Two Loons Overland

Polar Bear Habitat, Cochrane ON - we had briefly heard of this place in the past .. but we didn’t really know what to expect.
It is truly a very impressive place!!

There are over 24 acres of natural sub-arctic terrain and boreal forest. Polar bears in need come to this sanctuary and are rehabilitated both physically and mentally. The habitat is a world leader in polar bear research and education. They offer many sessions for educating the public and you can walk around the grounds hoping to catch a glimpse of the polar bears roaming about in their enclosures.

There are currently 2 polar bears living in the Habitat. We were lucky to get a glimpse of Henry from a distance, but were thrilled to get a close up look at Ganuk through the glass wall of the viewing building. These magnificent creatures are huge!!!

Co-located with the Habitat is a Snowmobile Museum, as well as a Heritage Village.
The museum hosts the largest public collection of snowmobiles in Ontario. This museum is well done and fun to have a walk through.

If you find yourself in Northern Ontario, make your way here to check out the Polar Bear Habitat and all it has to offer. It’s a great way to spend the day!

Did you know that the geographic centre of Ontario is located northeast of Hornepayne?

Bill Steer (Canadian Ecology Centre) and Brian Emblin pinned this location by measuring the longitude and latitude boundaries of the Province. About 4.5km east off Highway 631 on a couple dirt roads brings you to a spot where you can park to walk the last km in. We were able to drive the last km (don’t attempt in wet weather - not a road for everyone) and found the landmark in a marshy clearing surrounded by black spruce forest. The local community has built a small boardwalk and guest book to sign. This is a popular snowmobiling area and a cool place to check out.

One of the most dangerous highways in Canada ?

Drive hwy 20 west from Williams Lake to the end of the road and you come to Bella Coola, located in the Great Bear rainforest and situated on an arm of salt water connecting to the Pacific Ocean. This visit requires you to drive in 6 hours and back out the same road.

On the Chilcotin Plateau, ranches are everywhere and cattle roam freely. It was common to come across herds wandering the roadsides and crossing the road without any regard of us.

We experienced the steep winding descent known as ‘The Hill’ at Heckman Pass - a steep, unpaved descent from the plateau down into the Bella Coola Valley that features many tight switchbacks, grades up to 18% and sheer dropoffs without guardrails. I only held my breath a couple times hahaha.
We saw the most stunning views of the surrounding landscape!!!

There are several small communities along the way. We parked up for the night overlooking the Bella Coola River, full of rapids and beautiful mountainous views.

We spent a few days in the Bella Coola valley and absolutely loved the area. Nestled in the lush valley with mountains surrounding it you were in awe of the view every where you looked. The drive back up “the Hill” seemed easier than the way down, but the views were just as stunning!

We spent a couple days in Jasper then carried on towards Prince George. Along the way we stopped at the Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park. This park protects a portion of the only inland temperate rainforest in the world!!!!!
Hiking the Ancient Forest trail takes you past western red cedars that are a thousand years old as well as a rich biodiversity of plants, mosses, lichens and fungi. What a sight to see!! Amazing!

Currently construction is ongoing to improve boardwalks and build a new interpretive centre, sweat lodge, pit house, parking etc.

Love our country 🇨🇦

As we continued on our journey through the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks we stopped at the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Columbia Icefield and the Athabasca glacier.
It is one of the world’s most accessible glaciers, which lets visitors see for themselves the evidence of rapid retreat of this glacier.

A truly amazing sight to see