Travel

Travel

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 Saturday, Jun. 13, 2026

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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Life & Style

Michael McNaught, President and CEO of RVezy Ottawa, is seen with his RV in Ottawa, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

How to rent an RV and plan your cross-country road trip — or your staycation

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

How to rent an RV and plan your cross-country road trip — or your staycation

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: 11:46 AM CDT

Michael McNaught still recalls the rust-coloured shoreline of Prince Edward Island unfurling before him on his first recreational vehicle trip more than three decades ago. But connecting with fellow travellers and family along the way left an even bigger impression.

“My grandpa had a CB radio in the truck, so I got to talk to all the truckers along the drive,” said McNaught, recalling his tour of the Maritimes as a child in the early 1990s.

Since then, the Ottawa resident has managed to spread those sorts of experiences to hundreds of thousands of others through his 10-year-old startup, RVezy.

Often described as an Airbnb for RVs, the company connects recreational vehicle owners with renters via its online platform.

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Updated: 11:46 AM CDT

Business

The luggage carousels of the new commercial terminal of the Montreal Metropolitan Airport is seen in Longueuil, Que., on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Porter Airlines betting travellers will embrace Montreal’s second airport

Charlotte Glorieux, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Porter Airlines betting travellers will embrace Montreal’s second airport

Charlotte Glorieux, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Monday, Jun. 15, 2026

MONTREAL - Montreal's South Shore gained a new gateway to the rest of Canada on Monday with the launch of Porter Airlines' commercial passenger terminal.

Long associated with pilot training and cargo flights, the St-Hubert airport, one of Canada's oldest aviation hubs, has been rebranded to Montreal Metropolitan Airport, renovated and expanded with flights to 11 Canadian destinations, including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto.

Calling the domestic terminal a new era for the region's aviation sector, Porter Airlines CEO Michael Deluce says he hopes travellers embrace the airport as an alternative to Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.

"More air service means more trade, more tourism, and more business opportunities," Deluce said during the opening ceremony.

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Monday, Jun. 15, 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 6 minute read Preview

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

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 6 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

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

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

Arts & Entertainment

This picture made available Tuesday, June 16, 2026 shows a view of the renovated and refurbished Botticelli rooms, with Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli's paintings:

Uffizi Gallery unveils new arrangement for Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’ and ‘Primavera’

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Uffizi Gallery unveils new arrangement for Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’ and ‘Primavera’

The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 16, 2026

MILAN (AP) — Sandro Botticelli’s masterpieces “The Birth of Venus” and “Primavera” have been repositioned at the famed Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the latest effort to reshape how visitors experience two of the Italian Renaissance’s most celebrated masterpieces.

Starting Tuesday, visitors to Italy’s most popular museum will be able to view “The Birth of Venus” in one room and then turn around to see “Primavera” in an adjoining space on the opposite wall.

The update by Uffizi director Simone Verde, who took over in January 2024, marks a new phase in the ongoing renovation of the museum.

The Botticelli rooms “seek to present visitors with the Uffizi of the future, while keeping its feet firmly on the ground and its roots deeply planted in the history of this extraordinary museum,” Verde said.

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Tuesday, Jun. 16, 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

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

CFL

Saskatchewan Roughriders' Melique Straker (28) celebrates his team defeating the Montreal Alouettes to become the champions of the 112th CFL Grey Cup, in Winnipeg on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Assessment shows ’25 Grey Cup generated over $93 million in economic activity

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Assessment shows ’25 Grey Cup generated over $93 million in economic activity

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:48 PM CDT

TORONTO - The 2025 Grey Cup generated over $93 million in economic activity across Canada, according to an independent assessment conducted by Sport Tourism Canada.

A week of festivities was held in Winnipeg from Nov. 10-16. It was capped by the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeating the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 in the Grey Cup game at Princess Auto Stadium.

According to the assessment, nearly 49,000 people took part in Grey Cup Festival events, generating a total attendance of over 345,000 across venues, parties, and celebrations.

Ninety-five per cent of the 28,000 out-of-town visitors who made the trip stayed overnight, with an average stay of 4.2 nights.

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Updated: Yesterday at 6:48 PM CDT

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

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

Travel

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

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

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

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

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