Posts by: John Zada

Checking In: Au Vaillantbourg B&B in Quebec’s Eastern Townships

John Zada Canada HOME Hotel Reviews March 24, 2015

As a long time traveller to far-flung places, I’ve had few occasions to stay in a proper bed-and-breakfast. Tents, cabins and the homes of welcoming locals are all forms of shelter used by those of us who wander the lonely edges of the world. Traditional B&B’s, especially those of the Little House on the Prairie variety, seldom materialize on such journeys.

But on a recent foray into the overgrown fringes of Quebec’s Eastern townships, I stumbled upon one. And it was hard to avert my gaze from Au Vaillantbourg B&B. Continue Reading →

Canada’s Arctic Edge: Life in Churchill, Manitoba

John Zada Canada HOME North America July 10, 2014

Every summer about 3,000 belugas whales enter the Churchill River, which flows out of northern Manitoba, Canada, and into Hudson Bay. Churchill is Canada’s principal Arctic-area seaport, located on the western shore of Hudson Bay.

This sub-Arctic hamlet, in which no road leads in or out, has a population of just 1,000 souls. It bills itself as both the beluga whale and polar bear capital of the world. If that isn’t enough, it’s also a self-described birdwatching paradise and the best place on the planet to view the aurora borealis, better known as the northern lights. Continue Reading →