Snow activities that won’t break your budget

Snow sports in the Great White North is a rite of passage for Canadian travel adventures. Our summers are great but our winters are magical, especially after everything is coated in a fresh layer of snow. Boots with good traction and not overdressing are the keys to enjoying winter in Canada, as well as being open to having fun outdoors.

Our hostels in Ottawa and Quebec have some of the coolest (pun intended) snow sports, from fat biking and electrifying festivals to snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and more. All of which can be enjoyed solo but are even more enjoyable with new hostel friends who sometimes become travel buddies, too.

Ottawa

Saintlo Ottawa Jail is one of the most unique hostels in North America, and its location near the ByWard Market and downtown make it a great base for a snow sports and fun in Ottawa. Winterlude, which runs from the end of January to mid-February, is the highlight of winter in Ottawa. This festival, which started in 1979, has parades and snow tubing, a dragon ice boat event, sledding, outdoor music events, skating, hot drinks, and more. Best of all, it’s FREE!

Ice skating on the Rideau Canal Skateway is another wintry rite of passage in Ottawa. Huts are set up selling hot drinks and beaver tails (delicious fried dough sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar or other toppings). Ice skate rentals are 30 CAD for 2 hours and can be reserved here. Note: before reserving a pair it’s a good idea to ask hostel staff if skating has started for the season.

Dows Lake Pavillion is another great spot for winter activities like skating, kick sledding, and snowshoeing. Rentals here are 20-26 CAD for 2 hours. If you enjoy twinkling holiday lights and decor, Ottawa’s Winter Lights Across Canada takes you on a walk (map) through some of the city’s prettiest light displays. Marvel at the Christmas tree outside the Museum of History and look inside Fairmont Château Laurier to admire the Christmas trees of hope.

Montréal

Winter in Montreal is always an adventure, especially after a snowstorm when the hills get a little slippery. While we take advantage of the underground city more in winter, we also love to get outside and enjoy the outdoors.

Quebecers know how to beat the winter blues and live life to the fullest, so it’s no surprise that Montreal is home to the biggest and best winter music festival, Igloofest!

In winter, Mont Royal is great for snow sports like winter hiking and snowshoeing, but Parc La Fontaine near the Mont-Royal metro stop is a favourite for ice skating – only 15 CAD for 2 hours! Walking through Old Montreal after a snowstorm is magical, and Parc Jean Drapeau is great for fat biking, snowshoeing, skating, and outdoor Zumba – best of all, you can rent the equipment you need on-site.

The last big event of winter in Montreal is at the end of February, Montréal en Lumière, a winter festival with live outdoor concerts, skating, gourmet culinary events, and Nuit Blanche.

Gaspésie

On the south shore of the Saint-Lawrence River, Gaspesie is a stunning destination for lovers of winter in Quebec. It’s perfect for nature-lovers, and basing at Chalets Les Chanterelles (Auberge Griffon Aventure) opens a world of wintery fun.

There are cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails near these pet-friendly chalets in Parc national Forillon, a gorgeous park in the Appalachians. It’s a favourite for snow sports enthusiasts. Equipment rental is available at Centre culturel Le Griffon, including fat bikes and kicksleds.

For ice climbing, visit Camp de Base Gaspésie near Chandler, it’s 115 CAD for 4 hours and requires a minimum of 2 people. You’ll need goggles and alpine or ice climbing ski boots, the rest of the equipment is provided. It’s also a good place for ski hok or fat biking.

Bas-Saint-Laurent

In the Bas-Saint-Laurent region popular snow sports include tubing, cross-country skiing, fat biking, snowshoeing and ice fishing. Rivière-du-Loup International Hostel is a 20 minute walk from Parc des Chutes, which has 10 km of snowshoeing trails and a waterfall that is quite beautiful when covered with snow.

Parc du Saint-Mathieu is a ski and snowboard resort with 29 trails, and 2 snow tubing runs. The resort has a restaurant and après ski lounge, as well as a ski school, and equipment rental. You can swoosh down the trails for 44 to 64 CAD per day, or go tubing for 18 CAD.

Parc national du Lac-Témiscouata is great for snow sports like snowshoeing and backcountry skiing. There are two easy trails in the Saint-Juste sector of the park, both are 11-12 km in length. Perfect for a half-day adventure.

Anthony Bourdain and Fred McMillan (of Joe Beef) made ice fishing look fancy with their gourmet meal in a fishing hut in 2013. A deliciously inspiring episode, which didn’t involve ice fishing at all, but made many of us want to cram into a small wood hut with a wood burning stove and perch over a hole in the ice for hours, all in hopes of catching a fish or two.

You can go ice fishing, sans gourmet food, at Éco-Site de la tête du lac Témiscouata for 50 CAD/day. The fee includes a hut, rods and firewood, but not a fishing lisence or worms.

La Malbaie

Located in Charlevoix, La Malbaie is dreamy in winter with its snow-covered mountains, forests, frozen lakes and rivers. Auberge La Secousse is a pet-friendly hostel with a great view of the Saint-Lawrence River, and it’s not far from Mont Grands Fonds, a local playground. It’s known for downhill skiing, but it’s also great for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, hiking, and snowmobiling. It’s winter in Quebec at its finest.

For winter fat biking, head over to Parc national des Hautes‑Gorges-de-la-Rivière‑Malbaie and enjoy the gorgeous 7km trail along the river. Snow tubing is a free activity here, and climbers will love ice climbing Pomme d’Or.  Les Sources Joyeuses has 40km of snowy fun that includes sledding, skiing, and snowshoeing. Access fees range from 7 to 24 CAD and equipment rentals are available on-site.

Interested in ice fishing? Head out to Domaine Le Pic-Bois for a day of ice fishing. It’s 75 CAD per person per day and includes a fishing rod, hole, and firewood to keep the hut warm. Plus, you can catch up to 10 trout!

When you check into a Saintlo hostel, ask the staff about snow sports and other winter adventures – locals are a great way to discover hidden gems. Winter in Ottawa and Quebec can be quite cold, but there are mild days too, which is why dressing in layers is vital. Wear ice cleats, especially in Montreal where there are a lot of slippery hills in winter. Waterproof winter boots with good traction are also essential.