The CBC says four First Nations, along with the municipalities of Vancouver and Whistler, have signed an agreement with the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees to start exploring the feasibility of hosting the 2030 Winter Games in British Columbia. The agreement, announced in a written statement on Tuesday, means officials from the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations, along with the mayors of Vancouver and Whistler will work with the Olympic and Paralympic committees to assess the possibility of making a bid. There are few countries willing or able to make winter Olympic bids these days, which means Vancouver/Whistler Read more
Canada
Swoop today celebrated its first flight between Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) and Los Cabos International Airport (SJD). The ultra-low-cost airline’s inaugural service took off from Abbotsford at 9:00 a.m. PST and is scheduled to arrive at 2:55 p.m. local time. “As the country’s leading ultra-low fare airline, we’re pleased to add another warm-weather getaway option for residents of the Fraser Valley, with Los Cabos topping our growing list of non-stop destinations available from Abbotsford,” said Shane Workman, Head of Flight Operations, Swoop. “Abbotsford International Airport has been an integral partner back, going back to June 20th, 2018, when we operated Read more
If you’re thinking of traveling sometime soon, you might want to make sure you’ve had your booster shot. The Washington Post reports that several destinations, including France and the county of Maui in Hawaii, are requiring record of a booster for folks who want to gather in public places. USA Today says not having a booster could mean additional entry requirements or being denied access to venues or the country itself. The newspaper also noted that “more countries could move toward booster requirements to curb the spread of the COVID.” BLACK HISTORY BOOST FOR NOVA SCOTIA? A story at signalhfx.ca Read more
I remember my first visit to Halifax. I was in the middle of a block and wanted to cross the street. I was lazy, so rather than strolling to the nearest crosswalk I decided to jaywalk. The car closest to me stopped smoothly and gave me lots of space to dash across the road. I was baffled. You see, I live in Toronto. When you jaywalk in Toronto, you take your life into your hands. Cars honk at you. People roll down windows and make rude gestures. Fist fights erupt, police are called, and criminal charges ensue. In Halifax, they Read more
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is urging governments to accelerate relaxation of travel restrictions as COVID-19 continues to evolve from the pandemic to endemic stage. IATA this week called for removing all travel barriers (including quarantine and testing) for those fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine, enabling quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travelers with a negative pre-departure antigen test result, removing travel bans, and accelerating the easing of travel restrictions in recognition that travelers pose no greater risk for COVID-19 spread than already exists in the general population. “With the experience of the Omicron variant, there is mounting scientific evidence Read more
