Honouring Jesse's Journey
John Davidson is planning to walk from St. Thomas to London in honour of the 30th anniversary of Jesse's Journey. CTV's Lauren Stallone reports.
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National Post
30 minutes ago
- National Post
Elbows-up tourism surge could see sector ‘eke out' a gain even as Americans stay away
From the front desk of Hotel Bedford in Goderich, Ont., Lynda Cross welcomes guests from regions ranging from southern Ontario to the South Pacific. Article content 'A lot of them come from Toronto,' said the manager, standing just inside the Romanesque arches of the 129-year-old establishment. 'Just lately, we've had a few groups come from Australia' — a first, she said. Article content Article content But one crop of tourists has been conspicuously absent this year: Americans. Article content Article content 'May and June have been slow.' Article content Article content A groundswell of economic patriotism has stoked curiosity in Canadian destinations, fuelling a domestic bookings surge as travellers turn away from cross-border trips. But a drop in American visitors north of the border and fears that many Canadians will simply stay home to save money has many wondering whether homegrown and overseas tourism can make up for the stateside decline. Article content Canadian vacationers' boycotting the U.S. could net this country's tourism sector up to $8.8 billion in extra business this year as travellers explore spots closer to home, according to a report from the Conference Board of Canada. Article content An April survey on travel intentions prompted the group to predict a windfall despite fewer border crossings this year by American tourists — Canada's largest source of inbound travellers by far. Article content The number of Americans who visited Canada by car fell nearly 11 per cent in April compared with the same month last year, the third straight month of year-over-year decreases, according to Statistics Canada. Article content While trip numbers for Canadians heading to the U.S. have fallen off far more steeply as part of a backlash against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and '51st state' threats, Americans' more moderate pullback owes to factors ranging from pinched pocketbooks to fears of feeling unwelcome to angst over the border crossing on the drive home. Article content The American retreat could hit communities that hug the border especially hard. Article content Article content 'Border towns that have tended to experience the shorter, more frequent back-and-forth visits — those are going to be communities that are going to be more heavily affected,' said Andrew Siegwart, who heads the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario.
CTV News
34 minutes ago
- CTV News
From flames to Falls: Canada's Indigenous wildfire evacuees take refuge in Niagara
Scores of wildfires have swept across Canada since the start of May, forcing more than 30,000 people to evacuate in three provinces. NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. — As wildfires engulfed Manitoba's remote north in late May, Joseph Garry, 63, fled the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation indigenous reserve, also known as Pukatawagan, on a helicopter. With other evacuees, he took three separate government flights before boarding a bus to find shelter in Niagara Falls, Canada's most popular tourist destination, some 2,000 kilometres from home. Scores of wildfires have swept across Canada since the start of May, forcing more than 30,000 people to evacuate in three provinces, spreading smoke into the U.S., and disrupting crude oil and mining production. Indigenous communities have been hit especially hard. Although First Nations people make up only around 5 per cent of Canada's population, they are among the most affected by this year's wildfires. Manitoba is struggling with its largest-ever fire evacuation effort. Early evacuees took shelter in community and sport centers in Winnipeg, but the province's cities are running out of space, forcing officials to turn to other locations such as Ontario's Niagara Falls, which has ample hotels. Around 2,000 evacuees from Manitoba and 500 from Northern Ontario are staying in four hotels in Niagara Falls, with more possibly arriving in coming days, according to Jo Zambito, chief of the Niagara Falls Fire Department. While the city is proud to help fellow Canadians during a crisis, Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati urged the federal and provincial governments to consider alternative accommodations as peak tourism season approaches. Indigenous leaders in Manitoba have criticized both federal and provincial governments for inadequate communication and delays in delivering requested resources during the wildfire crisis, while Pukatawagan residents recounted a chaotic and frightening evacuation. Videos shared by residents with Reuters showed military and civilian helicopters buzzing back and forth over the remote community of roughly 3,000 people, landing on the school field as thick wildfire smoke enveloped the area and flames inched nearer, and dozens of people huddled inside a Chinook military helicopter. At one point, a pilot warned Garry and 100 others waiting to board that the fire was only half a kilometer away and being pushed closer by the wind. 