Latest news with #Colle
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
3 Places To Travel That Are Like Hawaii but Way Cheaper
Outdoor enthusiasts and tourists seeking a relaxing getaway in paradise head to Hawaii for its beautiful beaches, lush rainforests, volcanoes and endless natural beauty. That said, it comes at a cost. For You: Up Next: Here are some key price estimates for a one-week Hawaiian vacation, according to Collections of Waikiki: Solo traveler staying in a hostel: $1,000 Solo traveler staying in a hotel: $2,000 Two travelers in a luxury hotel: $5,000 A family of four staying in a hotel: $13,000 These average prices generally include flight, hotel, food and rental car. However, as traveling costs continue to climb for accommodations and food due to inflation and over-tourism, you might want to consider a more budget-friendly destination for your vacation. Sure, Hawaii has stunning sunsets and breathtaking views, but so do many other places at a more affordable price. Here are three locations similar to Hawaii — but without the hefty price tag. With its beautiful beaches, turquoise blue seas and rich history, Cancún has become a favorite destination for travelers. Plus, the year-round tropical weather and many exciting things to do have made the Mexican location a hotspot in recent years. While it's become a go-to for jet setters, it's still affordable. According to ChampionTraveler, on average it costs $1,116 for a solo traveler, $2,004 for a couple, and $3,758 for a family of 4 for a one-week jaunt to Cancun. Good To Know: Puerto Rico is located in the northeast Caribbean Sea, about 1,000 miles from Miami. It strikes the perfect balance of lively nightlife, tranquil beaches, cascading waterfalls and beautiful rainforests. And get this — it's one of the cheapest places in the Caribbean for Americans, and you don't need a passport to go there. The average cost for seven days for one person is around $1,500. For a couple, it is about $2,300, according to Many travelers dream of going Tahiti, but the affordability deters some from visiting the French Polynesian island that offers black sand beaches, lagoons, waterfalls, volcanoes and spectacular scenery. However, there are ways to cut costs. Try visiting during the low season from December to late February, when temperatures are still in the 80s, being flexible on your travel dates, and opting for an Airbnb over a hotel, which can range from $60 to $150 per night per According to the site, you can search for packages that 'bundle airfare, airport transfers, accommodations, daily breakfast and even a few dinners into one per-person price (generally starting in the $2,500-$3,500 range for seven nights).' Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article. More From GOBankingRates 5 Types of Vehicles Retirees Should Stay Away From Buying 7 Tax Loopholes the Rich Use To Pay Less and Build More Wealth 4 Things You Should Do if You Want To Retire Early I'm a Retired Boomer: 6 Bills I Canceled This Year That Were a Waste of Money Sources 'How Much is a Trip to Hawaii?' Collections of Waikiki 'Cost of a Trip to Cancun, MX & the Cheapest Time to Visit Cancun,' ChampionTraveler 'How Much Does It Cost To Go To Puerto Rico For Vacation? (2025),' 'Tahiti On A Budget: 11 Ways To Save On Vacation,' This article originally appeared on 3 Places To Travel That Are Like Hawaii but Way Cheaper
CBC
16-02-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
A Toronto councillor wants to drive Tesla out of town. But the city says it hasn't broken any bylaws
Social Sharing Toronto's deputy mayor says he wants to drive Elon Musk's electric vehicle company Tesla out of town because of the tech mogul's affiliation with U.S. President Donald Trump, who's taken aim at Canada with a spate of recent tariff announcements. Mike Colle has written to the real estate management firm Oxford Properties, which owns Yorkdale Shopping Centre, asking them to cancel the lease of the mall's Tesla dealership. The mall is located in Colle's Eglinton-Lawrence ward and although his letter, sent Tuesday, is aimed at the Yorkdale Tesla dealership specifically, the councillor says he'd like to see the company forced out of Toronto altogether. "People are really angry with anything to do with Tesla and they're also letting me know they're not happy with the fact that there's a Tesla retail outlet in my ward," Colle told CBC Toronto. "I'm cordially asking the owners of Yorkdale Plaza, would you please consider terminating their lease or asking them to leave." CBC Toronto has not seen Colle's letter. The councillor declined to share a copy before receiving a response from Oxford. It's unclear when Tesla's lease at the mall expires and on what specific grounds Colle has asked that it be terminated. Colle has also not brought the idea a city-wide push against Tesla to Toronto city council, saying there's little the city could do to force the company out. Instead, he refers to his letter as "a polite, aggressive ask." Tesla Canada has not violated bylaws, city says Colle said he sent his letter to Oxford on the same day council approved a motion by Mayor Olivia Chow disqualifying future Tesla drivers from the city's Zero Emissions Grant program for vehicles-for-hire. When asked earlier this week whether she was targeting Tesla because it is owned by Musk rather than other American companies that make electric vehicles, Chow said: "You can draw whatever conclusion you want." CBC Toronto asked Chow for comment on Colle's letter. The mayor did not respond. Tesla and its Canadian offices have so far not been returned did not respond to calls or emails from CBC Toronto. Oxford Properties has also not yet responded to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Yorkdale Shopping Centre told CBC Toronto in an email the mall will "continue to ensure we comply with our contractual obligations and all local, provincial, and federal legislation regarding mall operations." Meanwhile, city spokesperson Shane Gerard confirmed in an email Friday that Tesla Canada has not violated any city bylaws. "Tesla Motors Canada ULC., operating as Tesla Motors, currently holds five active public garage licences. Enforcement, including potential licence revocation, pertains mostly to businesses operating without this licence or not complying with license conditions. The city is not aware of any breaches of Chapter 545 by Tesla Motors," he wrote. 