With summer nearing, SÉPAQ promotes local camping getaways
With school ending soon, SÉPAQ is encouraging families to explore local parks and camping options, even as recent strike action raises some uncertainty.
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CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Go on a virtual road trip with Jerome and Holly, N.L.'s YouTube couple
When Jerome and Holly McGrath head out on a road trip, they're sure to bring guests along for the ride — hundreds or even thousands of them. The semi-retired couple lives in Paradise, just outside of St. John's, but they spent some time in Alberta before that. "We always talked about, when we came home, we would do some videos for people who are away so they could follow what we're doing and where we're going," said Jerome. That's exactly what they did in 2021 when they started posting videos to their YouTube channel. Holly and Jerome have been touring Newfoundland and Labrador since then. They've documented nearly 100 excursions around the bay and beyond, just using an iPhone and sometimes wireless microphones. Some of the pair's favourite spots to visit are Codroy Valley, Random Island, the Bonavista and Trinity area and Cape St. Mary's. "Sometimes we don't even know where we're going. We just get in the car and go," said Holly. The videos are unscripted, and viewing them feels like riding in the passenger seat alongside the McGraths. Jerome says that's intentional. "Holly said [to] just be natural… we talk a lot to one another anyway," he said. It's proven to be popular. A video posted in November 2024 amassed over 12,000 views on YouTube. It depicted a trip to Jerome's hometown of Branch, on the Cape Shore of the Avalon Peninsula. That particular piece is just half an hour long, but features many landmarks in the small town, narrated by Jerome's recollection of childhood memories. That's the kind of content the audience connects with, according to Jerome. "People comment on stuff like that," he said. "'We can't wait to get up Sunday mornings to put your video on and see what you're all about.'" Even people in the United States and other parts of Canada watch and comment on the videos, Holly said. She added that one woman in Vancouver Island was inspired to move to Bonavista because of the scenery that the couple recorded and published. They have quite a following here at home, too. "We stepped into a restaurant on the way [to Adam's Cove]. As we were coming out, this lady went, 'Oh, Jerome and Holly! My God, I never thought I'd meet you guys,'" Jerome recalled. The YouTube channel simply named Jerome & Holly McGrath has more than 600 subscribers, which Holly says is disproportionate to the view counts on the videos. "But when I look at the demographics on YouTube, most of them are people our age," she said. "A lot of people don't know how to subscribe." The duo said it would be nice to make some gas money from their videos, but they're having fun all the same. "If we don't get anything five years from now… we're still going to do it," said Jerome.
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
As new U.S. travel ban arrives, some Canadian dual nationals are worried
Christian Kodia is accustomed to visiting the United States on a weekly basis, but with a new travel ban coming into effect on Monday, he's not sure if that will continue. Kodia is a dual national with citizenship from both Canada and the Republic of Congo, one of 12 states whose citizens U.S. President Donald Trump has now banned from entering that country. "I travel to the United States of America, I would say, every weekend. I go to visit my family, I go for business, I go for friends," said Kodia, president of the Congolese-Brazzaville Community of Ottawa-Gatineau. Even though Kodia has a Canadian passport, he's unsure of what kind of welcome to expect from U.S. customs. "It's going to be difficult," he told Radio-Canada, predicting that the ban would have a "huge, negative impact" for many people. Citing national security, Trump said Thursday his administration would block entry for citizens of Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Trump also announced restrictions to limit the entry of nationals of seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. In the case of the Republic of Congo, Trump cited high rates of overstaying among citizens visiting the United States: 29.6 per cent of those on temporary business or tourism visas, and 35 per cent of students and exchange visitors. For other countries he cited links to terrorism, failure to accept deportees or a lack of central authority as justification for barring their citizens. "If we had a government, a strong one, one that we elected, they [would] be able to deal with [Trump]," said Darlène Lozis, a Haitian community organizer in Gatineau, Que. Lozis said with much of her home country controlled by armed gangs, she doesn't think Haiti's government will be able to advocate for the rights of its citizens. "Whatever we do won't change anything. That man is a fool," she said, referring to Trump. "He will continue doing and saying whatever he wants." Entering 'the lion's den' Dual nationals like Kodia are now trying to establish whether they can still legally enter with their Canadian passports. But Ottawa immigration lawyer Betsy Kane suggests that given the potential risks,"it's not even about what's legal." Kane said she's asking her business clients whether it's worth risking the well-being of their staff by sending them to the United States, especially if they are dual nationals from one of the banned countries. "It's about putting yourself in the lion's den," said Kane, stressing that she's not a U.S. immigration specialist. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have wide discretion whether to admit travellers to the United States — even if they have a valid visa. They also have the power to detain people for questioning and to search their electronic devices. In April, Global Affairs Canada updated its travel advisory for the United States, warning Canadians to "expect scrutiny," which could include those devices. It also warned that Canadians denied entry could be detained while awaiting deportation. In an interview with the Canadian Press on Friday, U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said if a Canadian faced device searches, or detainment at the border, it was "an isolated event" and "not a pattern."
CTV News
12 hours ago
- CTV News
Cape Breton waterfall tourism a silver lining for wet Maritime weekends
When it rains on the weekend, don't expect researcher Benoit Lalonde to shed any tears. 'To me, that's great news,' said the author. 'Anytime there's a lot of rain forecasted I'm ready to go because those waterfalls are just going to get roaring.' Lalonde has literally written the book – two books, in fact - on waterfalls in Nova Scotia. After eleven straight weekends with at least some precipitation through much of the Maritimes, Lalonde says the extra water has given some of the hidden gems a chance to shine - particularly on Cape Breton Island. 'Definitely the Gairlock Falls in Middle River in Cape Beton has gotten a lot of traction from social media posts,' Lalonde said. 'Egypt Falls (near Margaree) has always been a big one, but I think as people take beautiful pictures and post them it just draws more and more people to them.' Lalonde's books are popular amongst tourists. 'I'm hearing a lot of people are carrying the Waterfalls of Cape Breton book,' said Dan Coffin, manager of tourism and recreation for Victoria County. Cape Breton's main tourism marketing organization - Destination Cape Breton - put a focus on spring waterfalls in recent years to stimulate the industry during the quieter shoulder season. Coffin said the model for this season was based the one used in Tofino, B.C. and highlights the variability of the weather. 'The people who are coming to do this are prepared and ready and are more than willing to explore waterfalls no matter what the weather,' Coffin said. He said it makes a real difference for tour operators' bottom lines. 'Having a couple of extra rooms that you pick up during the week or on a weekend can make or break, in a lot of cases, when it comes to May/June time frame,' Coffin said. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
