Bain There, Done That: My 2026 Canadian Travel Wish List

By Jennifer Bain | Published January 26th, 2026

Bain There, Done That is Jennifer Bain’s bi-weekly column about travelling Canada in search of quirk.

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Beluga whales like to gather in the Churchill River Estuary near Churchill, Manitoba every summer/Build Films

I’ve been criss-crossing Canada as a travel writer for a decade and have been lucky enough to visit all 10 provinces and all three territories multiple times. But there’s so much more to see, do and write about and so here’s what I have my eye on for 2026. My wish list only covers five of our beautiful provinces, so far, but I’m confident that more stories will reveal themselves as the year unfolds.

Set-jetting in Ontario

Toronto’s Lavelle appears in a Heated Rivalry scene starring Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie)/Sabrina Lantos, HBO Max

Oh Canada, nothing makes me happier than the global mania surrounding Crave’s six-episode gay hockey romance Heated Rivalry that debuted in November. So when I go set-jetting this year — visiting filming locations for TV shows and movies — it will be in Hamilton and Guelph to trace Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov’s footsteps. In Hamilton, I will stand in the “Pink Tunnel” at Shamrock Park where Ilya calls Shane and pours his heart out in Russian. I’ll run past Dundurn Castle like Ilya did when he was in “Moscow.” And I’ll drink something at Relay Coffee Roasters, which plays the NYC smoothie shop Straw+Berry where Scott and Kip fall for each other. I’ll try to visit to Guelph when there’s public skating or a Guelph Storm game at the Sleeman Centre where all the on-ice and locker room scenes were shot. The CanCon triumph, which has been renewed for a second season, is based on Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid’s novels. Muskoka, Toronto and Ottawa also feature in it.

Grocery Shop Tourism in Newfoundland and Labrador

Some of the mustard pickles that writer Jennifer Bain has collected on her travels through Newfoundland/Jennifer Bain

There were traffic snarls for days when Taco Bell opened its first Newfoundland location in Mount Pearl, part of greater St. John’s, in December. I get it — we all have our food obsessions and often the simplest things taste the best. Last year, I did a deep culinary dive into “cold plates” around the province — finding them in supermarkets, gas stations and restaurants. This year I’m planning a mustard pickle pilgrimage. And Condé Nast Traveler has given a name to something I’ve long done — grocery shop tourism. “Grocery stores are the new souvenir shops,” the magazine predicts, and visiting them (and small shops) “offers a window into day-to-day culinary customs without the pomp and circumstance of a restaurant.”

Quietcations in Saskatchewan

Jenn Smith Nelson’s new guiding business will introduce people to Saskatchewan gems like Grasslands National Park/Photo courtesy of Jenn Smith Nelson

BBC predicts that quietcations will dominate this year as people seek comfort and silence to escape their stressful lives. So that fits nicely with what travel writer Jenn Smith Nelson is planning with her new guiding business that’s centred on birdwatching, with wildlife, wellness and creative experiences woven into tours, retreats and workshops. “Birding carried me through hard seasons, taught me how to slow down, and gave me a way to move through the world with care,” she said when announcing the Wild View. “Saskatchewan offers extraordinary opportunities for wildlife encounters, quiet immersion and meaningful travel. It’s one of the top birding destinations in the country, whether it’s widely recognized yet or not. I believe one day it will be.” Sharp-tailed grouse, whooping cranes, sandhill cranes, western meadowlarks and snowy owls are Saskatchewan’s most iconic birds.

Astrotourism and Salvaged Stays in New Brunswick

New Brunswick’s going all in on astrotourism and celebrating its dark skies/Tourism New Brunswick

Look at New Brunswick getting in on two travel trends. The province is turning its huge untouched wilderness, low population and low light pollution to its advantage and going all in on astrotourism. I’m headed to Fundy National Park, a Dark Sky Preserve, in February for a winter star party with Cliff Valley Astronomy’s Stephane Picard. The park is part of the burgeoning Bay of Fundy Dark Sky Corridor, which promises to be 220-kilometres long with six certified Dark Sky Sites (the highest concentration in the world). I’ll also bed down in a refurbished train car at the Shamrock Inn & Shamrock Train Suites in Florenceville-Bristol. That’s part of the trend of salvaged stays in converted historic buildings (or trains). “Travelers are increasingly choosing hotels with a story,” reports Hotels.com.

Marine Safaris in Manitoba

In Churchll, Manitoba, you can see beluga whales on summer boat tours/Build Films

Who knew that Manitoba had polar bears — or safaris? I didn’t until I became a travel writer and got invited on a walking polar bear safari in 2016 with Churchill Wild. I’ve been back to the port town of Churchill to chase the aurora borealis in winter, and hope to return this summer to see beluga whales on a marine safari. Travel Manitoba says 4,000 of western Hudson Bay’s 57,000 belugas make their way to the Churchill River estuary to feed, mate and give birth each summer. You can see them on passenger boat, Zodiac and kayak tours, or try AquaGliding where you lay flat on a floating mat tethered to a Zodiac. Would it be greedy to try all four experiences?

Coming Feb. 9: Bain There, Done That daytrips to Hamilton to check out Heated Rivalry filming locations.