As I type this, my Facebook feed is filling up with posts about the incoming snowpocalypse/snowmaggedon/storm of the decade. Will it materialize? Yeah, probably. Should you stay home until it passes? Absolutely—those “don’t drive unless necessary” warnings are no joke.
However, once the plows have been out and the weather has cleared, you’ll probably be dying to get out of the house again. Luckily, I have 25 ideas for doing just that, from the Gatineau Loppet and a fundraising bonspiel in the Outaouais to The Maltese Falcon on stage in Perth, a beer festival in Ottawa, a gardening event in Montreal and a snowmobile race weekend in Eganville. Drive carefully and have fun!
Hit the ski and snowshoe trails in West Quebec
Flickr/Creative Commons photo of the Gatineau Loppet by ActiveSteve.
Here are some people who are probably delighted by the bountiful snow this winter: the organizers of the Gatineau Loppet (February 15 to 17). Billing itself as “the greatest international cross-country ski event in Canada” (hey, it never hurts to toot your own horn), it features a wide variety of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking races. Races depart from various points. Note that one of the primary locations is new—last year’s tornado severely damaged facilities at École secondaire Mont-Bleu, so activities that used to take place there have moved next door to the Campus Gabrielle-Roy of the CÉGEP de l’Outaouais, After skiing, you can check out the ski equipment show and watch adventure movies on the big screen.
If you’re available for some fun on a weekday afternoon, you can enjoy a free tour of the Coronation Hall Cider Mills in Bristol, Quebec, followed by a free guided snowshoeing hike organized by Ski Pontiac, on Friday, February 15. The activities start at 2:45pm, following a press conference.
Dance the night away in Perth
At Fire and Ice at the Crystal Palace in Perth on Saturday, February 16, you can raise a toast with local beer and vodka, and dance to the music of The Lucky Bs.
Check out an art exhibition in Chelsea
Photo of France-Marie Trépanier’s art courtesy of La Fab Arts Centre.
La Fab Arts Centre’s newest show, Under the Colour (February 16 to March 10), presents the works of France-Marie Trépanier. Influenced by the abstract expressionists, self-taught artist Trépanier uses her hands, a ruler, a sponge, a spatula, a scraper and brushes to create tactile paintings with acrylics on unprimed canvas. She loves to hang her works as unframed tapestries so that they keep their shape and movement. You can meet her at the show’s opening on Saturday, February 16, from 2pm to 5pm.
Learn about local history in Prince Edward County
The folks in Prince Edward County have put together a fascinating-sounding week of special events riffing on the County’s history. During Flashback February, you can test your problem-solving skills in an escape room at historic Macaulay House, learn about efforts to retrieve an Avro Arrow test plane from the bottom of Lake Ontario, take the family to a winter festival at Sandbanks Provincial Park, or enjoy a musical revue by Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory singers, musicians and dancers. And those are just a few of the events on the packed schedule.
Get gardening tips in Montreal
Photo by Joshua Lanzarini on Unsplash.
Spring really will come, eventually. If you want to be ready for the warmer weather, you could head to Montreal for Seedy Weekend at the Planétarium Rio Tinto Alcan (February 16 and 17). Roughly 20 exhibitors will be on hand selling flower, herb and vegetable seeds. You can also get some tips in lectures and hands-on workshops (in French), and swap seeds with others.
Treat the kids to bouncy castles in Rockland
Do your kids have February cabin fever? The Bouncy Castle Festival (February 16 and 17) at the Jean-Marc Lalonde Arena in Rockland may be just the cure. As well as bouncing inside air-filled structures of all descriptions, they can nosh on popcorn, chips and cotton candy, and get their faces painted.
Curl in a bonspiel in Shawville
Flickr/Creative Commons photo by Adam Harvey.
Calling all curlers! The Spread the Love curling bonspiel in Shawville on Saturday, February 16, is a fundraiser for the Ottawa University Heart Institute Foundation, and the organizers are looking for teams of four ($25 per player).
Enjoy chamber music in Merrickville
In the aptly named Music for a Sunday Afternoon concert on February 17, Sofia-Marie Bergeron (violin), Marlena Pellegrino (viola), Kitty Chan (cello) and Emmanuel Cigana (piano) will be performing chamber pieces by Dvorak, Schubert, Mozart, Liszt and Glière, at the Merrickville United Arts Centre.
Revel in winter in Algonquin Park
Snowshoeing in Algonquin Park, Ontario, during Winter in the Wild. Photo courtesy of Ontario Parks.
