Plenty to do this Ontario Family Weekend

You don't need a fishing license Family Day Weekend

There's a ton of stuff happening in Sunset Country this weekend including tons of free events.

Free Ontario Family Fishing Weekend
 
Ontario Family Fishing Weekend is a province-wide opportunity for Canadian residents to fish Ontario waters without the otherwise mandatory fishing version outdoors card. The Ontario Government designates two periods throughout the year as license-free, one of these being this Family Day weekend. You can fish license free from February 16-18, 2013 (12:01 a.m. Saturday to 11:59 p.m. Monday). In the summer you can also fish license free from July 6-14, 2013 (12:01 a.m. Saturday to 11:59 p.m. Sunday). During all other time periods, Canadian residents between the ages of 18 and 64 years must purchase a valid fishing license to legally fish in Ontario. If you've never been ice fishing, this weekend would be an opportune time to get out there and fish. You can also take a friend fishing.

Participants fishing without a license must fish under the Conservation fishing license limits which are set out in the current Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary. With the exception of the licensing requirement, Ontario fishing regulations, fees and limits continue to apply during license-free days.

Snowmobile our winter wonderland

Permit Free Snowmobiling

The OFSC is also having a 'Try Our Trails Permit'. The Try Our Trails Permit is only valid for available OFSC trails on Ontario’s Family Day Long Weekend February 16-18, 2013.

• You will be required to enter your sled license plate number, VIN, make, model and year when applying for this permit.*
• Print the permit yourself from confirmation email you receive after registering online.
• Permit must be affixed to your sled.

The OFSC wants to invite new participants, former riders and out‐of province visitors to try OFSC trails at no cost. They encourage all regular permit buyers to invite their families and friends to obtain a 2013 Try Our Trails Permit, so they can Take a Friend Snowmobiling. What a great opportunity to try the OFSC snowmobile trails. Find out more at the Ontario Federation of Snowmobiling Club website. 

2012 'Pimp Your Ice Shack' Winners

Winter Festivals

Check out the Dryden Winter Festival February 15-18, 2013. Celebrate winter outdoors with family and friends. There's a pancake breakfast, horse drawn sleigh rides, skating, sliding, snow kiting lessons and demos, snow sculpting, family fishing derby and so much more... You can download a printable schedule of Dryden Winter Festival events.

The Vermilion Bay Kin Karnival will kick off on February 14 with the Kin Baby contest at 6:30 p.m. The event continues on Friday with the annual fish fry at the Lions hall. There will be events all day Saturday including a pancake breakfast and a mini kids carnival, and a new event - the trapline challenge dog sled race. It's a mass start at 10:30 at the government dock. After that there will be having a kids mutt run. Sunday events include the Kin Family Fish Derby, which is often called the main event. Those interested in signing up for the fishing derby will be able to at the carnival. For more information on event registration contact Scott McEwan at 227-2904.

Mount Evergreen Ski Hill is open Family Day

There are also many Family Day Activities throughout the cities and towns in Sunset Country.

In Kenora, visit the Kenora Recreation Centre for a free public skate from 12:30-2pm and a free public swim from 1-2:30pm. Mount Evergreen Ski Hill will be open from 10-4pm and they have special pricing for the day. Beaver Creek Ranch is also open from 2-4pm. They will have sleigh rides, petting zoo, crafts and a bonfire.

In Thunder Bay there are lots of great things happening this Family Day weekend! There's Fort William Historical Park's Voyageur Winter Carnival all weekend and Winterfest down at Prince Arthur's Landing on February 18th. 

An “Indoor Planetarium” is coming to the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre on Monday, Feb. 18 (Family Day). Pick up your tickets for one of the six shows, which cost $2/person.

That's just a taste of what's happening in Sunset Country this weekend. Now get off the computer and head outside!

One of the hottest new travel websites just launched!

northernontario.travel to showcase the incredible travel experiences in the north!

Ontario smallmouth bash fishing - Photo: Ginny Riege

Want to travel to Northern Ontario? Visit the new northernontario.travel website for beautiful photos and articles to help plan your vacation to Ontario. The website covers three sub regions; the Northwest, Algoma and Northeast regions. 

You can also search by experiences such as ATVing, Boating, Fishing, Hunting, Motorcycling, Outdoor Adventures and Snowmobiling. 

So, what are you waiting for? If you want to experience the ultimate Canadian fishing trip, plan a winter vacation, or soak in the wilderness by canoe, head on over to northernontario.travel.

Sunset Country - A Place Like No Other

Wilderness Next Door

Sunset Country in Northwestern Ontario really is a place like no other. Located in the central part of North America, Sunset Country offers thousands of square miles of wilderness, much of it pristine and untouched by modern civilization. This is a landscape with almost 100,000 lakes rivers and streams, vast stretches of woods and abundant wildlife and fish.

You can see the likes of moose, deer, and bear in our forests as well as dozens of species of songbirds and large birds of prey such as bald eagles and osprey. We can offer you some of the best freshwater fishing on the planet with trophy-sized muskie, pike, walleye, trout and bass in our lakes. Bring your camera to catch images of the area's wildlife, scenery and of the many big fish you'll catch.


For those who want to paddle across the water, Sunset Country was made for the wilderness canoeist. Do names like Quetico, Woodland Caribou and Wabakimi conjure up dreams of a trip you always wanted to take? These are only three options and with many qualified and knowledgable canoe outfitters, your trip planning can be relatively simple.

Cruise vast lakes on a houseboat. Lake of the Woods is located in Sunset Country are Lac Seul and Dog Lake. You can rent a houseboat on any of these lakes and take your floating cabin to a different location each day. Experience tremendous fishing, find your own secluded beach and relax in the beauty of the Canadian outdoors.

For the family that loves to go camping in Ontario, Sunset Country is the place in the Province to go. You can choose from a variety of private campgrounds across the region or stay in a Provincial Park. Bring your RV or your tent no matter, the guarantee we can provide is you will have a fun time!

Fishermen and familiy vacationers have a choice of many resorts and lodges in the Sunset Country travel region. For a truly unique experience, why not consider a trip to a remote fly-in outpost or lodge? You'll step aboard a bush plane and fly to a lake that has no roads into it and best of all, no other people!


If you are just traveling through Sunset Country on your way to another destination, then make sure to go through the many small towns and cities along the way. In these towns and cities you'll find a good selection of hotels, motels and bed and breakfast facilities.

What really makes our part of Canada special is how close we are to you! If you live in the U.S. Midwest, Western Canada and Southern Ontario, you can get here easily and in good time. For more information on how we can help you make it all happen, order your free Ontario Travel Guide and Map for Sunset Country, the Great Canadian Experience!