Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is thrilled to announce a year-long partnership with Mattel, Inc., creating exciting and magnificent Barbie Dream Experiences for all ages at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal, inspired by Barbie’s famed legacy and remarkable travels around the world. In anticipation of Barbie’s upcoming 65th birthday, as well as the celebrated hotel’s upcoming 66th anniversary, these exceptional experiences will transport visitors into a pink and playful world. The fun begins with the launch of the official Barbie Dream Suite along with a variety of hotel packages to choose from – available to book starting today – for Read more
Olympics
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
For six straight Olympic Games, from Sydney in 2000 to Vancouver in 2010, I was the Toronto Star’s Olympics editor/organizer on the ground. I would get our credentials and housing set up and then, on the ground, coordinate our assignments for the reporters and make sure everyone had what they needed to get the job done, including getting media tickets from the Canadian Olympic Committee to cover the big events that had limited media seating. I also would write most of our web stories, usually off a television set in the Media Centre, where I spent 99% of my time. Read more
The latest study of world cities by Resonance Consultancy names London, New York City and Paris as the top three cities on the planet. Toronto was the only Canadian city in the top 25, placing 17th for the second year in a row. Resonance, which has been conducting this study for years, looked at everything from culture and education to shopping and neighborhoods and came up with their top 25 for the world. London was cited for its energy, projects and people. As the “capital of capitals” negotiates the uncharted terrain of a post-Brexit world, for now it still reigns Read more
At first I meant it as a bit of a joke. After watching Justine and Chloe (and Maxine) Dufour-Lapointe race in the freestyle skiing event at the Sochi Olympics on Saturday and seeing Justine win gold and Chloe silver, I mentioned on Twitter that the Canadian Tourism Commission should enlist them immediately as ambassadors for travel to Canada. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Lest we think these girls were only noticed north of the border, I can tell you that my Dad lives in California and read about the D-L girls and saw them Read more