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a few seconds ago
- CBC
Hoping to book an affordable Canadian vacation this summer? Sorry and good luck
Whether you're camping under the stars, jumping off the dock at a lakeside cottage, strolling the coast or exploring a new city, there's arguably nothing better than a summer vacation in Canada. Assuming, of course, you can afford it. From accommodations to flights, Canadians may be noticing higher prices on domestic travel this season. And that's in part because of increased demand, say industry experts who note more Canadians are opting for summer trips at home instead of travelling to the U.S. "Canadians are increasingly travelling within Canada," said Frédéric Dimanche, a professor in the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. And given that the industry is still recovering from losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with inflation, the increased cost of operations, and now, increased demand, this translates into higher prices for consumers — especially in urban centres, Dimanche told CBC News. "Airlines do this all the time. Hoteliers do this all the time. If there is increased demand, prices are likely to go up." For some would-be travellers, the cost is prohibitive or simply too high to justify. Natasha Beitman Brener, a 33-year-old lawyer in Kingston, Ont., says she was hoping to take a five-day road trip with her mother this summer after getting some unexpected and rare time off between trials. They looked at locations such as Ottawa, Quebec City and Manitoulin Island, but every single option would have cost between $3,000 and $5,000 for five days once you tack on expenses, Brener said. The Airbnb or hotel alone would have cost $2,000 anywhere, she added. So, they're not going. "It's not even about being able to afford it, although that's true, too. But it just seems so crazy when we used to go to Europe for two months in the summer" for $15,000, Brener said. "We're the folks buying Canadian, or not American, in the grocery stores and we won't travel to the States, but we also can't justify $300 per night for a studio Airbnb." 'Not typical for Canadians' Canada's tourism sector is seeing strong interest from domestic travellers this summer, partially as a show of support for local communities, Amy Butcher, vice-president of public affairs at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, told CBC News in a statement. "Tourism is one of Canada's strongest economic engines," said Butcher, noting that it delivered $130 billion in economic activity in 2024 — 75 per cent of which was from Canadian domestic travel. Canadians are indeed opting to skip the U.S. so far this summer. The number of Canadians returning from trips to the U.S. by air fell 22.1 per cent in June compared to a year ago, according to Statistics Canada, and Canadian return trips by automobile dropped by 33.1 per cent. It's too soon to have much summer domestic travel data, but Statistics Canada noted in June that tourism spending in Canada by Canadian residents was up 0.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, driven by accommodation spending. And Anusha Arif, an economist with TD Economics, predicted "solid gains" in Canadian domestic travel in a recent report, while also noting an increase in domestic travel at major Canadian airports. In March, Airbnb reported a 20 per cent increase in searches for domestic stays. Flight Centre Canada told CBC News its seen an uncharacteristic five per cent bump in its domestic travel this summer, which may not seem high until you consider that, typically, they say 80 per cent of travel booked by Canadians over the summer is to international locations. "This is not typical for Canadians," Amra Durakovic, head of public relations and communications for the Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, told CBC News. "We're thinking that five per cent is coming from less new bookings to the U.S. That Canadians, instead of travelling to their favourite U.S. destinations, they're opting to stay." WATCH | The top 10 Canadian locations to visit: Our quest to find the 10 places every Canadian should visit 3 months ago Where's the best place to travel in Canada? The Current asked Canadians to make the case for their favourite travel spots. Thousands of submissions and votes later, here are the 10 Canadian destinations everyone should visit. This summer surge is driving perception of a price boost, Durakovic added. Still, it's not necessarily that Canada is dramatically more expensive, but that demand is high and flexible inventory is tight — especially if you're booking something close to your departure date, Durakovic said. She gave the example of a colleague working with a family of three hoping to book a trip from Toronto to Halifax next month for five days. It was going to cost them around $6,000, she said. "They're reconsidering their trip," she said. "Sticker shock does impact Canadians ... but I do want to clarify that timing really matters." Hotel prices going up The average daily rate for a hotel room in Canada this June increased three per cent (or about ($7 per night) compared to June last year, according to industry data provided by Costar, a global provider of real estate data, analytics and news. That's based on a sample of 63 per cent of hotel rooms in Canada. As an extremely unscientific gauge of the cost of booking last-minute accommodations, CBC looked up various options for a family of four around the same week in mid-August using a variety of online booking sites, while keeping in mind that booking earlier in the year