Pearson airport boss promises summer travel season will be ‘better’ than last year

A year after delays at Canada’s busiest travel hub made international headlines, the airport’s top boss promised this summer would be different.

“The anxiety, the uncertainty, the frustration, and the lack of control that was felt by passengers last year is one we will never forget,” Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) President and CEO Deborah Flint said Monday.

“We want Torontonians, Ontarians, and Canadians, and travelers from around the world to know that this summer will be very different and better than summer 2022.”

Staffing will be key to delivering on that promise, Flint said.

This year, there are 10,000 more employees at Toronto Pearson International Airport, which brings the total number of workers to 50,000. Of those new employees, Flint said 130 would be dedicated to busing, baggage handling, and terminal operations.

Baggage systems at the airport, which caused headaches for many passengers last summer, are also now “more

…

WestJet pilots picket ahead of possible strike next week

The risk of travel chaos is starting to look like a sure thing as Canadians make plans to take the skies this Victoria Day long weekend.

On top of staff shortages, one of Canada’s major airlines is now on the edge of a labor dispute. More than 300 WestJet pilots stood outside Terminal 3 at Pearson International Airport this afternoon, with similar pickets happening in Calgary and Vancouver ahead of a possible strike next week.

Pilots say they are sick of poor treatment, poor pay and the high turnover rate of staff with WestJet.

“We are ready to take legal strike action – or be locked out at that point – but we are still hoping to reach a deal,” Capt. Chris Tholl, a WestJet pilot, told CTV National News.

Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union representing the striking workers, says pilots are leaving at an incredible rate, stating

…

Longchamp’s Iconic Travel Bag Is Now at Its Lowest Price of the Year

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Robb Report may receive an affiliate commission.

Two things to look forward to in the summer: Traveling to a far-flung destination and the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, an event that sees our favorite fashion pieces discounted up to 40 percent off. Only one of these things rank high in my book.

More from Robb Report

I have an aversion to traveling—and this is coming from someone who spent a couple of years regularly trekking through airport terminals. Some trips were short, a three-hour trip to O’Hare or Miami International, but more often than not, the destinations were LAX, Heathrow, or somewhere across the Atlantic. They were long and tiresome.

As a result, I’ve learned to maneuver through TSA lines, terminals, and planes efficiently. The point is to get in and out of the airport as quickly

…

Black member of Florida curriculum group fires back at Kamala Harris’ criticism

A prominent civil rights figure who helped craft Florida’s African American history standards has blasted Vice President Kamala Harris’ assessment of the curriculum as “categorically false.”

Dr. William Allen, former chairman of the US Commission on Civil Rights, says Harris was way off when he claimed in a speech last week that the standards suggested slavery was beneficial to black Americans.

“The only criticism I’ve encountered so far [on the new curriculum] is a single one that was articulated by the vice president, and which was an error,” Allen, who is black, told ABC News in footage touted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary.

“As I stated in my response to the vice president, it was categorically false. It was never said that slavery was beneficial to Africans,” said Adams, who was on the working group that helped devise the curriculum.

The Florida Department of Education unveiled its revised

…

Rural 2023: A Peak Japanese Electronic Music Festival

In his book The Practice of Everyday Life, French cultural theorist Michel de Certeau explores how stories can transform a place into a space, and vice versa. A place is created by intentionally arranging elements, while space takes into account the movement and activity therein. Rural, an electronic open-air music festival in the deep forests of Niigata, transforms de Certeau’s space-making theories into reality.

Location Legacy

The sleepy streets of Niigata’s ski resort town Yuzawa belie the area’s strong cultural roots. Home to Naeba Ski Resort — a venue many music lovers consider synonymous with Fuji Rock Festival — and Naeba Green Land, which housed Mindgames: The Labyrinth until 2019, it has surprising musical pedigree. Joining these illustrious ranks in mid-July, Naeba Green Land hosted Rural 2023, a party that returned to its outdoor origins for the first time in four years. Listed in Resident Advisor’s top 10

…

Vikings rookie Jordan Addison cited for reckless driving after going 140 mph: police

Minnesota Vikings first-round pick, wide receiver Jordan Addison, was cited early Thursday morning for reckless driving after going 140 mph in a Lamborghini Urus, according to Minnesota State Police.

