Itinerary

DAY 1     Vieux-Quebec, QC
Arrive at Hotel Manoir Victoria, Quebec City. Enjoy dinner and attend an evening orientation session to discuss the activities of the week to come.
Accommodations: Hotel Manoir Victoria

DAY 2     Vieux-Quebec, QC
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning: A slide lecture entitled "The History of Québec City" will be complemented by a guided walk through Old Québec and will give you an excellent overview of Québec City from its founding to the present day. Learn about the principal historical events that occurred here. The city was awarded its World Heritage City designation in 1985 based partially on the preservation of the fortifications around the Old Town, which date from 1745. This area has a distinct European feel with its stone buildings and winding streets lined with shops and restaurants. Lunch: Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon: During a lecture you will learn about the important role played by the Church in insuring the survival of French-Canadian culture, language and customs to its loss of influence in 21st-century Québec. On a walking field trip to the Ursulines Convent and Museum, learn about the educational mission of the Ursuline nuns and their way of life. The Ursulines landed in New France in 1639 and concerned themselves with the education of girls, both French and Native. The Convent is the oldest institution of its kind in North America. It is housed in buildings erected at various times during the monastery's three and a half centuries of existence. The Chapel dates from the early 20th century and preserves the interior decor of the original 1730s chapel. Much of the carving is the work of Québec's master-sculptor Pierre-Noël Levasseur. There are also paintings by French masters of the 17th and 18th centuries. The Ursulines museum contains one of the richest ethnographic and artistic collections passed down from the early days of New France, including exquisite embroidery worked by the nuns. Dinner: Dinner at a nearby restaurant. Evening: Following dinner, the remainder of the evening is free to explore Québec City on your own.
Accommodations: Hotel Manoir Victoria

DAY 3     Montreal, QC
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning: The morning will start with a lecture on “The Evolution of Nationalism in Québec.” You will then travel by coach to National Battlefields Park, also known as the Plains of Abraham. This is the site of the most significant battle in Canadian history, despite the fact that the battle lasted only thirty minutes. Following the visit to the Plains of Abraham, enjoy a short city coach excursion en route to the train station. Lunch: Lunch at a nearby restaurant. Afternoon: Travel by train from Québec City to Montréal. Dinner: Dinner at a restaurant near your Montréal hotel. Evening: Following dinner, the remainder of the evening is free.
Accommodations: Marriott SpringHill Suites Old Montreal

DAY 4     Montreal, QC
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Morning: Morning lectures present a historical analysis of transportation technology and its impact on Montréal commerce. Lunch: Lunch at a nearby restaurant. Afternoon: A walking field trip in Old Montréal provides the opportunity to explore the architectural history of the city, as you walk the cobbled streets. Notable highlights during the walk include Notre Dame Basilica, Place d'Armes and Place Jacques Cartier. This historic city center is rich in museums, galleries, restaurants and grey stone architecture spread out along narrow, cobblestone streets. Stroll through Place Jacques Cartier, a lively public square, and then turn south to the waterfront (Vieux Port). Its impressive harborfront facilities include a 1.5-mile (2.5-km)-long recreational park along the St. Lawrence River with docking facilities for small and large boats, promenades for skating, cycling and strolling, a state-of-the-art science centre, a theater, antiquarian bookshops and inviting cafés. Following the field trip, enjoy free time to explore Montréal on your own. Dinner: Dinner at a nearby restaurant. Evening: Explore Montréal on your own or relax at the hotel. Optional activities include a sound and light show at Notre Dame Basilica, a magnificent Gothic Revival church dating back to 1829. The splendid interior features of the Basilica reflect painted, gilded, and carved wooden decorations, paintings, sculptures, and stained glass. There is an opportunity to explore the interior of the Basilica after the show.
Accommodations: Marriott SpringHill Suites Old Montreal

DAY 5     Toronto, ON
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Morning: Today begins with a field trip to the Canadian Railway Museum. At the museum you will examine transportation artifacts: giant steam locomotion engines and refurbished early coaches. En route to the train station, enjoy a coach excursion of Montréal. Lunch: Lunch in Montréal. Afternoon: Travel by train from Montréal to Toronto. Dinner: Cash allowance provided to purchase dinner onboard the train. Evening: Arrival in Toronto and check into your hotel.
Accommodations: The Strathcona Hotel

