With COVID-19 numbers dipping across the country and several provinces gradually easing back to normalcy, many Canadians have been wondering when it will be OK for unvaccinated people to travel freely once again. Putting a rest to this notion, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday clarified that it is “not going to happen for quite a while.”
“We need to continue to ensure that the safety of Canadians, of all the sacrifices that so many people have made over the past many, many months are not for nothing,” Trudeau said at a press conference in British Columbia.
2:24 Canadian travel restrictions ease for fully vaccinated passengers
Canadian travel restrictions ease for fully vaccinated passengers
“If you are wondering when unvaccinated tourists can come to Canada, I can tell you right now that’s not going to happen for quite a while.”
The prime minister’s comments come after the government this week waived off quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated citizens. However, non-essential foreign travelers are still not allowed to enter Canada despite pressure from the country’s hurting tourism sector.
The United States does not have vaccine requirements for visitors. However, for Canada, talks about lifting border restrictions at this point are focused entirely on fully vaccinated travellers, Trudeau said.
“The next step we’ll be looking at what measures we can allow for international travellers who are fully vaccinated,” he said. “We will have more to say in the coming weeks.”
1:31 COVID-19: Canada’s new border rules leave out some fully vaccinated
COVID-19: Canada’s new border rules leave out some fully vaccinated
Trudeau has previously said authorities are looking closely at domestic vaccination rates, the spread of variants of concern, and how the rest of the world deals with COVID-19.
He said the focus right now is “on supporting Canadians and continuing to go through this pandemic and continuing to recover our economies.”
“I know how difficult this past year and a half has been for our tourism sector,” he said, acknowledging how trying the pandemic has been for small and large businesses alike.
“We were there for them and we will continue to do everything we can to reopen everything safely and rapidly,” he added.
4:01 Demand for domestic travel ramps up
Demand for domestic travel ramps up
Meanwhile, vaccinated Canadians are still confused about vaccine protocols they may face on their flight or cruise or at their resort or hotel should they decide to go on vacation. According to travel agents, some Canadians who are fully vaccinated are looking for assurances that their fellow travellers will be too.
“There’s a group of travellers that are just so happy to be able to travel again that they’re not going to be as concerned,” said Allison Wallace, Vancouver-based spokeswoman for Flight Centre Travel Group. “But there’s definitely a portion of the population that’s very concerned.”
Already, some tourism operators have come up with their own protocols to give vaccinated travellers peace of mind.
Norwegian Cruise Line announced this spring it would require full proof of vaccination from travellers before they board. Royal Caribbean has taken a different approach by establishing a two-tiered system on one of its ships this summer. Passengers who can’t provide proof of vaccination will not be allowed to access certain areas of the ship, like the spa and casino, and will also have to eat at different times than fully vaccinated passengers.
Wallace said enforcing separate rules for different categories of passengers could prove problematic.
“We’ve already seen people in just regular businesses and stores who don’t think they have to abide by the rules. I think you’re going to have a lot of confrontations and there’s going to be a lot of frustration,” she said.
2:53 How wealthy Canadians travelled during COVID-19
How wealthy Canadians travelled during COVID-19
Still, Wallace said travellers are likely to encounter vaccine-based privileges and restrictions for a while, at least until the tourism industry recovers from the economic blows of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The industry as a whole understands that confidence is key. And if there’s big outbreak at a resort or a cruise line, the negative connotations that go along with that . . . can really hurt businesses,” she said.
Ken Stewart, owner of Crowfoot Travel Solutions in Calgary, said he is facing a lot of questions about travelling with children who are still too young to have their vaccinations. He said the answers vary depending on the destination, and he can usually only provide a “best guess” as to what the situation will be next month, or even next week.
“Things change on a daily basis, and sometimes I’m as confused as my clients,” Stewart.
However, one thing is clear, Stewart said, and that is in the immediate future, travelling is going to be much easier for those who are vaccinated than those who aren’t.
Lesley Keyter, founder and chief executive of The Travel Lady Agency in Calgary, agrees.
“I heard a story yesterday about some people, unvaccinated, who headed off to Greece on holiday and then couldn’t get into any restaurants because they had to show proof of vaccination,” she said. “You have to be so careful checking all the requirements before you leave. It’s all about the fine details.”
TORONTO – Will Taylor Swift bring chaos or do we all need to calm down?
It’s a question many Torontonians are asking this week as the city braces for the massive fan base of one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
Hundreds of thousands of Swifties are expected to descend on downtown core for the singer’s six concerts which kick off Thursday at the Rogers Centre and run until Nov. 23.
And while their arrival will be a boon to tourism dollars, it could further clog the city’s already gridlocked streets.
Swift’s shows collide with other scheduled events at the nearby Scotiabank Arena, including a Toronto Raptors game on Friday and a Toronto Maple Leafs game on Saturday.
Some locals have already adjusted their plans to avoid the area.
Aahil Dayani says he and some friends intended to throw a birthday bash for one of their pals, until they realized it would overlap with the concerts.
