Canadians love winter. It’s cold, it’s snowy, it offers untold opportunity for outdoor fun you just can’t get in summer. Are we crazy? No, we’re a winter nation, and we celebrate that fact with frosty pride and some truly terrific winter festivals—which, for us, are just more reason to go play in the snow.
 
1. Ottawa, ON (February): Winterlude
Skaters hit the frozen Rideau Canal, the world’s longest manmade skating rink (7.8 km or 4.8 mi), during this three-weekend party, while more grounded partiers inspect the Rogers Crystal Garden’s ice sculptures and the Sun Life Snowflake Kingdom snow sculptures. And let us not forget those warm, fresh “BeaverTails” (relax—they’re pastry!)

2. Québec City, QC (February): Carnaval de Québec (Québec Winter Carnival)
The world’s biggest winter carnival draws almost a million people to this historic old city to see snow and ice sculptures, mascot Carnaval Bonhomme’s Ice Castle, a night parade (so good it’s always done twice) and games at the Plains of Abraham, where everything from snow tubing to a winter zipline’s happening. Cold? Warm up with “caribou”—hot, red wine or port mixed with maple syrup or white-lightning booze...whatever suits you.

3. Iqaluit , NU (April): Toonik Tyme
Filled with genuine local cultural tradition, this spring festival in Nunavut’s capital honours the annual return of the sun to Canada’s Far North, with igloo building, snowmobile and dogsled races, a community feast and traditional Inuit games. But the golf tournament on sea ice draws a big audience, too.

4. Yellowknife, NWT (March): Caribou Carnival
They’ve been doing it on frozen Frame Lake for more than 50 years, but they add a wrinkle or two every so often—like kite skiing and boarding or snow volleyball. And there’s always a maple sugar shack, traditional Dene hand games, snow sculptures, a sledding hill and musical entertainment.

5. Calgary, AB (February): Winterfest
It was the 1988 Winter Olympics that sparked this annual celebration, and along with special events at Olympic Plaza and Heritage Park, Canada Olympic Park lets everyone who dares try the luge or bobsleigh. More sensible folk watch real pros strut their stuff freestyle skiing and trampoline snowboarding (not yet, and maybe never, an official Winter Olympic sport).