If you’re a Canadian thinking of staying home for your holidays this year, or if you’re an American thinking of taking advantage of the low Canadian dollar and coming north for a summer vacation, you might want to fire up your laptop or start scrolling on your phone. With many Canadians swearing off trips to the United States because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, and with a resulting great rise in “Buy Canadian” sentiment, travel industry officials say they’re already seeing an increase in interest. And in prices. Amra Durakovic, head of communications for Flight Centre Travel Group in Canada, Read more
March 2025
Things are a little tense these days when it comes to Canada-USA relations, and many Canadians say they intend to stay home for their holidays this year. With that in mind, I’m doing a series of “Canada Strong” travel stories to provide some ideas. Today I look at five great national parks across this great country of ours. Thanks for reading, and as we Canadians are prone to say these days, Elbows Up! KLUANE NATIONAL PARK, YUKON This is a rugged, starkly beautiful spot a couple hours northwest of Whitehorse. The drive to get here is nothing short of Read more
If you’re a Canadian, this is a great time to visit the country’s biggest city and support local tourism. If you’re an American or someone else who’s not lucky enough to be a Canadian, it’s also a great time. The weather is getting warmer, and the low Canadian dollar makes the city a relative bargain. (As of today, March 15, $100 U.S. bucks will get you a tidy $143 Canadian dollars. One hundred Euros will get an even more attractive $156 Canadian dollars.) With that out of the way, here are some great things to see and do in downtown Read more
It’s mid-morning on a lovely February day in Bradenton, Florida. I’m kayaking through the tranquil Robinson Preserve in the northwest corner of the city, sliding past deep green mangrove forests dotted with majestic blue herons and brilliant white ibis. I’ve lucked into a morning paddle with Ranger Randy West from Kayak Jack’s. We get to talking as we roll along, and West tells me he used to be a professional volleyball player. Among his opponents over the years was Karch Kiraly, the legendary U.S. volleyballer and two-time gold medallist often considered the finest man to play the game. “I earned just Read more
This tariff war is not an easy thing to watch, particularly for a dual U.S./Canadian citizen who has called Canada home for 43 years and 45 weeks. Canadians are booing the U.S. national anthem at some sporting events and are calling off visits to the States. Americans seem embarrassed at the way their president is behaving, but appear helpless to stop the “51st state” nonsense or the ongoing tariff battle. With that as a painful backdrop, it’s nice to see the tourism folks in Detroit reaching out across the border with a friendly nod and a firm handshake to let Read more
