Murals… oh how we love them.  So much so … we have compiled a list of our Top 10 murals in Canada! Murals educate, enlighten and beautify. Murals egg us on to walk the streets of communities and sightsee. What is there not to like about murals?

A well designed and applied mural program can change a whole perspective of a town, building or business. And no we are not talking graffiti here. Murals, in many cases, are sanctioned by the town and created by local talented artists or art groups – graffiti is not.

Not all communities have murals but more and more are beginning to realize the positives.  A beautiful mural program in a downtown area can accomplish many objectives and promote a more positive image of a community when done professionally. Here are just a few benefits of a good mural program.

1. Murals promote the local artist community.

2. Murals beautify a town.

3. Murals attract people to downtown therefore increasing shopping revenues.

4. Murals (like advertising) promote attractions, history and adventures of a community.

5. Murals attract attention to a business.

6. Murals stimulate interest in a town.

We have come across some pretty impressive murals over the years during our travels east-west-north-south in Canada. Here are the Best Murals of Canada according to our travels.

Midland, Ontario, Canada Mural	Midland, Ontario, Canada “Brebeuf Lighthouse- This lighthouse was built in the 1900’s to help guide ships on course from Giant’s Tomb to the channel serving Midland Bay. Note the window in the top of the lighthouse is real.” OntarioEH.ca is coming soon to Canada eh Travel & Adventure.
Terrace, British Columbia, Canada Mural	Merritt, BC, Canada Adam Gregory Canada – Touching our Canadian spirit. Being that we are Canadian this mural is impossible to miss while walking the downtown streets in Terrace, BC. One of the many murals in town promoting the Country Music Walk of Fame. Plan a visit to Terrace at : http://www.thompsonshuswapeh.com/merritt/index.html
Port Alberni, BC, Canada Mural	Port Alberni, BC, Canada North Pacific grey whales travel 20,000 km (12,400 mile) round trip between their southern breeding grounds off Baja California, Mexico to their northern feeding grounds off Alaska and the Beaufort Sea. The migrating whales pass by the western coastline of BC, Canada every year creating a successful whale watching tour industry. Plan a visit to Port Alberni at : http://www.vancouverislandaccommodations.com/portalberni/
Chemainus, BC, Canada Mural	Chemainus, BC, Canada From the “Little Town that Could” this First Nation mural is a classic for us as we grew up just south of Chemainus. For as long as we can remember this mural has stayed with us from our childhood. Mural depicts Ce-who-latza, chief of the Lyakun Village on Shingle Point, Valdez Island, and former Chemainus Band Chief Clay-sa-luke; and a Salish woman. Plan a visit to Chemainus at : http://www.vancouverislandaccommodations.com/chemainus/
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada	Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada Windsor was originally known as Pisiquid which translate to”Junction of Waters” in the language of the Mi’kmaq First Nation people. Celebrating their past and present are over 12 murals located throughout the community. This one gets recognition as it turns an older building into an entire city street mural. NovaScotiaEH.ca is coming soon to Canada eh Travel & Adventure.
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada Mural	Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada The entire building is painted as a street scene, store fronts an people going about their day in 1902. The mural depicts the corner of Commercial St. and Factory St. (now rue Dufferin and rue Frontenac). It is a beautiful transformation of an older building into a wonderful piece of art. QuebecEH.ca is coming soon to Canada eh Travel & Adventure.
High River, Alberta, Canada MUral	High River, Alberta, Canada Buffalo jump mural depicting a First Nation hunting party. Historic digs in 1959 discovered bones and artifacts over 2000 years old. Before the First Nation people had guns theywould coax herds of buffalo off the end of steep cliffs. Buffalo was used for clothing, food and tools. Plan a visit to High River at : http://www.albertaeh.ca/high-river.html
Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada Murals	Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada Called the Saamis Tepee. It towers at just over 65 metres (215 feet) looming over the Seven Persons Creek river valley and its coulees. Inside the Saamis Tepee are a series of 10 historic story board murals detailing the lives of the First Nation people. There are giant murals, beautifully done – each with information billboards. Plan a visit to Medicine Hat at : http://www.albertaeh.ca/medicine-hat-ab.html
Huntsville, Ontario, Canada Murals	Huntsville, Ontario, Canada Over 90 world class murals celebrating the artwork of Canada’s best artists like Tom Thomson and The Group of Seven. Murals are spread out throughout the Muskoka region. This one caught our eye because of its vivid colors. It is a mural celebrating the work of Lawren Harris’s Northern Painting from 1924. OntarioEH.ca is coming soon to Canada eh Travel & Adventure.
Dawson Creek, BC, Canada Mural	Dawson Creek, BC, Canada In an alley way we discovered Old Town Dawson Creek. The walls painted in a series of nickel and dime stores from the days of the Gold Rush. It was as if we stepped back in time. Plan a visit to Dawson Creek at : http://www.northbceh.com/dawson_creek/index.html
Sidney, BC, Canada mural.	Sidney, BC, Canada ‘NIl/tu,o’ in Sidney, BC, complete with a true bas relief – which very few if any murals in this country have.. Plan a visit to Sidney by the Sea at : http://www.sidneybc.com

The post Best Outdoor Murals of Canada appeared first on EH Canada Travel Adventure Blog.

The 2013 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) Report has just been released and Canada placed #8 out of 140 countries in terms of travel and tourism competitiveness!

So.. what does this report tell us in Canada? What can we learn and where can we improve as an industry?

The report is “based on the extent to which countries are putting in place the factors and policies to make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism sector” for the future.

The TTCI bases its report on 14 criteria. Here is how Canada ranked:

Policy Rules and Regulations #10
Environmental Sustainability #41
Safety & Security #18
Health & Hygiene #53
Prioritization of Travel Tourism #37
Air Transport Infrastructure #1
Ground Transport Infrastructure #33
Tourism Infrastructure #21
ICT Infrastructure #23
Price Competitiveness in the T&T Industry #2
Human Resources #36
Affinity for Travel & Tourism #63
Natural resources #53
Cultural resources #95

Canada moves up 1 spot in the TTCI Rankings. The report indicates our strengths in Canada as natural resources (10th); World Heritage sites (5th); air transport infrastructure (5th); qualified human resources (5th); and a strong environment policy (10th). The report continues to praise our high number of events and festivals.

Our natural resources (oil sands) is a sore spot in the world. Our air transport services are one of the most expensive in the world. Our strong environment policy… what policy really? When you compare travel and it includes developed and a high majority of undeveloped countries – like in this report – we look like stars. The comparison here is very similar to the old “apples to oranges” scenario. When you compare our policies to – say- other developed countries like the G8 we finish near the bottom.

Canada lost some points in the categories of price competitiveness and environmental sustainability. Reasoning is our lack of enforcement of environmental regulations and our high CO2 per capita emissions.

The report concludes that “in a world that is ever more volatile and in an environment that is ever-changing, new capabilities in tourism management and sector development are vital if an economy is to become more resilient against disruptive events and to prepare for long-term stability.”

Our DMOs must envision where the tourism market will be in 5 years – not in 1 year – because in today’s world we live in a volatile global economy which is often disrupted by world events which ultimately redirects the flow of travelers around the world.

And yet… we watch in awe… as our DMOs drop our efforts to market Canada to the USA travel sector (our most secure, stable & accessible market) in favour of marketing to overseas countries surrounded by volatile and disruptive circumstances. For our DMOs to take the USA tourism market for granted may just create the biggest challenge in the future for attracting USA tourists when we need them.

TTCI REPORT

The post Is Canada Tourism Resilient Against Disruptive Events? appeared first on EH Canada Travel Adventure Blog.

GO CTC GO!

Go CTC GO! We are cheering for you in the 2012 Tourism Playoffs! We realize we just squeaked into the Tourism Playoffs this year based on your latest results. But who cares we are Canadian – tough, resilient and polite. And as an underdog we know you will work the corners, forecheck, hit back and score the overtime goal when it counts in the 2012 Tourism Playoffs. Go CTC GO!

The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) Annual Report on the “State of Tourism in Canada” has just been released (link below). It is an interesting read pointing out the many challenges and decisions that lay ahead for the industry that we all love and work in.

