ETA Canada Travel Pass News

Minimize food waste, fly with wind currents, delay engine start. Thanks to a series of measures, an Air France plane has halved the CO2 emissions of its Paris-Montreal flight.

The objective of this series of measures? Complete the most eco-responsible long-distance commercial flight in the world in a challenge offered by the Skyteam airline alliance. For two weeks in May 16 airlines will compete against each other to achieve the most eco-friendly flight possible.

Measures and guidelines were put into place before and during the flight including asking passengers to evaluate and limit the volume and weight of their luggage.  Passengers were also encouraged to select their meals prior to departure in a bid to reduce food waste.

The captain also practiced eco-piloting, which notably includes planning his trajectory according to wind currents and the use of a single engine before take-off. By doing so fuel consumption reduced by 3 to 4%.

In addition, ground operations including pushing back the plane, transporting crews by bus, and moving luggage were carried out using electric vehicles, explains the director of Air France KLM Canada, Catherine Guillemart.

An Airbus A350 was selected as it consumes 20 to 25% less fuel and emits a third less noise pollution than previous generations of aircraft.

According to Mehran Ebrahimi, professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) and director of the International Observatory of Aeronautics and Civil Aviation, Skyteam’s eco-responsible flight challenge is “a good gesture” but based on “a lot of marketing”.

The use of more advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, as in the Air France flight, is a good start, argues the expert.

But we also must completely rethink our relationship to the plane and to travel, he adds. “If we take a plane flight from Montreal to Toronto, even if there are all the possible ecological measures on board, it does not make sense. The journeys that we can make by train or public transport, we should not do it by plane,” he says.

The airline Air Canada suffered a news in the first quarter of 2022, but its operating income more than tripled compared to the same period of 2021, a sign of an acceleration of the recovery, according to the company.

Air Canada suffered a net loss of 974 million Canadian dollars (714 million euros) in the first quarter of 2022, less significant, however, than that observed in the same period last year.

“Travellers are returning, revenues are growing, our networks are recovering and our finances, including our liquidity, are very strong,” said Michael Rousseau, CEO of Air Canada, presenting the financial results for the first three months of the year. year. During this quarter, the carrier’s operating revenue was C$2.573 billion, about three and a half times more than in the first quarter of 2021.

“The significant improvement in Air Canada’s year-over-year results in the first quarter is tangible proof that a recovery is underway,” said the leader. Like other airlines, Air Canada – headquartered in Montreal – saw a slowdown in business at the start of the year due to Covid-19 and travel restrictions.

 

Rebound in March

The carrier notes, however, that its results “rebounded quickly in March” after the lifting of health measures, including the lifting of the obligation to present the negative result of a PCR test on arrival in Canada for foreign travellers. Air Canada, which recorded higher passenger volumes in March than in December and sales that “reached more than 90% of their March 2019 level”, expects its recovery to accelerate further “by the end of end of 2022 and beyond” with an increase in travel after two years of restriction in the world.

The airline embarked on a program this month to facilitate the air transport of Ukrainians fleeing the war to Canada. “We are doing our part by helping to transport Ukrainians to Canada with a substantial donation of 100 million Aeroplan points,” the company said in a statement. These points should make it possible to transport up to 10,000 people to Canada as quickly as possible.

To revive regional aviation, the Legault government is counting on new discounts that will allow all Quebecers to fly to the regions for $500 or less starting this summer. Expected for almost two years, the plan must be officially unveiled this Tuesday in Mont-Joli.

With this approach, the government wishes to counter the sometimes-justified perception that it costs more to make Montréal-Gaspé than Montréal-Paris.

“The idea is to give Quebecer’s access to all of Quebec,” explained a source familiar with the matter. “By intervening on the price, we think we can create new demand.

As of this summer, companies that join the program will be required to advertise round-trip flights of a maximum of $500, all costs included. The carriers will be compensated in some way by the State for the difference in prices without the consumer having to take steps to be reimbursed, learned Le Devoir.

The timing is not insignificant. The government was waiting for spring to associate the unveiling of the plan with the promotion of the tourist season. The Minister of Tourism, Caroline Proulx, was also expected alongside the Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel, for the announcement this morning in Mont-Joli.

More than twenty routes will be eligible in the regions of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie and Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Côte-Nord, and Nord-du-Québec.

This includes flights between major centers and regions (Montréal–Sept-Îles, for example), flights between regions (Gaspé–Mont-Joli) and flights to the most isolated destinations in the territory (to Blanc-Sablon or Anticosti).

In some cases, it won’t change anything since prices are already below $500. But prices tend to increase a lot now, especially for last-minute bookings, our source points out.

