Few things sooth the mind like a good road trip. I’ve been to therapy, a spa, an osteopath, and experimented with a few other forms of mental and physical aids in the last two or three years, but none ever “fix” me as well as taking the wheel and simply driving.
Be it in a BMW 4 Series convertible or a Nissan Micra, the open road beckons me promising sights, sounds, and soul-soothing serenity. In both of these cars, speed is not a requirement; but sometimes, driving slightly over the posted speed limit can be invigorating. I recently had such an experience with a Subaru BRZ and a WRX.
Breathtaking roads do not only exist in Europe. We may not have a true equivalent to the Grossglockner High Alpine Road or Stelvio Pass, but we do have a number of amazing roads in Canada that should be explored. I made one such discovery last June on the Subaru performance drive event east of Kelowna, but I’m not going to divulge any more details for fear of spoiling the road for those in the know.
Here are 10 of the best driving roads in Canada:
- Sea to Sky Highway, B.C
- Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, N.S.
- The Icefield Parkway, Banff to Jasper, Alta.
- Confederation Bridge, N.B. to P.E.I
- Vancouver to Kelowna (Okanagan Valley)
- Vancouver to Tofino, British Columbia (Highway 4 [Pacific Rim Highway])
- Calgary to Lake Louise, Alberta
- Fundy Coastal Drive, New Brunswick
- Hwy 60 - Algonquin Park Corridor, Ontario
- St. Lawrence Route, Quebec (Charlevoix)
I’ve done my best to compile Canada’s best-known epic driving roads in the list above. I’m certain and convinced that all of you have your favourite driving roads or that I’ve forgotten some obvious ones. Make sure you mention them in the comments section below.
Over the years, I’ve travelled half of these roads, and can report that they are all well worth the effort required to make the trip to the other side of the country, should that be the case. I look forward to driving the other half!
