I won't deny that there are some glaring gaps in the Canada 150 Countdown.

These regional omissions were pointed out to me several times as July 1 neared. As “Canucklehead” put it in a comment: "The Canada 150 Countdown? Where is Manitoba? Yukon? The WHOLE DAMN EAST COAST? Time for a new title!"

Fair point.

Then there's this comment from “From The Rock”: "Still waiting for something from Newfoundland. Why don't you come visit?"

Honestly, I would like nothing more. Between now and the Canada 200 celebrations I plan to attend as a vampire or mummy, I solemnly pledge to explore more of the six provinces and two territories that aren't covered by the Ontario-Quebec-BC-Alberta-NWT Countdown. (Happy now, Canucklehead?) Now that my Atlantic Canada and Yukon/Nunavut to-do lists are out there, here are the six spots at the top of my 50-year itinerary for Manitoba and Saskatchewan:

Churchill
Getting a first-hand look at the world’s largest land carnivore sounds worthy of my bucket list — but getting eaten by said carnivore does not. In Churchill, however, polar bears padding across the tundra can be viewed safely from tractor-wheeled tundra buggies, one of many local diversions that help make this town on the shores of Hudson’s Bay a true gateway to the North. Beluga whale watching flourishes in summer — visitors can even snorkel with them — and bird-watchers flock here in spring. Winter, meanwhile, is the best time to go dog-sledding and watch the Northern Lights dance overhead.

Wanuskewin Heritage Park 
Now vying for World Heritage Site status, this complex explores 6,000 years of Northern Plains Indian culture. More than 20 hands-on archaeological sites litter than property, along with walking and snowshoe trails, a medicine wheel, and a buffalo enclosure. For a more immersive experience, year-round teepee sleepovers include bannock and muskeg tea, as well as traditional storytelling around a campfire.

Mosaic Stadium
I regret never visiting Taylor Field, the former home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, to watch my Calgary Stampeders put the hurt on the Green and White. Thankfully, the CFL's best fans continue to sport hollowed-out watermelons, which is something I simply must see given my world-class Watermelon Scramble skills.

Riding Mountain National Park
Sitting atop the Manitoba Escarpment, this World Biosphere Reserve lures hikers, paddlers and cross-country skiers to forested hills and valleys, deep gorges and plentiful lakes. This diverse parkland must contrast beautifully with the surrounding prairie, with a beautiful-looking forest skating rink and 200 kilometres of XC ski trails adding to the allure.

Grasslands National Park
Deer? Check. Antelope? Check. A home where the buffalo roam? Check — that is, after a herd of plains bison was reintroduced to Grasslands in 2006. With its pristine namesake terrain, fossil-rich badlands and ancient tepee rings, this relatively recent addition to Canada's national parks provides a glimpse of prairie life before European settlers moved in. With a complete lack of artificial light earning it “dark-sky preserve” status in 2009, I'm confident I'll get a superb look at the heavens because, you know, the skies are not cloudy all day…

Temple Gardens Mineral Spa Resort
As a bath person, Canada’s largest geothermal mineral-water rooftop pool sounds too good to miss. And if said soak is combined with an “Indian Spice Hot Oil Massage Treatment” at the Sun Tree Spa, all the better!

​WHERE TO STAY
A short walk from Mosaic Stadium, the Delta Hotels Regina is an ideal option for visiting CFL fans. 

I won't deny that there are some glaring gaps in the Canada 150 Countdown.

These regional omissions were pointed out to me several times as July 1 neared. As “Canucklehead” put it in a comment: "The Canada 150 Countdown? Where's Manitoba? Yukon? The WHOLE DAMN EAST COAST? Time for a new title!"

Fair point.

Then there's this comment from “From The Rock”: "Still waiting for something from Newfoundland. Why don't you come visit?"

