Canadian tourists sheltering in place in Mexico recount burnt-out cars, lines for food

HALIFAX - The streets of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, were eerily quiet a day after fire and violence engulfed the popular tourist destination on Sunday, Canadians in the region said.

Marc Edge, a communications professor from Vancouver, said he saw billowing clouds of black smoke and burned out vehicles while walking on the boardwalk Sunday. He saw police on the street and "one of them had a machine gun and ordered us back to our hotel," he said.

In order to comply, Edge said he had to wait until the flames blocking his way died down. "And then I gingerly picked my way past a couple of buses that had burned out."

Edge said Monday afternoon he had been sheltering inside his downtown hotel for 24 hours. 

Have an upcoming Mexico trip? Here’s what you should know as warnings remain in place

March break is around the corner and safety concerns continue to swirl for tourists planning a sunny getaway in Mexico.

It comes after widespread violence prompted airlines to temporarily suspend service on the weekend along with orders for travellers in some regions to shelter in place.

Here's what you need to know if you're mulling changes to plans to visit the country.

Are airlines flying yet to Mexico? What about Ottawa's travel advisory?

The famed cottage from ‘Heated Rivalry’ will soon be bookable on Airbnb

One of the most swoon-worthy lines in “Heated Rivalry” — “I’m coming to the cottage” — is about to become a literal travel plan for fans.

Robotaxis are coming to London. The city’s famed black cab drivers are skeptical

LONDON (AP) — The Ford Mustang Mach-E cruises down a London road choked with traffic, using its onboard AI system to avoid jaywalkers and cyclists, and navigate roadwork as it drives to its destination.

The autonomous vehicle from British startup Wayve Technologies is on a test run ahead of the U.K. government's robotaxi trials set to launch in the spring. Tech companies including U.S. company Waymo and China's Baidu also plan to take part in the pilot program, making London the latest arena in the global robotaxi competition.

While self-driving cabs aren’t new, London’s ancient road layout and busy streetscapes could pose special challenges for the technology.

There's also skepticism from London’s famed black cab drivers, who must pass a grueling training course known as “The Knowledge,” which requires memorizing hundreds of routes and takes years to complete. They've previously opposed technology that's disrupted their industry, and protested the arrival of Uber.

Poilievre says he’s spoken with Jivani about U.S. trip and MP ‘speaks for himself’

OTTAWA - Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Tuesday Ontario MP Jamil Jivani does not speak for the party after Jivani told a right-wing U.S. news site that Canada is harming itself with an "anti-America hissy fit."

In a scrum with reporters, Poilievre was peppered with questions about Jivani's recent trip to Washington, D.C., and comments made to Breitbart News that Canadians would be "shooting ourselves in the foot if we continue this anti-America hissy-fit."

When asked if he agreed with Jivani's characterization, Poilievre said "no."

"Canadians are legitimately upset by the unjustifiable tariffs and the comments that the president has made," Poilievre said.

Alberta aims to protect tourists from deceptive fees with proposed legislation

EDMONTON - Alberta’s government is aiming to beef up consumer protection for tourists by closing loopholes in hotel fee regulations. 

If passed, legislation introduced Wednesday by Tourism Minister Andrew Boitchenko would crack down on how destination marketing fees are charged and where they go.

It would force accommodations to disclose the full price of a stay at the time of booking rather than when visitors check out.

Destination marketing fees are voluntary, but are meant to go back into local marketing and development efforts. 

Beijing drops visa requirement for Canadian tourists, business visitors to China

OTTAWA - China is dropping its visa requirement for Canadian tourists and business visitors, a move that has boosted the spirits of Vancouver travel agents following Prime Minister Mark Carney's efforts to put relations with Beijing on a better footing.

China's Foreign Ministry says Canadians will no longer be required to get visas for 30-days stays, starting Tuesday until at least the end of this year.

A month ago, during his visit to Beijing, Carney said Chinese President Xi Jinping committed to visa-free access for Canadians, which China never confirmed.

For most Canadian tourists, entering mainland China currently requires a lengthy application process and roughly $140 in fees. Canadians can already enter the Chinese regions of Hong Kong, Macau and Hainan province without a visa.