'To tell you the truth, it's... It's scary. Not for myself, but for everybody else. Especially children,' Garry said, in tears while speaking at the hotel the federal government is housing him in. Garry, a manager at the local airfield, left all his belongings behind except for a few sets of clothing and was briefly separated from two of his daughters and their children. His 50-person extended family was later reunited in Niagara Falls. Vanessa Hart, 43, a stay-at-home mother from Pukatawagan who was evacuated to Niagara Falls, said that despite repeated pleas from their chief and council, help did not arrive for three to four days. She believes a faster evacuation could have prevented significant distress. 'They didn't come and help right away,' Hart said. Indigenous Services Canada, which managed the evacuation, said emergency response is a shared responsibility and first response is generally up to local authorities. 'The Government of Canada is working alongside First Nation partners, as well as provincial and territorial counterparts, and continues to closely monitor the rapidly evolving wildfire situation across the country,' the agency said in a statement. Manitoba's government said in an email that smoky conditions near Pukatawagan early in the emergency response prevented water bombers from providing vital air support. 'They (planes) were grounded for all fires in the air support has been used extensively in the north whenever and wherever possible,' it added. A date to return home for the evacuees in Niagara Falls is uncertain and depends on when plane and rail access are restored - possibly in one to two months. Wildfire response in First Nations communities has been 'pretty chaotic,' said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. She called for more investment in basic infrastructure such as fire hydrants and fire trucks. 'We need more coordination. And we've been asking for it for decades,' she said. Article by Wa Lone, Kyaw Soe Oo. Additional reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Nia Williams.
CTV News
34 minutes ago
- CTV News
F1 Grand Prix: How to get around Montreal
Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, drives during the qualifying session at the Canadian Grand Prix June 8, 2024 in Montreal. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi) After last year's mishaps during Montreal's Formula 1 Grand Prix, city officials say they are aiming for 'the top of the podium' when it comes to logistics and transportation, Noovo Info reports. Grand Prix weekend typically attracts more than 300,000 people — 50 per cent of whom come from outside Quebec — making it the busiest weekend on the city's roads. READ MORE: Montreal hopes to repair damaged reputation during Grand Prix weekend 'The main point is to avoid the Jacques Cartier Bridge and the Bonaventure Expressway if you are not going to the Canadian Grand Prix,' said Philippe Sabourin, a spokesperson with the City of Montreal. While the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve site at Jean-Drapeau Park on Île Sainte-Hélène is expecting to be very busy, other areas in and around Montreal will also be buzzing with F1 excitement, including the Formula Peel event, the Grand Prix Festival on Crescent Street and the pit stop at the Eaton Centre. On the same weekend, the city will also be hosting the Francos de Montréal and Mural Festival, among other events. Anyone attending the Montreal Grand Prix festivities is encouraged to plan their travel using the F1 GP Canada app. 'Given the large number of participants and the fact that there is no parking available, it is essential to use public transport to access the site during the event,' warns the Canadian Grand Prix website, pointing to public transit, park-and-ride options, river shuttles and taxis. STM strike The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) says it has negotiated an agreement with its maintenance workers to ensure that public transport will be 'complete and regular' during the Grand Prix, both for safety and traffic flow reasons. The Jean-Drapeau Metro station (Yellow line) is located near the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, about a 15-minute walk away. In addition to the Metro, there should be special shuttles running between the Old Port and Île Sainte-Hélène. The STM is advising users to plan their trips carefully and purchase tickets in advance whenever possible. Keep the city clean The City of Montreal, with the help of the Ville-Marie and Plateau-Mont-Royal boroughs in particular, says it has made additional efforts in recent weeks to keep the streets clean. Work has also been done on various construction sites located within the perimeter of the Grand Prix and across the downtown core, including the fact that no new permits have been issued for that time period, except for emergencies. The City of Montreal says it has also asked developers to keep construction sites clean and remove 'unnecessary' cones. READ MORE: STM maintenance workers are officially on strike Officials say they have added decorative elements to fences surrounding construction sites to improve their appearance, met with numerous downtown businesses, and had firefighters inspect terraces to ensure they are compliant and 'everything looks good.'
