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Calgary Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
An American monarchist, kids playing hooky and even a few boos: King Charles wraps up a whirlwind visit to Canada
Article content OTTAWA — When Rushad Thomas heard earlier this month about the upcoming royal visit to Ottawa, there was no debate about whether an eight-hour road trip was in the works. Article content Article content Sporting a ball cap with a maple leaf logo, a watch with Queen Elizabeth II's image on the face and a phone screen with the image of King Charles III, the Hyattsville, Md., resident explained while waiting this week for a glimpse of the royal couple that he's a big fan of all things Canada and the Crown. Article content Article content The self-described monarchist and his partner, Terence Hayden, even have a photo of the King and Queen hanging in the foyer of their apartment. Article content Article content 'Nothing royal gets past me,' he joked. Article content Carney and others in the federal government hope that Thomas isn't the only American who hears about this week's royal visit. Article content The whirlwind visit to Ottawa by King Charles and Queen Camilla was designed to send a signal to U.S. President Donald Trump and others in Washington, D.C., that Canada is a sovereign country and, as Carney and many other Canadian politicians have said in recent months, not for sale. King Charles was invited to deliver Tuesday's speech from the throne, but also provided a clear reminder and symbol that Canada has its own history and political culture. Article content Article content The couple's two-day visit was their first since King Charles assumed the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. The visit also marked the first time a monarch has read the speech From the throne in the Canadian Parliament, instead of the Governor General, since 1977. Article content Article content Trump has upset and helped unite Canadians as he threatened his northern neighbour with frequent references to annexation and debilitating trade tariffs. Article content Many of the thousands who lined downtown Ottawa's barricaded streets Monday and Tuesday for a glimpse of the Royal Couple also appreciated their effort in crossing the Atlantic to send a message of solidarity with Canada at a much-needed time. Article content 'It's sad. It doesn't make any sense,' said Ottawa resident Lee Winchester, a member of the Royal Canadian signal corps and a veteran with both United Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, of the recent threats against Canada. 'It's destroyed a good relationship.'
Vancouver Sun
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
An American monarchist, kids playing hooky and even a few boos: King Charles wraps up a whirlwind visit to Canada
OTTAWA — When Rushad Thomas heard earlier this month about the upcoming royal visit to Ottawa, there was no debate about whether an eight-hour road trip was in the works. Sporting a ball cap with a maple leaf logo, a watch with Queen Elizabeth II's image on the face and a phone screen with the image of King Charles III, the Hyattsville, Md., resident explained while waiting this week for a glimpse of the royal couple that he's a big fan of all things Canada and the Crown. The self-described monarchist and his partner, Terence Hayden, even have a photo of the King and Queen hanging in the foyer of their apartment. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'I love Canada and the monarchy,' said Thomas, even though he has no familial connection to either Canada or the United Kingdom. Thomas said he even follows Canadian news and heard about the royal visit while watching Prime Minister Mark Carney's first press conference after the federal election in April. 'Nothing royal gets past me,' he joked. Carney and others in the federal government hope that Thomas isn't the only American who hears about this week's royal visit. The whirlwind visit to Ottawa by King Charles and Queen Camilla was designed to send a signal to U.S. President Donald Trump and others in Washington, D.C., that Canada is a sovereign country and, as Carney and many other Canadian politicians have said in recent months, not for sale. King Charles was invited to deliver Tuesday's speech from the throne, but also provided a clear reminder and symbol that Canada has its own history and political culture. The couple's two-day visit was their first since King Charles assumed the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. The visit also marked the first time a monarch has read the speech From the throne in the Canadian Parliament, instead of the Governor General, since 1977. Trump has upset and helped unite Canadians as he threatened his northern neighbour with frequent references to annexation and debilitating trade tariffs. Thomas said he likes to follow Canadian news as a respite from all the 'nonsense' going on these days in his own country. Many of the thousands who lined downtown Ottawa's barricaded streets Monday and Tuesday for a glimpse of the Royal Couple also appreciated their effort in crossing the Atlantic to send a message of solidarity with Canada at a much-needed time. 'It's sad. It doesn't make any sense,' said Ottawa resident Lee Winchester, a member of the Royal Canadian signal corps and a veteran with both United Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, of the recent threats against Canada. 