'A very risk course,' says councillor opposing move At least one councillor believes Colle is heading down the wrong road. James Pasternak, who represents neighbouring York Centre, said it makes no sense to make Canadian Tesla workers suffer during the current trade dispute with the U.S., no matter what one thinks of the current administration there. "We're running down a very risky course here when we're chasing out businesses, trying to close down businesses, in which a distant CEO is making comments we find offensive," he said. "I don't think we should be causing people to lose their jobs." Pasternak also said it's unlikely the city could find a way to force Tesla out of town, since the company is doing nothing illegal, and violating no bylaws. He said it should be left to individuals to decide whether to purchase products made by companies they disagree with. He also said he's worried about possible legal repercussions the city could face for trying to punish a company that has technically done nothing wrong. Musk, Tesla's CEO, has become a close associate of the U.S. president. Late last year, Trump appointed him head of a new agency, the Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with ferreting out potential savings in government spending. It's not clear what, if any, role Musk has played in the drafting of Trump's tariff policies. As for the employees who'd be out of work if the Yorkdale location is closed, Colle said: "It's unfortunate but I'm more worried about the 500,000 Ontarians who are going to be thrown out on the street as a result of the Musk-Trump tariffs." On Monday, the U.S. imposed a 25 per cent tariff on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and other countries. Last month, Premier Doug Ford estimated broader U.S. tariffs on Canadian products — which so far have not come to pass — could cost Ontario up to 500,000 jobs.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ottawa could lose oversight over LRT under Metrolinx, Toronto councillor warns
Two major provincial party leaders have promised to transfer responsibility for Ottawa's light rail system to Metrolinx if elected, but some experts in Toronto are warning that they've been trying to claw back authority from that same agency. Metrolinx is the provincial agency responsible for building and maintaining certain public transit projects in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Coun. Mike Colle, who represents Toronto's Eglinton-Lawrence ward, says giving that power to Metrolinx was "the worst thing we ever did." He warned the capital could lose oversight over the LRT if Doug Ford or Bonnie Crombie fulfil their campaign vows to "upload" the project to the province. "You're basically giving it away to private contractors that don't have to answer to the people of Ottawa. They don't answer to anybody." Metrolinx is "totally unaccountable" for its projects in Toronto, Colle claimed. But Mayor Mark Sutcliffe is a supporter of Metrolinx "uploading" the LRT, arguing it would free up enough funds to assure a future for Ottawa's transit system. Metrolinx 'doesn't inspire confidence' Ottawa recently reopened its expanded second LRT line after more than four years of construction and delays. Sutcliffe said that according to his understanding of the campaign promises, Ottawa would continue running and paying operating costs for the train service, while the province would build and maintain it. While Ottawa has paid the LRT's construction costs so far, Sutcliffe contrasted this with Toronto receiving provincial funding for Metrolinx to build four major lines in the GTA: Eglinton Crosstown LRT, Hazel McCallion Line LRT, Finch West LRT, and the Ontario Line. Sutcliffe said uploading the LRT was a 'huge victory for the residents of Ottawa. It takes an enormous amount of financial pressure and risk away from the residents of Ottawa.' (Patrick Louiseize/Radio-Canada) But of the four he referenced, none are fully open. Coun. Colle told CBC he struggled to get basic information about the progress of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, which will run in his ward and has been under construction since 2011. He said Metrolinx's work is done mainly by private contractors and offshore consultants, who receive provincial money through the agency but don't hold public meetings or "reveal any information [about] why they can't make the thing run." Shelagh Pizey-Allen, the executive director for transit advocacy group TTCriders, also said Metrolinx lacks transparency by not providing answers about millions of dollars in payouts to the private companies building the lines. "The way that Metrolinx has been dealing with construction doesn't inspire confidence," she said. What it means for Ottawa Sutcliffe told CBC that Metrolinx's track record in the GTA wasn't a deterrent. "There are delays and cost overruns with every major infrastructure project in the world, that's not unusual," he said. "The team at the province has much more experience, expertise, scope, heft and and capacity to handle the construction and expansion and negotiations." Since September, he has been calling on the provincial and federal government to help Ottawa balance its budget, particularly the cost of OC Transpo. Uploading the LRT to the province would allow "OC Transpo to focus on what it does best, which is running a public transit system," Sutcliffe said. But Coun. Colle said the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) effectively has "zero" control over its own operations, because of how much it is affected by Metrolinx's work. "And God help you, if they continue [to be] as incompetent as they've been here, imagine what they'll do with the Ottawa Line," he said. "You think this is going to bail you out, you got to look for another approach." Colle said that Metrolinx has been 'a real nightmare to work with' and compared the company to the Kremlin because 'they can do anything they want and spend money at will.' (Angelina King/CBC) Local transit workers have been watching Toronto from afar, said Noah Vineberg, president of the local branch of the Amalgamated Transit Union representing OC Transpo workers, and they haven't liked what they've seen. Though Ottawa's LRT is run by the Rideau Transit Group, a consortium not unlike Metrolinx, much work has been done to improve the system in Ottawa, Vineberg said. "Is a reset necessarily the right move? No, I don't think so." Pizey-Allen said the widespread problems with Metrolinx are why TTCriders is pushing for the TTC to be put back in charge in Toronto, because "the TTC is accountable to Toronto. It has elected city councillors that sit on its board." Pizey-Allen said that, in Toronto, 'we're worried about what we could see unfold once the [Metrolinx] lines are open, if there are delays, if there are technical issues.' (CBC) "What we're calling for is a restoration of provincial funding for all municipal transit agencies in Ontario," she said. "The provincial government used to provide a 50 per cent of the operating subsidy for local transit." That's the plan which Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles is pitching, while her counterparts for the Progressive Conservatives and Ontario Liberals offer to give responsibility to Metrolinx. None of the parties provided a timeline for their plan. CBC reached out to Metrolinx about the party leaders' promises and about the concern over its work in Toronto, and a spokesperson said the company was "not able to comment on commitments made during an election campaign."
