In case you spent the long weekend with your friends debating the best new brew, we’ve got the results of the latest Canadian Brewing Awards to help you settle the dispute. 

Held last week in Victoria, British Columbia, the Canadian Brewing Awards was attended by more than 120 breweries from across the country. As the only national competition in Canada that invites breweries of all sizes, the Canadian Brewing Awards is the premier competition for judging the quality of Canadian brewed beer. 

This year, Great Lakes Brewery, Toronto’s oldest independent craft brewery, was named Canadian Brewery of the Year. However, it was a West Coast brew that was named Beer of the Year. Old Jalopy Pale Ale by British Columbia’s Powell Street Craft Brewery took that prize home. 

But because it can be tough to compare a North American-style lager to an English-style IPA, winners were chosen in a variety of categories. Whether you love an imperial stout or are looking for some gluten-free options, below you’ll find the beer that received Gold in each category. 

North American Style Lager: Alpine Lager, Moosehead Breweries Ltd. (NB)

North American Style Premium Lager: Okanagan Spring 1516, Okanagan Spring Brewery (BC)

European Style Lager (Pilsner): Traditional Pilsner, Creemore Springs Brewery Ltd. (ON)

North American Style Amber Lager: Barking Squirrel Amber Lager, Hop City Brewing Co. (ON)

North American Style Dark Lager: Waterloo Dark, Brick Brewing Co. (ON)

Light Lager: Alpine Light, Moosehead Breweries Ltd.(NB)

Bock – Traditional German Style: Captivator Doppelbock, Tree Brewing Co. (BC)

Kellerbier: King Kellerbier, King Brewery (ON)

Porter: Harry Porter, Great Lakes Brewery (ON)

Strong Porter (Baltic): Pothole Porter, Half Pints Brewing Co.(MB)

Cream Ale: Begbie Cream Ale, Mt Begbie Brewing Co. (BC)

Kolsch: Lug Tread Lagered Ale, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. (ON)

North American Style Amber/Red Ale: Red Racer ESB, Central City Brewing (BC)

North American Style Blonde/Golden Ale: Northumberland Ale, Church Key Brewing Co. (ON) 

Brown Ale: Nut Brown Ale, The Black Oak Brewing Co. (ON) 

American Style Black Ale: Black IPA, Brasserie Dunham (QC) 

Scotch Ale: Amsterdam Vicars Vice, Amsterdam Brewery (ON) 

English Style Pale Ale (Bitter): Butler’s Bitter, Niagara College Teaching Brewery (ON)

North American Style Pale Ale (Bitter): Old Jalopy Pale Ale, Powell Street Craft Brewery (BC)

Wheat Beer – Belgian Style (Wit): Dominus Vobiscum Blanche, MicroBrasserie Charlevoix (QC) 

Wheat Beer – German Style (Weiss): King Heffy Imperial Hefeweizen, Howe Sound Brewing Co. (BC) 

Wheat Beer – North American Style: Sun God Wheat Ale, R & B Brewing Co. (BC)

Belgian Style Abbey Ale: Vow of Silence, Parallel 49 Brewing (BC) 

Belgian Style Strong Specialty Ale: Blitzen, Bellwoods Brewery (ON)

Barley Wine Style A: Legacy Ale, Swans Brewpub (BC)

Stout: Diamond Head Oatmeal Stout, Howe Sound Brewing Co. (BC)

Imperial Stout: Rang 10, Microbrasserie du Lac St-Jean (QC)

English Style India Pale Ale: Beaver River, Beau’s All Natural Brewery (ON)

American Style India Pale Ale: Karma Citra IPA, Great Lakes Brewery (ON)

Imperial India Pale Ale: Central City Imperial IPA, Central City Brewing (BC)

French and Belgian Style Saison: Le Paysan Saison, Nickel Brook Brewing Co. (ON) 

Special Honey/Maple Lager or Ale: St. Ambroise Maple Beer, McAuslan Brewing Inc. (QC)

Fruit Beer: Steamworks Pumpkin Ale, Steamworks Brewing Co. (BC)

Wood and Barrel Aged Beer: Bourbon Barrel Aged Robust Porter, Great Lakes Brewer (ON)

Wood and Barrel Aged Strong Beer: Central City Bourbon Porter, Central City Brewing (BC)

Wood and Barrel Aged Sour Beer: Yaletown Oud Bruin, Yaletown Brewing Co. (BC)

Gluten Free Beer: Glutenberg Belge de Saison, Brasseurs Sans Gluten (QC) 

