Canadian travel and tourism experts says Ottawa needs to permanently remove arrival testing and other COVID-19 restrictions. The Trudeau government on Friday said it will temporarily suspend random COVID-19 testing of incoming international passengers at Canadian airports. Random testing at airports will be temporarily suspended at all airports starting on Saturday, June 11 until June 30, for those who are fully vaccinated. But the government said the rule changes are only for a few weeks, and that testing will continue after June 30, albeit off-site and not on airport property. Officials said they need to continue random testing so they Read more
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The folks at The World’s 50 Best Bars have put out a list of the best 50 places for a drink in North America, and Canada is well-represented. Four bars in Toronto, two in Montreal and one each in Vancouver and Halifax made the list, which is pretty good if you ask me. Canada is quite small in population, so to snag eight out of 50 spots when you’re up against both the U.S. and Mexico is pretty terrific. Civil Liberties, located on Bloor Street West near Ossington Avenue in Toronto, cracked the top 10 by finishing tenth overall on Read more
In a ruling that should allow Flair Airlines to continue selling low-cost flights to Canadians and others, the Trudeau government has ruled that Flair qualifies as a Canadian airline. The Canadian Transportation Agency issued a statement on its website today, stating that the agency “issued its final determination and found that Flair is Canadian.” “It’s a fantastic day for team Flair,” president and CEO Stephen Jones said at a press conference today. “‘The question has been answered.” Global News reports that Jones said the Edmonton-based company “never doubted” that it was Canadian and the decision by the CTA is very clear: Read more
Swoop, Canada’s leading ultra-low-cost airline, today launched its inaugural flight to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport from Toronto Pearson International Airport. Swoop flight WO746 took off from Toronto this morning at 6:30 a.m. ET and arrived in Chicago at 7:20 a.m. local time. “As Canada’s ultra-not-expensive airline, we are thrilled to continue our network expansion across North America this summer, connecting Toronto and Chicago with affordable fares,” said Bert van der Stege, Head of Commercial and Finance, Swoop. “Today’s celebration reinforces our commitment to Canadian travellers, unlocking opportunities to explore highly-sought destinations at ultra-affordable prices.” EDITOR’S NOTE: I dearly love Chicago Read more
Canadian travelers are ready to get back to cruising, and to help beat the currency exchange rate Holland America Line is offering a “Canada Super Sale” with savings up to 20% on select cruises and running through 2022. Canada Super Sale is offered on select 2022 Alaska, Canada and New England, Pacific Coast, Hawaii and Panama Canal cruises that sail to or from a Canadian homeport. Cruises to Mexico roundtrip from San Diego, California, also are included in the special. “With travel opening up Canadians are looking to cruise, but the current exchange rate can make that challenging,” Read more