would have likely yielded lower prices and more availability. Still, you're unlikely to get a week-long August cottage rental in southern Ontario for less than $2,000 (but the average is more like $3,000, according to Airbnb). Four nights in a Halifax hotel is going to cost you between $1,200 and $2,300 according to Travelocity, depending on how central you want to be. A single weekend in Vancouver hotel right in the heart of downtown will cost at minimum $1,200, according to Expedia, and that's similar for a weekend in the Rockies, according to Flight Centre Canada. The few beachfront homes still available to rent in P.E.I. will cost around $4,000 per week on VRBO. And while camping is a less expensive option (assuming you already own the equipment), some campsites near popular tourist destinations have been known to sell out almost immediately, and officials often recommend booking four or five months in advance in order to nab a spot. For instance, there were zero tent sites available for any weekend stay in August at Sandbanks Provincial Park in Picton, Ont., and exactly one "poor" quality site left for a mid-week stay as of Tuesday. There was not a single site available at Porteau Cove Provincial Park near Vancouver for any night in August. 'It's just crazy' Last month, Canadian Culture and Identity Minister Steven Guilbeault announced the federal government's new Canada Strong Pass that makes Canada's historic sites and parks free to visit and rail travel less expensive for young people. The aim is to promote domestic tourism. How people are reacting to free national park entry this summer, thanks to Canada Strong Pass 1 month ago But what the Canada Strong Pass doesn't change is the price of hotels and domestic flights. Brener, in Kingston, said she's disappointed she won't be taking the trip with her mother, since it's rare for them to have time to travel together. But even local options were shockingly expensive, she said. So instead, they might take a day trip to nearby Prince Edward County. She is also hoping to visit Halifax with her husband soon, but will be waiting until mid-October for the off season.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
One departed minister received now-cancelled cabinet cash allowance, premier's office says
Andrew Parsons left provincial politics in May, after serving as an MHA since 2011 and a cabinet minister since 2015. (Mike Simms/CBC - image credit) One now-retired politician availed of a new transitional allowance for outgoing cabinet ministers that was rescinded hours after being revealed by CBC News on Friday. Late Tuesday afternoon, the premier's office confirmed details of payments made under the now-cancelled policy. Those details were first reported by the business and political news website allNewfoundlandLabrador. Former energy minister Andrew Parsons "resigned while the policy was in place and has therefore received the cabinet transitional allowance," Sonja Pomeroy, a spokesperson for the premier's office, wrote in an emailed statement. ADVERTISEMENT Parsons would have been eligible for an allowance payment of around $37,000. According to Pomeroy, former premier Andrew Furey "has not received the cabinet transitional allowance and has asked that he not receive it." He had been eligible under the policy. Neither Parsons nor Furey has provided comment. Policy rescinded hours after airing of CBC report On Friday morning, CBC News revealed that the provincial cabinet had quietly approved a new transitional allowance policy for departing ministers, which came into effect April 1. It provided one month's ministerial salary for each year of service in cabinet, on a prorated basis, for a minimum of three months and a maximum of 12 months. For ministers, that worked out to a minimum payout of around $12,000, up to the full annual salary of $48,664. John Hogan left cabinet in March to run for the provincial Liberal leadership. He won, and was sworn in as Newfoundland and Labrador's 15th premier in May. (Mark Quinn/CBC) The revelation of the new payment to outgoing cabinet ministers, approved just months before an election, generated immediate public controversy. Six current cabinet ministers have indicated they plan to retire when voters go to the polls. ADVERTISEMENT On Friday afternoon, Premier John Hogan announced that cabinet had met and decided to "immediately rescind" the policy, which had never been publicly disclosed. Hogan stressed that he was not in cabinet when the policy was approved, and was not involved in that decision. In an open letter to Hogan on Monday, Opposition Leader Tony Wakeham was skeptical about that explanation. "Setting aside how difficult it is to believe that the public service would not brief a new premier on issues of compensation for cabinet, your statement raises more questions than it provides answers," Wakeham wrote. The PC leader said any cabinet minister who voted to approve the allowance should be removed from the Liberal slate of candidates in the coming election. PC Leader Tony Wakeham, left, and NDP Leader Jim Dinn have both been sharply critical of the now-cancelled allowance for departing ministers and how it has been handled. (Jeremy Eaton/CBC) Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jim Dinn called on Hogan to disclose exactly who supported the decision. ADVERTISEMENT "None of these ministers are living paycheque to paycheque," Dinn said in a press release Tuesday. "To make such a selfish decision after hearing firsthand how much people are struggling is nothing short of greed." Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here.
