Canada’s passport application backlog has been ‘completely eliminated,’ one of the top ministers in the Trudeau government says. CTV News reports tat Families, Children and Social Development Minister Karina Gould this week said that service times for passport applications are back to pre-pandemic standards, after the backlog ballooned last summer. Canadians looking to renew their passports last summer found long wait lines and lengthy delays, an issue that passport officials said was due to a huge spike in demand for travel as COVID travel restrictions began to ease. The CBC reports that Canadians waiting anxiously for their passports to arrive before Read more
Canada
U.S. News magazine recently came out with a list of the best world destinations for solo travel. To my surprise, Toronto was the only Canadian city on the list of 33 destinations. I would’ve thought more Canadian cities, which are relatively safe, would make the list. That goes especially for Vancouver, with its natural beauty and great food scene, and Montreal, with its wonderful neighborhoods and French joie de vivre. Shows what I know. Anyhow, here are the destinations that made the list. California came away with three entries. Beaver Creek, Colorado Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands Paris San Diego Rome Read more
This is a remarkably diverse country we have here in Canada; with wide oceans and pristine mountain lakes and a rich cultural heritage. Here’s a list of some great activities and sights you can find across the country this summer. WATERTON LAKES N.P., ALBERTA This province is justifiably famous for its brilliant national parks, the best known being Banff and Jasper. They’re both awesome, but also can be packed with tourists. Authorities were turning folks away from Lake Louise in recent days, insisting that only folks with hotel reservations could use the crowded roads. Less crowded but just as striking Read more
The number of air passenger complaints to Canada’s transport regulator has more than tripled over the past year, soaring past 42,000 as of this month, Canadian Press reports. Complaints totalled about 13,400 as of March 31, 2022, before skyrocketing to unprecedented highs in the ensuing 12 months, according to Canadian Transportation Agency reports. They hit 36,000 in late January, and rose by another 17 per cent since then. Ottawa recently announced $75.9 million in new funding to help deal with the backlog. Canadian Press reports another $11 million was given to the CTA last year, and that the number of Read more
On the first day of spring, Newfoundland and Labrador tourism officials have unveiled the Newfoundland & Labrador ‘Mindset’; a collection of mindfulness cards that invite Canadians to spend a moment in Newfoundland and Labrador. “As you know, we have a unique way of life here, making the most of every moment, as it comes. Like the rolling waves of our coastline, we’ve learned to take lessons from the wind and the tide: life comes with a rhythm that will speak to you – if you take the time to listen. The Newfoundland & Labrador MindSet brings these lessons beyond our Read more
