WINTER LIGHT  FESTIVAL

Where: Edmonton, AB
When: Until March 5

Edmonton is known as the Festival City, and many of its parties happen during winter. The Alberta capital has several upcoming celebrations. The Winter Light Festival includes a variety of events for the first 10 weeks of the year, with one of the biggest crowd-pleasers being the Silver Skate, a three-day affair that includes ice sculptures, skating races, goofy snowshoe races and other games in tree-lined Hawrelak Park. (winterlight.ca)

CARNAVAL DE QUEBEC

Where: Quebec City, QC
When: Until Feb. 13

This is Canadian winter at its best: a festive, three-week party in celebration of the white stuff, the province’s French-Canadian heritage, its culture and its beautiful natural areas.One of the world’s largest winter festivals, it harkens back to the first Quebec winter carnival in 1894, held by locals determined to beat the winter blues. Enjoy the antics of the beloved Bonhomme (the puffy Carnaval mascot), parades and family skating, to hardier endeavours such as canoe races across the slushy St. Lawrence (a hoot to watch from shore), dogsledding and 12-person snow rafting. (carnaval.qc.ca)

WINTERLUDE

Where: Ottawa, ON
When: Feb. 4 - 21

The Rideau Canal by itself is enough reason to visit Ottawa in winter—it’s an ice-skater’s paradise tracing eight pretty kilometres through the nation’s capital. It’s also an essential backdrop to the three-week Winterlude. More than 600,000 participants attend events around the region, ranging from the kickoff fireworks and ceremony at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the intricate ice carvings (and international competition) at Rogers Crystal Garden and the Sun Life Snowflake Kingdom’s outdoor play park in downtown Gatineau. (canadascapital.gc.ca)

FESTIVAL DU  VOYAGEUR

Where: Winnipeg, MB
When: Feb. 18 - 27

You can’t be in Manitoba in February and not feel the strong voyageur heritage that helped build the fur trade in Canada’s west and north. Capture the era of New France in the late 17th century in the Winnipeg French quarter known as St. Boniface with a range of activities over 10 days. The beard-growing contest is a chuckle; the concerts and cultural shows celebrate the joie de vivre of Manitoba’s rich history. (festivalvoyageur.mb.ca)

LAKE LOUISE POND HOCKEY CLASSIC

Where: Lake Louise, AB
When: Feb. 25 - 27

It doesn’t get any more Canadian than this—especially if you’re going to be in Banff National Park. This offbeat festival is a riot to watch, even if you don’t know the 24 teams of pond hockey players vying for glory in the icy wonderland of Lake Louise. A great weekend escape from Calgary, you can watch avalanches tumble down the distant Victoria Glacier, and when the testosterone gets too much, head to The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise for a cup of hot cocoa or the spa for a steam. (fairmont.com/lakelouise)