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.
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump is refusing to say how he voted on Florida’s abortion measure — and getting testy about it.
The former president was asked twice after casting his ballot in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday about a question that the state’s voters are considering. If approved, it would prevent state lawmakers from passing any law that penalizes, prohibits, delays or restricts abortion until fetal viability — which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks.
If it’s rejected, the state’s restrictive six-week abortion law would stand.
The first time he was asked, Trump avoided answering. He said instead of the issue that he did “a great job bringing it back to the states.” That was a reference to the former president having appointed three conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who helped overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 2022.
Pressed a second time, Trump snapped at a reporter, saying “you should stop talking about it.”
Trump had previously indicated that he would back the measure — but then changed his mind and said he would vote against it.
In August, Trump said he thought Florida’s ban was a mistake, saying on Fox News Channel, “I think six weeks, you need more time.” But then he said, “at the same time, the Democrats are radical” while repeating false claims he has frequently made about late-term abortions.
In addition to Florida, voters in eight other states are deciding whether their state constitutions should guarantee a right to abortion, weighing ballot measures that are expected to spur turnout for a range of crucial races.
Passing certain amendments in Arizona, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota likely would lead to undoing bans or restrictions that currently block varying levels of abortion access to more than 7 million women of childbearing age who live in those states.
NEW YORK (AP) — In a new video posted early Election Day, Beyoncé channels Pamela Anderson in the television program “Baywatch” – red one-piece swimsuit and all – and asks viewers to vote.
In the two-and-a-half-minute clip, set to most of “Bodyguard,” a four-minute cut from her 2024 country album “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé cosplays as Anderson’s character before concluding with a simple message, written in white text: “Happy Beylloween,” followed by “Vote.”
At a rally for Donald Trump in Pittsburgh on Monday night, the former president spoke dismissively about Beyoncé’s appearance at a Kamala Harris rally in Houston in October, drawing boos for the megastar from his supporters.
“Beyoncé would come in. Everyone’s expecting a couple of songs. There were no songs. There was no happiness,” Trump said.
She did not perform — unlike in 2016, when she performed at a presidential campaign rally for Hillary Clinton in Cleveland – but she endorsed Harris and gave a moving speech, initially joined onstage by her Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland.
“I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother,” Beyoncé said.
“A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we’re not divided,” she said at the rally in Houston, her hometown.
“Imagine our daughters growing up seeing what’s possible with no ceilings, no limitations,” she continued. “We must vote, and we need you.”
Harris used the song in July during her first official public appearance as a presidential candidate at her campaign headquarters in Delaware. That same month, Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, publicly endorsed Harris for president.
Beyoncé gave permission to Harris to use the song, a campaign official who was granted anonymity to discuss private campaign operations confirmed to The Associated Press.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May pay tribute to the life of Murray Sinclair, former judge, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Sinclair died November 4, 2024 at the age of 73. (Nov. 4, 2024)
