The venerable Banff Springs has long been the poster girl for Canadian tourism...
Written by: Julie Ovenell-CarterJuly 1 is a national holiday–happy 142nd birthday, Canada!–and I wanted to mark the occasion by offering a quintessentially Canadian prize to one lucky TheseBoots reader. And when it comes to Canadian tourism, the iconic brand–after moose, Mounties and maple syrup, of course–has to be Fairmont Hotels, with its chocolate-box assortment of gracious old railway hotels strung out across the country.
I love Quebec City’s Le Chateau Frontenac and Toronto’s Royal York and Victoria’s Empress. But my favourite will forever be Alberta’s Banff Springs hotel, the grande dame of the Fairmont clan in Canada. She helped put Canada on the tourism map more than a century ago and today I can forgive this dowager her tour-bus hordes and over-priced restaurants. These are trivial concerns in the face of such resilient beauty. Add it to your bucket list–and take advantage of the great summer sale on now until June 29.
I’m giving away a $100 Fairmont Hotels gift certificate in a random draw at 5 pm Pacific Daylight Time on Wedneday, July 1. You can use it at any Fairmont hotel, towards a room, a meal–or just a martini in the lounge.
Leave your birthday greetings to Canada in the comment section below, and you’ll be entered to win. And if you link to this contest on Twitter–remember to add RT @theseboots so I know you did–you’ll get a second entry. Good luck!
Brad Ovenell-Carter
on June 26th, 2009My greeting? Jeanette Bellerose’s entry in the McGill Unviversity’s <a href=”http://sixwords.mcgill.ca/contest/”"think big in six little words” contest. It’s what makes Canada the greatest place on earth.
Not us against them,
Mais ensemble
Brad Ovenell-Carter
on June 26th, 2009Oops. Dropped some code on the floor. Link should be “think big in six little words”
Annemarie
on June 26th, 2009Oh Canada, Our Home & Native Land…
Oh wait, that’s not the right song.
Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to You,
Happy Birthday Oh Canada, Happy Birthday to You…and many more.
Sorry, I’m tired & running on empty…
Greg Bradley
on June 26th, 2009Happy Birthday Canada! (almost)
This is what I’m doing:
http://www.downtownsquamish.com/node/178
How about you?
Shelley McCarron
on June 26th, 2009Can’t wait for the big fireworks! Happy birthday Canada.
John McPhee
on June 26th, 2009Happy Birthday Canada! I love my neighbor to the North and look forward to venturing back real soon (as soon as I win this gift certificate!).
Dilara
on June 26th, 2009Happy (almost) birthday Canada!!
Teresa
on June 26th, 2009I finally get to be in Ottawa on Canada Day.
Thank you, Canada, for being an interesting country where the geography really matters. It has meant many an interesting Geography class in my university and many an interesting discussion overseas.
A. R.
on June 26th, 2009Dear Canada,
I am deeply in love with you!
Have the best birthday ever.
I miss you!
Jolyn Saramaga
on June 26th, 2009Happy Birthday Canada!!
Wanda Love
on June 26th, 2009Tough to find a birthday card that recognizes “Happy 142nd Birthday” – but raise a toast to Canada on July 1!
Just need to get Nfld, Labrador, NWT, Yukon & Nunavut under my belt and I’ll have visited all of Canada!
Sam Ellis
on June 26th, 2009A Canadian for 50+ years and yet this will the first birthday that I’ll be flying our nation’s flag. A quiet Canadian no longer. Happy Birthday, Canada!
Julie Ovenell-Carter
on June 26th, 2009Sam, sounds like there’s more to that story…care to tell?
darin
on June 26th, 2009With true patriot love I annually celebrate Canada Day. OUr heritage, our spirit, our food, our music, our arts and gosh darn friendliness, eh? Happy Birthday Canada
Julie Ovenell-Carter
on June 26th, 2009Wanda, I’m just down to Nunavut and then I’ve seen coast to coast to coast! (Don’t wait to see Newfoundland. Make it a priority…it’s amazing. You’ll feel like you’ve been outside Canada, I guarantee…)
Lyndsay Beer
on June 26th, 2009Happy 142 Birthday Canada! From way up in the “true north” Fort St. John B.C
Oana Hyatt
on June 26th, 2009Happy birthday Canada!!
Julie Ovenell-Carter
on June 27th, 2009Hey Lyndsay–I grew up in Hudson’s Hope! Nothing more beautiful than the drive from FSJ to HH in June!
Carson
on June 27th, 2009Last year we were in Ottawa on Canada Day, it was amazing. It has given me a whole new appreciation for Canada Day celebrations! I’ll join this contest with a hearty “Happy Day, Canada, you deserve it!”
Raj MacGoldstein-Park
on June 27th, 2009Happy birthday, Canada! We should all take a few minutes on July 1st to sing along to the Arrogant Worms’ classic, “Canada is really big.”
