Beaches

Point Pelee, Ontario  |   Okanagan Valley, B.C.  |   Kluane National Park and Reserve, Y.T.
Cold Lake, Alta.  |   Carcross, Y.T.  |   Watrous, Sask.  |   Lake Winnipeg, Man.
Georgian Bay, Ont.  |   Sandbanks Provincial Park, Ont.  |   Cape Enrage, Alta.
Hopewell Cape, N.B.  |   Shediac, N.B.  |   Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Que.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park, N.S.
Prince Edward Island National Park  |   The Arches Provincial Park, N.L.
Pinware River Provincial Park

COLD LAKE, ALTA.
Kith and Kinosoo
While it earns its name in the winter, Cold Lake warms up in the summer and offers some of the finest beaches in Alberta, including Kinosoo Beach, whose soft white sand and warm, shallow water makes it an ideal spot to gather with friends and family. Located a scenic three-hour drive northeast of Edmonton, near the Saskatchewan border, the diamond-clear lake offers numerous secluded coves, many of which are accessible only by boat, and ample opportunities for fishing, sailing and windsurfing.
www.coldlake.com

CARCROSS, Y.T.
The promised sand
One of the Yukon’s best-kept secrets, Bennett Beach, south of Whitehorse near Carcross, boasts towering dunes and two kilometres of white sand. Bennett Lake’s hard-packed sandbar drops off a kilometre from shore, which means relatively warm, shallow water, perfect for a dip in July or August. For those with more extreme inclinations, strong winds send windsurfers and kiteboarders skimming across the lake.
www.carcrossyukon.com

WATROUS, SASK.
Salt rub
Set in a deep glacier-carved valley in the town of Watrous, the shallow, supremely buoyant water of Manitou Beach on Little Manitou Lake, is legendary. Fed by underground springs, the mineral-rich saline lake has been compared to the Dead Sea: floating is effortless, sinking impossible, and a dip is said to be as therapeutic as a European spa treatment.
www.watrousmanitou.com

LAKE WINNIPEG, MAN.
A grand ol’ time
Three kilometres of fine sand backed by 12-metre dunes, a remnant of glacial Lake Agassiz, Grand Beach lies 50 minutes north of Winnipeg, in Grand Beach Provincial Park. The popular peoplewatching beach is the largest of a series of beaches on the eastern side of Lake Winnipeg, including Little Limestone Lake Park Reserve. Sandbars and shallow water allow beachcombers of all ages to walk long distances and still remain knee-deep.
www.grandbeachtourism.com

GEORGIAN BAY, ONT.
One fine bay
Wasaga Beach may see more than 1.5 million visitors each summer, but there’s room for everyone because, at 14 kilometres, it’s the world’s longest freshwater beach. The Wasaga Beach Fest, an outdoor concert series, and Toe Jam, a weekend of competitive wakeskating (like waterskiing or wakeboarding, but without bindings), keep the area bustling. Georgian Bay’s sprawling shoreline, which includes the secluded coves of the Bruce Peninsula, also offers a panoramic view of the Niagara Escarpment.
www.wasagabeach.com

SANDBANKS PROVINCIAL PARK, ONT.
Temple of dunes
Trek up, roll down or just kick back and relax on the golden brown sand dunes of Prince Edward County’s Sandbanks Provincial Park, which features drifts up to 25 metres high. Hike the Cedar Sands Trail to a viewing platform overlooking the dunes and you might spot a hare, one of a handful of critters that lives along the sandy knolls. Cool off in West Lake, a sheltered Lake Ontario bay, or venture into nearby Wellington and taste the Sandbanks Estate Winery’s Dunes Vidal white wine, named for the cascading sand hills.
www.ontarioparks.com/english/sand.html