These well-priced tickets will not, however, be unlimited. Therefore, the mine worker who makes regular round trips between Montreal and Fermont will not have access to discounts for each of his trips. Beyond a certain number of purchases per year (two or three according to our sources), consumers will have to pay the usual prices, the target clientele being primarily tourists.

This plan has been eagerly awaited since the announcement, in the summer of 2020, of Air Canada’s withdrawal from several regional destinations such as Val-d’Or, Baie-Comeau, Mont-Joli, Gaspé and the Îles-de-la -Madeleine. At the time, the Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel, had created a “crisis cell” with representatives of the industry and experts with the aim of rethinking the Quebec model of regional flights. “Everything is on the table,” he repeated. Since then, a series of proposals have circulated: creation of a system of calls for tenders, regional aviation authorities, etc. In a report submitted to the ministry last year, expert Jacques Roy suggested that services are structured around three carriers (Pascan, Air Creebec and Air Inuit). He also proposed to give a pivotal role to the Jean-Lesage airport in Quebec.

Air Canada eligible

In the meantime, the context has partly changed. Air Canada partially restored its services, and the TREQ cooperative, with its low-cost flight project, garnered support, from the Parti Québécois and certain unions. In our understanding, nothing would prevent a group like TREQ from participating in the new model which would be offered to all carriers offering flights to and from the regions. This means that even Air Canada may be eligible for the program.

The Department of Finance has released $261 million over five years to fund this new program. As for the airfare reduction program, which allowed residents of remote regions or regions deprived of the road network to be reimbursed between 30 and 50% of the price of their tickets, it will be maintained, but adapted.

Support measures for carriers and airports related to the pandemic will also be renewed by the end of the fiscal year. This is particularly the case with the Assistance program for the maintenance of essential regional air services during a health emergency, which will make it possible to reimburse the operating deficits of the companies responsible for essential services if new waves occur.

Air Canada said it had, over the Easter weekend, transported more than 100,000 customers in a single day, a first since the start of the pandemic.

“We had the great pleasure of welcoming 100,701 passengers on board our aircraft on April 15, 2022, and the volume of travellers is steadily increasing,” said Kevin O’Connor, vice president of network operations control, whose staff manage the day-to-day operations at Air Canada.

He believes that Air Canada has recovered from the effects of COVID-19 “operationally” and that the airline “is ready to transport its customers safely and in comfort during the busy summer period ahead of us”.

The last time Air Canada carried more than 100,000 passengers in a day was on March 13, 2020. During the pandemic, the volume of passengers dropped until it reached 2175 passengers on April 23, 2020, due to the almost complete paralysis of global air transport. In 2019, before the pandemic, Air Canada carried an average of nearly 150,000 passengers each day and recorded a record 187,000 customers on August 16, 2019.

Tourism picks up despite uncertainties

This return to a more normal volume of business at Air Canada confirms a trend already documented by Statistics Canada.

According to the latest available data, in January 2022 there were 2.6 million air travellers in Canada, a number that has more than tripled (+227%) in 12 months despite the fifth wave of COVID-19 which was raging in that time.

There is still a long way to go before reaching pre-pandemic levels of 2.6 million passengers in January representing only 37.9% of the volume observed in January 2019 More broadly, according to the March barometer of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourism continued to recover in January 2022, with arrivals worldwide more than doubling (+130%) in January 2022, compared to January 2021.

“There were 12 destinations that had no COVID-19 restrictions in place as of March 24. A growing number of destinations are also easing and/or removing restrictions” the report read. UNWTO pointed out that “the high uncertainty stemming from Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine” as well as the travel restrictions in place due to the pandemic could however “disrupt the upward trend”.

New relaxations came into effect on Friday for international travel, including the removal of COVID-19 screening tests for passengers vaccinated before entering Canadian territory.

Travelers who have completed their vaccination schedule therefore no longer have to provide a negative result to be able to board a plane or ship bound for Canada.

Passengers may, however, still be subject to random PCR tests upon arrival at the airport, but they will not be required to self-isolate while awaiting the results.

Despite these reductions, other rules remain in force for travel during the pandemic.

Ottawa has thus maintained the obligation to be fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved by Health Canada to board a plane, a train, or a boat. The use of the ArriveCAN application also remains in place to enter proof of vaccination and the information required for a possible quarantine plan. Travelers must submit this information within 72 hours of boarding.

If the submission to ArriveCAN is not completed, a screening test may be required upon arrival as well as a possible quarantine, regardless of the person’s vaccination status. For passengers who are partially or unvaccinated, testing requirements are still in effect. They must therefore provide a negative COVID-19 test result. Remember that changes could continue to be made depending on the evolution of the epidemiological situation.

