Travel – Winnipeg Free Press

Tourists pose for photos on the icon Banff sign in Banff, Alta., Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. The town moved the sign to a new location Thursday, Nov. 20. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Banff sign, a selfie favourite for tourists, moved to safer location

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 5:39 PM CST

BANFF - A popular selfie spot for visitors to Banff National Park has been relocated to what town officials say is now in a safer place.

The two-metre-high, $350,000 sign that simply reads “Banff” was installed in 2017 on Mount Norquay Avenue, one of two entrances into the Alberta mountain park’s idyllic townsite.

But the narrow two-lane road, which runs from the Mount Norquay Ski Resort seven kilometres away, was fraught with traffic jams, even between the peak tourist seasons of winter and summer.

In the summer, there are about 17,000 vehicles a day on the roadway, with many pedestrians crossing the road to get to the sign from a nearby parking lot.

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Return trips from U.S. by Canadian residents still down from year ago

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Return trips from U.S. by Canadian residents still down from year ago

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 12:55 PM CST

OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says the number of return trips from the U.S. by Canadian residents in September was down 30.9 per cent compared with a year ago, while trips to Canada by U.S. residents fell 2.6 per cent.

The agency said September broke a three-month summer streak that saw more Americans travel to Canada than Canadians headed to the U.S.

Overall, Canadian residents returned from 3.3 million trips abroad in September, down 22.7 per cent compared with a year earlier, while return trips from the U.S. by automobile fell 33.8 per cent to 1.6 million.

The number of Canadian-resident return trips by air from the United States in September totalled 567,100, down 19.3 per cent compared with a year earlier, while Canadian return trips by air from overseas countries increased 6.1 per cent to 997,400.

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Updated: Yesterday at 12:55 PM CST

Canadian and U.S. flags fly atop the Peace Arch monument at the Douglas-Peace Arch border crossing in Surrey, B.C., Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

‘Truly incredible’: Commuters impressed with new branch of Montreal’s rail network

Miriam Lafontaine, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

‘Truly incredible’: Commuters impressed with new branch of Montreal’s rail network

Miriam Lafontaine, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Monday, Nov. 17, 2025

MONTREAL - Fifteen-year-old Dustin Flores-Ranger says he's taken a ride on the new branch of Montreal's light-rail network for three consecutive days – since the extension opened to the public over the weekend.

The teenager says he’s been passionate about public transit his whole life, and wanted to be around on Monday to make sure everything ran smoothly.

“This Monday, no shutdowns. Service was very proper,” he said from the McGill station, among the 14 new stations connecting downtown Montreal with its northern exurb of Deux-Montagnes, Que.

The new 30-kilometre extension of the REM – Réseau express métropolitain – officially entered into regular service on Monday, after it opened to the public free of charge on Saturday and Sunday.

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Monday, Nov. 17, 2025

Big drop in snowbirds heading to U.S. this winter, as many look overseas instead

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Big drop in snowbirds heading to U.S. this winter, as many look overseas instead

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Monday, Nov. 17, 2025

MONTREAL - At the Bickley RV Park along Florida’s Gulf Coast, fewer Canadians walk its palm-dotted roads or lounge by its communal pool.

"There was a couple at Bickley that did just cancel their leases and contracts with us because of the uncertainties," says Dorothy Brown, who manages the park, a community for adults aged 55 and over, in a recent interview.

"They just literally said they were going to give up coming to the United States for a year or two."

Two of 12 Canadian groups at the 189-site park in the Tampa Bay area have cancelled their six-month leases since March, Brown said.

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Monday, Nov. 17, 2025

A Canada Border Services officer hands passports back to visitors entering Canada from Vermont at the Highway 55 Port of Entry in Stanstead, Que., Thursday, March 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Canadian travellers to Europe face new border measures as security ramps up

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Canadian travellers to Europe face new border measures as security ramps up

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025

OTTAWA - Many Canadian travellers to Europe are being asked to reveal more about themselves as officials begin to usher in new security measures.

European countries are rolling out a border management system to register people for short stays and, starting late next year, many visitors will need to obtain electronic travel authorizations in advance.

The first initiative, the Entry/Exit System, is intended to modernize border management across the 29 European countries using the system by electronically registering non-European nationals' entries, exits and entry refusals.

The system, which is set to be fully in place by April 10, applies to visitors with short-stay visas as well as travellers — including many from Canada — who do not need a visa to stay for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period.

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Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025

People stand in a line to check in at Brussels International Airport in Zaventem, Belgium, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Harry Nakos)

Get to know Montenegro

Steve MacNaull 5 minute read Preview

Get to know Montenegro

Steve MacNaull 5 minute read Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025

With the roar of an engine and spray of the Adriatic Sea, we race toward the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks.