Experimental Beer: Glutenberg Imperial Sotolon, Brasseur Sans Gluten (QC)

Beer of the Year: Old Jalopy Pale Ale, Powell Street Craft Brewery (BC)

Brewery of the Year: Great Lakes Brewery (ON)

 For a complete list of the winners, visit canadianbrewingawards.com 

Created to simulate a traditional barn reno, this design features an open concept plan that soars to the upper floor. This plan is also designed using a new building method, insulated concrete forms (ICF) providing a fire/sound and energy efficient home. The stairs are featured in the silo portion creating a strong visual presence. A master suite with four-piece en suite and walk -in sauna provides a main level retreat for those times when you just need some privacy. The country kitchen has a large eating island and a huge walk-in pantry. We have included an optional elevator lift to the upper level as the design allows for a secondary entertainment loft area that is open to the great room below. Two additional bedrooms and a four-piece upper bathroom complete this very unique design. More info: Spectrum Home Plans
This plan (10 Sets) sells for $1,340.

• Total: 3,775 sq. ft.
• 3 Bedrooms
• 2.5 Bathrooms
• Loft

Click here to download a printable PDF of the main floor, and here to download a printable PDF of the upper floor.

The Millwood has a magnificent presence. The spacious kitchen, dining room and living room have an open concept ideal for entertaining. The home also features a sunroom, office, walk-in pantry, laundry room and convenient mudroom on the main level. Away from the main living area, the home’s three bedrooms are located on the second level.  As a bonus, the master bedroom even has it’s own private balcony for those quiet, getaway moments. Kuhns Bros. Log Homes offers a multitude of options for log size and style as well as various roof systems. Order this package as is or have it customized to suit your specific needs. More info: H2R Construction/Kuhn Bros. Log Homes

• Total: 3,139 sq. ft.
• 3 Bedrooms
• 2.5 Bathrooms
• Optional basement

A classic of ours, this cottage is often built for those who live permanently at their piece of heaven, we have created this plan to function well when just two people are at home or when the whole gang shows up. The covered wrap around veranda offers protection from the elements and oozes of tradition, of roots and of family. The open concept with the traditional country kitchen is prominently featured, however we have included a formal dining room for family gatherings, this is a plan where memories will be made, and we designed it that way! The plans also include an optional basement layout with two bedrooms, bathroom, games room, bar and more. This plan (10 Sets) sells for $1,340. More info: Spectrum Home Plans

• Total: 2,916 sq. ft.
• 4 Bedrooms
• 2.5 Bathrooms
• Covered Veranda

Click here for a printable PDF of the main level, and here for a printable PDF of the second floor.

You can be renting out the greatest cottage property on the face of the planet, but if you don’t get the word out, having the perfect location and best rates won’t mean a thing. These days, you need to use online marketing to effectively connect with travelers. Marketing is as integral to the rental process as property maintenance, and as travelers increasingly use online resources to book accommodations, property owners need to adapt their marketing strategies.

In the past, publishing a classified ad in the local newspaper may have been considered a viable strategy for marketing to potential renters. But today, renters rely heavily on online resources. If you want to rent out your vacation property, you must secure an online presence. Online advertising will let you connect with a larger audience of travelers, and you’ll also make more effective connections with potential renters by conforming to their search behavior and delivering the precise information they’re looking for.

Pick the right promotional tool

Online marketing doesn’t mean you have to build a custom website for your rental property. Designing, building, maintaining, and hosting a website is both expensive and time consuming. Instead, for a nominal fee, you can list your property on a holiday rental website, such as CottageCountry.com, which not only builds and hosts a custom listing page for your property but also offers a suite of indispensable services and tools to help owners market, manage, and monetize their property. Tools provided by such services include availability calendars, a reservation-management system, a free merchant account for accepting payments, and more.

Make it “search friendly”

Another important aspect of online marketing is search optimization, which is a fancy way of saying “making sure travelers can find your listing” in the vast internet abyss. Search optimization is critical to the success of your online marketing campaign, but executing your own optimization campaign can be will be cumbersome. This is another instance where listing with a holiday rental listing site is extremely advantageous. Firstly, it’s easier for travelers to find your property on a holiday rental website than through a search engine. Second, well-established holiday rental sites carry out optimization efforts on your behalf. For example, CottageCountry.com has digital partnerships and an in-house marketing team that ensure your rental is easily searchable and findable across the internet.

