Recreation and leisure

The outdoors is what Nova Scotia is all about. There’s something to suit everybody, all-year round in the province nicknamed “Canada’s Atlantic Playground”.

Here’s a roundup of just some of the things you can get up to!

GOLF
It’s a small (by Canadian standards) province, but Nova Scotia boasts more than 60 courses, including a number that have a 4.5 star rating from Golf Digest Places to Play or are in SCOREGolf’s Top 100 Courses in Canada.
The top-rated courses are:

• Glen Arbor Golf Club, Hammonds Plains (15 miles from Halifax).
• Highland Links Golf Course, Ingonish Beach, Cape Breton.
• Northumberland Links, Pugwash
• Fox Harb’r Resort, Wallace
• Bell Bay Golf Club, Baddeck
  

Useful links:
www.golfdigest.com/placestoplay/
www.scoregolf.com/rankings/index.cfm
www.destination-ns.com/golf/courses.asp
www.bellbaygolfclub.com
www.highlandslinksgolf.com
www.northumberlandlinks.com
www.foxharbr.com
www.glenarbour.com/


SKIING
It’s not the Rockies, but Nova Scotia does have four ski resorts that offer downhill skiing and snowboarding.

Wentworth – Vertical rise 812ft, longest run 2.3m; 2 quad chair lifts, 1 T-bar, 2 rope tows. Also has snowboarding and snow tubing. Night skiing on three of the 20 alpine trails. “Ski by the hour” rates available.
Martock - Vertical rise 600ft, longest run 1m; 1 quad chair, 2 T-bars, 2 rope tows. All mountain trails lit for night skiing; snowboarding, ice-skating canals and cross-country trails. Their early bird season’s pass (buy before 31 October 2007) is only $129.95 (full price $229.95)
Cape Smokey – vertical rise 1000ft, longest run 1.4 miles; 1 quad chair, 1 platter lift.
Ben Eion – vertical rise 490ft, longest run 1km; 1 T-bar, 1 rope tow, 1 poma, 1 quad chair; night skiing.

Useful links:
www.skiwentworth.ca
www.martock.com
www.skicapesmokey.com
www.skibeneoin.com

Cross-country skiing
If your second home is in a rural location, just strap on your skis and go! If you want groomed trails, see Ski Martock and Ben Eoin above, also. There are also a number of locatons around the province offering cross-country ski trails and a variety of facilities. Here’s just a few:
Beaver Mountain Provincial Park – although officially closed in the winter, visitors are encouraged to cross-country ski on the 3 and 6 kilometre
Highland Ski Touring – offers guides, equipment rental and warm shelters
North Highland Nordic Ski Trails – rated 5 stars by users, with 12km of trails
Kejimkujik National Park – 50 km of trails

Useful links:
www.destination-ns.com/common/directory/dbreturn.asp
www.canadatrails.ca/xc_ski/xc_ns.html
www.antigonishrda.ns.ca/beavermountain/


FISHING AND HUNTING

Fishing
Salmon, trout, bass – Nova Scotia is an angler’s paradise. You will need to get a general fishing licence or a salmon fishing licence, which are readily available throughout the province. (Licences don’t apply in national parks, and you may need to obtain an additional licence.)
Annual Licences are valid until the end of March the following year. A non-resident seasonal licence is only $54.26, and a seven-day licence is $29.98. A non-resident salmon licence is $133.19 or $54.26 for seven days. Size and bag limits apply.

Useful links:
www.gov.ns.ca/nsaf/sportfishing/angling/ - read the Nova Scotia Aqu/Fisheries and Aquaculture department’s official handbook online
www.novascotiafishing.com – an “everything-you-need-to-know website

Hunting
Hunt for white-tailed deer, black bear, Canada geese, ducks, pheasants and ruffed grouse. However, non-resident hunters must be accompanied by a registered guide. The general season runs from late October to the end of November, while the upland game season (eg pheasants and ruffed grouse) runs from October through December. Various licences apply, as do bag limits. A small game licence is $15.75, while a general licence is $125.40 for non-residents.

Useful links:
www.gov.ns.ca/natr/hunt/default.htm - complete guide to licences and regulations
huntingsociety.org/novascotia.html


WATERSPORTS
Sailing, boating, canoeing, kayaking – Nova Scotia is all about being on the water, whether it’s on a beautiful yacht moored along the South Shore or a canoe in Kejimkujik National Park. Even novices can enjoy the pleasures of the paddle on escorted twilight paddle in Mahone Bay’s quiet waters.

A number of company other excursions, tours, instruction and rentals:
NovaShores Adventures offer sea kayaking tours near Peggy’s Cove in the Greater Halifax region, and also in the Bay of Fundy
East Coast Outfitters offer professionally guided sea kayaking tours in Lower Prospect and Mahone Bay
Hinterland Adventures & Gear offer a range of activity packages, for kayaking and canoeing

Surfing and windsurfing – this land of lakes and peaceful bays is perfect for windsurfing, while a number of magnificent white sand beaches offer a bracing surfing experience. Rossignol Surf Shop in Port Joli offers lessons and camps (also does kayaking). Kannon Beach in Lawrencetown is Eastern Canada's largest surf shop.

Useful links:
www.novashores.com
ww.eastcoastoutfitters.net
www.destination-ns.com
www.kayakingnovascotia.com
www.surfnovascotia.com
www.globalsurfers.com/country_details.cfm?land=Canada
www.hurricanesurf.com
www.kannonbeach.com