ETA Canada Travel Pass News

Air Transat is restoring most of its routes ahead of the busy summer season, including destinations in Europe and the US.

Montreal Airlines announced on Monday 7 March that it intends to gradually resume flights to a total of 25 European destinations starting in April 2022, including the 6 it currently serves.
In the height of summer, Air Transat will operate 250 flights a week on 69 direct routes.

This increase follows the relaxation of pandemic restrictions targeting the tourism sector.

Transat sales and marketing director Joseph Adamo said the outlook for the summer season is positive as the company prepares to meet significant latent demand.
Admo stated that due to the increase in demand the company is able to increase capacity on some key routes towards the end of the winter season.

While it’s easy to feel helpless in the face of war in Ukraine citizens have found an unusual way to send aid directly to the population. Tens of thousands of Internet users around the world have booked accommodation on Airbnb in Kyiv, or in other cities of the country without intending to stay there.

The goal is to offer help and funds to Ukrainians and their families to face the situation in which they find themselves. By reserving their “false stay”, they hope that the entirety of their donation will end up in the pocket of the hosts.

In just 48 hours when the movement began earlier this month, 61,000 nights were booked in Ukrainian homes, nearly 3,000 of them by Canadians, according to Airbnb spokesman Matt McNama. The housing rental platform has also waived service fees for the occasion.

Airbnb has pledged to house 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. Since the beginning of the initiative, nearly 30,000 guests, including 500 Canadians, have said they would like to welcome them.

The coast of Gaspe, photographed by tourists in the summer, sometimes seems to be sleeping in the middle of winter. Thanks to CEGEP and many service centers, Gaspe is still alive.
The city of Gaspé covers an area of more than 1,300 km2, including the cliffs of the Forillon National Park, one of the most beautiful landscapes in Quebec. The park is closed in winter, but there are a few trails for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and fatbiking in the mountains and along the coast, especially in La Taiga in Gaspé Bay.

The former L’Anse-au-Griffon cold store, the cultural center of Le Griffon, offers free snowshoe rental. On weekends, the Café de l’Anse serves meals, including a hearty lunch. A site on the way not to miss is the stunning lighthouse of Cap des Rosiers.

Au le Pin bakery, open from Wednesday to Saturday during the cold season, offers small pizzas for lunch, soups of the day, and great desserts (such as sugar and maple pie, sea buckthorn cheesecake, and more). The bread and croissants also look very good. Ideal for breakfast on the go with coffee.

Café des Artistes on the same street in winter, open until 3pm. You can have lunch in Surrey Vienna or dine on a bagel with smoked salmon and dine on a very nutritious sandwich served with soup and coffee of the day.

Bridge construction near Kelowna’s airport will see road closures for up to 4 weeks in March. The construction will involve replacing the Mill Creek bridge on Old Vernon Road. The bridge is said to be nearing the end of its service life and it also needs to be raised for increased flood flow.

Construction is scheduled to start on 1st March and is forecast to continue for three to four weeks. During this time all traffic from Airport Way and Spencer Road will be detoured to Bulman Road.

The airport bridge construction and road closure news come as the federal government has announced PCR pre-arrival requirements to be eased beginning 28 February. The federal government announcement has seen travel agents inundated with a much-welcomed influx of requests and bookings with Canadians taking the opportunity to book vacations abroad.

US aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced on Tuesday that it is suspending operational services (spare parts, maintenance and technical support) to Russian airlines and “essential operations” in Moscow.

“As the conflict continues, our team is focused on the safety of our team members in the area,” Boeing said in a statement to AFP, which has temporarily closed its offices in Kyiv.

(Toronto) Several cafes in Toronto were packed Tuesday morning as Ontario canceled most other health measures, as well as corporate vaccine certification requirements and capacity limits. However, while wearing a mask is still mandatory, businesses such as cinemas, restaurants and gyms no longer need to check on the vaccination status of customers.
The current capacity limits have also been lifted from venues such as nightclubs, sports amphitheaters and concert halls. There are no longer any limits on the capacity of private gatherings such as funerals and weddings.

Judging by the volatility of the curve, Ontario has imposed and lifted business restrictions several times since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Most recently, in January, the government ordered a complete plant closure to contain the Omicron Wave.

While sewage data suggests cases in Ontario may be starting to rise again, the number of hospitalizations and positives associated with COVID-19 has dropped sharply since then.
In addition, 67 nursing homes in the state, or nearly 11% of households, have reported active outbreaks.
Ontario’s deregulation has been met with mixed reception, based on a sense of security and the need to meet people. When friends and colleagues gathered in north Toronto for lunch on Tuesday, many said they were pleased with the lifting of restrictions.

Dan Cronin thinks the time has come. A Toronto citizen who was vaccinated and contracted the virus said: “If you choose not to get vaccinated, you do so at your own risk.”
But Rachel Rosen of Toronto, who is immunocompromised, is “terrified” of having to go to work Tuesday morning. She believes the exit plan “places the burden of safety and survival” on the most vulnerable. All of them are designed to “calm down those tired of the pandemic” or those who prefer not to.

Prime Minister Doug Ford recalled that the vaccine evidence system introduced last year was always meant to be time-limited, and he waited for approval by the chief medical officer, and then it was abandoned. But on Monday, he indicated that residents still need to be vigilant as the epidemic is not over yet.

The federal government has announced from 28 February 2022 pre-arrival PCR testing is no longer required for fully vaccinated travelers.

Pre-arrival PCR testing has proven to be a deterrent for Canadians wanting to travel. A PCR test can range from $150-$300 without a guarantee of results within the required 72 hours.

Travel Agents have seen a huge increase in inquiries and bookings since the announcement with many Canadians eager to secure long overdue vacations.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced this week that while entry requirements have been eased by way of PCR testing, arrivals will still need to take a pre-arrival test however this can now be in the form of a rapid antigen test. A traveler must take no more than 24 hours before the scheduled flight or before their arrival at the land border. – Rapid antigen tests are more widely available and can give results within minutes.

In addition to the testing changes, children under the age of 12 entering Canada with fully vaccinated parents do not have to isolate from schools, or daycare starting the 28 February.

From 28 February 2022 Canada is set to ease entry rules for international travellers. Like many countries opening borders, it does not come without conditions. Arrivals must be fully vaccinated with a government approved vaccine and undertake a COVID-19 test if directed to do so upon arrival.

The country will monitor conditions by implementing random Covid-19 testing at airports. Roughly 80% of Canadians are double vaccinated and over 40% have received a 3rd booster vaccine according to the health ministry.

In addition to allowing fully vaccinated international arrivals, the global travel advisory has also updated its advice to Canadian travellers to exercise precaution when travelling. Previously Canadians had been advised against all non-essential travel.