Cast a wide net

Another component of ensuring your listing is “searchable” is understanding which tools potential renters use to search. While the majority of renters might browse a dedicated rental site like CottageCountry.com to find holiday rental properties (or find those pages through a search engine like Google), many will also search local listings on sites like Craigslist and Kijiji. To reach the broadest, most interested audience, be sure to list your rental property on those sites as well.

Keep it up to date

It’s important to regularly revisit your listing to be sure everything is high quality and up to date. If you have renovated your property, if there are seasonal specifications, or if you want to run a last-minute promotion, be sure to update potential renters. When listing on a holiday rental website, you will have a user dashboard from which you can edit your listing whenever you want so you can control your communication with travelers. This content management feature is another advantage of listing with a holiday rental website, as the ability to access and update information and visuals is critical when running your own rental business.

Spread the word

Any seasoned marketer will tell you that no method of promotion is more effective than word of mouth—particularly when the word is coming from a trusted friend or family member. And the widespread use of social media tools like Facebook and Twitter makes it easier than ever to share your online rental listing with everyone in your social network. To make your social-sharing efforts even more effective, don’t hesitate to ask Facebook “friends” or Twitter “followers” to share or retweet your listing to their networks as well.

Think “adventure,” and you might imagine exotic locales and death-defying stunts. Thankfully, though, there are plenty of perfectly hardcore activities closer to home—ones that take advantage of the province’s incredible range of geographic features and ever-changing landscapes. Your next great adventure may be just around the corner.

Prepare to get your clothes wet and your blood pumping when you shoot down the rapids on the Ottawa River. Not for the faint of heart—or the scared-of-water—the river’s sport routes guarantee the best of dizzying climbs and heart-stopping dips, with plenty of rock ’em, sock ’em splashes to keep the ride refreshing. But make sure you’re a strong swimmer before you embark on this wild ride. For families and folks looking for a taste of adventure—but not the whole banquet—there are easier routes as well, complete with gentle thrills and less chance for spills. The truly intrepid can explore solo or duo kayaking through the rapids.

More info: Wilderness Tours

What’s nearby: Culture and history buffs will want to check out the endless activities in Canada’s capital city. Jump on a bike and check out tanks and trenches at the Canadian War Museum, pedal through the Byward Market (stopping for Beavertails, of course), or simply enjoy the view from Parliament Hill.  

How to get there: Take the 401 east to Napanee. Then follow highway 41 north to Eganville. For detailed directions to the rafting resort, see www.wildernesstours.com.

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Defying gravity is the name of the game when you set out to tackle the jagged limestone cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment. Stretching 725 kilometres from Tobermory to Niagara, the Escarpment’s sedimentary rock faces are a climber’s paradise, from the 450-million-year-old fossils in the rock to the turkey vultures soaring majestically overhead. If you’re a beginner, Rattlesnake Point, just 45 minutes west of Toronto, offers easy-to-intermediate top-rope and traditional lead-climbing routes with spectacular views of the Nassagaweya Canyon. For a more challenging outing farther from home, Devil’s Glen and Metcalfe Rock, both 2.5 hours north of Toronto near Collingwood, offer a range of routes in different climbing styles for the intrepid climber.

More info: Zen Climb

What’s nearby: Hiking enthusiasts can hike the Bruce Trail from Rattlesnake Point to the restored Iroquois village at Crawford Lake Conservation Area. The park is just north of Milton, Ontario, where you can park for free and stroll down the historic main street.

How to get there: Take the 401 to Regional Road 25, turn left at Route 25 south, right onto Steels Avenue, and left on Appleby Road.

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Superman’s got nothing on this high-flying adventure. Just 25 kilometres from Guelph, the Grand River cuts a jagged swath through dramatic limestone cliffs to form the Elora Gorge—and that’s where you’ll clip in and zip along 200 feet of cable high above the water’s surface. Combine your afternoon of ziplining with a morning of rappelling down 64 feet of the layered, rocky face of the Gorge, and you’ve got the makings of an adventure fit for a true superhero. Of course, no hero is complete without a full complement of gear—so safety helmets and harnesses, as well as a comprehensive lesson, are included.

More info: Adventure Seeker Tours

What’s nearby: If you want to continue your adventuring, grab an inner tube at the Elora Conservation area and take a float down the Grand. Fast-moving rapids combine with more leisurely sections for the perfect balance of thrills and chills. When you get hungry, check out the charming nineteenth-century town of Elora, complete with architecture built from the same limestone that lines the Gorge.

How to get there: Take the 401 to Highway 6 North. Turn right at Woodlawn Road, take a left on Woolwich St./Hwy 6, and then turn left onto County Road 7.

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