Canada Recruits Banks Into Fentanyl Fight as US Applies Pressure
The Canadian government has pulled the country's banks into the fight against fentanyl, recruiting them to join a money-laundering intelligence group that aims to cut off the funds that support trafficking of the deadly drug.
Kevin Brosseau, the country's new fentanyl czar, met Wednesday with representatives from the largest domestic banks, the government and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Public Safety Minister David McGuinty told reporters.
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Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Carney's 'Canada Strong Pass' to come into effect on June 20
OTTAWA — The federal government is set to announce details of its promised "Canada Strong Pass" next week and the tourism initiative is expected to take effect later this month. A Liberal government spokesperson told The Canadian Press that the pass will be available from June 20 until the end of August. During the recent federal election, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised to introduce a single pass that would give young people under 18 free seats on Via Rail when travelling with their parents, and free access to Canada's national galleries and museums. The Liberal platform said the party would also introduce "heavily discounted" access to museums and galleries for Canadians aged 18 to 24. Carney, who pitched the idea as a way to unite Canadians in the face of threats from the U.S., said his government also would reduce prices for camping in national parks for all Canadians from June to August. Carney said during the campaign that Canadians would have free access to national parks and historic sites during the summer. The spokesperson said those promises will all be covered by the "Canada Strong Pass." A spokesperson for Via Rail Canada said the national passenger rail service is "proud" to support the plan as it encourages young Canadians and their families to discover the country. The government spokesperson said details of the initiative will be announced in the coming days. In 2017, Via Rail offered unlimited travel passes for youth during the month of July to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. While the organization said it planned originally to make 1,867 passes available, it extended the offer due to high demand and more than 4,000 Canadians purchased passes. Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Steven Guilbeault's director of communications said there has been an "incredible show of unity" from Canadians since the beginning of the year. "We look forward to delivering on our commitment to the Canada Strong Pass to make it even easier for Canadian families to choose Canada as they plan their summer travels," Alisson Lévesque said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025. Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fewer Americans are visiting Canada. Ad campaigns assure them they're welcome here
Late last year, Dan Davis of Cleveland, Ohio, began planning a motorcycle trip with friends this summer that includes several days in Ontario. But those plans became a little uncertain after U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January and imposed tariffs on Canada, sparking a trade war. That, coupled with Trump's frequent threats to make Canada the 51st state, has sparked anger among many Canadians. Davis noted that, in February, Canadians booed the U.S. national anthem at several NHL hockey games, and in March, the Canadian government ran a billboard campaign in a dozen U.S. states, including Ohio, declaring that Trump's "tariffs are a tax." "Those things just made us wonder, 'Wow, are we going to be welcome in Canada?' " said Davis, adding that the licence plates on the group's motorcycles reveal they're from Ohio — a state Trump won in the 2024 election. "On a motorcycle, you're a little more vulnerable," he said. "All it takes is one person to say, 'You know what, I'm going to show these guys a lesson,' whether it's vandalizing a bike or … throwing a beer can at you." Fewer U.S. tourists visiting Canada Since Trump took office and Canada-U.S. relations have become strained, fewer Canadians are visiting the U.S., and fewer Americans are coming to Canada. The number of trips Americans took to Canada by car declined 10.7 per cent in April and 8.4 per cent in May compared to the same time last year. Air travel declined 5.5 per cent in April and 0.3 per cent in May. Some tourism associations worry a number of Americans may be staying away because they fear a chilly reception, so they've launched ad campaigns which assure their neighbours they'll be warmly welcomed. It's a worthy cause considering what's at stake: The majority of Canada's tourists come from the U.S., and they spent $15.3 billion in the country last year. "It was really important for us to send the message to these visitors … that they are truly welcome, not to be scared to visit us," said Isabelle Charlebois, general director of Tourism Eastern Townships, a region in southeastern Quebec near the U.S. border. The group launched a TV ad in late May, running in New England and New York state. Set in the Eastern Townships, it shows a U.S. tourist whispering sheepishly to a hotel clerk that he's American. The clerk smiles knowingly, and gives the American a big, warm hug. "Come hug it out in the Eastern Townships," says the tagline. WATCH | Quebec tourism group offers to 'hug it out': Charlebois says the ad campaign was partly inspired by the fact that local tourism operators were fielding numerous calls from concerned Americans. "They were calling … asking if they should postpone their trip, or if they will be welcome in Quebec," she said. "This relationship we have with our neighbour is really important for us. That's why we sent this message, and I hope it works." 