Whoever coined the term ‘winter wonderland’ must have been thinking of Ontario because once our snowy, white blanket covers the terrain, there’s a whole flurry of new ways to sample our great outdoors. And it’s as easy as learning a new activity or sport or renting the gear you need.

Zoom down the slopes, snowboard or tube at Hidden Valley near Huntsville, Calabogie Peaks near Ottawa or Collingwood’s Blue Mountain Resort with fabulous accommodations, shopping and après ski nightlife. As part of a multi-night winter getaway package, enjoy a little bit of everything from a horse-drawn sleigh ride to a snowmobile safari, then head indoors for a spa treatment capped off by a gourmet meal.

Strap on cross-country skis or snowshoes and head for parks, conservation areas and hundreds of trails all over the province. Sled or toboggan almost anywhere, even in our urban centres. Practice your figure eights on scores of ice skating rinks including the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. And for the really adventurous, reach for new heights on ice-climbing routes in Batchawana Bay and Nipigon in Northern Ontario.

Go snowmobiling on the longest interconnected system of groomed snowmobile trails in the world. Or let a team of Alaskan sled dogs or Siberian huskies do the work for you on a dog sledding adventure in Central Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park or Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve.