8 Places to See Beautiful Christmas Lights in Canada

There’s something truly magical about Christmas lights during the holidays. Thousands of twinkling lights can make any place feel like you’re walking in a winter wonderland. We’ve rounded up eight of our favourite spots in Canada to take in Christmas light shows, tunnels, and even a train.

1. Grouse Mountain

Christmas lights Grouse Mountain Beautiful Canada - London Drugs

Photo by @vancitywild

After taking the gondola up Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, BC, walk through a tunnel of lights before skating and grabbing hot cocoa. Tip: it’s a great holiday date spot!

2. VanDusen Botanical Garden

Christmas Lights VanDusen Botanical Garden London Drugs

Photo by @tovogueorbust

Walk among the maze of Christmas lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, BC. For many it’s a yearly tradition to see the Festival of Lights!

3. CP Holiday Train

The CP Holiday Train is travelling from province to province collecting donations for North America’s food banks. Find out when the train is coming to a town near you – and see a live holiday show!

4. Leduc County Christmas Lights

Leduc County Christmas Lights - London Drugs Blog

Photo by @capitalpowercleaninc

Walking in a Christmas wonderland at Leduc County Christmas Lights in Alberta! Remember to bring a donation for the food bank and snap a great picture with these twinkling lights.

5. Vancouver Christmas Market

Vancouver Christmas Market - London Drugs Blog

Photo by @fraaappuccino

Stand inside a giant Christmas tree at the Vancouver Christmas Market! Reflective of a traditional German market, shop for classic treats, visit local vendors with handmade goodies, and ride the merry-go-round.

6. Bankers Hall

Bankers Hall Calgary - London Drugs Blog

Photo by @aliyahkm

With a huge Christmas tree surrounded by lights, put Bankers Hall in Calgary on your to-visit list for a picture-worthy moment!

7. Prince’s Island Park

Prince's Island Park Calgary - London Drugs Blog

Photo by @anaib

Walk over to Prince’s Island Park near downtown Calgary, AB, for a bridge full of lights and festive Christmas cheer.

8. Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Capilano Suspension Bridge - London Drugs Blog

Photo by @vancitywild

All lit up for Christmas, the Canyon Lights at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park are beautiful over the holidays. It gets busy though, so go early or on weeknights if you can!

Did we miss somewhere? Tell us in the comments! Merry Christmas from all of us at London Drugs!

7 Beautiful Signs That Spring Is Just Around the Corner in Canada

Since it’s technically still winter, we may be jumping the gun here in Canada, but the the thought of Spring is too exciting not to talk about. There aren’t many other things that thrill Canadians more than seeing the first few signs of warmer weather: the old, grey piles of snow in Calgary transforming into ankle-deep puddles, the first sights of the new potholes blooming in Saskatoon, any temperature that doesn’t have a minus in front of it in Winnipeg, or one day, just one day, that it doesn’t rain in Vancouver are all welcome signs that spring is near, and we can put another Canadian winter under our belts. Here are 7 Signs that spring is juuuuuust around the corner.

Buds

Photo by Ruth Hartnup via Flickr

These little friends are usually the first signs of spring Canadians will see. Of course, the second thing they’ll see is fellow Canadians running around exclaiming, “BUDS ON THE TREES! BUDS ON THE TREES!”

Robins

Photo by Don Brubacher via Flickr

Robins know when things are starting to thaw out, so when they show up in your backyard, it’s a good sign that your extremities are about to get warmer.

Sun

Photo courtesy of Banff Lake Louise Tourism

It’s a unique experience to play a bit of pond hockey with the warm sun on your face. In the above photo, the Banff Women’s Hockey team are here taking full advantage at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel.

Blooms

Photo by Walter A. Aue via Flickr

Crocuses are usually the first buds to poke their little heads out of the cold, Canadian ground, and we’ve made early Crocus spotting a competitive spring sport.

Geese

Photo by James Mann via flickr

The comforting honk of these feathered friends making their way back to our lakes and ponds are a welcome sound in the ears of chilly, damp Canadians.

Patios

This patio at Canim Lake, BC isn’t quite ready for lounging on yet, but you know as soon as the temperature gets anywhere around 5 degrees, it will get dusted off and put to good use.

Spring Skiing

Photo by thesnowclub via Instagram

Is there any better feeling than skiing with no jacket? No. No there is not. Check out this daring canuck flipping for spring in Whistler, BC.

How excited are you about spring? Tell us, or even better yet show us, in the comments!

4 Scenic Reasons to Visit Saskatchewan

As popular as our #beautifulcanada photo series is, we can’t help but notice that some of the favourite posts are from our interior provinces. We’re talking to you, Saskatchewan. We may only have four London Drugs stores there but there’s no denying the wonder of Saskatchewan scenery. Here, four reasons you should probably make a trip out to the underrated province. Bonus: The people are as lovely as the scenery. Check out a small-town diner for a real Corner Gas effect.

1. The Northern Lights

A photo posted by Dean Kertai (@dkertai) on Oct 8, 2015 at 7:01pm PDT

This wonder of the world is visible all over the province, but some of the best views have been from the TransCanada Highway outside of Saskatoon. People travel from around the world to see the Aurora Borealis, so if you’re Canadian and you’ve never been, take advantage. You might have to travel to get there, but the show’s free.