Canada's Olympians, from figure skater Joannie Rochette to hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser, share their ultimate “gold medal getaways” on the Canadian Tourism Commission’s LOCALSKNOW.ca site to help Canadians find deals and inspire them to explore their country this summer.
Maelle Ricker, 2010 Olympic Champion, Snowboardcross: “My favorite Canadian destination is Pacific Rim National Park. My favourite things to do there are jog the shoreline at Long Beach on a foggy morning and check out the tide pools along the way, surf one of the many great surf breaks, cook smokies and roast marshmallows on the fire after dark at my campsite.” (Shutterstock)
Tessa Virtue, 2010 Olympic Gold Medallist, Ice Dance: “My favourite place is Vancouver right now because we have some pretty great memories there. But, you also can’t go wrong with the big cities in Canada. I love Toronto, I love Montreal and Calgary is fantastic. Canada has a lot to offer.” (Shutterstock)
Lyndon Rush, 2010 Olympic Bronze Medallist, Bobsleigh: “My Gold Medal Itinerary is Waskesiu, Saskatchewan. The warm Saskatchewan nights, the great golf course, The Lobstick, is my favourite golf course. I have so many great memories of the place as a child. I’d really like to go back to, and spend some time on the lake, to go wakeboarding and sailing.” (Courtesy Canadian Tourism Commission)
Heather Moyse, 2010 Olympic Gold Medallist, Bobsleigh: “My favourite place is PEI. It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. It’s home for me and I think most people who visit there feel like it’s a bit of home for them as well. The best time to go is mid-late summer. There are so many things to do – old home week, there’s Cavendish which is packed all summer, fun parks for lots of kids, camp grounds, and lots of cottages that you can rent. There are shows at the theatre in the summer and street festivals and music and it’s amazing.” (Shutterstock)
Alexandre Bilodeau, 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist, Freestyle Skiing – Men’s Moguls: “My Gold Medal Itinerary would be in Victoria, British Columbia. I visited when I was young and the ocean was amazing. I went there recently for training and went cycling, road biking, surfing and played hockey all in the same place, which is great.” (Shutterstock)
Clara Hughes, Olympic Medal-Winning Speed Skater: “My absolute favourite place in Canada is the north. The most epic and satisfying trip I’ve ever done was a bike tour of the Dempster Highway through the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, starting close to Dawson City and all the way up to Inuvik. I wish all Canadians could see that part of Canada because it is so beautiful.” (Shutterstock)
Charles Hamelin, 2010 Double Olympic Gold Medallist in Short Track Speed Skating: “My Gold Medal Itinerary is going to Old Québec in Québec City. It’s a place that I really like to go to because I find it so refreshing. I like to go out with my friends on Grande-Allée. We go every summer and each time I find that I enjoy it more and more!” (Shutterstock)
Kaillie Humphires, 2010 Olympic Gold Medallist, Bobsleigh: “My Gold Medal Itinerary is Calgary, just outside the Priddis area, which is my hometown. We spend a lot of time away from home, so when I actually get a chance to be home and just relax, and be surrounded by my family, it’s the best. I grew up with the Calgary Stampede and am a huge fan. Really, I’m a cowboy at heart.” (Shutterstock)
Francois-Louis Tremblay, 2010 Olympic Gold and Bronze Medallist, Short Track Speed Skating: “My Gold Medal Itinerary is Québec City because I used to spend a lot of time with my parents there when I was young, between the age of 10 and 15. We used to go there a lot to enjoy the old city and see the landscape and I also remember we used to go see the Québec Nordiques games quite often so there are a lot of good memories related to that.” (Shutterstock)
Jennifer Botterill, three-time Olympic Gold Medallist in Ice Hockey: “My Gold Medal Itinerary would be to visit the Rocky Mountains. Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper – they are all totally stunning.” (Shutterstock)
Joannie Rochette, 2010 Olympic Bronze Medallist, Figure Skating: “I really love Vancouver because you get the mountains, the sea and the city all close together. It has a very laid back atmosphere and I enjoy the patios in the summer. You can really have a complete experience when you go there.” (Shutterstock)
Hayley Wickenheiser, Triple Olympic Gold Medallist, Ice Hockey: "My favourite travel destination is my grandfather’s farm in rural Saskatchewan, near Lumsden. That’s where I love to go – it has horses and it’s wide open. My life is full of travel and living in the city so I like to get away. It’s very near Regina Beach which is a beautiful lake that we spend a lot of time on and I just really enjoy being on the farm." (Shutterstock)
Jon Montgomery, 2010 Olympic Gold Medallist, Skeleton: “My Gold Medal Itinerary is to go home to Russell, Manitoba. We love going to Riding Mountain National Park which is about an hour away from Russell and my folks have a cabin there.” (Courtesy Canadian Tourism Commission)
Scott Moir, 2010 Olympic Gold Medallist, Ice Dance: "My favourite place in Canada are the Muskokas. The water is so calm and beautiful and the rocks and the trees – it’s the best. Cottage country is the best." (Shutterstock)
Jasey-Jay Anderson, 2010 Olympic Gold Medallist, Snowboard: “My favourite Canadian destination is Mont Tremblant – it’s the best and I love it. I love the season, I love the people and I love nature. There are all kinds of sports I can do in Tremblant and it’s just purely Canadian there.” (Shutterstock)