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Spotlight On...
Canadian Media Centre
Search no further for the topic of your next great story! Head to the Canadian Tourism Commission's Media Centre for inspiration and fresh, exciting news from Canada 24/7. Stay up-to-date on the latest happenings in Canada with story ideas, upcoming events, media images, video clips and links to key resources all in one convenient place. Use the rights-free content and royalty-free images for print, broadcast and electronic media – or simply to motivate your next great story. Whether you're looking for information on the newest boutique hotel in Québec City or the latest outdoor adventure trend in Saskatchewan, the Media Centre is your expert source for all things Canada. Explore the site at www.canada.travel/mediacentre.
Canada in Literature
As spring turns to summer and you're looking for a good read, why not pick up a Canadian novel?
Say hello again to the redheaded orphan on Prince Edward Island who stole the hearts of readers worldwide. This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables by Canadian author Lucy Maude Montgomery. The province is celebrating with year-long festivities, including a country fair, a cook-out, an Anne 2008 time capsule and Anne of Green Gables – The Musical. Visit www.anne2008.com for more information.
Canadian author Michael Ondaatje is world-famous for his novel, The English Patient which was adapted into an Academy Award ® -winning film. And the natural splendor of Canada provides plenty of inspiration for authors around the world. From Margaret Atwood's Toronto-based, The Robber Bride, to E. Annie Proulx's The Shipping News, where Newfoundland sets the stage, to Margaret Craven's I Heard the Owl Call My Name, set in a remote island off the coast of British Columbia – Canada's people and places continue to make their mark in literature.
Anne of Green Gables and other indicia of Anne are trademarks and Canadian official marks of the Anne of Green Gables Licensing Authority Inc. and are used under licence by the Celebrate Anne of Green Gables 2008 Committee.
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Girl Power!
 Let's hear it for the girls! Gutsy girls, that is. Gutsy Women Travel, a division of Gate 1 Travel and a leading operator of unique travel tours for women, is offering fun loving ladies two exciting tours to Canada this summer.
On July 19, the "Classic Canada" trip kicks off in the global and sophisticated city of Toronto – inviting visitors to wander its colorful neighborhoods, peruse fashionable boutiques and dine at world-class restaurants. Next, visit the natural wonder of Niagara Falls and sample wines at nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake vineyards.
With a start date of August 13, the "Magic of Canada" tour highlights the culinary greatness of Quebec and Montreal, two of Canada's World Heritage jewels. Embrace your inner gourmet with a cooking class, a full-day culinary tour and high tea at former castle Chateau Frontenac, all while experiencing the rich history, culture and distinctive charm of both beautiful cities. The "Classic Canada" package starts at $2,899 and the "Magic of Canada" package starts at $2,559. Both packages are land-only and do not include airfare. For more information, please visit www.gutsywomentravel.com.
Friendly Neighbors Lending a Hand
Sure, a relaxing spa or beach vacation can make you feel good, but using your vacation days to help others can make you feel even better. The growing trend of using vacation days to lend a hand, known as "voluntourism," is quickly gaining popularity across Canada.
With Willing Workers On Organic Farms (WWOOF), volunteers can spend time pitching in at one of more than 600 working organic farms across Canada in exchange for free room and board. Highlights include learning about organic gardening and farming in the rich Canadian soil and meeting other people from around the world joined together for a single cause. For more information, visit www.wwoof.ca.
For travelers with an interest in education or housing programs, Operation Beaver, a division of Frontiers Foundation, is a non-profit aboriginal voluntary service organization that places volunteers in First Nation communities. Volunteers work with these aboriginal communities to provide affordable housing and improvements in education. For more information, visit www.frontiersfoundation.ca.
Polar Bear Plunge
 Coney Island Polar Bear Club, look out! Not just a clever name, the Polar Bear Habitat & Heritage Village in Cochrane, ON offers visitors the chance to get up close and personal with the furry animals in the water. The world's first and only polar bear rehabilitation center has designed a special pool to allow guests to swim next to the cute creatures – with a thick glass wall separating the two spaces, of course. The non-profit facility rescues polar bears from sub-standard conditions to house and care for them. The center is currently home to three bears – Nanook, age 24, and Nikita and Aurora, four-year-old twins. Visitors not wanting to get wet can view the bears from dry land, or explore Heritage Village, a recreation of an early 1900's street, complete with a General Store and Blacksmith Shop. The polar bear habitat and heritage village is open year round, but this plunge does not refer to the temperature of the water. Swimming with the furry animals is open seasonally from May 17 to October 13, weather permitting. For more information, visit www.polarbearhabitat.ca.
Food for thought: Canadian BBQ
 Thoughts of sticky, finger-lickin' and aromatic barbecue goodness traditionally go hand- in-hand with images of down-home Southern hospitality, but not anymore! Barbecue has headed north of the border, and found a home away from home in backyards and kitchens across Canada.
Award-winning Ted Reader, a.k.a. Canada's "King of the Q," has been creating succulent barbecue specialties for his world-famous catering company for years. Dubbed the "crazy Canuck barbecue kingpin" by GQ Magazine, he has published more than a dozen cook books and has appeared on a variety of TV and radio cooking shows including Live with Regis and Kelly. Visit http://www.tedreader.com/ for more information.
At Klondike Rib and Salmon BBQ in Whitehorse, Yukon, grill lovers can sample Canadian comfort food specialties like musk ox, caribou and bison in the oldest operating building in the city. Can't get enough of that mesquite flavor? Take a trip to cattle country in Calgary, where The Palomino Smokehouse co
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