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Man, youth arrested after assault on fishers in Eastern Passage: N.S. RCMP

Man, youth arrested after assault on fishers in Eastern Passage: N.S. RCMP

CTV News21-05-2025
A popular fishing spot off Cow Bay Road in Eastern Passage, N.S., is pictured on May 21, 2025. (CTV Atlantic/Andrea Jerrett)
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Ministers Island is latest tourist site planning to hand keys back to province
Ministers Island is latest tourist site planning to hand keys back to province

CBC

timean hour ago

  • CBC

Ministers Island is latest tourist site planning to hand keys back to province

Ministers Island is the only tourist attraction in New Brunswick where visitors can drive across the ocean floor, but the tides of change threaten to overtake the historic site in Saint Andrews. The board of the charity that runs Ministers Island says it is unable to keep the popular attraction going with the $100,000 it receives for from the province for its operations budget. "We've tried everything and we've tried everything for 17 years," said John Kershaw, chair of the board of the Van Horne Estate on Ministers Island. "We've decided as a board that unless we get additional investment from the province, we are going to, in August, give six months' notice that we will not operate next year." Ministers Island, accessible only at low tide, was once owned by Sir William Van Horne, who was famous for getting the Canadian Pacific Railway built. With an admission ticket, visitors get to explore the island Van Horne once called his summer home. Popular attractions include the mansion, bathhouse, livestock barn, windmill and walking trails that cross the island from shore to shore. It is one of many historic attractions in Saint Andrews. Kershaw argues that similar historic sites in the province, including Kings Landing, receive significantly more provincial funding even though they attract comparable numbers of visitors. According to its annual report, Kings Landing gets $3.7 million as a provincial operating grant on top of other non-recurring grants from the province. "We just feel that that level of difference is just not fair," Kershaw said. These historic sites are both owned by the province and operated by external boards. Kings landing saw 34,000 visitors last year and Ministers Island saw 24,000. Does 10,000 more visitors justify millions more in funding? The New Brunswick government bought Ministers Island in 1977, and the island was declared a national historic site about 20 years later. Ever since the Van Horne Estate on Ministers Island was set up this century, every chair of the board "has been calling on the government to enhance our level of funding," Kershaw said. The board functions as a custodian for the island, overseeing operations for the province. Operational funding to the island increased to $130,000 from $33,000 in the 2019-2020 fiscal year, then moved down to $100,000 in 2020-2021, where it has stayed each year since. Funding for the island also comes from various donations and non-recurring grants. WATCH | 'We're not fiscally sustainable' Uncertain future for Ministers Island 35 minutes ago The board is only able to hire one full-time paid employee to oversee operations on the island. The rest of the work is stretched among volunteer board members and seasonal employees. Kershaw said this is not enough help to sustain the island. The Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture did not allow CBC News to interview Tourism Minister Isabelle Theriault and sent a statement instead. Despite the board's concerns, the statement said, the department is "committed to ensuring the continued conservation and public enjoyment of Ministers Island." "We renewed the funding that had been provided in previous years that Ministers Island received in the past," Premier Susan Holt said at a recent news when asked about the site's predicament. "At this point in time, the government doesn't have additional money to put more money into those heritage sites." Holt said that "the cost to operate is going up and that's leaving them with shortfalls. About $900,000 was cut from the provincial tourism budget in March. Not the first historical site to speak out The island's board is not the first to speak out about a lack of funding in New Brunswick. MacDonald Farm in Miramichi had to close because it didn't have the money to stay open. This historical site is also owned by the government but run by the Highland Society of New Brunswick at Miramichi. "We are a completely volunteer committee that operates this site and we just felt that having to fight to keep this site open is not something that we have the energy to do anymore," said society president Dawn Lamkey MacDonald. Impact on Saint Andrews tourism The lack of funding isn't just a worry for the Ministers Island board but also for the Explore Saint Andrews, the town's tourism marketing board. "Heritage and tourism is a big part of what draws people to Saint Andrews," said Explore Saint Andrews board member James Geneau. "I would argue that Minister's Island is an attraction that has lots of opportunity with a huge audience." Ganeau said that closing the island to tourists would have a significant impact on tourism that Saint Andrew's economy desperately depends on. "Losing that is going to be significant in terms of the overall offering that Saint Andrews can provide to tourists," Geneau said. "It's part of a broader offering which makes the area a destination for not just a night, but multiple days." Saint Andrews tourism works as a collective cluster with neighbouring sites such as the Huntsman Marine Science Center, Algonquin Golf Course, and the Blockhouse supporting each other, drawing visitors to stay in town for longer.

Hoping to book an affordable Canadian vacation this summer? Sorry and good luck
Hoping to book an affordable Canadian vacation this summer? Sorry and good luck