The soundtrack on the speedboat is a bit of Pitbull’s Feel This Moment and a bit of Duffy’s Mercy.

Thus, we ultimately realize speedboat is the most boss way to arrive at church.

That’s why my wife, Kerry, and I signed up for the Boka Bay by Speedboat excursion while the Viking Jupiter cruise ship we’re on is docked in Kotor, Montenegro.

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Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025

The Church of Our Lady of the Rocks stands on a human-made islet in Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor.

Canadian travellers to feel effect of U.S. flight cuts caused by government shutdown

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Canadian travellers to feel effect of U.S. flight cuts caused by government shutdown

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025

Some Canadian travellers bound for America will see cancelled flights and delayed itineraries as the U.S. government shutdown puts pressure on the country's aviation network, prompting regulators to slash plane traffic.

Several Canadian carriers acknowledged a likely ripple effect after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it would cut 10 per cent of flights at its 40 busiest airports for safety reasons.

In an email, Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline would maintain a "normal schedule" but that passengers connecting to flights run by its partner United Airlines could be affected.

Customers would not be charged a change fee for rebooking or deferring their trip, he said — but the cost of a pricier ticket would still have to be covered by the passenger.

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Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025

Air Canada aircraft sit parked at Vancouver International Airport as a United Airlines flight from Chicago prepares to land, in Richmond, B.C., on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

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‘We miss you’: Kalispell, Mont., launches campaign to woo back Canadian visitors

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

‘We miss you’: Kalispell, Mont., launches campaign to woo back Canadian visitors

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025

CALGARY - One of Montana's main travel destinations is reaching out to Canadians — offering deals, discounts and specials in an effort to lure them back for a visit.

Discover Kalispell, a tourism marketing and management organization for the city and northwest Montana, has unveiled its Kalispell Canadian Welcome Pass.

Kalispell is near the Canada-U. S. border, about five hours south of Calgary.

"The message is simple — we see you and we miss you,” said Diane Medler, executive director for Discover Kalispell.

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Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025

In a 30-second time exposure, the aurora borealis, or northern lights, illuminates the night sky Monday, Nov. 5, 2001, over Kalispell, Mont. The community, about five hours south of Calgary, has launched a campaign trying to woo Canadian visitors back. (AP Photo/Daily Inter Lake, Robin Loznak)

Longest U.S. government shutdown in history could hit Canadians’ travel plans: expert

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Longest U.S. government shutdown in history could hit Canadians’ travel plans: expert

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025

WASHINGTON - As the impasse between Republicans and Democrats pushed into its 36th day on Wednesday, one expert warned that the U.S. government shutdown — now the longest in the nation's history — could upset some Canadians' travel plans.

It's not clear how long the shutdown will last as federal workers miss another paycheque and as Americans face the prospect of a busy holiday season at airports coupled with a shortage of air traffic controllers and airport staff.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that air traffic capacity will be reduced by 10 per cent across 40 "high-volume" markets beginning Friday morning, to ensure safety during the government shutdown.

Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford said they will meet later Wednesday with airline leaders. The markets that will be affected will not be announced until Thursday.

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Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025

Travellers wait in long security lines at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo Lekan Oyekanmi)

Travel agents hope for return of ‘glory times’ as China resumes group tours to Canada

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Travel agents hope for return of ‘glory times’ as China resumes group tours to Canada

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025

VANCOUVER - Travel agents are celebrating Beijing's decision to resume group tourism to Canada after a five-year halt, hoping for the return of big-spending Chinese visitors who were a dominant presence for the industry before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Glynnis Chan, president of Vancouver-based Happy Times Travel and Tour Ltd., has been leading group tours for Chinese visitors to the city since the mid-1980s.

She said she expected a big boost for the local economy after Monday's decision by China to resume group tours that Chan said "ground to a halt" in 2020 amid the pandemic.

Chan said the tourists she hosted would typically spend six weeks travelling Canada, estimating they'd spend more than $1,300 a day, with Stanley Park in Vancouver, the Rocky Mountains and Parliament Hill in Ottawa on their sightseeing list.

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Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025

Prime Minister Mark Carney shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the start of a meeting in Gyeongju, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Interlake town’s attractions nicely complement its delicious goodies

Gord Mackintosh 5 minute read Preview

Interlake town’s attractions nicely complement its delicious goodies

Gord Mackintosh 5 minute read Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025

Arborg Bakery! Zan’s borscht! Croffles!