It is no secret the CTC is upset with the current government over the budget cuts which saw their funding drop from 72 M in 2012 to 58.5 M this year. Compound that with the funding cuts also handed out to Canada Parks; the Canada Border Agency and Canada Customs. There are many changes coming to the Canadian Tourism Industry. How we react and respond will decide our fate.

Tourism revenue coming from travelers visiting Canada has been dropping for some time now. Since 2000 tourism revenue coming into Canada has dropped over 32%. Much of the drop is due to a poor USA market. To us in the industry the latest figures are of no real surprise.

“Revenue In” is not the only tool used for measuring Canadian tourism success. There are many other tourism measuring tools telling a similar story.

Unfortunately, Canada has fallen in several other travel categories resulting in Canada no longer being recognized as a Top 10 global travel destination in the world. No… now we sit at #18th possibly falling out of the Top 20 next year. The drop started around 2002 – long before so called funding cuts.

The global tourism game is changing and we, as an industry, need to refocus. The CTC must lead the charge for Canada and they should – they are the face of Canada Tourism. They are THE government tourism organization with unlimited resources and receive large sums of funding (even if they think it is not enough). Private tourism DMO’s, like us, have to earn our revenue by relying on customer advertising and sponsors not 58.5 M doled out by government.

All Canadian provincial and national tourism stakeholders must succeed for tourism in Canada to grow. When they do well, we all do better. We are one of many cheerleaders for the CTC, we just want something to cheer about not point blame to. Our tourism challenges reach far beyond just funding cuts. Our future tourism challenges may be more influenced by the decisions made or lack there of.

The USA provides the most visitors to Canada every year. Last year USA visitors accounted for 3/4 of all arrivals in Canada (11.8 million). Each US visitor spends on average $518 per trip (Brazil was tops at $1,874). You would think a 3/4 share of our tourism industry would be a market we would fight to protect. Not so much it seems. The USA is out and China is in.

The CTC has created a strategic plan which would drastically reduce promoting Canada to the U.S.A. Some say it is because of the low average dollars spent per US visitor… some say it is the high Canadian dollar while others say it is because of the intense competition in the market place competing for the US tourism buck.

In response to these market factors … the CTC has decided to reduce marketing to the USA drastically and begin allocating more marketing efforts to the smaller 1/4 share of visitors who arrive from afar and spend more money.

Basically, we are dropping the ball on the USA. We think this move, just might, bite us in the foot down the road.

So lets get this right… USA and Canada travelers are the two largest travel markets who explore Canada. We are giving up on the American travelers and we cannot entice Canadian travelers to explore Canada more and for longer. Maybe our stakeholders sell Canada to Canadians ineffectively. Just a thought?

Here is another thought. Canada experienced a “travel deficit” estimated at $17.8 billion last year, a deterioration of 9 percent year over year as “payments by Canadians abroad were more than double the receipts from visitors to Canada,” the report states. Ugh!

Why are we not trying to…. extend the length of stays of a USA visitor so they spend more money before we right that market off? The US market is, by all accounts, our tourism base. Do they think the USA will never have money again? Do you thing travel rules will not change again? What happens when international visitors stop? Then what… we burned a bridge.

Why are we not trying to…. lower transportation costs. Airplane travel in Canada is one of the highest in the developed world. Rail system is too expensive to travel across the country. Gas prices are just plain silly. Transportation incentives are a priority! Reputation around the world for economical travel options would change the landscape of tourism in this country.

Why are we not trying to…. sell adventure, activity, fun, excitement to Canadians more effectively instead of spending millions on showing scenery of mountains, moose and lakes. Hello! We Canadians know our country is beautiful, amazing and large. Tell us something we do not know because most Canadians see mountains, moose and lakes everyday and are not going to use their one big vacation a year to see a different mountain, moose or lake.

Why are we not trying to…. try?

Let us not forget…. Tourism creates more than 608,500 jobs in Canada. In 2012 the tourism industry generated over $82 billion in revenue. $15 billion coming from international travellers. Tourism is Canada’s number one service export!

The market is growing… the United Nations World Tourism Organization, states tourists spend $3 billion a day ($2 million a minute) globally making tourism one of the world’s fastest-growing industries.

