Colette Derworiz

The federal government says 1.8 million Canadians travelled to Mexico in 2022. Some of the more popular tourist spots include Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Mazatlan, Playa Del Carman and Puerto Vallarta.

Travel agents say direct flights from many locations and all-inclusive resorts are a major draw.

But, like other travel, it's not without risks.

An Alberta mountain town has passed a bylaw banning smoking and vaping in most public places.

Banff's bylaw, which comes into effect in February, prohibits tobacco smoking and vaping in its municipal parks and green spaces, on trails and pathways, and at outdoor markets and events. It also covers bus stops, public sidewalks and in proximity to children.

"Making Banff smoke-free in public places is an effort to help residents and visitors to enjoy Banff without the health risks of second-hand smoke," Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno said in a statement Wednesday.

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. announced plans Wednesday to build a new aircraft manufacturing plant east of Calgary that could eventually employ up to 1,500 people. 

The company said the facility, dubbed De Havilland Field, is to be located in Wheatland County between the communities of Chestermere and Strathmore. De Havilland said it has acquired about 600 hectares of land in the area.

It said construction could begin as early as next year, with its first buildings operational by 2025 — though the project's full buildout could take years.

Premier Jason Kenney kicked off a campaign to lure skilled workers from Toronto and Vancouver as he doubled down on his criticism of a so-called Alberta sovereignty act pitched by one of the candidates running to replace him. 

Conservation advocates and experts are concerned a proposal for a Calgary-to-Banff passenger train is chugging along without addressing some key environmental issues in and around the national park.

Liricon Capital Inc., the lead private-sector proponent, is touting it as a hydrogen-powered transportation solution with lower greenhouse gas emissions than driving.

Jane Goodall says she's sharing a message of hope and a cry to action as she returns to the stage for live events.

The scientist, who's best known for her work with wild chimpanzees in Africa, was in Calgary on Wednesday and was scheduled to give another talk in Victoria on Friday night.

"It's my first trip to Canada in three years, because of the pandemic, and it's my third trip anywhere," Goodall said in an interview Wednesday before her Calgary event.

Parks Canada is asking motorists to slow down and watch for wildlife after three grizzly bears were struck and killed in Jasper and Yoho national parks earlier this month.

The agency said two bears — a female and a male — died on the Trans-Canada Highway through Yoho National Park in British Columbia on June 7 and June 11.

A water expert says heavy rainfall forecast for southern Alberta could cause damage in some areas, but it doesn't appear as if a repeat of deadly flooding in 2013 is coming.

John Pomeroy, a University of Saskatchewan hydrologist and Canada Research Chair in water resources and climate change, says there's an interesting combination of events taking place.

An Indigenous-led report says relying on traditional knowledge could help to ensure the success of bison that have been reintroduced in Banff National Park.

In 2017, Parks Canada released 16 bison in the northeast section of the park in Alberta as part of a five-year pilot project. The herd has since grown to more than 60 animals roaming over 1,200 square kilometres of the park's backcountry.

Banff biologists are monitoring how the reintroduction has affected the environment, but the nearby Stoney Nakoda Nation decided it was also important to do a cultural assessment.