1015 
 V88* 
 
 Voorhis 
 Winter in Canada
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 
 
 

 
 ' """I i i 
 
 4
 
 WINTER IN CANADA 
 
 "The stars that singly, then in flocks appear, 
 Like jets of silver from the violet dome, 
 So wonderful, so many and so near, 
 And then the golden moon to light me home; 
 The crunching snowshoes and the stinging air. 
 And silence, frost and beauty everywhere." 
 
 Lampman. 
 
 THERE are distinctive charms in the Canadian winter. 
 In its dry air, charged with life-giving oxygen, one 
 feels exhilarated as never in warmer latitudes and one 
 scarcely realizes how many degrees of frost may exist at 
 the time. The prevailing vivacity affects the spirit and 
 one is tempted to venture upon the heroic, regardless of 
 fatigue and weather. 
 
 The beauty of winter in Canada is best appreciated 
 by those who travel into the wilds of nature beyond the 
 sight and sound of human activities. The silence of such 
 places in summer is often profound but the silence of 
 winter is still greater for the leaves have fallen and the 
 birds have gone. There is no sound save the song of the 
 pine and occasionally the deep booming of ice upon the 
 lake cracking under the frost or the sharp snapping of 
 trees like rifle shots. If you 
 have a permanent camp, such 
 as a log 
 cabin, you 
 may be vis- 
 ited by the 
 few birds 
 who inhabit 
 the north- 
 ern woods in 
 winter, the 
 "whiskey- 
 jack" and 
 
 995815
 
 the snow-bunting, and you will have opportunities to 
 study the habits of the animals. Along the margins of 
 the frozen lakes and on the forest trails may be seen 
 their tracks and sometimes evidence of tragedy recorded 
 in the snow, and occasionally a deer where the snow is 
 not too deep. 
 
 There are few sights more beautiful than the forest 
 after freshly fallen snow not yet disturbed by the breeze. 
 Great hoods and mantles of white lie upon the rocks and 
 
 bushes in fantastic shapes and little cedars become 
 majestic domes. This magic fairy-land may last for 
 days in sheltered nooks for the wind does not penetrate 
 the forest depths. They who have seen the "silver- 
 thaw" or an ice storm in the forest have witnessed one 
 of nature's most beautiful effects. Each little twig and 
 branchlet is sheathed in glassy ice and under the sun's 
 rays the whole tree is decked with many coloured spark- 
 ling diamonds.
 
 A strangely beautiful sight is sometimes seen in the 
 early mornings before the sun's warmth is felt, when 
 the night mist has frozen upon every limb and com- 
 pletely enveloped the entire tree in snowy whiteness, 
 not as with falling snow from above but equally above, 
 below and on all sides a truly magic sight. Vapour, 
 suspended in the air, too light to fall, will be seen in the 
 early morning light as myriads of dancing, flashing 
 particles of floating ice. This effect can be seen only in 
 northern latitudes where the air is dry and frosty. 
 
 In summer one thinks of nature as clothed in beauti- 
 ful colours. In winter the snow-covered fields, forest 
 and lakes seem to be shrouded in a great sheet of white. 
 But to those appreciative of colours winter reveals a 
 world of wonderful beauty never seen in summer. As 
 the low-lying sun slowly declines and day begins to wane, 
 the lengthening shadows on the snow appear as of 
 deepest cobalt blue shading into violet. The setting sun 
 here and there paints a dash of 
 rose and orange, while the 
 dusky pines, spruces 
 and cedars stand out 
 in emphatic blackness 
 against the white, and 
 the gray trunks of 
 beeches and maples are 
 all painted in sunset 
 hues. 
 
 The gorgeous beauty 
 of the winter sunsets in 
 Canada is well known. 
 Mists do not hang in the 
 evening sky to obscure the 
 brilliant colours, but 
 
 th 
 
 sun's rays shine through 
 the purest ether, painting
 
 the clouds in wondrous hue 
 and reflecting their lustre 
 upon the snow. Sometimes 
 may be seen that strange, 
 green, after -glow in the 
 sunsets as though one were 
 gazing into crystal, and the 
 clear skies at night are 
 studded with innumerable 
 stars and the brilliant con- 
 stellations of winter. 
 
 Low down in the north 
 lies Charles's Wain with its 
 pointers ; in mid-heaven the 
 Charioteer and Taurus with 
 the Pleiades; and in the 
 south, the Great Dog with his 
 
 brilliant gem Sirius following Orion of gorgeous belt. 
 Beautiful and wonderful are the auroras of summer but 
 far more impressive in extent and colouring are the 
 flashing northern lights of winter in Canada brightening 
 the snow-covered earth in strange tremulous gleam. To 
 traverse the forest in moonlight, to see its mysterious 
 splendour casting shadows of dense blackness on the 
 snowy whiteness of the forest path, is an experience 
 
 long to be remembered. The 
 wonders of the heavens 
 in their brilliance may 
 best be seen in a Canadian 
 winter sky. 
 
