Natural gas, being sold as a huge job creator is actually an employment deadbeat. While natural gas contributes fully 3.2% of our total GDP, its work force is tiny, just 3,500 souls, or .15% of provincial employment. Electrical equipment manufacturers employ more people in B.C. than oil and gas. Natural gas is shipped east through pipelines, so there are no trucking or ports benefits. And most of the $6 billion in natural gas earnings don't stay in B.C., but take a direct flight across the Rockies to Calgary. Which might explain why some B.C. politicians organize fundraisers there.
In the spirit of giving back to Mother Earth, Travelocity.ca wanted to share a few easy ways we can all limit our environmental impact, while enjoying the beauty and wonder this great world has to offer. When planning your next vacation, consider the following tips to limit your environmental footprint.
When the World Tourism Organization revealed statistics this month that showed China was the new No. 1 in travel, the implications became clear. Chinese travellers primarily visit neighbouring Asian countries like Singapore and Japan. When they do take long-haul flights, their preferred destination is Australia. It is that country that could potentially help Canada attract more Chinese tourists.
2013 in Ireland will be different -- the gloom is replaced with optimism. This year all of those who left, all who claim Irish ancestry and all who love Irish culture have been invited back for The Gathering -- the world's ultimate homecoming, running from Galway to Dublin, Cork to Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The Gathering is not an event. It's a year-long series of events and happenings developed by the Irish government.
Every symbol has more than one meaning. Indeed, when I was contemplating the move out from the east, the perception among the locals about this City was limited. ("It's cold" "All yahoos out there" "There is nothing to do there socially" "They are not friendly over there" "It snows all the time" "There is no public transit, you have to buy a car") And none of the above turned out to be true. In fact, as I soon realized, Calgary was very much the opposite of all these notions.
As the outdoor temperature starts to fall, many Canadians plan their winter escapes. Most look for someplace warm. Canadians are generous, caring people, and that doesn't change when we go on holiday. But surely we can't cure all a country's problems in the one week we are there! There's nothing we can do to change things for the children, right? Actually, there's a lot we can do.
If you google "P.E.I. weddings," it should not come as a surprise that the Island has carved out a market for even the most discriminating of brides. Although a wedding can be preformed just about anywhere, it is magical on the Island. It is a wonderful way to start life together as a married couple with a few days in paradise before settling in to the regular rhythm and flow of everyday life.
When I tell people how much I love to vacation in Haiti, many look at me like I'm a crackhead. It's not unlike the reaction I got when my producing partner and I decided to produce a whole TV series on Israel. For too long, people have tried to oversimplify the complexities of both Haitian and Israeli politics. I'm not equipped to fully assess these complexities but I know this for sure: people are not their governments.
I returned to Montréal 20 pounds heavier, determined to ignore the siren's song of squeaky cheese, mustard slathered rye bread and Métro trains. Seeing Montréal in the spring, summer or fall by bus, train or even foot is a travesty. To explore the city like a local, a bicycle is the only way to roll.
The World Economic Forum's 2011 Travel & Tourism Report, which rates nations on their attractiveness for tourism, ranked Canada ninth in the world. Canada has fallen behind Mexico, Turkey, Singapore, and even Malaysia in annual global tourism rankings, dropping to 16 in 2011 from a high of seventh overall in 2002.
It's arrived! The Huffington Post Canada Travel is up and running. This launch represents an opportunity to do what we do best -- highlight the things that make our country cool and showcase interesting locations around the world.
One of the most amazing things about Canadians is that you can't go anywhere in the world without running into one. We're aware of our world. We care about it. And we love travelling, meeting people, seeing different cultures up close and having fun.