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Keeping the land: Sharing Indigenous stories of place
Land and culture are interconnected and inseparable to Indigenous communities across Canada. These communities have worked to preserve Canada’s biodiversity along with ancient cultural sites and Indigenous history. More and more, Canada is seeing this influence in its tourism industry, with some groups recognizing the sector’s potential for promoting Indigenous voices. Pimachiowin Aki (pronounced pim-MATCH-o-win a-KEH), is an area that covers 29,040 square kilometres in eastern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018 and is the first in Canada to be inscribed for both natural and cultural values. In Pimachiowin Aki, culture and the natural world are inextricably linked for the Anishinaabeg. The…
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Wish you were here: Examining the pandemic’s impact on young workers in the tourism industry
With the exception of healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic has had the biggest impact on the tourism and hospitality industry. According to Ontario’s November 2020 budget, tourism saw a decline of 282,100 jobs between February and May of last year, a number which represents a 37 per cent decline in employment. Young workers make up the largest segment of the tourism industry and have been hit particularly hard by the job losses. Beth Potter, CEO and president of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), says that almost a quarter of Ontario’s nearly 400,000 jobs in the tourism sector are filled by people between the ages of 15 to 24. “The impact of…
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Camping 101
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, camping has become a much-needed escape for many people. It allows you to experience nature first-hand and is also a good way to distance from others. There are plenty of campground options to choose from, ranging from provincial and national parks to privately-owned campsites. If you’ve never roughed it on your own before, this is an easy beginner’s guide to make your first campout experience memorable and safe. What to bring Stocking up on camping supplies can be daunting, especially if you’ve found yourself staring down the many aisles of a camping store with no idea where to start. Supplies can range in…