Honestly, I would like nothing more. Between now and the Canada 200 celebrations I plan to attend as a vampire or mummy, I solemnly pledge to explore more of the six provinces and two territories that aren't covered by the Ontario-Quebec-BC-Alberta-NWT Countdown. (Happy now, Canucklehead?) Now that my Atlantic Canada to-do list is out there, here are the five spots at the top of my 50-year itinerary for Yukon and Nunavut:

Dawson City
There’s still gold in the hills surrounding the former Yukon capital, but these days it’s far from the only draw. The vestiges of the late-19th-century Klondike Gold Rush are still prominent: The Yukon Gold Panning Championships each July; tours of Robert Service‘s home, which provide insights into the life and work of the “Bard of the Yukon;” Diamond Tooth Gerties saloon, where live can-can shows remain a staple; and the Downtown Hotel, where Sourtoe Cocktail, made with a real mummified human toe, is still served. One simple (and disgusting) act will get you into the Sourtoe Cocktail Club: “You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow, but your lips have gotta touch the toe.” And note-to-self: Several toes have been swallowed over the decades, and I don’t want to be “that guy.”

Dempster Highway
Starting near Dawson City, the Dempster winds 730 gravelly kilometres to the town of Inuvik, NWT, on the wildlife-rich delta of the Mackenzie River. Along the way it crosses the Arctic Circle, passes the jagged peaks and moss-carpeted valleys of Tombstone Territorial Park, and bisects enormous tracts of tundra that are home to moose, caribou and grizzly bears. If all this doesn’t make the miles melt away, the highway is also an essential lifeline for remote northern communities where First Nations customs are still practiced as they have been for centuries.

Kluane National Park and Reserve
Do the math: When 82 per cent of a national park is covered by either mountains or glaciers (or both), you know you’re in for something spectacular. It certainly adds up in this list’s largest park, a 21,980-square-kilometre wonderland of icy beauty tucked into Yukon’s southwest corner. Mixed forests and colourful alpine tundra flourish in Kluane’s remaining 18 per cent, providing a home for eagles, grizzly bears, wolves and other creatures that are often at risk in busier parks to the south. And topping it all off — literally — is Mount Logan, at 5,959 metres Canada's highest peak.

Auyuittuq National Park
If you’re going to name a peak after the Norse god of thunder and lightening, it had better be…striking. And Mount Thor is certainly that. The dramatic granite monolith in Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island is a respectable 1,675 metres tall — starting almost at sea level — but 1,250 metres of that is sheer cliff, creating the Earth’s greatest purely vertical drop. In addition to being predictably popular with rock climbers, the precipice is world-renowned among base jumpers. For my part, I’ll probably leave my wingsuit at home.

Bathurst Inlet Lodge
Formerly a Hudson’s Bay Trading Post and Oblate mission, the 42-year-old lodge offers nicely appointed rooms in a variety of quirky locations: a deconsecrated church, cabins overlooking the Burnside Delta, the two-bedroom Taipana House, a former trading post warehouse, and a former radio transmission station. Staying here is said to offer a glimpse into the traditional Inuit lifestyle, as well an opportunity to spot Arctic wildlife such as foxes, seals, barren-ground caribou and muskox from hiking trails and sea kayaks. Also in the area is the Wilberforce Falls, the highest waterfall above the Arctic Circle.

I won't deny that there are some glaring gaps in the Canada 150 Countdown.

These regional omissions were pointed out to me several times as July 1 neared. As “Canucklehead” put it in a comment: "The Canada 150 Countdown? Where's Manitoba? Yukon? The WHOLE DAMN EAST COAST? Time for a new title!"

Fair point.

Then there's this comment by “From The Rock”: "Still waiting for something from Newfoundland. Why don't you come visit?"

Honestly, I would like nothing more. Between now and the Canada 200 celebrations I plan to attend as a vampire or mummy, I solemnly pledge to explore more of the six provinces and two territories that aren't covered by the Ontario-Quebec-BC-Alberta-NWT Countdown. (Happy now, Canucklehead?) Starting with Atlantic Canada, here are the 10 spots at the top of my 50-year itinerary:

Hopewell Rocks
Nowhere shows off the Bay of Fundy’s incredible tidal range better than this famous collection of rock formations near Moncton. At low tide, visitors walk among them as they would a museum’s sculpture collection — that is, if the sculptures were 100 feet tall. At high tide, however, the only way to get a close look at the rocks is in a boat, as the Atlantic’s waters have risen up to 16 metres and surrounded the eroding monoliths.

