Canada Day weekend kicks off busy summer travel period
Canada’s travel industry is gearing up for what’s anticipated to be a very busy Canada Day weekend leading up to the summer vacation period.
Millions of Canadians will be on the move this summer, helping some transportation industries set new records.
Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport is anticipating 2.2 million passengers a month in June, July and August — a new record.
“It’s a mix of people going on their travel and people coming in to discover our city,” Anne-Sophie Hamel, a spokesperson at Aéroports de Montréal told Global News.
Pearson International Airport is projecting 160,000 passengers a day during peak summer days, an eight per cent increase compared to last year, according to a press release.
Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.
Meanwhile, VIA Rail is anticipating 45,000 passengers during the Canada Day weekend with the Friday and Monday being their busiest days, according to Karl Helou, a VIA Rail Spokesperson.
The roads will also be busy in Quebec.
CAA-Québec forecasts 57 per cent of Quebecers will vacation in the province with 65 per cent of them taking their cars.
“Sometimes you can drive for hours and enjoy the beautiful scenery. But if you don’t want to be part of that scenery make sure that you concentrate on your driving,” André Durocher, a CAA-Québec spokesperson told Global News.
Hamel advises people to arrive to the Trudeau Airport early to avoid delays but congestion in the arrival and departure area of the main terminal is expected.
She says there are other drop off and pick up areas to help people avoid delays and there is information on airport’s website.
“All of our employees and employees of our airport communities are preparing themselves to be able to welcome all those passengers in the airport,” Hamel said.
By air, road and rail — Canada Day weekend is setting off what is expected to be a very busy summer travel season across the country.