Destination: Canada
Travel Headline of the Day: ‘Vancouver: The Jolly, Green Giant’
by Eva Holland | 05.28.08 | 9:39 AM ET
Photo by D’Arcy Norman via Flickr (Creative Commons)
I’m sure The Independent meant well with this effusive profile of “the world’s most liveable city.” On the other hand, I’m not so sure that Vancouver’s tourism authorities will be thrilled at the association of their fair city with canned corn niblets.
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Yahoo! BuzzWinters and Summers in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Royal
by Eva Holland | 04.28.08 | 10:53 AM ET
In anyone else’s hands, Annapolis Royal: Enchanted Valley would likely be just another roundup of “cute” shops in a “quaint” historic town. But when Noah Richler (son of Mordecai, and with at least some of his father’s enormous talent) is the writer, it becomes a meditation on the turning of the seasons. “Summer plays tricks on Canadian visitors,” he writes, and it has “done so since the nation’s very start. ... How cruel it must have seemed to the Frenchmen in the New World that a place so utterly idyllic in summer would prove so difficult to endure come winter.”
How to Have a Hockey Night in Canada
by Eva Holland | 04.16.08 | 4:25 PM ET
From Montreal to Sault Ste. Marie, the sport is the country's greatest passion. Eva Holland explains where to go to indulge -- and who you need to know.
The Implications of a Viable Northwest Passage
by Michael Yessis | 02.28.08 | 7:09 AM ET
We’ve touched on what a navigable passage through the Arctic will mean for international shipping and travelers. The latest issue of Foreign Affairs offers a thorough look at the economic and political implications of an ice-free Northwest Passage, something that, according to experts, could happen as soon as 2013.
Historic Canadian Bookstore to Close
by Ben Keene | 01.31.08 | 11:37 AM ET
Independent bookstore closures are hardly a new phenomenon, but this one really stings. As Canada’s oldest bookstore, The Book Room has kept readers in Nova Scotia supplied with bound volumes for 169 years—since 1839. But as a result of declining sales, the Halifax store is selling down its inventory in preparation for a March closure. Said the store’s president Tuesday, “The staff and I are both really sad about having to do this.”
New U.S. Border Entry Rules Take Effect Today*
by Jim Benning | 01.31.08 | 9:18 AM ET
If you’re a Canadian or U.S. citizen crossing into the U.S., you’ll now need to show a government-issued photo ID—a driver’s license will do—and proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. Those under 18 need only a birth certificate. Of course, a passport is all you really need, but the new rules are a precursor to a mandatory passport rule, which has been postponed until at least 2009. Cross-border commuters fear long waits and headaches as the new rules take effect today. Hopefully the scene at checkpoints won’t look anything like this. The U.S. State Department has the official word on requirements.
Update, 11:40 a.m. PT: Word from the Tijuana-San Ysidro border crossing this morning is that the wait is perhaps slightly longer than usual.
Where Did I Buy This Bobblehead Doll? I Could Tell You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You.
by Eva Holland | 01.23.08 | 9:21 AM ET
In Washington D.C., visitors can go sleuthing around the International Spy Museum. In Berlin, they can look back on the reign of the Stasi at the DDR Museum. But in Canada’s capital, and my own hometown of Ottawa, tourists aren’t allowed even a spyglass-eye’s view of the top-secret Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) museum. And they most certainly can’t buy souvenirs.
From Igloolik to Timbuktu
by Eva Holland | 01.17.08 | 1:20 PM ET
Photo by Jean and Nathalie via Flickr (Creative Commons)
I always look forward to Stephanie Nolen‘s latest dispatch from Africa in The Globe and Mail—and not just because she’s probably the biggest name ever to come out of the journalism school at my alma mater. She is a master at finding unexpected stories that go well beyond the usual “Troubled Africa” fare, and this week, a story from Mali is no exception.
Marilyn Monroe, Same-Sex Marriage and the Meaning of Niagara Falls
by Michael Yessis | 01.09.08 | 4:48 PM ET
A recent international incident notwithstanding, Niagara Falls’ moment in the sun has long passed. Yet, as a story in the latest Believer says, it still packs a hell of a symbolic wallop.
The Arctic: Three Great Books
by Eva Holland | 12.20.07 | 12:15 PM ET
In Three Great Books, we highlight must-reads for a topic or place.
The northern reaches of North America have been inspiring visitors to write about their experiences since the earliest European explorations. Writers from Jack London to Jon Krakauer have told stories of adventure and tragedy in the Arctic, stories that always seem to boil down to the idea of challenging ourselves and testing our ability to survive in one of the harshest and most unforgettable landscapes on earth. My picks range as far south as the northernmost parts of the Prairies, but I think anyone who’s watched the migration of the polar bears through Churchill, Manitoba would argue that they were given a glimpse of life in the Arctic. Three great books:
Confessions of a Cross-Border Shopper
by Eva Holland | 12.12.07 | 1:13 PM ET
What's the thrill of buying socks and parmesan-flavored Goldfish crackers in Syracuse, New York? Eva Holland took advantage of the surging Canadian dollar and hit the road to find out.
About That Canadian Flag on my Backpack
by Eva Holland | 12.12.07 | 5:03 AM ET
I have a confession to make: There is a Canadian flag on my backpack. It’s not one of those postage stamp or business card-sized ones, either. As you can see in the photo, it’s closer to a large index card, or even a compact paperback. I super-glued it into place on my new pack when I was 20 years old, for no greater reason than that everyone else was doing it, and until recently I’ve never thought twice about it. Now, though, the times—and travel trends—are a-changing.
Climate Change and a Journey Across the Inuit’s Arctic
by Eva Holland | 11.02.07 | 2:16 PM ET
In a thoughtful essay in this month’s Arctic-themed issue of The Walrus, Franklyn Griffiths chronicles a trip from one end of the Canadian north to another, flying 15,000 miles to visit Inuit communities and learn what the people on the front lines of climate change have to say on the topic. He found a range of responses. Chief among them: suspicion and skepticism about the warnings emanating from the same environmental NGOs that have campaigned relentlessly against the seal hunt, and from southern politicians who have, in the view of many, rarely done the Inuit any favors.
State Department Unveils ‘Portraits of America’ (and Canada)
by Eva Holland | 11.01.07 | 10:50 AM ET
Looks like someone in Washington forgot that “the 51st state” is actually just a cute nickname for the friendly neighbor to the north. The U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security have released a promotional video called “Welcome: Portraits of America” aimed at changing the United States’ reputation as a country hostile to foreigners. The video, which is to be given “maximum exposure” in American airports and at U.S. embassies around the world, shows footage of the Lincoln Memorial, the Grand Canyon and other American landmarks, as well the Horseshoe Falls portion of Niagara Falls—a famous landmark in, uh, Canada.
U.S. Ambassador’s Dog ‘Frisked’ At Canadian Customs
by Eva Holland | 10.25.07 | 3:33 PM ET
We’ve noted before that American customs agents are gaining a reputation among travelers for mechanical coldness, or even angry, intimidating behavior. But it seems American officials aren’t the only guilty parties.