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Nearly one million Canadian snowbirds anxious to travel south this winter – CTV Toronto
TORONTO —
About one million Canadian snowbirds spend the winter months in the southern United States each year, but last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic about 70 per cent of them stayed home.
However, as more people get vaccinated and travel restrictions are lifted, the vast majority of snowbirds are now hoping to go south this winter.
“Most of them are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and they want to check out their properties in Florida and Arizona,” said Evan Rachkovsky with the Canadian Snowbirds Association. “We are anticipating up to 90 per cent of snowbirds with properties in the U.S. will go south this year.”
The land border to the U.S. remains closed and while it’s likely it will be re-opened soon, it’s added stress for snowbirds who travel south as about 70 per cent of them drive so they’ll have their vehicles during their stay.
Many Canadians who winter in the U.S. are also waiting to see exactly what the policy will be when it comes to vaccinations, vaccination passports and crossing the border.
“The question remains if the (U.S. President) Biden administration does make (vaccines) a necessary requirement for entry, what’s going to happen to the individuals who have the AstraZeneca vaccine or mixed doses of the mRNA vaccines?” said Rachkovsky.
While travel health insurance is always recommended for travel outside of Canada, that is especially true this year with the pandemic and when it comes to policies there can be huge differences.
“Some will provide protection based on whether you are vaccinated or not. Some will have higher limits if you are vaccinated or not,” said Will McAleer, executive director with the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada. “Some might charge an extra premium if you’re not vaccinated, because if you’re not vaccinated it will account for the higher risk,” he explained.
McAleer said the type of vaccination you have received should not be a factor in getting travel health insurance.
“So if you’ve got a different vaccine first dose versus second dose, it should not impact your insurance coverage. The key there will be what happens at your destination,” said McAleer.
The Canadian Snowbird Association said what’s most important is knowing how much COVID-19 coverage you have as each policy differs.
“Even though the policy may have an overall benefit of 1 to 5 million dollars, (some polices) are capping COVID-19 related coverages at $100,000 to $200,000,” said Rachkovsky.
The association advises snowbirds to only take a policy that provides at least 1 million dollars in COVID-19 related coverages.
Most snowbirds travel south starting in November and the other huge migration is after New Year’s Day.
There is still lots of time for planning, but all Canadians are advised to follow the situation carefully when it comes to travel as like most issues related to COVID-19, things can change on a day-to-day basis.
The RCMP say a body that was recovered by authorities in Washington state is believed to be one of two kayakers reported missing off Vancouver Island on Saturday.
Const. Alex Bérubé said the identity of the body found on San Juan Island, just south of the border, is still to be confirmed by the coroner.
A search has been underway in the waters off Sidney, B.C., about 25 kilometres north of Victoria, since the two kayakers were reported missing.
RCMP previously said Daniel MacAlpine, 36, and Nicolas West, 26, went missing while kayaking from D’Arcy Island to View Beach on Saturday afternoon. They were in a teal blue, fibreglass, two-person kayak.
Police said members of the Central Saanich Police Department and Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization search and rescue were involved in the search, and the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre and Canadian Coast Guard were also assisting.
Digital WritersThe Weather Network
Updated on Apr. 23, 2024, 1:30 PM
Prepare for multiple rounds of April snowfall this week, as Labrador braces for wintry conditions. This onslaught of snow is expected to blanket the region, potentially leading to hazardous travel conditions and disruptions throughout the week
As we march even deeper into the heart of the spring season, many parts of Canada are finding it tough to find any consistent signs of warming weather. Add to the mix periods of snow and wintry precipitation, and it’s safe to say the winter season is certainly not going out without a strong fight.
This week, parts of the East Coast will bear the brunt of the winter weather, with multiple rounds of April snowfall stacking up in Labrador. The chances for snow flurries will stick around all week long, bringing as much as 25 cm for some.
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Although 25+ cm of snow in April may seem extreme, for this part of the country, it’s definitely nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, the month as a whole brings about 40-50 cm of snow to Labrador on average.
Some communities, including Nain, even have snowfall chances stretch all the way into June!
“This week will be a little bit different however, as some regions could reach about half of Labrador’s monthly averages alone,” says Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. “The first round on Tuesday will pack quite the punch, with heavy snow and gusty winds stretching from Labrador city to the coast.”
Winds will be gusting between 70-90 km/h at times, and travel conditions will likely deteriorate quickly due to potential whiteouts and reduced visibility.
Witnesses described hearing a loud blast and seeing large plumes of black smoke on Tuesday morning as a building under construction in Halifax’s north end caught fire.
A message on Halifax’s alert system said the fire was at a building in the area of Robie and St Albans streets. About an hour later, the municipality said the fire was out.
The alert warned people who live on the peninsula to close their windows due to smoke from the fire possibly being toxic.
“Residents and businesses near the fire should still keep windows closed and air exchangers turned off until air quality conditions improve in the coming hours as a precaution,” the municipality said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Halifax Regional Police were asking people to avoid the area during what is normally a time of heavy morning traffic.
James Shaw lives nearby. He said he heard a blast around 8:20 a.m. local time.
“It shook the whole house,” Shaw said in an interview at the scene. “So I came outside … and saw this incredible building here on fire. Big black smoke. Lots of sparks and stuff going.”
Mike Clark was working on the building adjacent to the one that caught fire. He said he was on the 30th floor when the roof of the other building caught fire and propane tanks blew up.
He said construction crews were then evacuated from the building.
“The elevator was shut down and everyone went down the stairs and out the door,” he said. “Everybody on each floor has a horn to check if anybody was left in the building. Sounded the horn and walked down. It was very organized.”
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