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STEVE MACNAULL PHOTOs The Prague on Kayak tour glides by Prague Castle in the background.

Finding bliss on Prague’s Vltava River

Steve MacNaull 4 minute read 2:01 AM CDT

It’s early Sunday morning and the Vltava River is deliciously calm.

“It’s absolutely the best time and way to see pretty Prague from the water,” Vaclav Herodes, Prague on Kayak guide and co-owner, tells our group of four tourists.

A quartet of kayaks is laid out on the launch in Park Cihelna on the left side of the Vltava.

They are so colourful and symmetrical — three blue and one red — just waiting to be paddled.

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Our Shepherds — now in hiding.

Canada’s capital fosters peculiar monuments

Gord Mackintosh 6 minute read Preview

Canada’s capital fosters peculiar monuments

Gord Mackintosh 6 minute read Saturday, Jun. 6, 2026

We just stared at the whimsical absurdity.

In an obscure courtyard of Ottawa’s ByWard Market, a big statue depicted two blue men wearing shirts and ties while facing each other, connected by a long stick that formed their noses — standing on two blue sheep. Liars leading the sheep? With this teaser, we wondered if downtown Ottawa conceals a weird side, other than the House of Commons.

On a subsequent visit this spring, we looked closer for our capital’s offbeat public art. Fun!

Monuments galore

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Saturday, Jun. 6, 2026

Science & Technology

Canadian Space Agency astronaut and Artemis II crew member Jeremy Hansen speaks at an event at the Halifax Central Library in Halifax on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

Astronaut Jeremy Hansen says he was surprised by Canadians’ support for Artemis II

Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Astronaut Jeremy Hansen says he was surprised by Canadians’ support for Artemis II

Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Thursday, Jun. 11, 2026

HALIFAX - Jeremy Hansen, one of four astronauts who returned to Earth two months ago after travelling around the moon, said nothing could have prepared him for the awe he felt in space or the overwhelming support he’s received from Canadians.

The Canadian astronaut, who is the first non-American to travel to the moon, said the views from space blew him away. 

“The things that we saw continued to put us into a state of awe, a state of gratitude," he said in an interview Wednesday.

"It really made me feel tiny as a human, as an individual, but very powerful as a human species — that we can actually do this and witness the Earth, the moon and then the galaxy spread out in front of us.”

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Thursday, Jun. 11, 2026

Arts & Entertainment

Pedestrians pass around the Old Toronto beaver sculpture, near the St. Lawrence Market, in Toronto, Friday, June 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Giordano Ciampini

Beaver sculptures welcome tourists in downtown Toronto ahead of World Cup

Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Beaver sculptures welcome tourists in downtown Toronto ahead of World Cup

Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 9, 2026

TORONTO - Four-foot-tall rodents have taken over downtown Toronto. Some lurk under trees, while others peer through office tower windows or stand guard near busy intersections.

It's hard to miss these colourful beaver statues with wide grins and a soccer ball clutched under their right paw if you happen to stroll through the eastern downtown neighbourhood of Old Town Toronto. The installations are a part of an artistic scavenger hunt running as Canada's largest city prepares to host World Cup soccer matches this week.  

And no two beavers look the same. 

One wears the Brazilian flag. Another is painted with a view of the Toronto skyline. And yet another sports the classic red-and-black Canadian plaid.

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Tuesday, Jun. 9, 2026

Life & Style

Australian FIFA World Cup fans Lachlan, left, and Bailey Carter, from Those Carter Boys, pose for a photo in Vancouver, B.C., on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Aussies, Kiwis converge on B.C. for World Cup, bringing super fandom from Down Under

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Aussies, Kiwis converge on B.C. for World Cup, bringing super fandom from Down Under

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Thursday, Jun. 11, 2026

VANCOUVER - Wherever they are in the world, sports fans Lachlan Carter and younger brother Bailey know how to find fellow Australians.

"We hear the accent, they hear the accent, and then, you know, it goes off pretty quickly, like a house on fire," said Lachlan, who arrived with his brother in Vancouver on Monday after a 14-hour flight from Brisbane.

They're part of a travelling contingent of sports fans from Australia and New Zealand who are in Vancouver for the World Cup.

Both nations punch well above their weight when it comes to sports fanaticism. Vancouver will get a taste this month thanks to a World Cup draw that will see three of their matches played in the city.

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Thursday, Jun. 11, 2026

Life & Style

A haze of wildfire smoke from B.C. hangs over the downtown as man uses an electric scooter in Calgary on Thursday, July 15, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Alberta politicians exploring option to put taxpayers on hook for MLA e-scooter rides

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Alberta politicians exploring option to put taxpayers on hook for MLA e-scooter rides

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 10, 2026

EDMONTON - An Alberta legislature committee is exploring whether to put taxpayers on the hook for work-related electric scooter and bike rides taken by politicians.