14 hours ago
- Business
Carney tells premiers he's 'only going to accept the best deal for Canada' in U.S. trade talks
Prime Minister Mark Carney kicked off his meeting with Canada's premiers in Huntsville, Ont., promising to battle the Trump administration at the negotiating table to ensure the country gets a good trade deal, while also doing everything he can to strengthen the Canadian economy. We are looking for the best deal for Canada; we are only going to accept the best deal for Canada, Carney said Tuesday. Carney is delivering a detailed briefing about his government's ongoing trade negotiations with the Trump administration as the two countries work toward reaching an agreement by Aug. 1. The prime minister's visit lands in the middle of the three-day first ministers' meeting in the Muskoka region, where the premiers are discussing their own response to the trade war. The central issues to be addressed at this meeting are trade relations and our current trading relationship with the United States, and any steps we can take to build a strong Canadian economy, Carney said. Carney arrived on Monday evening to have dinner with the premiers at Ford's cottage, after spending the day hosting a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators in Ottawa to discuss trade. The prime minister said Canada's economic response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs is built on two tracks: supporting affected industries, such as lumber, steel, auto manufacturing and aluminum production; and ensuring Canada's economy grows by breaking down internal trade barriers and quickly approving major projects. Approving major infrastructure projects like ports, pipelines and mines will be easier now that Bill C-5, or the One Canadian Economy Act, has become law, allowing approvals for projects of national importance to be fast-tracked. With that, Carney said, comes a shift in attitude from the federal government around major new projects, moving from why build, to how to build — and how to work together in order to build. Carney said his new federal projects office will be open by Labour Day, which he said will provide a single point of contact for provinces, companies and communities looking to get major nation-building projects approved. Before going into a closed-door meeting with the premiers, Carney thanked them for their work in signing agreements to take down interprovincial trade barriers so Canadians can work where they want and buy what they want. Ensuring energy security Before the discussions kicked off Tuesday, Ford, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed a memorandum of understanding to build new energy and trade infrastructure. CBC News asked the premiers if Canada needs to replace Line 5 — the more than 1,000-kilometre-long pipeline carrying 540,000 barrels of oil and natural gas liquids daily across Wisconsin and Michigan to refineries in Sarnia, Ont. — regardless of whether there is a private-sector proponent behind such a plan. I believe so, Ford said. "The governor of Michigan ... constantly threatens to cut off Line 5. That would basically shut down our airports, shut down a big part of Ontario. We can't chance it any longer. We need to be independent, we need a pipeline going to southwestern Ontario to one of the refineries, and be self-reliant. We can't rely on the Americans anymore. Simple as that. Enlarge image (new window) The Line 5 pipeline carries Canadian petroleum from Western Canada and Wisconsin, though Michigan to Sarnia, Ont. Photo: CBC In 2023, a U.S. court ruled (new window) in favour of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, ordering Enbridge to shut down parts of the pipeline within three years and pay the band $5.2 million US for trespassing on its land after easement rights expired. The Canadian government argued that a shutdown of the line — in operation since 1953 — would violate a 1977 Canada-U.S. pipeline agreement (new window) in which the countries agreed not to block the flow of each other's hydrocarbons. Enbridge wants to build a protective tunnel around a 5.8-kilometre section of the pipeline that runs along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, which link Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Permits in the U.S. are being fast-tracked to see that work done, but opposition to the move remains. Moe said Canada does not want to find itself in the same position as Europe, which recently found out what it means to be heavily reliant on oil and gas from Russia. We shouldn't allow that to happen to us, as Canadians, to be reliant on another country, Moe said. So yes, I think as Canadians, we certainly need to have a very mature discussion about how we can provide Western Canadian oil and gas to Canadians that live in Central and Eastern Canada for our own good … not only our economic security but our energy security. Smith said building a pipeline entirely within Canada is probably something that is long overdue; we probably should have done it decades ago. Peter Zimonjic (new window) · CBC News · Senior writer Peter Zimonjic is a senior writer for CBC News who reports for digital, radio and television. He has worked as a reporter and columnist in London, England, for the Telegraph, Times and Daily Mail, and in Canada for the Ottawa Citizen, Torstar and Sun Media. He is the author of Into The Darkness: An Account of 7/7, published by Vintage.
