Travel tips

Staying home is the plan for many Canadians this summer. The lower dollar has forced many Canadians to finally start looking more seriously at the wonderful travel opportunities here in Canada.

While there is not much that will keep Canadian snowbirds from heading south for the winter, a low Canadian dollar is making them think twice about their winter travel plans. It is also causing some concern for the southern regions in the United States that depend on snowbirds and tourism to fuel their local economies.

There has been a lot of talk about the impact of the low Canadian dollar on people’s travel habits this year, and this talk has spread to areas in the United States that are popular among snowbirds and vacationers alike.

Starting March 15, 2016, a new travel screening process will begin, impacting some visitors to Canada. The new rule affects people travelling by air from visa-exempt countries. These travellers have a new entry requirement – an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) – for boarding a flight to Canada. The new rule impacts travellers from most European countries and a few other countries.

While low gas prices and a less-than-stellar Canadian dollar are hurting many industries, tourism within Canada is not one of them. The lower price of the loonie is attractive to international tourists coming to Canada, especially our neighbours to the south.

Many people are unclear about how long they should hold on to certain documents. While there are some documents we know we need to keep, such as a birth certificate, passport, school degree and tax documents, there are many that fall into the “unknown” category. These are documents such as pay slips, bank statements, bills, receipts and others. While many of us throw these away to avoid clutter, or simply because we don’t want piles of paper hanging around the house, you may be surprised to find out how long you should be keeping some of this paperwork.