Ahh, the culinary pleasures of, yes … Arborg.

But Margie and I didn’t visit this Interlake town 90 minutes north of Winnipeg solely to joyously chew, taste and swallow.

Fond recollections of the meandering Icelandic River, plus the newly-built Blue Crescent Hotel beckoned. OK, I confess: fond recollections of Arborg Bakery figured most prominently.

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Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025

Margie enjoying the scenery at Arborg’s meandering Icelandic River.

Broadway musicians reach tentative labor deal, averting a strike

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Broadway musicians reach tentative labor deal, averting a strike

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press 3 minute read Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — The union representing Broadway's musicians reached a tentative labor agreement with commercial producers on Thursday, averting a potentially crippling strike that would have silenced nearly two dozen musicals.

The American Federation of Musicians Local 802 — which represents 1,200 musicians — had threatened to strike if they didn’t have a new contract by the morning, after going into mediation Wednesday.

Early Thursday, the union said it had struck a tentative deal that includes wage increases and contribution increases to the health fund.

"This three-year agreement provides meaningful wage and health benefit increases that will preserve crucial access to healthcare for our musicians while maintaining the strong contract protections that empower musicians to build a steady career on Broadway,” AFM Local 802 President Bob Suttmann said in a statement.

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Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025

FILE - A Broadway street sign appears in Times Square, in New York on Jan. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, File)

‘One-in-a-million chance’: Couple reunited with lost SD card containing travel photos

Fatima Raza, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

‘One-in-a-million chance’: Couple reunited with lost SD card containing travel photos

Fatima Raza, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

A Calgary couple is in disbelief after a hiker found their lost memory card full of travel photos from around the world.

Nicole Robertson and her partner, Scott Simpson, moved to Canada last month from the United Kingdom after quitting their jobs in 2023 to travel.

The two were walking along Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park on Oct. 2 when they think the SD card fell out of a camera bag.

Simpson says they believe the card sat on a rock for a whole day before a hiker came across it and posted the find on a local Facebook group they happened to be part of.

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Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

Calgary couple Scott Simpson and Nicole Robertson, pictured in this undated handout photo, lost their camera's SD card around Lake Minnewanka on Oct. 2. It sat on a rock for a whole day, untouched, until a hiker came across it and posted about it in a local Facebook group. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Nicole Robertson (Mandatory Credit)

Carney heading to Asia for 9 day trip to work on trade, defence partnerships

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Carney heading to Asia for 9 day trip to work on trade, defence partnerships

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea over nine days at the end of the month to attend two multinational summits.

Carney is scheduled to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Kuala Lumpur, where he is set to meet with Malaysia's prime minister to talk trade.

After that summit, Carney will meet with Singapore's prime minister and regional business leaders to discuss removing trade barriers and attracting global capital.

Carney will conclude his trip in South Korea by attending a meeting of Asia-Pacific economic leaders in Gyeongju.

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Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

Prime Minister Mark Carney walks by a Canada Border Services Agency vehicle at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Jays jerseys abound as baseball fans help Seattle amid tourism slide

Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Jays jerseys abound as baseball fans help Seattle amid tourism slide

Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

SEATTLE - Pike Place Market artist and vendor Daniel Fleming says Toronto Blue Jays fans typically show up in Seattle in droves for games against the Mariners, and the ongoing American League Championship Series has been no different.

He said the city and market seem insulated from political tensions between Canada and the United States that have seen Canadian visits south plunge.

"Toronto Blue Jays fandom travels maybe as well as any other fandom I've ever encountered," Fleming said Thursday. "They come to town, they spend money, they support small business and whatnot."

The market was bustling with people getting photos in front of the first Starbucks that opened there in 1971, while others were capturing video of the famous fish-tossing ritual that Pike Place is known for.

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Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

Pike Place Market vendor Daniel Fleming stands in front of his table filled with Seattle-themed digital artwork in Seattle, on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Greer

Canadian passport now outpaces U.S. in ranking of visa-free access

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Canadian passport now outpaces U.S. in ranking of visa-free access

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025

OTTAWA - Canadian passport holders have overtaken Americans in terms of their visa-free access to the world.

The Henley Passport Index ranks Canada in 9th place for how many countries Canadian citizens can visit without needing to apply for a visa. The U.S. passport is in 12th place.

Both countries sat at 7th place under Henley's ranking system, which groups together countries in blocs when they have visa-free access to the same number of countries.

Henley and Partners, which has issued the ranking for two decades, says the shift stems in part from countries imposing reciprocal requirements on American travellers in response to new U.S. visa restrictions or onerous entry requirements.

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Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025

November 21, 2025

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