Currently, elected officials and caucus staff can be reimbursed for taxi rides, car rentals and some airfare if they're travelling for work purposes.

A bipartisan committee of MLAs is now studying whether to add e-scooters and e-bikes to the list. 

This week, it unanimously passed a motion to see if corporate agreements are an option with one or more providers, such as Lime, Bird Canada and Neuron Mobility.

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Wednesday, Jun. 10, 2026

Life & Style

Sean Kady, owner of Cosmic Charlies, poses for a photograph holding a bong resembling the FIFA World Cup trophy outside his shop on Queen Street West in Toronto on Thursday, June 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

Pot shops have high expectations from World Cup fans, tourists

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Pot shops have high expectations from World Cup fans, tourists

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Friday, Jun. 5, 2026

TORONTO - A week before the World Cup, a Toronto cannabis shop has already got ahold of the trophy — sort of.

Cosmic Charlies is selling golden bongs that resemble the tournament's prize and are marketed as "a true hat trick: portable, durable and easy to clean."

"I'm not going to lie, I don't know how many (I'm going to sell), so I didn't get too many. I think I only stocked three or four," said Sean Kady, owner of the Queen Street West shop, which is a short walk from Toronto Stadium. 

"My thought was I could at least sell a couple and worst-case scenario, if I had one left over, I could put it out every World Cup. It's a fun piece regardless."

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Friday, Jun. 5, 2026

Life & Style

Prime Minister Mark Carney addresses the closing news conference at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alta., on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Carney to visit Paris, Dublin ahead of G7 summit in French Alps

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 7 minute read Preview

Carney to visit Paris, Dublin ahead of G7 summit in French Alps

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 7 minute read Thursday, Jun. 11, 2026

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney's quest to strengthen Canada's ties with Europe continues this week as he takes off for his ninth visit to the continent since being sworn into office a little more than 15 months ago.

Carney will begin the six-day trip in Paris with a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, then continue on to Ireland for meetings with Micheál Martin, the Taoiseach of Ireland, and President Catherine Connolly.

He will end the trip in the French Alps with the annual G7 leaders' summit in Évian-les-Bains.

Europe plays a dominant role in Carney's vision for rebuilding the international order and weaning Canada off its decades-long reliance on the United States for trade and security partnerships.

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Thursday, Jun. 11, 2026

Business

A WestJet Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is seen parked at a gate at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Thursday, January 21, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Non-stop Iceland-Winnipeg flights to return under WestJet codeshare deal with Icelandair

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Non-stop Iceland-Winnipeg flights to return under WestJet codeshare deal with Icelandair

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Monday, Jun. 8, 2026

CALGARY - WestJet has signed a codeshare deal with Icelandair that will allow travellers to fly to more than 10 cities in Europe through a connection in Iceland.

Icelandair travellers will also be able to connect with one stop to a collection of Canadian cities across WestJet's domestic network.

WestJet chief commercial officer John Weatherill says the airline is opening more seamless access to Europe while deepening its partnership with Icelandair.

WestJet is set to begin seasonal non-stop service to Keflavik International Airport near Reykjavik, Iceland, from Edmonton and Winnipeg later this month.

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Monday, Jun. 8, 2026

Life & Style

Ravi Kahlon speaks during an announcement, in Delta, B.C., on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Hotel bookings during World Cup down from last year, but B.C. minister sees positives

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Hotel bookings during World Cup down from last year, but B.C. minister sees positives

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 10, 2026

VICTORIA - British Columbia's jobs minister isn't disputing hotel data that suggests Vancouver hotel vacancies on World Cup game days are down sharply compared to the same dates last year.

But Ravi Kahlon took a positive view of analytics provided by U.S. hotel data firm CoStar, showing that as of June 1, occupancy for Vancouver's first match day on Saturday between Australia and Turkey was 57.4 per cent, down from 71.6 per cent on the same date a year ago.

Kahlon said the CoStar data showed Vancouver's occupancy rates were the highest among the 14 host cities in the survey, although it was unclear how he reached that conclusion.

Vancouver's average occupancy for its seven game days was 47.9 per cent, while the Mexican city of Guadalajara had an average of 56.5 per cent for its four game days, and Monterrey, Calif., sat at 50.5 per cent during its four matches.

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Wednesday, Jun. 10, 2026

Business

WestJet passengers deplane on the tarmac at Yellowknife Airport on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Sunwing Vacations halts Cuba service indefinitely amid island fuel shortage

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Sunwing Vacations halts Cuba service indefinitely amid island fuel shortage

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Friday, Jun. 5, 2026

TORONTO - Sunwing Vacations Group says it will indefinitely suspend operations in Cuba, as the island country grapples with an increasingly desperate fuel shortage.

The WestJet subsidiary says the move extends a decision in April to halt all Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations trips to Cuba through October.

The suspension affects all bookings to the island with Sunwing Vacations, WestJet Vacations and WestJet Vacations Quebec.

