March Break at the cottage

March Break is the one winter week when the whole family is free, and a cottage suits it well: the days are longer, the snow is usually still good in the north, and the first sugar shacks open as nights freeze and days thaw. It is also one of the busiest weeks of the year for winter-ready cottages and ski chalets, so the best places are often taken by January.

In Ontario, March Break for most public schools in 2027 is March 15 to 19. In Quebec, spring break (la relâche) is set by each school service centre and usually falls in late February or early March, so check your child’s school calendar. Here are five regions that work for a March family week, in Ontario and Quebec.

1. Haliburton Highlands & Bancroft

≈ 2½–3 h from Toronto · Ontario

March in the Highlands is still winter: snowmobile trails, dog sledding, skating, and the family ski hill Sir Sam’s above Eagle Lake. Maple season starts here too; near Minden, Wintergreen Maple opens its sugar bush to visitors on weekends in season. Owners on our site rent lake homes around Bancroft, Lake St. Peter and L’Amable, including large houses for several families; ask each one whether the place is set up for winter.

Best for: snow activities, big families, maple season

See cottages for rent in Haliburton Highlands →

2. Blue Mountain & Collingwood

≈ 2 h from Toronto · Ontario

Spring skiing in sunshine is the March Break classic at Blue Mountain, and the village at the base adds activities for days off the slopes. It is also the resort’s busiest week, so book ski lessons, rentals and tickets online early, and choose a chalet within a short drive of the lifts.

Best for: spring skiing, ski lessons for children

See cottages for rent in Blue Mountains & Collingwood →

3. Algonquin Park

≈ 2¾–3 h from Toronto · ≈ 3 h from Ottawa · Ontario

Highway 60 is ploughed all winter, and in March the park is quiet, bright and often still deep in snow. Families can ski the groomed Fen Lake trail near the West Gate, snowshoe almost anywhere off the ski trails and look for wildlife along the highway. Cottages in Dwight, Oxtongue Lake and Whitney sit close to the park gates; a day permit is needed for each day in the park.

Best for: snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, wildlife

See cottages for rent in Algonquin & Almaguin →

4. The Laurentians: Tremblant and Saint-Sauveur

≈ 2 h from Ottawa · ≈ 1–1½ h from Montreal · Quebec

Mont-Tremblant’s season usually runs into April, so March brings longer days and softer snow, and Saint-Sauveur is about an hour from Montreal for shorter trips. Maple season is part of the week in Quebec: a meal at a cabane à sucre, with pea soup, ham, eggs and maple taffy on snow, is a spring tradition across the province.

Best for: spring skiing, a sugar shack meal

See cottages for rent in Laurentians →

5. Eastern Townships

≈ 1–1½ h from Montreal · Quebec

Bromont, Sutton, Orford and Owl’s Head are all within about an hour and a half of Montreal, and the Townships are full of sugar shacks in March and April. Villages like Knowlton, North Hatley and Magog give a calm base for days when the children want the slopes in the morning and a spa or a walk in the afternoon.

Best for: skiing for all levels, sugar shacks, villages

See cottages for rent in Eastern Townships →

Tips for a March Break cottage

• Write to owners early. March Break weeks are often taken by January, and some owners only rent full weeks then; ask about the minimum stay and arrival day.
• Make sure the cottage is winterized: heating in every bedroom, running water all season, and a road and driveway that are ploughed.
• Late-season ice is unpredictable. Lake ice weakens quickly in a March thaw even when it still looks thick, so stay off it unless you know it is safe; the Canadian Red Cross recommends at least 15 cm of clear, solid ice for walking or skating.
• Maple season depends on the weather: sugar bushes need freezing nights and mild days. Check opening days before you drive, and reserve sugar-shack meals in Quebec ahead.
• Quebec requires winter tires until March 15, so your car needs them if you cross the border for a Quebec chalet in early March.
• Check the CITQ registration number on any Quebec listing; every short-term rental there must show one.

Every cottage and chalet on our site is rented directly from its owner, with no booking fees. Open a region above to see what is available, use the “winter” filter in search to find winter-ready places, and write to the owner about your March Break dates.

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Updated 2026-10-24