Summer 2007 | Canada High Fives

Five of the best: Queer Canadian Celebs

1. Kathryn Dawn Lang, or k.d. lang, as she’s better known, hails from tiny Consort, Alberta, but later fled to Edmonton.

2. Born to musician parents Loudon Wainwright III and folk singer Kate McGarrigle, singer Rufus Wainwright is a son of Montreal.

3. Vancouver writer Douglas Coupland (Generation X) came out in a 2005 interview with The Advocate.

4. Elton’s other half, David Furnish, director of Elton John: Tantrums & Tiaras, is a born and bred Torontonian.

5. Olympic gold medal–winning swimmer Mark Tewksbury first learned his strokes were different from other folks’ at home in Calgary, Alberta.

Five of the Best: Sumptuous Spas

1. Indonesian indulgences, including Lulur body exfoliation treatments previously reserved for Javanese royalty, star at Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa, Whistler, B.C. (604-932-2778).

2. Calm flows at Stonehaven Relais and Spa, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec (819-324-1200), a serene lakefront estate with mineral hot tubs and a Turkish bath tucked into the hillside.

3. Surrounded by stone walls, turrets, and 1,400 acres of tennis courts and gardens, Ste. Anne’s Country Inn and Spa, Grafton, Ontario (888-346-6772), is an 1858 château with the only Moor mud bath in Canada.

4. Wine, truffles, and intense chocolate spa packages lure luxury lovers to 200-acre spa hotel Manoir St-Andrews, Saint-Jérôme, Quebec (450-530-2903).

5. Enjoy wild ocean views and private treatments from the Cedar Sanctuary, a waterfront bungalow steps from the waves at the Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino, B.C. (250-725-3100).

Five of the best: Decadent Diversions

1. Explore remote Alberta peaks on a heli-hiking expedition with upscale tour operator Abercrombie and Kent (800-554-7016, from US$4,950).

2. View the Penny Ice Cap and glistening fjords aboard the Orlova with gay-friendly luxe tour operator Horizon Travel (800-387-2977, from US$4,350).

3. Take an exhilarating river-rafting trip in Kluane National Park, Yukon, on gay-specific tours from Yukon Pride (867-668-2932, from US$1,089).

4. Cowgirls won’t get the blues at women-marketed Elkin Creek Guest Ranch (877-346-9378, packages from US$679) thanks to Aveda amenities, a hot tub, and a sauna.

5. Join an opulent tent safari on Vancouver Island with Luxury Adventure Vacation (866-525-5807, from US$4,056).

Five of the best: Gay Wedding Planners:

1. Whether you want to exchange vows in a château or a church, Out by View can assist you in Montreal or Quebec City (866-966-8829).

2. Upscale affairs are the realm of Hudson Nuptials of Toronto (416-628-4380) on chic Bloor Street.

3. Organizer extraordinaire Fern Cohen of Toronto (905-731-2005), from Canada’s My Fabulous Gay Wedding, ensures special moments.

4. PrideBride, run by married duo Rita Leonard and Paula Rutledge (204-232-2122), a marriage commissioner and marriage license issuer, takes calls for confetti in Manitoba

5. Those who want to proclaim their love on sunny Pacific shores should engage Belles and Balls of Vancouver (604-838-6980).