As the majority of national parks opened earlier this month, Nick Schlachter was waiting in his truck at the front of the line to access Banff National Park’s Lake Minnewanka, a picturesque glacial lake surrounded by towering mountains and lush forests near Banff, Alta.
He couldn’t wait for the park to open for the first time this season and get his boat on the open water.
“It’s been a long three months. Everyone has been cooped up, and it’s time to get out and get some lake trout,” said Schlachter, who lives in Canmore, Alta. “It’s time to go.”
The lake is a tourist magnet, but this year, the water will be noticeably quieter, as will the nearby bike paths, cafe and campground.
With international visitors staying away due to the pandemic and border restrictions, this will be a summer like no other and presents an opportunity for Canadians to rediscover the many world-renowned attractions and locations, such as Banff, Montreal and Victoria.
Nick Schlachter, right, of Canmore, Alta., prepares his boat before putting it in the water. He couldn’t wait to get out on Lake Minnewanka. (Dave Rae/CBC)
Montreal and Victoria
Normally, the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal are jammed this time of year with slow-moving crowds of people stopping to snap photos with tablets and selfie sticks held high in the air.
The thought of navigating so many people is a strong deterrent for most locals to keep out of the area. Now, it might be refreshing to take a stroll through the greystone buildings and appreciate the Notre-Dame Basilica and other historical beauties.
The same can be said for cities such as Victoria, which won’t see temporary population spikes as cruise ships dock and hundreds of thousands of travellers pour out into the city.
In Old Montreal, restaurants and bars do business on the sidewalks, with physical distancing measures implemented through furniture placement and markings on the ground. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)
Enjoy tourist-free situation
No matter the location, with so much space and privacy, this summer could be much more romantic, too, said travel blogger Karen Ung, pointing to how restaurants and campgrounds have reduced capacity.
She plans to take advantage of the tourist-free situation by spending more time in Banff than usual and exploring the Icefields Parkway, north of Lake Louise, which usually fills up with tourists who want to explore the glaciers.
“There’s so much here, and people come from all over the world to see it,” she said.
“It’s often way too packed for us to enjoy it, so I really avoid those places in the summer.”
Lake Minnewanka in Alberta is a short drive outside the Banff townsite. (Dave Rae/CBC)
Steep price for tourist sector
Earlier this spring, Banff’s mayor acknowledged it was “odd” for a community that solely relies on the tourism industry to tell people to stay away because of the pandemic.
Now, the doors have swung open.
“We’re so excited to welcome everyone back. We know that Canadians have always wanted to enjoy their national parks,” said Mayor Karen Sorensen.
While there is a rare tourist-free opportunity this summer, the lack of international visitors comes at a steep cost for the tourism industry.
For instance, the business community in Banff expects revenue of between 30 and 40 per cent compared to last year, according to the mayor.
Banff National Park usually attracts about four million people a year, and more than half the visitors are from outside Canada.
“As you can see, we don’t have anyone in the store at the moment,” said Michelle Murphy of Rocks and Gems Canada, a jewelry and fossil store in Banff. “We get it in dribs and drabs, but we need that customer base.”
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel hopes to attract Canadians this summer, followed by international travellers once border restrictions ease. (Dave Rae/CBC)
‘Matter of mitigating our losses’
Around the corner from her shop is Coyotes Southwestern Grill, which can only seat a maximum of 20 customers because of health restrictions mandating physical distancing.
It’s a stressful time in the industry, said chef and part-owner Lucas Johnson, as many restaurants rack up debt or slowly burn through their savings.
“We are mentally and hopefully, financially prepared to push through,” he said. “We realize we are not going to make a buck until next summer. It’s just going to be a matter of mitigating our losses between now and then, month by month.”
‘We need that customer base,’ says Michelle Murphy of Rocks and Gems Canada, about the low level of visitors to Banff so far this season. (Dave Rae/CBC)
Many in the tourism industry see the reopening of the economy as a new beginning. While it may be trying times right now, the situation should improve as border restrictions eventually begin to ease.
“We are encouraging people to come out of lockdown, come out of their city centre and come into the big wide open spaces,” said David Roberts, general manager of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and regional vice-president with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.
There are many new protocols at the Banff Springs Hotel to help keep guests and employees safe. (Dave Rae/CBC)
These destinations may not hear the variety of languages to which they’ve become accustomed as they’ve welcomed travellers from Japan, Germany and dozens of other countries.
But those in the tourism business are eager to hear folks from across the country, if inter-provincial travel restrictions are eased. Banff’s mayor is excited, too.
“We’re now hoping that Canadians will take that big Canadian road trip with the family and come visit us here,” Sorensen said.
EDMONTON – The legendary k.d. lang got the band back together at the Canadian Country Music Association awards show.
Lang teamed up with the Reclines for the first time in 35 years to belt out “Big Boned Gal” from their last album together in 1989.
Clad in a blue and green western-style dress, lang strut across the stage in Edmonton to embody the “big boned gal from southern Alberta.”
The awards show saw Alberta’s MacKenzie Porter and Ontario’s Josh Ross take home hardware for being best female and male artists of the year.
Ross also won entertainer of the year and single of the year for “Trouble.”
Ontario artist Jade Eagleson won album of the year for “Do It Anyway.”
The James Barker Band from Woodville, Ont., won fans’ choice and group of the year.
During their acceptance speech, frontman Barker hinted at new music and a possible tour in 2025.
Ross says he and his band play roughly 150 shows every year and are never home, but says taking home entertainer of the year made the hard work worth it.
