This is one of our best trips in terms of choices, entertainment, pricing and variety of skiing. Bring your blades and skate Ottawa’s famous Rideau Canal, and participate in their Winterlude, which has lots of outdoor entertainment (ice sculptures, outdoor concerts, etc.). For more information on Winterlude, please visit their websitehttp://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1379706275276 . Opening Ceremonies and 1/2 hour Fireworks show from behind the Parliament buildings.
Dinners are not included but three breakfasts are optional if you desire to dine with everybody on trip. It will give us the opportunity to dine out and try some of Ottawa’s superb culinary offerings. If enough are interested, a dinner together may be organized at a restaurant of choice. For this year, we will be staying at Capital Hill Hotel on Albert Street which is in the heart of downtown Ottawa and next to Elgin Street. This refurbished hotel is so centrally located that it will take you only 5 minutes to walk to Parliament Hill, Confederation Park (home of the famous Winterlude ice sculptures) and the Rideau Canal, the world’s longest skating rink! It’s also very close to the Congress Centre, Rideau Centre and Byward Market.
The hotel stands up to expectations as a “Four Star” hotel, features a dining room (Cafe Biblioteque) and the Livingstone’s Pub.
As for skiing, it’ll be in the Gatineau Hills (Gatineau Park), on the Quebec side with its 40 groomed, track-set trails, and wilderness trails, amounting to an impressive 200 km. There is a very wide variety of trails, for novice to expert.
For skiing, we will visit 3 different areas of the park each day. Each day will follow the same schedule during the day. We will reach the the trail head/Parking lot by 10 am, and skiers who want to be out all day skiing a distance of 25 km approx. will have the flexibility to go back at 2 pm or 4 30 pm, The bus will then go to end point parking area and let out the remaining skiers who then have the option to ski and come back for a 2 pm or 4 30 pm departure. Warm up huts are available nearby in certain areas. We will have the opportunity to purchase maps at the visitors centre when we are buying the trail tickets. Every morning at breakfast we will discuss what part of the park we are going to that day. Skiers should have a day pack to to carry extra clothing, lunches, and water.
Early bird pricing until Jan 13, 2014, After that the bus cost goes up to $ 125. More seats left on the bus
When you fill out your registration: The first part is bus cost $100, then accommodation costs, single, double, triple, or quad. Next is the breakfast option. A registration for double would work out to $310. Keep in mind, if you are signing up for triple or quad, it might be better to know who you are sharing with. Double Occupancy would be the best arrangement for people that don't know the suite mate.
The package includes the following: return transportation by luxury coach, transportation to skiing areas, accommodations for 3 nights, 3 breakfasts optional, and taxes and gratuities.
We will buy group trail passes each day depending the number skiing that day. The cost is $ 15.00
We will leave Thursday at 9 a.m. from MTO Carpooling lot at Hurontario and Hwy. 401; 10 a.m. York Mills and Yonge by York Mills Green P, Parking lot, Jolly Miller lot; 10:30 a.m. from McCowan LRT station, 101 Grangeway, Green P parking lot.Whitby MTO lot at 11 15 am and arrive at our hotel in Ottawa at about 3 p.m. On Sunday, we will leave our hotel at 4 p.m. to be back in Toronto around 10 p.m.
Cancellations received after Dec. 31, 2013 could result in the loss of your bus portion, if a substitute cannot be found. Cancellation within 3 days prior to departure may result in the loss of your total trip cost if no substitute can be found, but only if the club is forced to pay the hotel for your vacant place. Cancellation out of a “double” arrangement after Dec. 30, 2013 may result in you having to pay the difference to “single” rate if no substitute can be found, Same applies to triples and quads, sharing. $ 25 cancellation fee applies
We are sharing this trip with the Outdoor Club of East York, and depending on how many sign up from either club, there may be more seats available as the trip fills up.
For more information and any questions that you may have, please call Terry Walsh at 416 897 1035.