CBC
08-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Ottawa could lose oversight over LRT under Metrolinx, Toronto councillor warns
Two major provincial party leaders have promised to transfer responsibility for Ottawa's light rail system to Metrolinx if elected, but some experts in Toronto are warning that they've been trying to claw back authority from that same agency. Metrolinx is the provincial agency responsible for building and maintaining certain public transit projects in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Coun. Mike Colle, who represents Toronto's Eglinton-Lawrence ward, says giving that power to Metrolinx was "the worst thing we ever did." He warned the capital could lose oversight over the LRT if Doug Ford or Bonnie Crombie fulfil their campaign vows to "upload" the project to the province. "You're basically giving it away to private contractors that don't have to answer to the people of Ottawa. They don't answer to anybody." Metrolinx is "totally unaccountable" for its projects in Toronto, Colle claimed. But Mayor Mark Sutcliffe is a supporter of Metrolinx "uploading" the LRT, arguing it would free up enough funds to assure a future for Ottawa's transit system. Metrolinx 'doesn't inspire confidence' Ottawa recently reopened its expanded second LRT line after more than four years of construction and delays. Sutcliffe said that according to his understanding of the campaign promises, Ottawa would continue running and paying operating costs for the train service, while the province would build and maintain it. While Ottawa has paid the LRT's construction costs so far, Sutcliffe contrasted this with Toronto receiving provincial funding for Metrolinx to build four major lines in the GTA: Eglinton Crosstown LRT, Hazel McCallion Line LRT, Finch West LRT, and the Ontario Line. But of the four he referenced, none are fully open. Coun. Colle told CBC he struggled to get basic information about the progress of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, which will run in his ward and has been under construction since 2011. He said Metrolinx's work is done mainly by private contractors and offshore consultants, who receive provincial money through the agency but don't hold public meetings or "reveal any information [about] why they can't make the thing run." Shelagh Pizey-Allen, the executive director for transit advocacy group TTCriders, also said Metrolinx lacks transparency by not providing answers about millions of dollars in payouts to the private companies building the lines. "The way that Metrolinx has been dealing with construction doesn't inspire confidence," she said. What it means for Ottawa Sutcliffe told CBC that Metrolinx's track record in the GTA wasn't a deterrent. "There are delays and cost overruns with every major infrastructure project in the world, that's not unusual," he said. "The team at the province has much more experience, expertise, scope, heft and and capacity to handle the construction and expansion and negotiations." Since September, he has been calling on the provincial and federal government to help Ottawa balance its budget, particularly the cost of OC Transpo. Uploading the LRT to the province would allow "OC Transpo to focus on what it does best, which is running a public transit system," Sutcliffe said. But Coun. Colle said the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) effectively has "zero" control over its own operations, because of how much it is affected by Metrolinx's work. "And God help you, if they continue [to be] as incompetent as they've been here, imagine what they'll do with the Ottawa Line," he said. "You think this is going to bail you out, you got to look for another approach." Local transit workers have been watching Toronto from afar, said Noah Vineberg, president of the local branch of the Amalgamated Transit Union representing OC Transpo workers, and they haven't liked what they've seen. Though Ottawa's LRT is run by the Rideau Transit Group, a consortium not unlike Metrolinx, much work has been done to improve the system in Ottawa, Vineberg said. "Is a reset necessarily the right move? No, I don't think so." Pizey-Allen said the widespread problems with Metrolinx are why TTCriders is pushing for the TTC to be put back in charge in Toronto, because "the TTC is accountable to Toronto. It has elected city councillors that sit on its board." "What we're calling for is a restoration of provincial funding for all municipal transit agencies in Ontario," she said. "The provincial government used to provide a 50 per cent of the operating subsidy for local transit." That's the plan .
