 9am until sunset). The best place to base yourself – if you have time to
overnight here – is Niagara-on-the-Lake, widely considered the loveliest town in Ontario. Originally the first capital of Upper Canada (now the province of Ontario), it has a storied and distinguished history – visit Fort George and
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the Historical Society Museum to be educated – whilst a stroll around its charming streets reveals many colonial-style buildings rebuilt in old British architectural tradition. Finding accommodation is easy – Niagara-on-the-Lake is renowned for its B&Bs (
niagaraonthelake.com).
ICEWINE: THE SWEETEST TIPPLE Canada’s vineyards may not attract the same adulation from oenophiles as its European and American counterparts, but it has an ace up its sleeve: it is one of the world’s largest producers of icewine. This highly concentrated, sweet dessert wine is created through a difficult and unusual production process – and is consequently quite expensive. To produce icewine, the grapes are allowed to freeze on the vine, then harvested at a temperature of -10˚C. This means that the fruit is essentially devoid of water, resulting in extra-high sugar content but a relatively low volume of wine produced per vine. Roughly 75 per cent of all icewine produced in Canada comes from Ontario. Inniskillin Wines (
inniskillin.com) is probably the most famous Canadian icewine producer; it won the coveted Grand Prix d’Honneur award at France’s 1991 Vinexpo, placing it, and Canada, on the viticultural world stage. A couple of bottles of the award-winning 1983 Vidal Icewine still remain in the cellars of the Inniskillin winery, which you can visit as part of a tour around the facility. Tour times differ seasonally but cost C$5 (US$3.75) per person. Today, the winery produces four different blends of icewine: vidal, riesling, cabernet and sparkling. It’s an acquired taste – the sweetness can overload your senses – but for those who love it, the almost tropical flavours of peach, mango or melon can transport you from the frigid Canadian north to the sultry Caribbean in an instant!
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