The incident report by police, which was posted on social media by multiple reporters, says a state trooper was traveling eastbound on Interstate 94 near Dale Street when the Urus was going 140 mph in a 55 mph zone.

Upon pulling over the driver, Addison, the 21-year-old who was drafted 23rd overall by the Vikings out of USC, was identified.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Jordan Addison flexes in Vikings uniform

Jordan Addison of the Minnesota Vikings poses during the NFLPA Rookie Premiere on May 20, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Addison was issued a citation for speeding and reckless driving.

“We are aware of last night’s traffic incident involving Jordan Addison and are gathering additional information,” the Vikings said in a

…

Gigi Hadid Has 5 Words To Say After the Cayman Islands ‘Ganja’ Arrest

Gigi Hadid attends a British Vogue party in 2022.

Gigi Hadid attends a British Vogue party in 2022.

Gigi Hadid attends a British Vogue party in 2022.

Shortly after news broke Tuesday that Gigi Hadid had been arrested for “possession of marijuana” while visiting the Cayman Islands last week, the model decided to post an Instagram slideshow of herself and a few buds living the high life for the duration of their Caribbean vacation.

Hadid captioned a slideshow brimming with bikini pics and snaps of delicious-looking food with five words that implied the arrest was anything but a buzzkill.

“All’s well that ends well🌅,” she wrote.

A customs screen discovered “marijuana and utensils used for the consumption of marijuana” in Hadid’s luggage shortly after she landed by private aircraft at Owen Roberts International Airport in the Caymans on July 10, according to local news site Cayman Marl Road. The outlet reported that Hadid’s stash was “relatively small” and “seemingly

…

Hokkaido’s Higashikawa Effuses Creativity in Every Corner

Qhough best known for its unspoiled wilderness and harsh winters, Hokkaido’s Daisetsuzan National Park is also home to one of Japan’s most creative small towns. Called Higashikawa, this town of 8,000 people has blossomed into an artistic hub since launching an international photography festival in the mid-1980s. From photography to furniture design and more, here are just a few of the reasons to visit.

Higashikawa Bunka Gallery

With regularly changing exhibitions featuring images by everyone from local school kids to acclaimed photographers, this should be the first stop for anyone interested in Higashikawa’s photography scene. Recent exhibitions have included Han Kyoungho’s “North Context,” a Tokyo Frontline Photo Award-winning series of winter images of Hokkaido displayed on large sheets of Korean hanji paper. Non-photography events also happen here, like TeamLab’s Sketch Christmas in 2022, where pictures drawn by local children were used to create a Christmassy digital installation.

Higashikawa Arts

…

List of 7: Real-Life Locations that Inspired Hayao Miyazaki Films

with How Do You Live? — Hayao Miyazaki’s first film in a decade — set for release this week, we thought we’d look at some of the real-life locations that inspired his movies for our latest List of 7. With this one, we’re going global, featuring both domestic and international destinations.

Rhonda Heritage Park | Billy Stock via Shutterstock

Laputa: Castle in the Sky — Rhondda (Wales)

Miyazaki visited Wales for the first time in 1984, the same year the UK miner’s strike began. Witnessing firsthand the industrial class working fighting back against Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government left a deep impression on the Japanese director. “I admired the way they battled to save their way of life, just as the coal miners did in Japan. Many people of my generation see miners as a symbol; a dying breed of fighting men. Now they are gone,” he said in an

…

Europe Travel Chaos Expected As Air Traffic Controllers Vote To Strike

It’s expected that almost one third of all flights will be disrupted across Europe this summer after air traffic controllers announced they would strike. The controllers are based on EuroControl, the European air traffic management body that regulates EU airspace for both military and commercial flights.

The news comes at a time when the travel industry was hoping it would be able to deal with the expected huge crowds with the least amount of disruption, after seasonal strikes were averted at Heathrow, one of Europe’s largest airports, and the recent protests against pensions reforms diminished across France.

An industry insider told The Telegraph that up to 12,600 flights could be delayed or canceled each day. Controllers are protesting against out-of-date equipment, staff shortages and what they feel is non-strategic

…