DAY 6     Toronto, ON
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning: A coach is the learning venue for the morning lecture, as you traverse the city and examine the dynamic fabric of cultural diversity in Toronto. Toronto is one of North America's most ethnically diverse cities, home to more than 80 ethnic communities from around the world. Lunch: Lunch at an ethnic restaurant. Afternoon: Following a short optional walk around the area, the theme of the afternoon lectures is the history of Ontario and the United Empire Loyalists, with an emphasis on Toronto's origins as the capital of Upper Canada; the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States, and contemporary Toronto. Your lecturer is the Senior Program Officer at Historic Fort York, a municipally operated museum that specializes in the era of the War of 1812. Fort York features some of the oldest buildings in the city of Toronto. Dinner: Dinner on your own, at your own expense. Evening: Free evening. Suggestions: enjoy a professional theater performance in the city that boasts the third-largest sale of theater tickets in the English-speaking world. Only New York and London, England sell more theater tickets each year. Or you may choose to visit the CN Tower for a panoramic view of the city, or explore Toronto on your own.
Accommodations: The Strathcona Hotel

DAY 7     Aboard the Train
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning: Travel by subway to the Royal Ontario Museum. Explore an exceptional array of themed galleries throughout the Museum, spanning both world cultures and natural history. With six million objects in the ROM’s collections, there’s something new to discover around every corner. The Royal Ontario Museum, commonly known as the ROM, is a major museum for world culture and natural history in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The ROM is the fifth largest museum in North America and contains more than six million items and over 40 galleries. It is also the largest museum in Canada. It has notable collections of dinosaurs, Near Eastern and African art, East Asian art, European history, and Canadian history. Lunch: Cash allowance provided for lunch on your own. Afternoon: Free time to explore Toronto on your own. Possible visits include the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Bata Shoe Museum or the Eaton Centre. Dinner: Meet for dinner at a restaurant near Union Station. Following dinner, your luggage will be transferred from the hotel to the train station. Evening: Depart by train for Jasper at 10:00 p.m. Your train journey to Western Canada begins at Union Station in downtown Toronto. The train route will follow the "iron road" that was carved out of solid rock more than a century ago. Journey past lakes and mountain peaks crowned with snow and wind your way across bridges and through tunnels. You will sleep aboard the train for three nights and cross four provinces traveling from central Canada to Canada's west to arrive in Jasper, Alberta.
Accommodations: VIA Rail

DAY 8     Aboard the Train
Breakfast on board the train. Each meal on board the train promises to be a memorable experience: a sophisticated, enticing cuisine, served with a generous portion of stunning landscapes. Morning: Audiovisual materials are available to enhance your learning experience on the train. Your Group Leader will make arrangements for a DVD presentation detailing the building of the railroad. Lunch: Lunch on board the train. Afternoon: Relax and enjoy the passing scenery. Dinner: Dinner on board the train. Evening: Games and movies are featured activities during the evening
Accommodations: VIA Rail

DAY 9     Aboard the Train
Breakfast on board the train. Morning: Enjoy several hours of free time in Winnipeg, the largest city in Manitoba, containing over half of the provincial population. Winnipeg is also the provincial capital. Located at the eastern edge of the prairie region of Western Canada, Winnipeg plays a prominent role in transportation, finance, manufacturing, agriculture and education. Because all rail and highway traffic between eastern and western Canada must travel through or near the city, it is often called the "Gateway to the West". The city is located near the geographic centre of North America, at the confluence of the historic Red and Assiniboine Rivers, a point now commonly known as The Forks. This is a focal point for many celebrations, public events, museums, shops, skating, restaurants, and tours. Winnipeg lies in close proximity to hundreds of lakes, including Lake Winnipeg, Canada's fifth largest lake and the world's eleventh largest, as well as Lake Manitoba and the Lake of the Woods. The city is a cultural centre and is the home of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. It boasts historic architecture, scenic waterways, a heritage river, numerous parks including Assiniboine Park, and distinctive neighborhoods. Winnipeg is home to the Hudson's Bay Company Archives, and is in the area of the original settlements and farms in the west. Winnipeg has laid claim to the title of World's Longest Skating Rink along the Red and Assiniboine rivers. Lunch: Lunch on board the train. Afternoon: The train departs Winnipeg in early afternoon. Dinner: Dinner on board the train. Evening: Games and movies are featured activities during the evening.
Accommodations: VIA Rail

