A prominent Canadian tourism official says news that Canada will allow more student workers into the country is a big boost for the hospitality industry. Ottawa on Thursday launched the 2023 International Experience Canada (IEC) Program with a 20% increase in the number of applicants who can apply. Applicants will be able to apply as of January 9, 2023. IEC is a reciprocal program that allows Canadian and international youth to work and travel in each other’s countries. This increase means that nearly 90,000 candidates will be able to work and travel in Canada, including Francophone youth, which will help Read more
Trudeau
The Trudeau government says the situation at Canadian airports continues to improve. The government on Friday afternoon issued the following statement: Flight completions * For the week of October 3-9, 2022, 99 percent of flights planned for Canada’s top four airports were completed (i.e., not cancelled); an improvement from 95 percent for the first week of July. * This percentage is the same as the week of October 7-13, 2019, when 99 percent of flights for the top four airports were completed. On-time performance * From October 3-9, 2022, over 91 percent of flights from the top four airports left Read more
After a summer plagued by delays, the Trudeau government says Canadian airports are operating at levels similar to pre-pandemic numbers. For the week of September 26 to October 2, 2022, 98 percent of flights planned for Canada’s top four airports were completed (i.e., not cancelled); an improvement from 95 percent for the first week of July, officials said in a statement. That’s very close to the week of September 30 to October 6, 2019, when 99 percent of flights for the top four airports were completed. Ottawa also said that, from September 26 to October 2, 2022, more than 91 Read more
The Trudeau government is on pace to reach more than $54 million in spending on the controversial ArriveCAN app; more than double what has been spent so far. The Globe and Mail reports that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) recently submitted documents to the Canadian Parliament that list 27 contracts involving 23 unique companies all working on the app. This was after the CBSA told media outlets over the summer that only five companies had received contracts, the newspaper said. The CBSA originally said it has spent $19.7-million on developing the app and $4.9-million on app maintenance, but reports Read more
An influential U.S. Senator is ratcheting up the pressure on President Joe Biden to fully open the U.S. border. Canada and the Trudeau government allowed its COVID-19 travel restrictions to expire on Saturday, October 1. But the U.S. still requires all non-residents to show proof of vaccination before entering. Critics say that’s hurting American tourism. “We urge the United States to reciprocate the policy of our Canadian neighbours by easing our own COVID-19 restrictions for the sake of our northern border communities and their economies,” New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Brian Higgins (western New York) said in a Read more