Air Transat cutting summer flights to only two U.S. destinations in Florida

MONTREAL - Air Transat says it's cancelling its U.S. flights for the 2026 summer season as it looks to better manage its resources.

A spokeswoman for the airline says flights to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in Florida will start gradually winding down in the spring.

Marie-Eve Vallières says Air Transat flies to 67 destinations and those cities are the only two in the United States.

She says the Florida flight program for the 2026-2027 winter season will be determined later.

WestJet dumps direct flights from Winnipeg to Atlanta, Nashville

WestJet has confirmed it is suspending direct flights from Winnipeg to Atlanta and Nashville as well as its seasonal flights to Orlando.

It blames the drop in the number of customers who were flying to the U.S. destinations.

The airline said it will “modestly increase capacity” from Winnipeg to Las Vegas this summer compared to last year.

“We saw a notable decline in trans-border travel demand throughout 2025,” WestJet spokeswoman Julia Kaiser said on Wednesday.

Canadian airlines suspend flights to Cuba amid aviation fuel shortage

MONTREAL - Major Canadian airlines have suspended service to Cuba as the Caribbean country faces a worsening energy crisis amid a U.S. blockade of oil.

Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat each said on Monday that they were cancelling flights to Cuba, citing a shortage of aviation fuel.

All three airlines said they had plans to bring travellers home to Canada.

Air Canada said it made the decision "following advisories issued by governments regarding the unreliability of the aviation fuel supply at Cuban airports," adding that it would dispatch empty flights southbound to pick up about 3,000 travellers to bring them home.

‘Heated Rivalry’ spotlighting Montreal and its renowned bagels

MONTRÉAL - The popular TV series "Heated Rivalry" is putting the spotlight on Montreal and among those reaping the benefits is one of the city's iconic bagel shops. 

In the opening moments of the fifth episode, Rose Landry, a character played by Quebec actress Sophie Nélisse, appears wearing a T-shirt bearing the St-Viateur Bagel logo. 

The scene lasts less than a minute but was a boon for the famous Montreal institution, which has been producing its famous bagels since 1957. 

Online orders "exploded" in the weeks following the episode's release on Dec. 12, according to the company's marketing director, Benjamin Choquette. 

City of Regina urged to promote connections it has to TV hit ‘Heated Rivalry’

REGINA - Some residents of Saskatchewan's capital are hoping their city can jump on the "Heated Rivalry" bandwagon, arguing Regina has skin in the game to make hay from the hit series. 

While the book that inspired the Crave TV production has got locals buzzing — including unlimited digital downloads at the library and a recent marathon screening — Regina, unlike other cities, hasn't used tidbits of the show's storyline as a marketing opportunity. 

In the opening scene of the series, hockey phenoms Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov meet for the first time outside a Regina arena. The characters are both in the city for the International Prospect Cup, a fictional tournament akin to the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Resident Tanna Dietrich said she was surprised when she saw the scene, which displays the city's name over the shot.

Peak season, year-round

“Stop staring sideways while driving!” Margie exclaimed as we cruised through Alberta’s attention-seeking Rockies.

I quipped, “But you’re watching the road, eh?”

The Rocky Mountains are barefaced, blatant, brazen show-offs. Each massif’s wardrobe appears ever-changing as the day unfolds. When someone exclaims, “Oh, wow! Do you believe it?” and no one is nearby — that’s a Manitoban in the Rockies.

Entering Canmore, I told Margie, “I wanna hug those giants!” I first suggested we tour, and crawl, in Canmore’s Rat’s Nest Cave. The tour operator told us, “And there’s actually a rat living near the entrance!” Oddly, Margie said, “Um, no.”

Supreme Court to hear long-running case about Air Canada’s advertised pricing

OTTAWA - The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear arguments on a class-action lawsuit that alleged Air Canada charged passengers more than the advertised ticket price.

The long-running case was brought forward by a consumer advocacy group and Montreal resident Michael Silas, who said the airline did not include all extra fees in the price listed online, violating a consumer protection law passed weeks before his ticket purchase in 2010.

Silas said he was charged $124 more in taxes, fees and surcharges than the fare price shown during the first step of the ticket-buying process on Air Canada's website.

In a ruling last year, the Quebec Court of Appeal ordered Air Canada to pay passengers more than $10 million in damages in the case.