The Society of Outdoor Establishments of Quebec (SEPAQ) has stocked up on new things for outdoor enthusiasts this summer. Starting with more than 800 km of navigable routes in the La Vérendrye wildlife reserve, which, combined with some 500 campsites, will make this destination the ideal place for canoe-camping during the summer season.

In all, 18 canoeing circuits in lakes and rivers will be accessible to enthusiasts of different levels, both for 2-day getaways and for expeditions of more than 10 days.

In Charlevoix, in the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie national park, the Équerre sector has been given a brand new four-bedroom pavilion, all intended for a fishing trip or a well deserved stop after taking one of the two new hiking trails.

Parc national de la Pointe-Taillon will also allow camping in Lac Saint-Jean this summer. Rustic campsites have been set up on three small islands in the new Camp-de-Touage-Les-îles sector — the islands of Connelly, Beemer and Petite Île Verte —, with pit toilets, a picnic table and a fire pit on small sandy beaches.

This year, it will also be possible to enjoy the dizzying view from the rocky escarpment at the end of the Pic-de-la-Tête-de-Chien trail in Parc national des Monts-Valin, in Saguenay–Lac-Saint -Jean, thanks to the development of a brand new 350-metre promenade and a wooden belvedere that allow you to “fly over” this fragile natural environment. Picnic tables and a shelter have even been added to appreciate this place which culminates at 575 meters.

The Aquarium du Québec has also enhanced its offer with a new experience, the ImMERsion adventure, an animation that offers a virtual dive under water, particularly in the heart of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.

(Paris) Three years after the fire that devastated it, Notre-Dame de Paris has regained its original whiteness thanks to the daily work of an army of craftsmen in the heart of a forest of scaffolding for its reopening still scheduled for 2024.

“The interior dusting and cleaning of the vaults, walls and floor” which should be completed shortly, as well as the preparation of the vaults for their reconstruction, “have restored the cathedral to its original whiteness”, welcomes the establishment public in charge of the restoration site, a few days before the 3rd anniversary of the fire which will take place on Friday.

Before the fire, the cathedral welcomed nearly 12 million visitors, 2,400 services and 150 concerts per year.

On April 15, 2019, a gigantic fire ravaged this masterpiece of Gothic art, causing the collapse of its frame, its famous spire, its clock and part of its vault, ravaged by the flames, under the dumbfounded gaze of millions of people around the world.

The gaping hole left in the building has given way to a forest of scaffolding that also covers its sides.

The titanic project began in April 2019 with the “securing” of the building (bending of the 28 flying buttresses, dismantling of the scaffolding which surrounded the spire, clearing of the rubble, depollution of the 450 tonnes of lead partially vaporized in the atmosphere…). A “major stage” under high security which was completed in the summer of 2021, at a total cost of 151 million euros (207 million Canadian dollars).

The disaster had sparked an unprecedented outpouring of generosity, with nearly 844 million euros in donations collected ($1.15 billion) from 340,000 donors from 150 countries to date, according to the public establishment in charge of the project. restoration.

In parallel with the work in progress in the cathedral, restoration work is continuing in craft workshops throughout France.

Archaeological surprises

The great organ, dating from 1733 and the largest in France, was spared the fire but covered in lead dust. It has been dismantled like the stained glass windows, and is being cleaned like 22 large-format paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries, while several statues, already restored, are on display at the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine in Paris. .

We will have to wait a little longer for the launch of the reconstruction work on the medieval framework of the nave and the choir and the spire of Viollet-le-Duc, with a solid oak wood frame, which should dawn in the sky. of Paris from the spring of 2023, according to the public establishment.

A thousand oaks from public and private forests have already been sawn in anticipation.

Another key stage of the construction site must start on Wednesday: the extraction of the stones which will make it possible to rebuild the destroyed or damaged vaults.

Two test sites were carried out between September 2020 and April 2021 in the interior chapels of the cathedral, 24 in all, to define the techniques that will restore their original colors.

At the beginning of March, preventive excavations reserved a major surprise at the heart of the site: the discovery of a lead sarcophagus and the remains of the old rood screen of the cathedral dating from the 14th century, a stone platform which separated the liturgical choir of the nave and the faithful.

The diocese intends to take advantage of the restoration of Notre-Dame to give new life to its interior design by integrating contemporary art from old masters such as the Le Nain brothers or Charles Le Brun, light at face level, benches mobiles to replace secular chairs and biblical phrases projected on the walls.