 One observes the ab- 
 sence of atmospheric
 
 moisture in Canada, as compared with more southerly 
 latitudes, and of high winds during days of intense cold. 
 On a typical Canadian winter day the sun shines contin- 
 uously in great brilliance from a cloudless sky, while 
 the smoke from chimney-tops may be seen ascending in 
 long perpendicular columns. 
 
 The tropics may attract some who prefer the enervat- 
 ing luxury of genial warmth in winter, where exercise and 
 effort soon fatigue, but the city-dweller who seeks to be 
 reinvigorated, to experience the spring and snap of 
 youth and to absorb new life for future effort, will turn 
 to the snow-clad hills and valleys of Canada and breathe 
 its exquisite winter air. 
 
 It is said that some have received a wrong impres- 
 sion of the severity of the Canadian winter and fear to 
 expose themselves, never having actually tried it, but 
 without the experience they cannot realize the wonder- 
 fully beneficial effect of Canada's sunshine and open air, 
 especially in the interior. It is a great surprise to the 
 dweller in a humid climate to discover upon his first 
 experience of a Canadian winter that the below-zero 
 temperatures are not only bearable but may be actually 
 pleasant. With its plentiful supply of ultra-violet light, 
 passing unimpeded through the pure, dry air, the sunshine 
 acts most beneficially on health, for, generally speaking, 
 there is a marked absence in Canadian x 
 
 atmosphere of 
 fogs and excessive 
 humidity which 
 make the 
 cold of 
 winter so 
 unbear- 
 able in 
 
 some 
 countries.
 
 The tourist going for the first time to the Canadian 
 forests and lakeland in midwinter discovers that heavy 
 coats and furs are an encumbrance when exercising in 
 the mid-day sun. The still frosty air in brilliant sun- 
 shine does not chill, even though the thermometer should 
 record many degrees of frost. It is uncomfortably cold 
 o>nly when a breeze prevails. The visitor to Canada in 
 midwinter need not fear the cold provided he remains 
 much in the open air and is suitably clad. Winter 
 sports offer attractions to the visitor, but not the least 
 
 of Canada's attractions is the important advantage of a 
 fine winter climate, healthful and invigorating. 
 
 Some come to Canada in winter to pass as much 
 time as is possible outdoors, participating in winter 
 sports, travelling through the country, traversing the 
 frozen lakes and snow-covered forests, enjoying the 
 beauty of winter scenery contrasted with the colouring 
 of summer. These are the students of nature, lovers of 
 the open country, to whom the sight of snow-clad forests 
 and frozen lakes is always pleasant. They love to study
 
 the varying aspects of nature, the winter habits of 
 animals and birds, and to absorb fresh life from the 
 exhilarating atmosphere. Others prefer the comforts of 
 well-heated hotels and venture abroad chiefly to enjoy 
 winter sports in the immediate vicinity. It is not 
 necessary to travel long distances from one's hotel to find 
 suitable conditions for skiing, snowshoeing, and skating, 
 for in Canada natural conditions of forest, lake and open 
 country exist near the cities. 
 
 Skating has never lost its ancient attraction. Open- 
 air public skating rinks are to be seen in nearly every 
 town and city in Canada, as well as closed rinks often 
 heated to some degree and equipped with artificial ice. 
 Skating carnivals are held every season in which may be 
 seen the most graceful, attractive figure-skating by 
 champions of the world. Frequent snowfalls in eastern 
 Canada prevent long distance skating on the lakes and 
 rivers, excepting for brief periods after freezing, but it 
 is customary in some places to keep the ice clear of snow 
 
 for open-air rinks. 
 
 Hockey, which has 
 now become a pro- 
 fessional game, is a 
 favourite not only 
 with Canadians but 
 with visitors who 
 come from long dis- 
 tances to witness 
 exciting matches be- 
 tween rival teams. It 
 is singularly attrac- 
 tive because of the 
 almost incredible 
 speed and wonderful 
 agility shown by the 
 Canadian players
 
 who are famous far 
 and wide. I mportant 
 matches are held 
 in all the chief 
 cities and the large 
 attendance at 
 every match game 
 bespeaks the pop- 
 ular interest. 
 
 But ski-running 
 is now the great 
 popular winter 
 sport in which all 
 alike may indulge. 
 On fair days, even 
 when the cold is intense, thousands 
 of young men and women will be 
 seen leaving the towns in gay 
 coloured garments carrying their skis for a hike 
 in the hill country. Probably no more pleasant and 
 beneficial winter sport than ski-running was ever devised. 
 The art is easily learned and requires no greater expendi- 
 ture of effort than one's strength permits. It is wholly 
 free from danger unless the novice seeks to emulate 
 exploits of the old-timer before being qualified by proper 
 experience. It is a sport for which all are eligible and 
 is inexpensive after the first necessary equipment has 
 been obtained. And what is more exhilarating than a 
 long hike to one of the club-lodges and the return in 
 afternoon shadows or perhaps by moonlight? 
 
