Canadian travel deals: Where to find them this summer

Once summer finally shows up, Canadians would be wise to consider travelling within their own country instead of flinging themselves overseas or across the border.

Vancouver Hume Travel consultant Michael Newton Kemp says the advantages of staying in the land of maple leaves go far beyond saving money on pricey long-haul flights.

"There is so much variety here," Kemp says. "Canadians are traditionally great travellers but mainly to foreign areas. Few have really explored their own country to any great extent. Think how different certain areas are, such as B.C. with its mountains and rugged coastline and the gentle hills and historic villages of the Maritimes. How many dwellers of the more populated areas of the south have ever experienced the endless expanses of the virtually unpopulated north?"

The best way to get supreme value, of course, is to get off the beaten track. Consider these five stops.

Moonbeam, Ontario
The federal government recently kicked in $325,000 to boost tourism in this tiny northern Ontario town. The money will go mainly toward waterfront development on the shores of Rémi Lake, one of the biggest lakes in the region. In the meantime, take in unspoiled surroundings for fishing, berry-picking, hiking, and gazing up at starry skies — or UFOs.

Moonbeam got its name in the early 1900s from unexplained flashes of light that pioneers saw at night. Since then, others have reported unidentified flying objects. The town adopted a flying saucer as its symbol--there's a nine-foot-high fibreglass model of one on the nearby highway--and Moonbeam's mascot is a little green guy named Kilo.

Check out Harmony Garden Guest Houses, where a self-contained unit with WiFi, herb garden, and access to kayaks, canoes, bikes, and yoga, Pilates, and meditation classes rents for $1,000 a week.

Fogo Island, Newfoundland
How can you resist a place that has communities with names such as Seldom, Little Seldom, and Joe Batt's Arm? And that has stunning, unusual art studios all over the place (thanks to the Fogo Island Arts Corporation's "contemporary art experiment")? Plus, in these parts, icebergs and whales are common sights for kayakers. The Quiet Cannon Hotel, near the ferry dock, has rooms starting at $79, while the four-bedroom waterfront Fuego Cottage goes for $150 per night.

Churchill, Manitoba
"The Great Canadian Travel Company just released this most affordable summer train tour called Churchill Summer Escape," says Travel Manitoba communications specialist Jillian Recksiedler. The 1,700-kilometre rail journey from Winnipeg to Churchill (or vice versa) comes complete with a beluga-whale-watching trip on the Churchill River. The five-day, four-night package, which includes two nights in Churchill (a birder's paradise that sits on the shores of the Hudson Bay and offers prime viewing of polar bears and the Northern Lights) goes for $962 per person.

Duncan, B.C.
Smack dab in the middle of Victoria and Nanaimo, Duncan makes a perfect jumping-off point to explore those Vancouver Island mainstays as well as nearby Salt Spring Island—without the hefty accommodation fees. Frommer's, no less, describes it as a "beautiful agricultural area" home to "excellent" wineries and organic farms and dairies. The Ocean Front Suites at Cowichan Bay has waterfront one-bedroom suites complete with kitchen and separate living room going for $159 nightly in the peak of summer.

Tobin Lake, Saskatchewan
"The quintessential summer experience in Saskatchewan—a province of 100,000 lakes and rivers—is being lakeside, and in the summer there are a lot of packages and deals," says Saskatchewan Tourism's Karen Hill. Take Aurora Houseboats' Stay & Play Package, which includes three nights' accommodations plus two 18-hole rounds of golf at Nipawin's Evergreen Golf Club for $338.50 per person plus taxes based on quadruple occupancy.