'It's destroyed a good relationship.' While one of the key tenets of the monarchy is staying out of politics, the Royal Family has had centuries to practice the delicate balance of staying pertinent by sending timely signals, while officially staying out of politics. The royal couple's visit to Ottawa, at an important time for an important and loyal member of the British Commonwealth, was a classic example of the former. Prior to Tuesday's throne speech, the monarchs travelled to the Senate in Canada's State Landau, drawn by horses of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Upon arrival, the couple received full military honours, including a royal salute, a 100-person guard of honour from the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment and an inspection of the guard. They later took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the National War Memorial. While most onlookers were clearly Royal Family supporters, not all were. As the carriage carrying the royal couple and the governor general travelled in front of Parliament Hill toward the Senate building, the crowd erupted in cheers or chants of 'God save the King.' But the loudest sounds came from the boos from the crowd when a small group of anti-government Freedom Convoy holdovers carrying a trifecta of flags representing 'Trump 2024,' 'U.S. Truckers' and the Canadian flag upside-down walked by. 'It was so satisfying to hear,' one nearby attendee said of the boos after the small group of protesters had passed. 'We get booed a lot, so we're used to it,' the flagbearer — who is seen near-daily in front of the Prime Minister's Office holding various anti-government and conspiratorial signs — later told National Post. Ottawa resident Katie admitted that she pulled her daughters out of school to attend the historic visit. 'I'm a college teacher, so I have the flexibility to do this and I can sort of make it a lesson as well,' said the English literature teacher. Her daughter Frances, 11, said the King's health was top of mind when asked why she wanted to be in the crowd. 'I heard he had cancer and it's really important to see him because he might not be here for too much longer,' she explained. 'We never got to see Queen Elizabeth in person and that was really sad.' Asked if they were more excited at the prospect of seeing the King or the Queen, Frances and her sisters Emma and Agnes pointed to the King. 'He's on the dollar,' they explained. On Monday, the first day of the trip, the Royals were welcomed at the Ottawa airport by Prime Minister Mark Carney, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and Indigenous leaders. They then travelled to Lansdowne Park to browse a farmers' market and drop the ceremonial puck at a road hockey game, before moving on to the Governor General's residence for a ceremonial tree-planting. Kimberly Campbell, a resident of Perth, Ont., said it was 'unbelievable' that she was among the few in the Lansdowne Park crowd to get a chance to speak to the Royals. Her mother, Gwen Campbell, also from Perth, said she's been following the Royal Family all of her life. 'I've been waiting a long time for this.' Kyle White, co-owner of Milkhouse Farm Dairy in Smiths Falls, Ont., one of the dozen or so vendors who agreed to set up a special Monday farmers' market for the royal visit, said he was viewing the event as a 'promotional day' but was also conscious of the importance of the event. 'It's going to be something that we can talk about at dinner parties for a long time,' said White. When asked what he would do if one of the Royals wanted to make a purchase but only had British currency on hand, White joked that he would try to provide a 'reasonable exchange rate.' National Post, with files from Christopher Nardi Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here . Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jersey shore property owners express concern about Canadian tourism for summer season
The Brief Anyone who has spent any kind of time vacationing at the Jersey shore knows Canadians tourists frequent the beaches in the summer. Shore business owners are concerned over exchange rate, inflation and anti-American sentiment. Canadians account for 10 percent of tourism revenue in Wildwood according to officials. WILDWOOD, N.J. - Canadians make up a large portion of booking in Wildwood for decades, thanks to the fine sand and lively boardwalk. But, property owners in Wildwood are worried anti-American sentiment coupled with concern over the exchange rate and inflation, may keep Canadian tourists away from the Jersey shore. What we know For decades, they've become some of the most faithful visitors to the Jersey shore. Canadian tourists have been flocking to the beaches and boardwalks since the 1960's and people who host them want to keep it that way. Issues like inflation, federal tariffs targeting Canada and the exchange rate to the US dollar may impact Canadian summer travel to the shore. The backstory It's hard not to notice the influence Canada has on the Wildwoods. In the summertime, Canadian license plates can be seen all over town. Hotels called the Canadian flags fly outside of hotels named the "Royal Canadian" and "Quebec" pay homage to the shore's most favorite international visitor. What they're