 Not only does skiing bring health through most 
 enjoyable exercise in the open combined with gentle 
 thrills of unexpected happenings and in the company of 
 friends, but it affords opportunity of visiting parts of 
 the country practically inaccessible at other times. 
 Above the snow-covered obstructions of rocks and
 
 hillocks one may course through the open woods and 
 over the hills where no roads exist, free as a bird. The 
 trail may lead one afar over open fields, or by an old 
 woodman's path through the bush to some mystic lake 
 hidden deep in the forest or to a pretty waterfall adorned 
 with ice and snow, and one may enjoy the excitement 
 of gliding down a hill not without suspicion of danger. 
 Skiing may be as simple or as elaborate as one's ambition 
 
 and experience dictate, 
 from plain coursing over 
 the level snow to jump- 
 ing from hilltops, for the 
 art is progressively 
 learned and appeals 
 to the spirit of ad- 
 venture. Trails 
 are frequently 
 marked by local 
 ski-clubs show- 
 ing direction, 
 distances, and 
 dangerous des- 
 cents, and places 
 of refreshment 
 are maintained where 
 one may rest awhile 
 and profit by a warm 
 meal. The visiting 
 
 tourist who fancies skiing will find a hearty welcome ex- 
 tended by local ski-clubs all over Canada, who will pro- 
 vide guides for a stranger. 
 
 Ski-jumping may be classed among spectacular 
 sports. Sometimes suitable localities are found among 
 the hills of eastern Canada and the mountains of British 
 Columbia and in some places lofty towers and slides have 
 been erected on the edge of steep hills or cliffs where ski-
 
 jumping by expert skiers may be witnessed. The novice 
 is not likely to risk life or limb on these slides, but he will 
 find plenty of opportunity for safe jumping on his trips. 
 Snow-shoeing, that ancient custom of Indian origin, 
 though largely supplanted as a means of sport by skiing, is 
 still the choice of many and numerous snow-shoe clubs 
 exist in the cities of Canada. While the ski as a means 
 of snow-travel is especially adapted to open hill country, 
 
 _^_ __ there are occasions and 
 
 places when the snow- 
 shoe alone is used, as in 
 traversing the forest and 
 thick bush on deep, 
 freshly fallen snow. It 
 still remains to the 
 Indian, the trapper, and 
 courier, the most satis- 
 factory means for travel 
 in deep snow. From 
 Alaska to Labrador, 
 wherever the dog-team 
 is used, there will be 
 seen the snow-shoe. I ts 
 convenient size, of what- 
 ever pattern, permits its 
 
 use where the length of 
 the ski is prohibitive. 
 In general, one may go 
 anywhere on snow-shoes, over the fields and heavy 
 drifts and through the dense bush. Snow-shoeing practic- 
 ally exercises every muscle and produces that reward 
 of exhilaration which comes from deep breathing of the 
 pure forest air. Greater speed may be had by using 
 the ski on suitable trails and yet the speed acquired by 
 the Indians and those accustomed to the use of snow- 
 shoes is remarkable.
 
 Before the 
 introduction 
 of railways, 
 travelling by 
 dog- teams in 
 the west and 
 in outlying 
 ^ districts of the 
 east was the 
 universal cus- 
 tom, and is still the only 
 means of winter transport- 
 ation in the far north 
 
 where roads do not exist. It can hardly be classed among 
 the customary winter sports of the east which attract 
 the tourist, but will appeal to those who wish to see 
 something of the pioneer's life. It is not generally 
 known that parties of sportsmen to-day travel long dis- 
 tances from the United States to visit the forests and 
 lakelands of Canada in midwinter. Accompanied by 
 Indian guides and travelling by dog- teams they penetrate 
 into wild solitudes which are practically inaccessible in 
 summer. It is the love of adventure and the beauty 
 of the wilderness in winter that attract. 
 
 Tobogganning is a winter sport still maintained 
 throughout Canada. The slides are specially constructed 
 of ice sides and are easily 
 kept in order and, where 
 the natural configuration 
 of the land permits, are 
 often of considerable 
 length. The sport is 
 limited in character as 
 compared with the free- 
 dom of skiing, but the 
 excitement of the light-
 
 ning-descent is ample compensation for the long uphill 
 return, and, then, one is exercising in the fresh air, in the 
 midst of gayety and merriment. It is not a sport that 
 need fatigue and the slide is generally not far from one's 
 hotel. 
 
 Curling, as might be expected, is a winter sport 
 found all over Canada. Nearly every town has its 
 curling rink and devotees of the game, especially through- 
 out the west, for the Canadian winter is favourable to 
 the game. The sport is practically confined to member- 
 ship in curling clubs, but matches between celebrated 
 clubs appeal to those interested in the game. 
 
 Canada has much to offer to the seeker after health 
 or pleasure during winter. The great open is wellnigh 
 boundless and the essentials for personal comfort are 
 easily obtainable. Conveniences for winter sports exist 
 in all the chief cities of Canada and one may enjoy 
 tobogganning, skiing, skating and other sports within a 
 short distance of the hotel. 
 
 ERNEST VOORHIS.
 
 Enquiries regarding the natural resources and attrac- 
 tions of Canada, both in summer and winter, will receive 
 attention if directed to the Natural Resources Intelligence 
 Service, Department of the Interior, Ottawa.
 
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