CBC

time2 hours ago

  • CBC

Hoping to book an affordable Canadian vacation this summer? Sorry and good luck

Whether you're camping under the stars, jumping off the dock at a lakeside cottage, strolling the coast or exploring a new city, there's arguably nothing better than a summer vacation in Canada. Assuming, of course, you can afford it. From accommodations to flights, Canadians may be noticing higher prices on domestic travel this season. And that's in part because of increased demand, say industry experts who note more Canadians are opting for summer trips at home instead of travelling to the U.S. "Canadians are increasingly travelling within Canada," said Frédéric Dimanche, a professor in the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. And given that the industry is still recovering from losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with inflation, the increased cost of operations, and now, increased demand, this translates into higher prices for consumers — especially in urban centres, Dimanche told CBC News. "Airlines do this all the time. Hoteliers do this all the time. If there is increased demand, prices are likely to go up." For some would-be travellers, the cost is prohibitive or simply too high to justify. Natasha Beitman Brener, a 33-year-old lawyer in Kingston, Ont., says she was hoping to take a five-day road trip with her mother this summer after getting some unexpected and rare time off between trials. They looked at locations such as Ottawa, Quebec City and Manitoulin Island, but every single option would have cost between $3,000 and $5,000 for five days once you tack on expenses, Brener said. The Airbnb or hotel alone would have cost $2,000 anywhere, she added. So, they're not going. "It's not even about being able to afford it, although that's true, too. But it just seems so crazy when we used to go to Europe for two months in the summer" for $15,000, Brener said. "We're the folks buying Canadian, or not American, in the grocery stores and we won't travel to the States, but we also can't justify $300 per night for a studio Airbnb." 'Not typical for Canadians' Canada's tourism sector is seeing strong interest from domestic travellers this summer, partially as a show of support for local communities, Amy Butcher, vice-president of public affairs at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, told CBC News in a statement. "Tourism is one of Canada's strongest economic engines," said Butcher, noting that it delivered $130 billion in economic activity in 2024 — 75 per cent of which was from Canadian domestic travel. Canadians are indeed opting to skip the U.S. so far this summer. The number of Canadians returning from trips to the U.S. by air fell 22.1 per cent in June compared to a year ago, according to Statistics Canada, and Canadian return trips by automobile dropped by 33.1 per cent. It's too soon to have much summer domestic travel data, but Statistics Canada noted in June that tourism spending in Canada by Canadian residents was up 0.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, driven by accommodation spending. And Anusha Arif, an economist with TD Economics, predicted "solid gains" in Canadian domestic travel in a recent report, while also noting an increase in domestic travel at major Canadian airports. In March, Airbnb reported a 20 per cent increase in searches for domestic stays. Flight Centre Canada told CBC News its seen an uncharacteristic five per cent bump in its domestic travel this summer, which may not seem high until you consider that, typically, they say 80 per cent of travel booked by Canadians over the summer is to international locations. "This is not typical for Canadians," Amra Durakovic, head of public relations and communications for the Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, told CBC News. "We're thinking that five per cent is coming from less new bookings to the U.S. That Canadians, instead of travelling to their favourite U.S. destinations, they're opting to stay." WATCH | The top 10 Canadian locations to visit: Our quest to find the 10 places every Canadian should visit 3 months ago Where's the best place to travel in Canada? The Current asked Canadians to make the case for their favourite travel spots. Thousands of submissions and votes later, here are the 10 Canadian destinations everyone should visit. This summer surge is driving perception of a price boost, Durakovic added. Still, it's not necessarily that Canada is dramatically more expensive, but that demand is high and flexible inventory is tight — especially if you're booking something close to your departure date, Durakovic said. She gave the example of a colleague working with a family of three hoping to book a trip from Toronto to Halifax next month for five days. It was going to cost them around $6,000, she said. "They're reconsidering their trip," she said. "Sticker shock does impact Canadians ... but I do want to clarify that timing really matters." Hotel prices going up The average daily rate for a hotel room in Canada this June increased three per cent (or about ($7 per night) compared to June last year, according to industry data provided by Costar, a global provider of real estate data, analytics and news. That's based on a sample of 63 per cent of hotel rooms in Canada. As an extremely unscientific gauge of the cost of booking last-minute accommodations, CBC looked up various options for a family of four around the same week in mid-August using a variety of online booking sites, while keeping in mind that booking earlier in the year would have likely yielded lower prices and more availability. Still, you're unlikely to get a week-long August cottage rental in southern Ontario for less than $2,000 (but the average is more like $3,000, according to Airbnb). Four nights in a Halifax hotel is going to cost you between $1,200 and $2,300 according to Travelocity, depending on how central you want to be. A single weekend in Vancouver hotel right in the heart of downtown will cost at minimum $1,200, according to Expedia, and that's similar for a weekend in the Rockies, according to Flight Centre Canada. The few beachfront homes still available to rent in P.E.I. will cost around $4,000 per week on VRBO. And while camping is a less expensive option (assuming you already own the equipment), some campsites near popular tourist destinations have been known to sell out almost immediately, and officials often recommend booking four or five months in advance in order to nab a spot. For instance, there were zero tent sites available for any weekend stay in August at Sandbanks Provincial Park in Picton, Ont., and exactly one "poor" quality site left for a mid-week stay as of Tuesday. There was not a single site available at Porteau Cove Provincial Park near Vancouver for any night in August. 'It's just crazy' Last month, Canadian Culture and Identity Minister Steven Guilbeault announced the federal government's new Canada Strong Pass that makes Canada's historic sites and parks free to visit and rail travel less expensive for young people. The aim is to promote domestic tourism. How people are reacting to free national park entry this summer, thanks to Canada Strong Pass 1 month ago But what the Canada Strong Pass doesn't change is the price of hotels and domestic flights. Brener, in Kingston, said she's disappointed she won't be taking the trip with her mother, since it's rare for them to have time to travel together. But even local options were shockingly expensive, she said. So instead, they might take a day trip to nearby Prince Edward County. She is also hoping to visit Halifax with her husband soon, but will be waiting until mid-October for the off season.

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