We must, as an industry, think long term and stop with short term fixes. Our tourism stakeholders need to move pass the branding of our country as polar bears, igloos, maple syrup and Mounties.

Canada is so much more. Now our tourism stakeholders must work smarter with less money to educate the traveler about our  adventures, culture and, especially, our 4 seasons because that is what sells Canada best – not beaver tails. We are always here to help, but the CTC never asks – why is that anyway? Hmmm.

So… bottom line is that it is finally here! The hotly anticipated Canada’s best seller for the Canadian Tourism Industry hits the book store shelves – the Canadian Tourism Commission Annual Report. It is a must read, cover to cover. Cannot put it down. So many twists and turns. I think it is a cross between a murder mystery, drama and humour novel? Have to read it again so much to read in between the lines. Ok…so back to the beginning…

Go CTC GO! We are cheering for you!

CTC Report

The post 2012 Tourism Playoffs – CTC Report appeared first on EH Canada Travel Adventure Blog.

Ok, so it is raining. Waaaa. Cry to someone who cares. I know it may sound harsh, but come on use your imagination. How hard can it be to turn a rainy day gloom into a rainbow of happy emotions. There is so much more you can enjoy on a rainy day besides – of course – “Singing in the Rain” which we all do right. Well… most of us do, don’t we? Maybe that is why I get so many funny looks when I am out in the rain. OK… back on topic I know.

Back to the rainy day doldrums dilemma. Hog wash to that anyway if you have not guessed by now. Every day can be a good day if you make something of it – rain or no rain. Here are some of rainy day activities which you may have probably never thought of …

Caving at Horne Lake Caves, Vancouver Island, BC

Go Birding. What you say, that’s crazy, I will just get wet. Not true. The more developed birding sites in Canada often have covered birding blinds, viewing towers and staffed information centres. Often there is always one major birding site per region within a day trip. Some may require a short hike in rain gear to reach the sheltered viewing decks and towers. Best thing ever, is that everyone else stays home for some reason so you and the birds will enjoy some quality time together. Birds do not “couch potato” when it is raining. They are not scared of the rain why should we be.

Go Underground. Guess what? There is no rain when you are exploring underground. There are underground tours located throughout the country. Caving tours explore underground waterfalls, canyons, rivers, stalagmites, stalactites and more. Some underground tours are not caves at all but follow old tunnels once used for bootlegging. And then there are the underground mining tours exploring on rail cars. Depending on the type of underground adventure there are lessons, equipment, guides and transportation if need be.

Squamish, BC Mural

Go Artsy. You may be one of the few who do not appreciate art but – from our experience – you may want to give it a chance. Go visit your local art gallery or take a an art studio driving tour meeting with some of the local artists in their home studios. Hear their stories and view their work on site. If you do not feel like mingling then take a day drive to a nearby community with a good selection of outdoor murals. You do not even have to leave the car and you just may get some shopping in.

Go Bowling: Bowling is a laugh fest when slinging balls down a lane with a group of good friends. And it is an activity that is easy on the wallet. Good or bad bowling never really matters because everyone is always laughing too hard anyway whether it is because of your “missing the pins” gutter ball or the old story rehashed over and over by your friends. It is funny how the stories always surface, grow, change and get funnier as time passes by. Is it raining outside? Sorry I was laughing so hard I did not even notice.

Go Scuba : This may not be in the cards for all of you but it is a thought. A good time to learn scuba is in the rainy season. Often forgotten on a rainy day is the world alive underneath the water. Sign up for scuba lessons and explore the landscape of the ocean world. If you are going to get wet in the rain why not go big and get totally wet exploring the depths of the ocean.

Go Climbing: Depending on your location why not learn to climb at one of the indoor climbing centres in Canada. Phone ahead and make a day trip out of it. Climbing gyms provide all levels of climbing experiences. There are instructors, gear rental and lessons to assist you as you learn different methods of climbing. Gyms are dry and out of the rain. You never know you just may like this climbing thing and a new hobby is born.

