One of Canada’s greatest tourism treasures is probably just days away from being active again. The R.M.S. (Royal Mail Ship) Segwun, the oldest operating steamship in North America, has been treated to a $3 million renovation and should be sailing the waters of magical Muskoka in the next couple weeks. The ship, built in 1887 and then named “Nipissing,” is a long-time symbol of Muskoka and provides fabulous trips on Lake Muskoka, as well as occasional visits to Lake Rosseau and Lake Joseph. A massive fundraising campaign by the Muskoka Steamships and Discovery Centre (full disclosure: I’m a member of Read more

Canadians and some Americans are livid that US President Donald Trump has ordered Lake Ontario to be renamed Lake America. But some mapping companies have already made the change, and at least one news outlet is suggesting Trump could sanction countries that don’t alter the name. Trump, who has been lashing out at Canada since being elected again in November of 2024,  last week issued an executive order changing the name of the lake, which is jointly shared by the US and Canada. Trump on the weekend posted an AI-generated video of him placing a “Lake America” sign on the Read more

Is September becoming the new August for Canadian and American travelers? The traditional summer travel season may be shifting. Air Canada is forecasting record revenue for September and October, as travellers increasingly move trips outside the July and August peak to avoid heat and crowds. HomeExchange data suggests Canadians may be following that shift. September exchanges among Canadian members are up 44.2% year over year, while August activity remains relatively stable. And those September getaways are getting longer, with the average exchange now lasting just over five nights, an 8.2% increase year-over-year. The numbers point to an interesting shift in Read more

Travelling by rail is one of the great pleasures of life. The pace is lovely, you don’t have to hassle with big security lines, you can gaze out the window at wonderful scenery, and you usually get on and off the train in the middle of great cities; not out in the boondocks miles from town. I had a fabulous train trip all around Europe in 1979, including a journey between Rome and Florence when I met my wife, but also trips within England and Scotland, across France, and also Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and The Netherlands. I’ve taken the train Read more

Porter Airlines’ new service in and out of London, Ontario YXU marks another step in its program of regional airport expansion in eastern Canada. Officials say it could even attract American fliers from across the border.   Porter and London International Airport officials held a joint press conference at YXU today (August 25) to announce Porter this fall will begin flights from London to Cancun, Montego Bay, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.   The Fort Lauderdale route will start on Nov. 18, 2026, with four weekly flights (Monday,Wednesday, Friday and Sunday), while flights to Orlando start Nov. 19, with three weekly Read more

  This year marks the 25th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and with a new film slated for release in 2027, there’s renewed momentum around Middle-earth, along with new reasons for fans to make the journey to the real-life landscapes behind the films. I’m a big fan of the movies and books and visited the Hobbiton movie set in Matamata when I visited New Zealand in 2016. It was truly fantastic to wander past the hobbit homes and see where parts of the movie were made. I also checked out a few other Read more