I didn’t get out to British Columbia as I had planned, but I did manage to spend time this year in Calgary, Banff, Quebec and several places in Southern Ontario. Here are some of my fave experiences in Canada this year. MOST SURPRISING ARCHITECTURE: I had never heard of the Thomas Foster Memorial in Uxbridge, Ontario, but it’s a beautiful building both inside and out. Definitely worth a visit. MOST UNUSUAL SPA: The Muskoka Beer Spa is a fun spot south of Bala, Ontario, with a nice pool, hot tubs, saunas, a beach and cottages that you can have equipped Read more
Canada
Porter Airlines is adding Edmonton to its network, with flights between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Edmonton International Airport (YEG). Edmonton is the newest destination for Porter’s new Embraer E195-E2 jet service, which currently includes Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal. Porter is giving Canadian economy travellers the ability to fly with an airline that provides an enjoyable economy air travel experience for every passenger. The initial flight schedule start Feb. 14, 2023 with one daily flight, increasing to three daily flights on April 9 for additional flexibility. Connecting flights with Ottawa and Montreal will also be available. Introductory, round-trip air Read more
Canada this year saw travel volumes rebound in step with the removal of COVID-19 border restrictions with 50 million travellers seeking entry to Canada, an increase of 267% from 2021. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) today said it also prevented 1,009 firearms (compared to 908 in 2021 – an increase of 11%), and 37,749 kilograms of illicit drugs (compared to 21,968 in 2021 – an increase 72%) and other dangerous goods from entering Canadian communities. The CBSA says it has worked hard “to facilitate the free flow of people and goods, support the immigration system, and stop firearms and Read more
As Canada’s busiest airport, Toronto Pearson is preparing for the upcoming holiday travel period while sharing tips and information for passengers. The holiday season is traditionally one of the busiest times of year at Pearson and this year is expected to be particularly busy, as passenger traffic has steadily increased since the summer. To help make the experience easier, Pearson and its airport partners have introduced a number of tools aimed at making flying easier. This includes: * YYZ Express, an online reservation program that allows travellers to book a spot in the security line ahead of their flight, up Read more
It could take another three years for Ontario’s tourism industry to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, a major new study says. A report from The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, released today, calls for sweeping changes, including keeping the Ontario staycation tax credit, boosting cannabis tourism, providing better train and rapid transit service, giving indigenous tourism a push, and boosting affordable housing for workers. The study says tourism businesses in Canada’s most populous province are generating less than two-thirds (64%) of the revenues they saw in 2019, and that 70% have taken on debt Read more