Fiona Beaty
on June 27th, 2009Happy Birthday, Canada! You’re fantastic.
fiona burrows
on June 27th, 2009Happy birfffday Canada!!! Woot woot!
Peggy Coonley/Serendipity Traveler
on June 28th, 2009We will be celebrating Canada Day in Canada and singing
O” Canada along with the locals. Our upcoming Serendipity
Traveler trip in July is Walking in Atlantic Canada for women
who wish to explore the unspoiled Maritimes.
O”Canada the best friend next door!
Tori Klassen
on June 28th, 2009Happy Birthday Canada!
Nigel Pottle
on June 28th, 2009Happy Birthday Canad- Haa. I’ll be celebrating with two friends who are emigrating to Canada from the USA – Hawaii in fact. Vancouver’s gain.
Nigel Pottle
on June 28th, 2009whoops, that’s Happy Birthday, Canada….
Paul Kurucz
on June 28th, 2009Canada is fabulous! Happy Birthday!
Duffy Stephens
on June 28th, 2009Happy birthday Canada, the birthplace of my father. You may feel like second banana to your southern neighbor, but you have much for the US to admire.
Chris L.
on June 28th, 2009Happy Buuuurfday Canada! Will be celebrating at the fairmont in ottawa!!!
M. Diane Rogers
on June 29th, 2009Happy, Happy Birthday, to Canada and to my ‘little girl’ too who celebrates her birthday also on July the 1st. I’ll be at the festivities at the Burnaby Village Museum. Always a great day!
Michael Wong
on June 29th, 2009Happy Birthday CANADA
Rosa
on June 29th, 2009I just love you Canada. Some of my best vacation memories are from Whistler, Banff, Lake Louise, Montreal.
Carol MacKinnon
on June 29th, 2009So….there is so much to be grateful for…somehow, Canada Day always feels to me so connected to Thanksgiving! that we can give thanks for the brave people of such imagination who thought of these grand hotels in these unbelievably beautiful places… and for all the others who have made Canada the country it is today…and for all those who are about to make it an even BETTER country tomorrow!! I’m excited, I’m grateful, I’m scared…. I’m Canadian!
Murray Atherton
on June 29th, 2009Happy Birthday Canada….and to all Lower Mainland Canucks, comeon over to Bowen Island (www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hdnjYUMp1Y) to see how a wonderful community celebrates… Noon to 3pm at Crippen Park.
Erinn K
on June 29th, 2009O Canada – Happy Birthday! We are celebrating at http://www.langleycanadaday.ca and taking some American friends to their first Canada Day Celebration.
Penny Naldrett
on June 29th, 2009Happy Birthday Canada!
Glad to call you my home.
marg
on June 29th, 2009Proud to be Canadian eh? Happy Birthday Canada!
Dorna C
on June 29th, 2009Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear, Canada! Happy Birthday to you!
Jeff Matheson
on June 30th, 2009Happy Birthday Canada. A grand country in so many ways. Will be enjoying the celebration on Bowen Island.
Laurel Moore
on June 30th, 2009Happy Birthday to our beautiful northern neighbor! Just planned my first trip to the Canadian Rockies and can’t wait. Happy Travels!
chris devries
on June 30th, 2009Happy Birthday CANADA! You truly are the most amazing place on earth!
paul devries
on June 30th, 2009Happy Birthday CANADA! to the most amazing country on earth
jessica devries
on June 30th, 2009Happy Birthday Canada!
You are the best country on the planet
mike wells
on June 30th, 2009Happy Birthday Canada
You ROCK!
Don Foran
on June 30th, 2009We stand on guard for thee…
Frederic Bernier
on June 30th, 2009Happy Birthday!
I would not wish to be anywhere else!
Wish you a lot of happiness for your 142nd birthday!
Bonne fête!
Sam
on June 30th, 2009Proud to be a citizen…. wouldn’t live anywhere else anymore…. well maybe in the winter I’d go south for a bit! But I’d be right back! Happy Canada Day everyone – we have much to celebrate.
s. field
on June 30th, 2009I’ve never been a getting choked up singing the anthem type of gal, but there’s something about my 6 and 2 year old belting out O’ Canada that gets to me.
Elle Andra-Warner
on July 1st, 2009Happy Canada Day from Thunder Bay. Celebrating 142 years of being Canada — yipee!
Julie Ovenell-Carter
on July 1st, 2009This message came in via e-mail from Louise Loik who asked me to post it here on her behalf. Happy to oblige Louise!
“As a group, the people of Canada and our relations with the rest of this planet make this nation a country unlike any other. On the other hand ,this place we call Canada, with it’s diverse beauty, it’s rugged landscape, it’s extremes of temperature, the ice, snow, rain, the lakes and oceans, city structures, vast farms, tiny towns, northern lights, the wild animals and wilderness, all of these, deep down, uniquely mold us into Canadians. What a wonderful place to be. Happy Birthday Canada!”