The crypt, located under the cathedral, should also serve as a storage space with easy access by installing an elevator.

When they return to the famous cathedral in 2024, tourists and worshipers will now enter through the large central door and no longer through the side doors. They will benefit from a refined course around a central axis going from the nave to the choir.

Hikes, camping trips or long-distance travel… The following books, all new this spring, have something to inspire us for our next adventures – and help us make them a reality – whether they take place in the Quebec forest. or elsewhere in the world.

CAMPING 101 – Last year, literary journalist and camping enthusiast Marie-France Bornais offered us the book Le Québec encamping. This year, she does it again with Camping 101 – Everything you need to know before pitching your tent or backing up your RV, a guide in which she gives advice on how to tame camping. She answers questions that range from “When is the best time to book?” to “What to do when there is no bathroom?”, in addition to offering various lists and tips.

LONG HIKES IN QUEBEC – Along the river, in the mountains, deep in the boreal forest: this book offers 25 hikes of two days or more, to be discovered in the four corners of the province. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced walker, you will find advice on how to equip yourself and organize your nights on the trail, as well as information on the regions crossed. Inspiring and practical, the book is written by outdoor and travel journalist Frédérique Sauvée, who is also a researcher, author, speaker — and passionate about long-distance hiking.

MY YEAR ABROAD – Here, we are not talking about the outdoors in Quebec but rather about “slow travel” in the world. My year abroad is a tribute to “slow travel”; the story of a one-year journey that actor, host, columnist, author, and photographer Jean-Michel Dufaux made in 2018–2019. The book offers us an immersion in his daily life in Chiang Mai (Thailand), Da Nang (Vietnam), and Mazatlan (Mexico). You will discover reflections, highlights, escapades, good addresses, and film and digital photos of the author. Inspiration to travel differently.

PRACTICAL GUIDE TO HIKING – This book is for those who want to learn about hiking or deepen their practice. It covers basic topics such as preparation, equipment, nutrition, or injuries as well as other topics such as hiking with a child or hiking without a trace. Practical hiking guide – Everything to make it work! is written by Alexis Nantel, host of the Alexis le Randonneur program on TVA Sports and outdoor columnist on the radio, and Véronique Champagne, outdoor enthusiast who has collaborated with various publications, including Espaces magazine and the Journal de Montréal.

Megabus, a division of the American company Coach USA, will resume its bus connections from May 11 between Toronto and a dozen American cities.

It will also slightly increase the frequency of connections between Montreal and Toronto, increasing it from four to five trips per day. Passing through Toronto, Montrealers will have access to cities like Buffalo, Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, and Washington DC.

However, for New York, Montrealers will probably have an interest in taking the direct connections offered by Trailways.

With the disappearance of Greyhound Canada in May 2021, bus connections between Montreal and other Canadian cities are very limited. Either use Megabus between Montreal and Toronto or opt for the train.

Despite the revival of tourism, travelers who will fly between two Canadian destinations this summer are enjoying prices about 5% lower than before the pandemic, reveals an analysis carried out by the travel application Hopper. For Vancouver and Calgary, prices are even up to 25% lower than on the same date in 2019.

With the rise in the price of oil, the improvement may not last long, but for the moment the prices of plane tickets between Canadian destinations do not seem to want to take off.

For travel in the summer of 2022, round-trip flights to Toronto are the cheapest among the 10 most popular destinations in Canada. They sell for an average of $243, Hopper calculates, down 16% from 2019. At $286, tickets to Montreal are also down over the same period, but only 6%.

Domestically, average prices have mostly fallen (by 25% compared to 2019) for flights to Vancouver ($258) and Calgary ($252). On the other hand, they climbed for Ottawa ($330, +6%), Winnipeg ($320, +7%), Victoria ($374, +15%) and Kelowna ($324, +13%).

Many factors, including the number of routes and demand, can explain the variation in prices. After two summers when travel abroad was limited by health measures (screening, quarantine), many Canadians may well have decided to take their vacation elsewhere in the world this year.

For the moment, carriers do not seem to have yet adjusted their prices following the rise in the price of a barrel of oil caused by the war in Ukraine.

The Canadian situation contrasts with that in the United States, where prices, driven by strong post-Omicron demand, have climbed about 7% from 2019, to an average of US$330. Year-to-date ticket prices have risen by as much as 40% in the United States, Hopper estimated in a report produced earlier this week. According to Hopper, this price should climb another 10%, to US$360, by the end of May, and remain at this level in June.

As for international flights, with an average price of US$810, the average price of tickets is up 25% since the start of the year, still in the United States. These prices should also continue to climb by 15% until June.