Wow, this is a longer than usual Heads Up post this week! So much good stuff has been crossing my desk. Read on to find out about an outdoor art gallery you can ski through, discounts on Kingston hotels and VIA Rail trips, forest bathing in Frontenac Provincial Park, Quebec City in winter, a pasta-making workshop in Smiths Falls, afternoon tea in a Carp conservatory, and much more!
Cover photo: Rue Petit-Champlain in Quebec City © GouvQc / Francis Gagnon.
Tour company offers shuttles from Cornwall
Attention, readers in the Cornwall area: A company called See-Way More is offering several day trips by bus from Cornwall this winter. Destinations include the Hard Rock Casino in Ottawa, Countryside Adventures in Moose Creek and a selection of local craft breweries.
Ski or snowshoe past art in Frankville
Bill at the AOG Art Trail in Frankville recently emailed me to let me know that conditions are great for skiing and snowshoeing along the outdoor gallery’s 4km of groomed trails. The trails wind past some 40 outdoor sculptures, murals and other art installations. (Walking the trails is possible, too, but a little harder due to the amount of snow we’ve had.) The trails are free and open year round without an appointment. You can also contact the trail manager if you’d like a guided tour of the trails or to visit the indoor AOG Gallery.
You can go forest bathing in Frontenac Provincial Park
Credit CBC’s noon-hour phone-in show, Ontario Today, for alerting me to the existence of The Wild Edge. Run by certified nature and forest therapy guide Claire Beach, the South Frontenac company offers wellness programs in nature. Coming up next is a three-hour forest bathing experience on Sunday, February 14. Participants will head to Frontenac Provincial Park. The guided walk through the woods will be followed by snacks and tea.
Bring toonies for Titan if visiting Wakefield
For a kitty fanatic like me, this article from The Low Down to Hull and Back News (brought to my attention by the always-excellent newsletter, The Ottawan) was pure catnip. A number of businesses in Wakefield have banded together to raise money for the town’s invincible stray puss, Titan. He’s a tough tabby, but he still has vet bills. And in this frosty weather, he does deign to come indoors, so food and litter costs mount up, too. Fundraisers include a weekly 50/50 draw at Kaffe 1870, sales of handmade dishcloths at Wakefield Antiques, and Toonies for Titan change jars at several Wakefield shops.
Book now to make pasta in Smiths Falls
It seems like the cooking classes at C’est Tout Bakery in Smiths Falls are popular; a February 10 sourdough class is already sold out! So you might want to move quickly if you’d like to sign up for a pasta-making workshop on Tuesday, March 10.
Tickets are available for Tea in the Tropics in Carp
Aquatopia Water Conservatory in Carp is once again offering its Tea in the Tropics event on Sunday, February 8. Nibble on afternoon tea delicacies while surrounded by waterfalls and tropical plants inside a lush conservatory (doesn’t that sound nice on a snowy day?). Ticket sales for this usually sell-out experience close on February 4.
Ottawa Tool Library workshops are also popular
Speaking of things that sell out: all of this week’s workshops at the Ottawa Tool Library are booked up. Check the library’s calendar for other workshops coming up in February, which focus on everything from drywalling and 3D printing to sowing winter seeds.
Indoor golf facility opens in Arnprior
Dreaming of getting back on the golf course? Then here’s news you can use to make it through the winter: a new indoor golf facility has opened in Arnprior. Irons and Woods has four golf simulators. It’s also licensed, so you can enjoy a wintertime 19th hole. Here’s an article about the spot (written before it had officially opened) from Inside Ottawa Valley.
Ideas for winter fun in Quebec City
Rue Petit-Champlain in Quebec City © GouvQc / Francis Gagnon.
If you’re heading to Quebec City for some winter fun, don’t forget to pack your woollies! You might also want to read this great guide to Quebec City in winter by travel writer Terri Colby.
Kingston news: Hotel deals and film fest
If you scroll down to the very bottom of this page about Kingstonlicious (a winter restaurant promotion), you’ll see that a range of Kingston hotels are now offering good discounts: $100 off when staying two nights, and an additional $50 off the third night.
And speaking of Kingston: The Kingston Canadian Film Festival (February 25 to March 1) is scheduled to release its full schedule of films on Wednesday, January 28.
Seniors get 20 percent off VIA travel until the end of March
If you’re 65 or older, VIA Rail is offering 20 percent off economy fares in the Quebec City–Windsor corridor, if you book by March 26 and travel by March 31. Conditions apply.
Register now to ski for kids at Mont Ste-Marie
The Ski for Kids event is returning to Mont Ste-Marie in Lac Sainte-Marie, Quebec, on Friday, February 13. The annual event raises money for CHEO and BCG Ottawa (formerly the Boys and Girls Club). This one is aimed mainly at corporate groups, but if your organization wants to wrangle a team of four skiers to raise money for a good cause, registration is open now.
Plan now for Ottawa fun later
Are you the plan-ahead type? Then you may be interested to know that tickets and passes for the Ottawa Jazz Festival (June 19 to June 28), as are tickets for Ottawa Little Theatre‘s entire 2026 season.
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.