Porter won for female artist of the year and top video for “Chasing Tornadoes.”
The female artist win ends the five-year streak of Tenille Townes being awarded the coveted hardware.
Porter had been nominated seven times previously for the award in the past decade but hadn’t won until now.
The artist from Medicine Hat, Alta., says it takes a lot of hard work and hustle to succeed as a female in the country music industry and gave a shout out to her fellow singers and her newborn daughter.
Joining the two artists in the winners’ circle was Ontario singer-songwriter Owen Riegling, who won for breakthrough artist of the year.
The show began with American artist and co-host Thomas Rhett being dubbed an honorary Canadian by Edmonton Oilers players Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl.
Rhett donned an Oilers jersey that was gifted to him by the pair.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
EDMONTON – Ontario country artist Jade Eagleson has won album of the year at the 2024 Canadian Country Music Association Awards in Edmonton.
The singer from Bailieboro, Ont., was up for six awards alongside Alberta’s MacKenzie Porter.
Eagleson took home album of the year for “Do It Anyway” and says he’s thankful to his wife and management team for helping him reach the level he’s at.
The James Barker Band from Woodville, Ont., also won fans’ choice and group of the year at the award show, held in Edmonton.
During their acceptance speech, frontman Barker hinted at new music and a possible tour in 2025.
Another Ontario crooner, Josh Ross, has taken home a trio of awards, receiving entertainer of the year, male artist of the year and single of the year.
He says he and his band play roughly 150 shows every year and are never home, but says taking home entertainer of the year makes the hard work worth it.
Porter took home female artist of the year, ending the five-year streak of Tenille Townes being awarded the coveted hardware.
Porter had been nominated seven times previously for the award in the past decade but hadn’t won until tonight.
The artist from Medicine Hat, Alta., says it takes a lot of hard work and hustle to succeed as a female in the country music industry and gave a shout out to her fellow singers and her newborn daughter.
Joining the two artists in the winners’ circle was Ontario singer-songwriter Owen Riegling, who won for breakthrough artist of the year.
The show began with American artist and co-host Thomas Rhett being dubbed an honorary Canadian by Edmonton Oilers players Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl.
Rhett donned an Oilers jersey that was gifted to him by the pair.
The return of k.d. lang and the Reclines was expected to be a highlight of the show.
The appearance will mark the first time the Alberta songstress has teamed up with the band in 35 years and is tied to lang’s induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
The awards show is back in Alberta’s capital for the first time since 2014. It was held in Hamilton last year and in Calgary in 2022.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
VANDERHOOF, B.C. – British Columbia Conservatives are promising changes they say will bring more stability to the province’s struggling forest industry.
Leader John Rustad announced his plan for the sector a week before the official launch of the provincial election campaign, saying a Conservative government would do away with stumpage fees paid when timber is harvested and instead put a tax on the final products that are produced.
Rustad said Saturday that under a provincial Conservative government, a small fee may be charged upfront, but the bulk would come at the end of the process, depending on what type of product is created.
He also promised to review how wildfires are managed, as well as streamline the permit process and review what he calls the province’s “uncompetitive cost structure.”
“British Columbia is by far the highest cost producers of any jurisdiction in North America. We need to be able to drive down those costs, so that our forest sector can actually be able to do the reinvestment, to be able to create the jobs and make sure that they’re still there to be able to support our communities,” he said.
The governing New Democrats meanwhile, say eliminating stumpage fees would inflame the softwood lumber dispute with the United States and hurt forestry workers.
In a statement issued by the NDP, Andrew Mercier, the party’s candidate in Langley-Willowbrook, said Rustad failed to support the industry when he was in government under the former BC Liberals.
“Not only will Rustad’s old thinking and recycled ideas fail to deliver, his proposal to eliminate stumpage would inflame the softwood lumber dispute — punishing forestry workers and communities,” Mercier said, accusing Rustad of ignoring the complexity of the challenges facing the industry.
The softwood lumber dispute between the U.S. and Canada stretches back decades. In August, the U.S. Department of Commerce nearly doubled duties on softwood lumber.
International Trade Minister Mary Ng has said Canada has taken steps to launch two legal challenges under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.
Rustad said a provincial Conservative government would push hard to get a deal with the United States over the ongoing dispute “whether it’s with the rest of Canada or by itself.”
He said his party’s proposed changes are in the name of bringing “stability” and “hope” to the industry that has seen multiple closures of mills in rural communities over the last several years.
Most recently, Canfor Corp. decided to shutter two northern British Columbia sawmills earlier this month, leaving hundreds of workers unemployed by the end of the year.
According to the United Steelworkers union, Canfor has closed 10 mills in the province since November 2011, including nine in northern B.C.
Jeff Bromley, chair of the United Steelworkers wood council, said Saturday the idea of changes in favour of taxing the final product has been floated in the past.
He said the finer details of the Conservative plan will be important, but that the system needs to be improved and “new ideas are certainly something I’d be willing to entertain.”
“Something needs to happen, or the industry is just going to bleed and wither away and be a shadow of its former self,” Bromley said.
“Politics aside, if (Rustad) can come up with a policy that enables my members to work, then I would be supportive of that. But then I’m supportive of any government that would come up with policies and fibre for our mills to run. Period.”
When Canfor announced its latest closures, Forests Minister Bruce Ralston said the sector was a “foundational part” of the province and the current NDP government would work to support both local jobs and wood manufacturing operations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024
