Federal Auditor-General Karen Hogan will launch an audit of the Trudeau government’s controversial ArriveCan app, which skyrocketed from an initial cost estimate of $80,000 to a whopping $54 million. The Globe and Mail says the audit adds “a new layer of independent scrutiny” and follows a House of Commons vote last November that asked the Auditor-General to look into the issue. Liberal and Green Party MP’s voted against the idea. Federal politicians have been demanding answers since October, when The Globe and Mail first reported that the cost to build and maintain the travel-related app was on track to reach Read more

So, this is kinda wild. Cruisehive.com reports that Miray Cruises will open for bookings for a three-year world cruise on March 1, 2023. The cruise will sail onboard the 1992-built MV Gemini and visit 135 countries on seven continents from November 2023 through the end of 2026.  The ship will travel 130,000 miles, visit 375 ports of call in 135 different countries, and sail to all seven continents, Cruisehive stated. The cost could be as little as $2,500 USD per stateroom per month, which means $30,000 for the year. That’s damn cheap for room and board while you cruise the world. Read more

Toronto Pearson Airport officials say they’ll begin capping the number of passengers who can fly to the U.S. or come into the country from Europe. In a statement sent to me today by email, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) said it has “taken decisive measures designed to flatten peak-hour schedules for the March Break and the upcoming summer season” by controlling the number of passengers who go through the airport each hour. “These include hard limits on the number of commercial flights that can arrive or depart in any given hour along with limits on business/general aviation flights. In Read more

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