Go Fogging: With rain there comes fog and/or rainbows. For photo buffs – well dressed in rain gear – there is something special about the fog when used correctly with scenery. A photo with a boat peaking its head out of the fog; a lighthouse rolling in waves of fog; the sun shining behind a blanket of fog; a bird behind a thin curtain of fog – all create moments of photo brilliance. When fog breaks and the rain stops, a well timed photo shoot can finish with a rainbow. Nice touch to a day of foggy thoughts.

Go Relax: So the weather is dug right into your nervous system. You feel tense, sad and irritable and the rain is not helping one little bit. Easy fix really but first you have to get off your horse and pick up the phone and make it happen. Rainy days are a great way to treat yourself to a spa, hot spring and/or massage. Book a sit down in a mineral hot pool nearest you and melt your stress away… or visit a spa for some pampering and/or let someone else do the work in de-stressing your nerves like the experts at a massage and wellness centre.

Library, Regina, Saskatchewan

Go Learn: With computers many do not find the time to read books anymore. What is a book you say? You know those oversized “domino-like” things stacked up against each other on the shelf. Call me old fashion but the sound of pages flipping is far more soothing than the rattle of a keyboard or the swiping of a iPad screen to flip pages. A library is more than books it is a world of adventures. When was the last time you went exploring in a library. There have been many times on our road trips when we stop and re-energize our thoughts in a library. With a stack of books in hand we find a corner and flip pages creating ideas, goals and dreams.

Go Out. We travel to out of the way coffee shops in neighbouring towns and spend a day catching up on work or research. Instead of the home office with no interaction it does us good to get out in the public somewhere new and meet interesting people. We often select artsy, eclectic cafes because they often provide us with an education in music we may not of heard of before; they post local art on their walls; they may have a musician playing and they provide great people watching opportunities.

The post Top 10 Best Rainy Day Activities You May Not Think Of appeared first on EH Canada Travel Adventure Blog.

Begbie Lookout, 100 Mile House, BC

The Cariboo-Chilcotin-Coast (CCC) region of British Columbia, Canada, sometimes gets lost in the shadows of the power house tourism regions in the province. Do not be fooled or misled, there is much to do and see in the region. For many, who have ventured to the region, it provides some of the greatest sightseeing road trips & adventures in the central part of the province.

The Cariboo region is filled with lakes, rolling hills, waterfalls, mountains and ranchlands. The Chilcotin region enjoys a network of creeks and rivers feeding into lakes crisscrossing grasslands, farming fields and alpine plateaus. And… the Central Coast region is protected by mountain ranges, decorated in thick lush forests while resting on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

The CCC is home to the Fishing Highway (Hwy #24), the Heritage Highway (Hwy #26) and some pretty impressive mountain biking, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, off roading, and backpacking destinations. Plus….. the region enjoys one of the highest concentrations of historic and heritage sites in British Columbia.

108 Mile Ranch Historic Site, BC

The main communities in the CCC are Williams Lake, Quesnel and Lillooet. But there are many small villages located along the highways, like Tatla Lake, Wells, Bella Coola, 100 Mile House, Nimpo Lake, Gold Bridge and others which provide a life time of sightseeing memories on any road trip.

Some of the top sightseeing destinations in the Cariboo-Chilcotin-Coast include River Valley Trail, Farwell Canyon & Scout Island Park (Williams Lake); Barkerville Historic Homestead, Cottonwood Homestead & Wells (Quesnel); 108 Heritage Site, Begbie Lookout & Canim-Mahood Falls (100 Mile House); Hangman’s Tree (Lillooet) and Clayton Falls (Bella Coola).

Some of the top island activity and adventure destinations in the Cariboo-

Fraser River, Lillooet, BC

Chilcotin-Coast include Desous Mountain Trails & McLeese Lake (Williams Lake); Bowron Lake Provincial Park (Quesnel); Moose Valley Provincial Park & Wells Gray Provincial Park (100 Mile House); Carpenter Lake, Anderson Lake, Seton Lake (Lillooet); Nimpo Lake (Nimpo Lake) and Tweedsmuir Provincial Park (Hagensborg-Anahim Lake).

The post Cariboo-Chilcotin-Coast – Top Reasons Why to Visit CCC in BC appeared first on EH Canada Travel Adventure Blog.