Company hosts open house for West Bragg Creek logging project
West Fraser plans to clearcut two pieces of land in Bragg Creek that include portions of several popular backcountry trails.
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CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
How much does the G7 benefit host communities in the long-term?
Hotel rooms in Calgary and the Bow Valley are filling up as delegates, journalists and security personnel arrive for the G7 in Kananaskis, which starts Sunday. The summit could generate around $240 million for Alberta's economy, according to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, with a long-term boost to tourism expected as potential visitors around the world get a look at the area's natural beauty. But the costs of hosting a summit are massive, and all costs are covered by the host country. The last time Kananaskis hosted the summit, its price tag was estimated at $300 million. Canada last hosted the summit in La Malbaie, Que., in 2018, when it budgeted $600 million. "When we talk about economic benefits, we have to talk about economic costs as well," said Frédéric Dimanche, a professor in the department of hospitality and tourism management at Toronto Metropolitan University, on CBC Calgary's The Homestretch Thursday. Dimanche said Kananaskis and the surrounding area already attracts visitors from around the world, and he's not sure this year's summit will provide the long-lasting boost some are expecting. "Does anyone remember when the last G7 took place and where it took place?" he said. "We have to be very careful when we say that having an event like this is going to lead to a big increase in visitation." Some tourism executives who worked on past summits said there are benefits, but puzzling out the long-term impacts isn't straightforward. 'Difficult to calculate' economic impact in Charlevoix, Que. Hosting the 2018 G7 made Charlevoix, Que., "more visible" on the international stage, according to the general manager of Tourism Charlevoix, Mitchell Dion. "At one point you have everybody in the world watching this event," he said. "It was a way for us to connect with media [outlets] and organize press tours, media tours of the region, to talk, yes, about the political event, but also about the region." But the community has not been able to quantify the economic benefits of that exposure, Dion added. "It's really difficult to calculate even years after. But of course there [were] really some short-term impacts." Lodging tax revenue increased due to the summit, and Dion said Charlevoix locals also benefited from improvements to infrastructure — such as roads and cell towers. Cornwall, U.K., saw benefits, no huge tourism boom Malcolm Bell was the chief executive of Visit Cornwall when the coastal English county hosted the summit in 2021. He said the attention surrounding the summit didn't spark a massive tourism boom, but added it did allow the area to show off its natural beauty. "We were able to expose the [world] and journalists to the sort of natural cliffs and sandy beaches," said Bell. "We had this sort of worldwide coverage that there was this beautiful place ... called Cornwall." Bell added if Cornwall had to pay for the kind of publicity it received from hosting the G7, it would have cost about $111 million Cdn. After the summit, more travel companies from the U.S., Canada, Germany and Italy added Cornwall to their U.K. tour itineraries, he said, especially those designed to accommodate tourists who've already visited the U.K. and seen the famous attractions. "That's been the big growth area," said Bell. "We got a lot more Italians, lot more Canadians." He recommends summit hosts snap plenty of photos of world leaders in front of iconic landmarks and use them to inspire tourists to follow in their footsteps. Canmore, Kananaskis hoping to attract overseas visitors Tourism Canmore Kananaskis aims to use the summit to improve the area's "brand recognition" around the world. "We are working very hard to attract more international visitors, especially from the United States, the U.K., Germany and France," said CEO Rachel Ludwig. "We know that they are staying longer and spending more money. Having that news coverage about the area, hopefully, we'll get that additional boost for years to come." Hotels in Canmore and Kananaskis were on average 74 per cent full in 2024 — up 11 per cent from 2019 levels — according to Tourism Canmore Kananaskis' 2025 business plan. But with new accommodation options expected to open in the coming years, Ludwig said the region will have the space to welcome more visitors. "There's a lot of short-term vacation inventory that will come online in the next few years. So we're definitely ready to grow," she said.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Thousands of B.C. reservations at risk due to short-term rental regulations: Airbnb