DAY 10     Jasper, AB
Breakfast on board the train. Morning: This morning the train approaches Jasper, nestled deep in the heart of the Canadian Rockies and recognized internationally for its rugged beauty. Jasper is a world premiere national park, with a combination of startlingly blue-green mountain lakes, soaring peaks, and broad, forested valleys. Lunch: Lunch on board the train Afternoon: After arrival at your Jasper hotel, a lecture provides an orientation to the extensive riches of Jasper National Park. Encompassing over 10,878 square kilometers (4,200 square miles), the park has healthy wildlife populations, including grizzly bears and wolves, living among the grand peaks. The park’s distance from large urban centers and its relatively intact ecology create a special sense of the early days in the Rockies. The afternoon educational component is an exploration of the Maligne Canyon. Your instructor will discuss the geological evidence of deep canyon formation; the rich natural history of the site; and wildlife habitats. There will be an opportunity to search for fossils. Dinner: Dinner at the hotel. Evening: Free evening to explore Jasper on your own.
Accommodations: Amethyst Lodge

DAY 11     Jasper, AB
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning: The second day in Jasper will involve a full day field trip with your naturalist instructor. The learning activities will be geared to the study of the natural history in a number of areas of this beautiful and diverse mountain terrain. Possible sites of study may include Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls, Maligne Lake, and the Valley of the Five Lakes. Exact destinations may vary depending on the weather. You will also travel to the Columbia Icefields and experience a Snowcoach ride on the Athabasca Glacier. This is the largest icefield south of Alaska, and the shimmering glacial ice and snow cover some 389 sq. km. (233 sq. mi.). An exciting Snowcoach Tour will take you out onto the Athabasca Glacier, a tongue of the Columbia Icefield, for an awe-inspiring glimpse of icy crevasses and ice-fed streamlets. Lunch: Lunch en route. Afternoon: Your excursion continues during the afternoon. Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant in Jasper. Evening: Free evening to explore Jasper on your own.
Accommodations: Amethyst Lodge

DAY 12     Aboard the Train
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning: Following a lecture on the geology of the Jasper area, enjoy a visit to the Yellowhead Museum. At the museum, the educational program will address the human history of the area. This is a research and exhibit museum. Its documents and artifacts illustrate the human history of Jasper National Park and the Yellowhead corridor. The museum visit is followed by free time to explore the town of Jasper. Lunch: Lunch on your own, cash allowance provided. Afternoon: Enjoy some free time in Jasper, before the train departs for Vancouver in mid afternoon. Dinner: Dinner on board the train. Evening: Games and movies are featured activities during the evening.
Accommodations: VIA Rail

DAY 13     Vancouver, BC
Breakfast on board the train, prior to arrival in Vancouver. Morning: Disembarking the train in Vancouver, you will immediately commence the exploration of this vibrant city. Downtown areas of the city, such as Stanley Park, Gastown and Chinatown will be the subjects of study. Both coach and walking excursions will be utilized as learning venues for this segment of the program. Lunch: Lunch en route at Granville Island Market. Cash allowance provided. Afternoon: The focus of the afternoon educational program is the culture of indigenous people. The venue for the study will be the Museum of Anthropology, a spectacular building on the campus of the University of British Columbia overlooking mountains and sea. This museum is Canada's largest teaching museum. Its collections, exhibitions and programs are renowned for providing insight into the cultures of indigenous peoples around the world. Dinner: Dinner at the Fish House in Stanley Park. Surrounded by Stanley Park's lush greenery, the Fish House overlooks panoramic English Bay and the spectacular gardens and forests of Stanley Park. Evening: The evening is free to explore Vancouver on your own.
Accommodations: Best Western Sands

DAY 14     Vancouver, BC
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning: Vancouver is Canada's gateway to the Pacific Ocean. The morning lectures conducted by a local historian considers the evolution of this dynamic city from a social, ethnic, and economic perspective. Lunch: Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon: The afternoon program is dedicated to a walking field trip with your instructor through Vancouver's West End. It includes the seawall walk in Stanley Park, with its impressive totem poles. Famous for its majestic wilderness in downtown Vancouver, Stanley Park spreads over 1000 acres and is the largest urban park on the continent. Dinner: Farewell dinner at the hotel. Evening: Free evening.
Accommodations: Best Western Sands

DAY 15     
Prepare for independent departures home following breakfast.

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