'Perception is reality' In May, out of the 200 businesses surveyed by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, 32 per cent reported lower summer bookings by Americans compared to the same time last year. John Kinney, owner of Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours, says, so far this season, his location just outside Niagara Falls has seen 15 per cent fewer American customers compared to this time last year. "Unfortunately, perception is reality," said Kinney. "If it's perceived that there's political woes, people say, 'I hear Myrtle Beach is nice.' They just go to a completely different area." To encourage Americans to heard north, Niagara Falls Tourism has launched a page on its website just for them. Along with listing attractions, it declares, "To our friends in the U.S.A. — we can't wait to welcome you!" Back in Cleveland, Davis spotted a billboard last week on the highway and says he took it as a sign he's welcome in Canada. This time, instead of denouncing Trump's tariffs, the billboard invited Americans to visit Ontario and take advantage of the low Canadian dollar. Destination Ontario, the province's tourism organization, launched the campaign in several U.S. states last month. "It's good to see that they are encouraging visitors," said Davis, who is now looking forward to his Ontario trip. "We all just need to come together as human beings on both sides of the border and embrace each other." B.C. bear tour operators beckon Americans Over on the West Coast, British Columbia businesses that specialize in bear viewing are also rolling out the welcome mat. More than a dozen took part in a video, posted on YouTube on May 30, which promises Americans "open arms" and "warm hospitality." B.C.'s Commercial Bear Viewing Association, which put together the ad, says it will soon be launched as part of a social media campaign in select U.S. markets. WATCH | B.C. businesses welcome U.S. tourists: Marg Leehane, general manager of Great Bear Lodge in Campbell River, B.C., shouted out, "You're always welcome," in the video. It's a message she hopes will resonate, as American bookings at her lodge are down by 28 per cent so far compared to this time last year. "Americans always make up a good percentage of our visitors, and we're disappointed to not have them coming," she said. "I think they're worried the political message will get reflected on them. But of course, that's not how most Canadians feel." Leehane says she's getting more Canadian bookings this year than usual, which helps offset the decline in American customers. Still, she worries that decline could have lasting repercussions. "We don't want to lose that pipeline of American visitors," she said. "They would have come back as repeat guests. So it's not just this year that we would lose out on those visitors, it's the future years." 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New York Post
27 minutes ago
- New York Post
2 campers found dead on remote island in Lake Superior — 5 people were killed in less than a year on Great Lake
Two campers were found dead on a remote island in the middle of Lake Superior, according to officials — marking the fourth and fifth deaths on the Great Lake in less than a year. The two unidentified individuals were discovered by authorities Sunday in an isolated camping ground on Isle Royale National Park in Michigan, not far from the Canadian coastline, park rangers said in a statement. Isle Royale National Park, where two campers were found dead on Monday, according to authorities. AP Two park rangers traveled to the camp overnight after receiving two separate reports of dead bodies at a campsite on the remote island, the release stated. The bodies were discovered Monday by the rangers, who were also supported from the air via helicopter, officials said. The causes of death for the two campers are not known at this time. Isle Royale National Park, tucked away on the cusp of American territory above Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts and is comprised of 450 small islands, according to the NPS. Isle Royale, the main island, is roughly 50 miles long and 9 miles wide. Three people died in or near Lake Superior's national parks in 2024, according to reports. The wooded trails of remote Isle Royale National Park. AP A 70-year-old man died in July 2024 while scuba diving to see a 535-foot sunken steel ship in the Great Lake, The Detroit News reported. A 37-year-old woman died a month later after suffering a sudden medical emergency while walking in a remote location of Isle Royale National Park in August 2024, the outlet reported. In November, the body of 65-year-old John Kueber washed up on the shore of Michigan's Miners Beach, roughly 150 miles from Isle Royale National Park, according to an NPS statement.