saying "We have the same families that come down year after year and they bring their kids. When they grow up and they bring their kids," said hotel owner John Donio. He owns several hotels including the Daytona Inn and Suites on Atlantic Avenue in Wildwood. "We have seen Canadian bookings on our sheets. But for the long term we're not 100 percent sure yet and we won't until the end of summer," Donio continued. By the numbers Business owners down the shore have been relying on Canadian tourists every summer for decades. Canadian tourism surged after COVID but this summer season new worries like anti-American sentiment and the 70 cents to the US dollar exchange rate may impact the number of tourists coming south in the summer. In Wildwood, local officials say Canadian's make up 10 percent of tourism revenue and actively market in Quebec and Ontario. Cape May County Tourism has a whole section on its website dedicated to Canadians that's written in French and had an office in Montreal until the mid-90's. Many hope the lure of the shore continues for our neighbors to the North. Big picture view "I will routinely see Canadian license plates showing up in late June all the way until the end of summer" said Louis Belasco, Executive Director of the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement Development already have been some scattered reports of Canadian cancellations for the summer season. But in Wildwood marketed as an affordable getaway with free beaches, boardwalk and nightlife, business owners just hope Canadians keep the longtime vacation tradition alive. "I think right now we are in a wait and see type of mode. But for any Canadians that might be watching today we're still the same old Wildwood," said Day is 81 days away.
Asharq Al-Awsat
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Taiwan Strait Not China's, Taipei Says after Canadian Warship Passes Through
The Taiwan Strait does not belong to China and any attempts to create tension threaten global security, the island's defense ministry said on Monday, after Beijing criticized Canada for sailing a warship through the sensitive waterway. The US Navy and occasionally ships from allied countries like Canada, Britain and France transit the strait, which they consider an international waterway, around once a month. Taiwan also considers it an international waterway but China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, says the strategic waterway belongs to it. Last week the first US Navy ships transited the strait since President Donald Trump took office last month, drawing an angry reaction from China, which said the mission increased security risks. Taiwan's defense ministry said China had responded to those sailings by carrying out "joint combat readiness patrols." "The Taiwan Strait is absolutely not within the scope of China's sovereignty," the ministry said in a statement. Freedom of navigation by "friendly and allied" countries through the strait are concrete actions that highlight the strait's legal status, and China is trying to create a false appearance that the strait is an "internal issue," it added. "Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is not only a matter of concern for Taiwan, but also a common concern for free and democratic countries around the world," the ministry said. "Any deliberate attempts by the communist's military to create tension in the Taiwan Strait will pose a real threat to global security," the ministry said. Neither China's defense ministry nor the Taiwan Affairs Office responded to requests for comment. Taiwan has complained of repeated Chinese military activities near the island. Its defense ministry said on Monday morning in its daily update of China's actions over the previous 24 hours that it had detected 41 Chinese military aircraft and nine ships around the island, concentrated in the strait and off Taiwan's southwest. China's military lambasted Canada on Monday for sailing the warship through the strait. Canada's actions "deliberately stirred up trouble" and undermined peace and stability in the strait, the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command said in a statement. "Theater forces maintain a high level of alert at all times and resolutely counter all threats and provocations," it added. Canada's Department of National Defense said in a statement that the Royal Canadian navy ship HMCS Ottawa recently conducted a transit throughout the Taiwan Strait. "Canada has undertaken a number of transits through the Taiwan Strait to uphold the important principle of operating freely through international waterways in accordance with international law,' the department said. Taiwan's defense ministry said on Sunday that the ship had sailed in a northerly direction, adding that Taiwanese forces also kept watch. Taiwan's foreign ministry welcomed the sailing. "Canada has once again taken concrete actions to defend the freedom, peace and openness of the Taiwan Strait and has demonstrated its firm position that the Taiwan Strait is international waters," it said on Sunday. In October, a US and a Canadian warship sailed together through the strait, less than a week after China conducted a new round of war games around the island. Taiwan's democratically elected government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only that the island's people can decide their future.