CBC
16 hours ago
- Climate
- CBC
'Severe pothole' on Glenmore Trail damages numerous vehicles, snarls traffic
Social Sharing Traffic was congested along a section of Glenmore Trail Tuesday morning as drivers dealt with what police described as a "severe pothole" that damaged numerous vehicles. Calgary police responded to the situation, along with tow trucks. "The severe pothole on Glenmore Trail has resulted in many cars getting damaged," Calgary police told CBC News in an email. "We are there assisting with traffic." Punit Somaya was one of the drivers who hit the pothole. He spoke to CBC News while waiting for a tow truck. He said he had been waiting for two hours. He said the pothole was obscured by a large puddle and he couldn't change lanes due to traffic, so he just drove through the water, not realizing what lay beneath. "I feel like it's the city's fault. Like, they should've done a better job of maintaining the puddles so that drivers on the highway don't have to face this," he said.
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
Residents want MAGA musician's concert at Parks Canada historic site cancelled
Some residents are calling on Parks Canada to cancel a performance by a U.S. singer and rising star in the MAGA movement at a national historic site near Halifax this week. Christian rocker Sean Feucht has a concert scheduled for Wednesday night at the York Redoubt National Historic Site, a fortification constructed in 1793 to help protect the port city. It sits on a cliff overlooking the harbour. Feucht, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. congress as a Republican in 2020, is also a missionary and an author who has spoken out against the 2SLGBTQ+ community, abortion rights and critical race theory on his website. What I want to know is how this got approved in the first place, said Larry Stewart, who lives in Fergusons Cove, a small community next to the historical site. Stewart is one of several residents who have voiced opposition to the planned concert, which they said goes against Parks Canada's guiding principles of inclusion and safety for all visitors. Enlarge image (new window) Several residents who live near the York Redoubt National Historic Site outside Halifax say it's inappropriate for Parks Canada to host the singer. Photo: CBC / Galen McRae It's completely inappropriate, said Eleanor Kure, a longtime resident of the area. Feucht has called for government policy in the United States to be based on traditional Christian values in the midst of a spiritual war in that country. His website calls on young people to stand up against the progressive agenda being forced upon America. The concert at the York Redoubt site on Wednesday kicks off a national tour Feucht said marks the Summer of Revival in the nation of Canada. I think it's very upsetting, said resident Nancy Hunter. Feucht did not respond to a request for comment from CBC News. MP urges Parks Canada to cancel The residents who spoke to CBC News said they've never seen a concert being held at York Redoubt National Historic Site before. They said they only learned about the event after Parks Canada sent out an email over the weekend warning residents about potential noise and parking issues. Parks Canada did not respond before deadline to questions about how the concert came to be scheduled. Shannon Miedema, the Liberal MP for the area, did not make herself available for an interview. In an email to a resident that was provided to CBC News, Miedema said she's urging Parks Canada to cancel the concert after hearing from several constituents. I have the utmost respect for the value of free speech, I do not believe this event aligns with Parks Canada's core values of respect for people, equity, diversity and inclusion, or integrity, the email read. The statement said Miedema is working with the appropriate parties to try to ensure the concert doesn't proceed. If it does go ahead, residents said they'll protest the event. I'll be there. Maybe with the Canadian flag. Maybe with a Pride flag, said Stewart. Josh Hoffman (new window) · CBC News · Reporter/Editor Josh Hoffman is a reporter for CBC Nova Scotia. Josh worked as a local radio reporter all over Canada before moving to Nova Scotia in 2018.
