May long weekend travel: Most reservations on major BC Ferries routes sold out
The BC Ferries vessel Spirit of Vancouver Island passes between Mayne Island and Galiano Island while travelling from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen, B.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
86-year-old floatplane, last of its kind known to still be flying, takes to the skies in Vanderhoof, B.C.
Social Sharing An airplane with origins in the days when bush pilots transported people, cargo and even horses across northern Canada is taking flight once again in central B.C. A 1938 Bellanca Aircruiser, made from various materials including wood and fabric, is spending the summer in Vanderhoof, B.C., about 100 kilometres west of Prince George. On loan from the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Oregon, it's being piloted by Glenn Pearce, a retired Air Canada pilot with over 55 years of experience. In a journey more than 1,000 kilometres long, Pearce flew the plane from the Erickson museum in the community of Madras, Oregon up to Vanderhoof. It was a multi-day trip and he used only a map and a compass to guide him, just as bush pilots did before the advent of GPS systems. "It was quite an experience," he said. "It's very hands-and-feet, you've got to be flying that thing all the time.... but it flies very well." WATCH | Taking flight in a historic aircraft: A piece of aviation history has landed in Vanderhoof, B.C. 3 days ago Duration 2:13 A rare plane is spending the summer at the airport in Vanderhoof, B.C. Its arrival takes us back to a time when bush pilots flew people, cargo, and even horses through northern Canada. CBC's Catherine Hansen takes us aboard the Bellanca Aircruiser. Though originally designed to transport multiple passengers, U.S. federal regulations banned single-engine planes like the Bellanca Aircruisers from that task in 1934. That led to a new market for them, primarily in supporting mining and exploration operations in Canada as late as the 1970s. "It's airplanes like this that actually opened up the north," said B.C. Aviation Museum president Stephen Dale. "Prior to these airplanes, it was an awfully long haul to get anything up to the northern communities... you can get this thing into an area that is virtually unapproachable by any other means of transportation." According to the Erickson Collection, the plane Pearce has been flying was custom built to support a gold mining operation in the Phillipines before being pressed into service in Canada, and is the last of its kind still able to fly. Pearce said among the pilots who've flown it is Wilfred Leigh Brintnell, who according to Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, was the first person to circle Great Bear Lake by air. That led to the discovery of uranium deposits in the area, which were ultimately used in the Manhattan Project and the development of the first atomic bombs. Pearce is taking the plane on short trips around the region and locals have been dropping by with questions. He plans to bring it to the Fort St. John air show on the weekend of Aug. 2 and 3 and to have a public event in Vanderhoof in September.
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Airbnb says thousands of B.C. reservations at risk, blames 'rushed' rental rules
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 with The Canadian Press that the new rules, which require short-term rental hosts to confirm their listings are legal, have already led to some bookings being cancelled. The government has said platforms such as Airbnb can't post B.C. listings without confirming they are registered with the province. 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." The province said Friday that dozens of other short-term rental platforms serving B.C. have managed to support their hosts in registering with the government. But Howell 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 government's short-term rental system simply isn't ready," Howell said in a statement to CBC News. "We warned that rushing this rollout would lead to serious consequences, and now British Columbians are paying the price." Summer is tourist season 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. Airbnb can 'find solutions' In a statement, B.C. 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 NDP's short-term rental policies, with Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird saying the regulations run 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."
CTV News
2 days 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.
