Porter Aviation Holdings Inc. is entering a partnership with Montréal Saint-Hubert Airport (YHU) to develop a new terminal capable of serving more than four million passengers annually. Construction will commence in mid-2023, with a scheduled completion by late 2024, providing a second airport for Porter Airlines to serve the Montréal market. Porter will continue expanding its existing operations at Montréal’s Trudeau Airport (YUL), while also introducing a Canada-wide network at the convenient YHU airport. More than 10 potential YHU routes have been initially identified, spanning from Vancouver in the west to St. John’s, N.L., in the east. The airline also Read more

Experts are warning Canadians that travel is about to get very busy again. And they say we need to be prepared. “Yes, I am getting many requests for bookings,” Toronto-based travel advisor Amy Urquhart of Pure Magic Vacations told me. “People are still looking to book getaways for March Break and into later spring and summer. The demand is overwhelming at times.”   “As far as bookings go, I am well above where I was in the same time period of 2019 pre-pandemic,” said Canadian travel agent Brenda Slater, an Ontario agent and Travel Concierge with Beyond The Beach. “The Read more

Nearly one-in-four flights were cancelled at Vancouver International Airport yesterday as the lower B.C. mainland was belted by a winter storm and heavy snow. In a note posted on their Twitter feed just before midnight local time on Saturday airport officials said that winter weather continues at YVR with more heavy, wet snow expected to arrive. “Our snow response team remains fully mobilized & de-icing facility is operational. Our Guest Experience team is providing support in-terminal to passengers impacted by delays. ” The website flightaware.com said 74  outgoing flights cancelled at Vancouver International yesterday (Feb. 25). That’s roughly 24% of Read more

Eugene Levy is living large as he records his new TV show. I’ve also got update on a retirement cruise ship, a Black History initiative for New York, snow in Hollywood, and news about Singapore cancelling its Vancouver flights. RETIRE AND LIVE ON A CRUISE SHIP Here’s a great way to retire; live on a cruise ship that sails the world. Business Insider says Victoria Cruises Line is chartering a nearly 30-year-old cruise vessel formerly owned by Holland America for use as an adults-only residential cruise ship. The cost starts at $8,000 USD per month for two people and guests Read more

Acclaimed Canadian musician, actor and author, Jann Arden, is again partnering with Scenic for an unforgettable sailing on Portugal’s Douro River. The eight-day Delightful Douro sailing, Arden’s third river cruise with Scenic, is aboard the intimate 96-guest Scenic Azure. This truly all-inclusive cruise sails roundtrip out of World Heritage city of Porto, departing on October 30, 2023, and takes guests on an exploration of many of Portugal’s best sites – from the Baroque village of Lamego to the terraced vineyards and charming towns just beyond the banks of the country’s lifeline – the Douro. Pricing for the sailing starts at Read more

This is a story I filed for Postmedia a few years ago. Air Canada on June 1 will begin direct flights from Montreal to Toulouse, a large city in the lovely Occitanie Region of Franc. CIRQUE DE GAVARNIE, FRANCE – My tour guide is whipping along a narrow mountain road that overlooks a steep canyon at what seems like Formula One speeds. There’s only the bare minimum of a guard rail on my right, and we’re close enough to the car in front of us that I’m pretty sure I can see what radio station the driver is listening to. Read more