“Ultimately, everybody agreed they just didn’t want to deal with that,” he said.
“Something as simple as getting together and having dinner is now thrown out the window.”
Dayani says the group rescheduled the birthday party for after Swift leaves town. In the meantime, he plans to hunker down at his Toronto residence.
“Her coming into town has kind of changed up my social life,” he added.
“We’re pretty much just not doing anything.”
Max Sinclair, chief executive and founder of A.I. technology firm Ecomtent, has suggested his employees stay away from the company’s downtown offices on concert days, since he doesn’t see the point in forcing people to endure potential traffic jams.
“It’s going to be less productive for us, and it’s going to be just a pain for everyone, so it’s easier to avoid it,” he said.
“We’re a hybrid company, so we can be flexible. It just makes sense.”
Toronto Transit Commission spokesperson Stuart Green says the public agency has been preparing for over a year to ease the pressure of so many Swifties in one confined area.
Dozens of buses and streetcars have been added to the transit routes around the stadium, while the TTC has consulted with the city on how to handle potential emergency scenarios.
“There may be some who will say we’re over-preparing, and that’s fair,” Green said.
“But we know based on what’s happened in other places, better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Electronic Arts has incorporated the Professional Women’s Hockey League into its NHL 25 video game.
The six teams starting their second seasons Nov. 30 will be represented in “play now,” “online versus,” “shootout” and “season” modes, plus a championship Walter Cup, in the updated game scheduled for release Dec. 5, the PWHL and EA Sports announced Wednesday.
Gamers can create a virtual PWHL player.
The league and video game company have agreed to a multi-year partnership, the PWHL stated.
“Our partnership with EA SPORTS opens new doors to elevate women’s hockey across all levels,” said PWHL operations senior vice-president Amy Scheer in a statement.
“Through this alliance, we’ll develop in-game and out-of-game experiences that strengthen the bond between our teams, players, and fans, bringing the PWHL closer to the global hockey community.”
NHL 22 featured playable women’s teams for the first time through an agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation.
Toronto Sceptres forward Sarah Nurse became the first woman to appear on the video game’s cover in 2023 alongside Anaheim Ducks centre Trevor Zegras.
The Ottawa Charge, Montreal Victoire, Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens round out the PWHL. The league announced team names and logos in September, and unveiled jerseys earlier this month.
“It is so meaningful that young girls will be able to see themselves in the game,” said Frost forward Taylor Heise, who grew up playing EA’s NHL games.
“It is a big milestone for inclusivity within the hockey community and shows that women’s prominence in hockey only continues to grow.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. continued to navigate weaker consumer demand in the third quarter as it looked ahead to the spinoff of its pork business in 2025.
“This environment has a particularly significant impact on a premium portfolio like ours and I want you to know that we are not sitting still waiting for the macro environment to recover on its own,” said CEO Curtis Frank on a call with analysts.
Frank said the company is working to adapt its strategies to consumer demand. As inflation has stabilized and interest rates decline, he said pressure on consumers is expected to ease.
Maple Leaf reported a third-quarter profit of $17.7 million compared with a loss of $4.3 million in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to 14 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a loss of four cents per share a year earlier. Sales for the quarter totalled $1.26 billion, up from $1.24 billion a year ago.
“At a strategic level … we’re certainly seeing the transitory impacts of an inflation-stressed consumer environment play through our business,” Frank said.
“We are seeing more trade-down than we would like. And we are making more investments to grow our volume and protect our market share than we would like in the moment. But again, we believe that those impacts will prove to be transitory as they have been over the course of history.”
Financial results are improving in the segment as feed costs have stabilized, said Dennis Organ, president, pork complex.
Maple Leaf, which is working to spin off its pork business into a new, publicly traded company to be called Canada Packers Inc. and led by Organ, also said it has identified a way to implement the plan through a tax-free “butterfly reorganization.”
Frank said Wednesday that the new structure will see Maple Leaf retain slightly lower ownership than previously intended.
The company said it continues to expect to complete the transaction next year. However, the spinoff under the new structure is subject to an advance tax ruling from the Canada Revenue Agency and will take longer than first anticipated.
Maple Leaf announced the spinoff in July with a plan to become a more focused consumer packaged goods company, including its Maple Leaf and Schneiders brands.
“The prospect of executing the transaction as a tax-free spin-off is a positive development as we continue to advance our strategy to unlock value and unleash the potential of these two unique and distinct businesses,” Frank said in the news release.
He also said that Maple Leaf is set on delivering profitability for its plant protein business in mid-2025.
“This includes the recent completion of a procurement project aimed at leveraging our purchasing scale,” he said.
On an adjusted basis, Maple Leaf says it earned 18 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 13 cents per share in the same quarter last year.
The results were largely in line with expectations, said RBC analyst Irene Nattel in a note.
Maple Leaf shares were down 4.5 per cent in midday trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange at $21.49.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