The company says customers with existing bookings will be contacted and given options that include rebooking to a different destination or cancelling for a full refund.

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Friday, Jun. 5, 2026

Health

A health worker disinfects the airport near the World Food Programme's (WFP) aircraft following the government's announcement of Bunia National Airport's reopening in Bunia, Congo, Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

WHO calls for travel restrictions on Ebola-affected countries to be lifted, days after Canada’s comes in effect

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

WHO calls for travel restrictions on Ebola-affected countries to be lifted, days after Canada’s comes in effect

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 3, 2026

TORONTO - The World Health Organization is calling on countries to remove any travel restrictions recently imposed on people coming from Ebola-affected countries.

The request comes days after Canada stopped approving visas for Congolese nationals as part of what the federal government said was a temporary measure to reduce the risk of the virus entering and spreading within the country.

Canadian officials also initiated a mandatory self-isolation period of 21 days for anyone entering the country who has recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.

In response to the health organization’s plea, a spokesperson for the immigration minister said that the safety and well-being of Canadians is the top priority and the current approach will be adapted if needed.

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Wednesday, Jun. 3, 2026

Life & Style

This composite image shows Canada's Courtney Sarault, left, and Mikael Kingsbury, right, as they display medals they won at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, in Italy, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck, Sean Kilpatrick

Olympic medallists Kingsbury and Sarault to lead Calgary Stampede parade

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Olympic medallists Kingsbury and Sarault to lead Calgary Stampede parade

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 3, 2026

CALGARY - Olympic medallists Mikael Kingsbury and Courtney Sarault are used to getting cheers on the ice, but come July, they'll be lauded while riding horseback to launch the Calgary Stampede.

Kingsbury, a Quebec-born moguls skier, and Sarault, a short track speedskater from Moncton, N.B., were named Wednesday as honorary marshals for the parade that kicks off the 10-day exhibition and rodeo.

"It's been fast pace for the last couple of years with skiing, so with an event like that, I'm all good with slow pace," Kingsbury said in an interview. 

"I just want to enjoy myself and have a good time."

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Wednesday, Jun. 3, 2026

Health

Musician Lionel Kizaba poses in Montreal, on Sunday, May 31, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Congolese Montrealers have plans upended by Canada’s Ebola travel restrictions

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Congolese Montrealers have plans upended by Canada’s Ebola travel restrictions

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Monday, Jun. 1, 2026

MONTREAL - An international student from the Democratic Republic of Congo says she was blocked from returning to Montreal because of Ebola-related travel restrictions — despite the fact she hasn't visited her home country in almost a year.

Merdie Sanga was vacationing in France when she received a letter from Canada's Immigration Department saying it was suspending travel documents for foreign nationals from Congo due to concerns over the virus.

"I told myself, this doesn't concern me because I'm not coming from Kinshasa, I'm coming from Paris," the 23-year-old Université du Québec à Montréal student said in a phone interview.

To her surprise, she was not allowed to board her Air France flight on Sunday after airline workers made a call to officials at Montreal's airport.

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Monday, Jun. 1, 2026

Life & Style

One of four giant LCD screens located around the pitch at BMO Field is shown as part of the stadium’s upgrades ahead of hosting six FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in Toronto, Ont., March 24, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Eduardo Lima

World Cup to spur ‘short-lived bump’ from tourism spending: BMO

Daniel Johnson, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

World Cup to spur ‘short-lived bump’ from tourism spending: BMO

Daniel Johnson, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Monday, Jun. 1, 2026

TORONTO - The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to spur a modest lift in gross domestic product in Canada, driven by tourism and hospitality spending, according to a new report from BMO Economics.

"The key point is there are real economic effects from a large sporting event or a large entertainment event like this,” said BMO chief economist Doug Porter in an interview.

"But I don't think we should be under any illusion that it's anything other than a short-lived bump from the increased spending, and it tends to be relatively modest.”     

For the Canadian economy, the report said gains from tourism were estimated to come in at between $1 billion and $5 billion, while increased spending among residents is estimated between $500 million and $1.5 billion. 

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Monday, Jun. 1, 2026

Life & Style

Workers offload medical and emergency supplies donated by the European Union to support frontline workers fighting Ebola at the national airport in Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

More than 24,000 immigration documents could be suspended by Ebola border measures

David Baxter, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

More than 24,000 immigration documents could be suspended by Ebola border measures

David Baxter, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Thursday, May. 28, 2026

OTTAWA - The Immigration Department says more than 24,000 travel documents could be suspended by the federal government's measures to keep Ebola out of Canada.

The government has announced a 90-day suspension of a variety of immigration and travel documents for people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. The suspension took effect at 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

In an email, a department spokesperson said there were about 12,600 DRC residents and 11,500 Ugandan residents with valid travel documents as of May 19.

The government estimates there were 470 South Sudan residents with valid immigration travel documents as of May 21.

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Thursday, May. 28, 2026

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