Gros Morne National Park
If one national park sums up the diversity of Canada’s natural beauty, this would appear to be it. The Long Range culminates in Newfoundland’s second-highest peak, which gave the park its name (it means "great mountain standing alone" in French). Western Brook Pond, a fjord cut off from the ocean, is among the purest bodies of fresh water in the world. At 350 metres, Pissing Mare Falls is the highest cascade in eastern North America. There’s even rocky desert, lush forest and alpine meadow. Thankfully, there are also plenty of ways to take it all in, from cruises aboard small boats on Western Brook Pond to dozens of hiking trails. Sign me up for it all!

Cabot Trail
I’ve done the math: My road bike + Canada’s most famous scenic roadway + autumn = essential cycling. The 298-kilometre route is famous for the vivid foliage blanketing the peaks and valleys of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. It all culminates in early October with the week-long Celtic Colours International Festival, with concerts, art shows, seasonal feasts and kitchen parties spread right across Cape Breton.

Confederation Trail
Speaking of cycling, the Confederation Trail starts as soon as the bridge of the same name ends, yielding a 470-kilometre network of pathways connecting beaches, parks, towns and, most importantly, seafood eateries. Because it follows former railway lines, the trail is wide and mostly flat, making it ideal for post-lobster-supper pedalling.

St. John's
“Owshegettinonb'ys?” “Giv us a bitta dat luh.” These phrases sound incomprehensible, but they are just two of the friendly expressions I look forward to hearing on George Street, which boasts the most bars per square foot in North America. St. John’s setting seems as dramatic as it is beautiful: Several small lakes and ponds are scattered throughout the city, the natural harbour pulls in the salty sea air, and Signal Hill rises over it all.

Grand Manan Island
Whether by sea kayak, Zodiac, motorboat or yacht, several whale-watching outfits take guests out on the water to spot Finbacks — the second-largest whale species — Humpbacks, Minkes and North Atlantic Right Whales. Sharks, sunfish, porpoises and tuna are also apparently encountered on these jaunts. Grand Manan’s dry land, meanwhile, is renowned for its excellent beaches, clifftop hiking trails and historic lighthouses. Where do I sign?

Sable Island
It’s out there, both literally and figuratively. This slender, lonely collection of Marram grass and sand rises a few feet above the stormy Atlantic some 175 kilometres southeast of Nova Scotia. Its year-round human population is five, give or take, with that number jumping sharply in summer when Parks Canada boat tours stop in. The main draw: 400-odd Sable Island Ponies, feral horses introduced to the island centuries ago and now protected by law from human interference. Watching wild horses gallop across the treeless landscape must be a surreal experience, especially when thousands of harbour and grey seals are yelping on a beach nearby.

Torngat Mountains Base Camp and Research Station
Each summer, this unique temporary settlement returns to the incredibly remote southern edge of its namesake national park. It hosts international researchers intent on studying caribou and polar bears, Inuit youth and elders looking to reconnect with their ancient roots, and visitors like me who are eager to hike and kayak through the pristine and dramatic northern terrain. Accommodations include insulated domes with heat and electricity, with guided excursions visiting spots such as Saglek Fjord, where 3,000-foot cliffs plunge into the ocean, and Sallikuluk island, home to burial sites and traditional hunting grounds.

Halifax
The Nova Scotia capital is renowned for its verdant parks and lovely beaches — no matter where you are in town you’re never far from the sea. At the centre of it all is Citadel Hill, which apparently yields great views of the harbour and city. Downtown Halifax, meanwhile, supports North America’s highest per capita concentration of pubs, bars and live music venues. 

L’Anse aux Meadows
This World Heritage Site represents the first known evidence of a European presence in the Americas. It was here that a Viking expedition from Greenland built a small encampment of timber-and-sod buildings more than 1,000 years ago. Given my distant Danish heritage, maybe I’ll get a glimpse into the life of my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great granddad.

WHERE TO STAY
The upscale Delta Hotels Barrington is steps from many of Halifax's top attractions, including Casino Nova Scotia and the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site.