Algonquin Park celebrates Winter in the Wild on Saturday, February 16, with guided birding and snowshoeing hikes, marshmallow roasts, winter camping demonstrations, skating, chili, a barbecue and more.
See a Fleetwood Mac tribute or a magic show in Pembroke
It’s a busy weekend at Pembroke’s Festival Hall Centre for the Performing Arts. On Saturday, February 16, Rumours: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac takes to the stage. The next day, Ottawa-born magician Michael Bourada will amaze audiences with illusions in shows at 2pm and 7pm.
Enjoy a weekend of hockey in Brockville
Photo by Terry Matthews on Unsplash.
Hey, hockey fans! The Brockville Winter Classic Weekend (February 15 to 18) has a packed schedule of activities for you, including a speakeasy-style Hot Stove Dinner, a match pitting Chicago Black Hawks alumni against the Prescott/BrockvilleTim Hortons All-Stars team, amateur games galore, a sledge hockey match, a community skating party and more. Since it began in 2015, this fundraising weekend has raised over $150,000 to build Rotary Park in Brockville.
Enjoy Big Band tunes in Gananoque
In concerts called World on a String at the Firehall Theatre in Gananoque on February 16 and 17, a group called the Nostalgic Sounds and local vocalist Haley Miller will be entertaining the audience with Big Band-era hits.
Go ice fishing all over Eastern Ontario
Photo by Sarah Labuda on Unsplash.
Have you ever wanted to introduce your kids to ice fishing? This weekend (February 16 to 18) will be the perfect time, as the Ontario government has designated it a licence-free fishing weekend—so you can cast your line for free! The Ontario Family Fishing Events website has a comprehensive list of fishing weekend events across the province, including fun in Nepean, Constance Bay, Westport, Rockland and beyond. One event not on the list above is the Alexandria Ice Fishing Derby on Saturday, February 16, which offers more than $45,000 in prizes.
See a play in Cornwall or Perth
The Seaway Valley Theatre Company is presenting The Drowsy Chaperone at the Aultsville Theatre in Cornwall (February 15 to 23). This rollicking musical, a big Broadway hit, is a funny farce about a man who puts on his favourite record and suddenly finds the cast of a 1928 play coming to life in his apartment.
Meanwhile, Barn Door Productions is staging The Maltese Falcon at the Full Circle Theatre in Perth (February 15 to March 3). The hardboiled noir thriller is based on Dashiell Hammett’s tale of womanizing private eye Sam Spade, who falls into a web of intrigue when his partner is murdered.
Cheer for snowmobilers in Eganville
Snowmobile fans will be heading to Eganville this weekend for the 45th annual Bonnechere Cup (February 15 to 17), three days of high-speed racing on a professional ice oval. The video above gives you a sense of the action!
Catch Arkells in Ottawa
Hey, music fans: As part of the Rally Cry Tour, Arkells will be at the Canadian Tire Centre with special guests Lord Huron on Friday, February 15.
Celebrate winter in and around Sharbot Lake
In Central Frontenac (the area around Sharbot Lake and Arden, 90 minutes to two hours southwest of Ottawa), the Frontenac Heritage Festival takes place on February 16 and 17, with everything from a concert by Shawn McCullough and Wade Foster to a bucket drumming performance, lessons in “crokicurl” (a very Canadian combo of crokinole and curling) and a polar bear plunge.
Raise a glass in Ottawa
Winter Brewfest gives you the chance to sample a selection of more than 100 craft beers at Lansdowne Park (February 15 and 16). Along with trying beers galore, you can nibble on snacks and enjoy beats from a changing roster of DJs.
See works by female artists in Syracuse
Female artists can face a tough battle getting their work shown and reviewed. In Syracuse, the Everson Museum of Art is helping address that issue with its current show, (Re)generation: Women Artists After 60. Catch it at the museum until Sunday, February 24.
Ogle cool cars in Toronto
Photo by Emil Vilsek on Unsplash.
A Dubai-built “hypercar”! Exotic vehicles! Second World War tanks! No matter what revs your engine when it comes to cars, you’ll probably find it at the Canadian International Autoshow in Toronto, which runs February 15 to 24.
Ski for kids at Mont Ste. Marie
Mont Ste. Marie’s annual Ski for Kids event (Friday, February 15) is a fundraiser for CHEO and the Children’s Aid Foundation of Ottawa. As well as hitting the slopes, participants can bid for great prizes in a live auction.
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