A sign indicating Airbnb rentals are not permitted is seen at the entrance to a condo tower, in Vancouver, on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Short-term vacation rental platform Airbnb said Friday that 'thousands' of reservations in British Columbia are at risk of cancellation, accusing the province of rushing out regulations as it cracked down on the industry. Alex Howell, Airbnb's Canadian policy lead, said in an interview that the rules requiring short-term rental hosts to confirm their listings are legal under the changes have already led to some bookings being cancelled. The government has said platforms such as Airbnb can't post B.C. listings without confirming their registration with the province, but Howell said many hosts whose properties qualify can't register due to glitches and other problems with the new system. 'Typically, we would have worked with a government for six months to do live testing, to make sure that things are working the way they should,' Howell said. 'And unfortunately in this situation, B.C. really just rushed into launching the system that hadn't been fully tested, and that's what's brought us to this situation.' She said that property owners have reported that typos and formatting errors have prevented them from registering with the province, despite meeting all the legal criteria for hosting short-term rentals. The province had said that short-term rentals are being restricted to principal residences, a secondary suite or a structure such as a laneway house on the property, and the policy is meant to open up more units in B.C.'s rental housing market. Howell said the timing of B.C.'s latest rules on short-term rentals is especially impactful, just ahead of the busy summer tourist season. 'Thousands of reservations across the province are now at risk,' she said. 'These are registered, compliant hosts that are failing validation protocols through no fault of their own. 'And this impacts … thousands of reservations across the province, at least 50 per cent of which are domestic travellers who are following their own government's advice to support local and travel within Canada this year.' Howell said instead of waiting until the June 23 deadline — when bookings on unregistered B.C. properties would be cancelled — Airbnb is proactively contacting affected hosts and guests to offer penalty-free cancellations. 'We think it's irresponsible to wait until the 23rd to alert travellers that there might be an issue,' she said. 'We're trying to get them that information ahead of time so that they can make some informed decisions.' In a statement, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said the province is confident that 'Airbnb will find solutions to their challenges with getting listings verified ahead of the June 23 deadline.' 'We hope that Airbnb will choose to support their hosts in verifying their listings, instead of cancelling their bookings,' Kahlon said. 'This is new ground for B.C., and we are working through ServiceBC, our short-term rental branch, and the platforms themselves to help hosts comply with the requirements.' The ministry also noted that there are 65 short-term rental platforms operating in B.C., and other platforms have been successful in supporting their hosts to get registered. In a separate statement, the Opposition B.C. Conservatives criticized the short-term rental policies of the New Democrat government, with Prince George-Valemount legislator Rosalyn Bird saying the regulations running counter to the province's efforts to promote local travel. 'How do you promote staycations while sabotaging the short-term rental market that makes them possible in small towns?' Bird said in the statement. 'The Premier (David Eby) says 'travel within B.C.', and then his government kneecaps our ability to welcome those travellers.' This report by Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press, was first published June 13, 2025.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Coldwater native takes on record-breaking trek across Canada for cancer
Ben Sweet is looking to raise money for cancer by cycling across Canada in record time. Last fall, Ben Sweet didn't just win the 24-hour North American Championship for Ultra Distance, he did it in record time. Now, the Coldwater area native is looking to raise money for cancer by cycling across Canada. Sweet says he can travel the 5,800 kilometers across the county in eleven days, that time would be almost three days faster than the existing record. He hopes to raise 30,000 dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society in honor of his big trek. His inspiration is fueled by his hero Terry Fox. Sweet says he's trained hard for this journey that could take a big toll on his body. 'The 16 to 18 hours I'm going to spend on the bike a day is going to be roughly 15,000 calories a day just to try and break even, and even that is probably not going to be enough in the long term, so yes it's a massive challenge that I've really been looking forward to take on," says Sweet. Sweet plans on leaving for the big bike ride in mid-July. He plans on starting in Vancouver and finishing up in Halifax.
