If you are a resident of Canada or are visiting a family member you may choose to enjoy free ice fishing. Ontario hosts Family Fishing Weekend in February of each year. The date varies, but it usually falls on the second or third week of the month. Families have the opportunity try out ice fishing for the first time, or just fish for free without a license for two to three days. The event is timed to coincide with Ontario's provincial holiday, Family Day.
Ottawa hosts an annual winter festival in February. Visitors can admire ice sculptures as they stroll along the frozen Rideau Canal. Children can play on a giant snow castle and playground. If you are comfortable in skates, gliding down the canal is also a popular activity. International ice-sculptors show off their talents in an ice-carving competition. Snow-sculptors create masterpieces for a National Snow Sculpture Competition.
The Orillia Winter Carnival is a February tradition dating back to the 1950s. Orillia is a small town on Lake Simcoe, north of Toronto. If you like arts and crafts, you will find plenty of vendors selling neat trinkets at the carnival. Admission is free, but if you are willing to pay a little money you can try a helicopter ride, a mini-snowmobile ride, dog-sled rides and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Early risers can enjoy a pancake breakfast with local celebrity pancake flippers. For thrill-seekers, polar dips offer a test of the nerves and will-power.
Toronto's 14-day cultural celebration called Wintercity is the last week of January and the first week of February. Nathan Phillips Square is the center of free entertainment, including concerts and skating parties. Past open-air attractions have included Bollywood-style dance shows, Chinese trapeze shows and pyrotechnic shows. Visitors also can enjoy a variety of cultural cuisines.
The Festival of Northern Lights in Owen Sound is a spectacular light display that continues from mid-November to the beginning of January. In the winter of 2010 it featured more than 350 lighted pieces of art and more than 11 miles of lights along the Sydenham River. This is definitely a great attraction for a romantic getaway away from the big city.
