Santa’s journey in real time

by Brenda Yun on

Since 1955 NORAD, the U.S.-Canadian organization responsible for aerospace and maritime defense of the U.S. and Canada, has been tracking Santa’s journey from his home on the North Pole around the world. It’s no joke. You can actually follow Santa and his nine reindeer in real time, beginning at 6 a.m. EST! For the first time in fifty years, though, NORAD has teamed up with Google (namely, the GoogleEarth program) to provide families with exclusive access to Santa’s whereabouts on this special day.

According to NORAD’s Santa Tracking site, Mr. Claus is detected by a combination of radar, satellite, Santa cameras, and fighter jets. Rudolph’s extra special infrared nose is particularly helpful as a sensor for the satellites, while the Santa cams actually capture real footage of Santa and his reindeer on their sometimes treacherous journey around the globe. The F-15 and F-16 jets provide necessary protection should Santa get in trouble in international airspace.
There are plenty of fun games and activities to play online on the Kids’ Countdown page. To track Santa’s skyfleet around the world in 3-D, you’ll need to download a special version of GoogleEarth here. Catch some exclusive video footage of Santa’s journey here. The video page is only available on Christmas Eve!

Light Up in Montreal

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Most cigar smokers know what they want when border-crossings are involved: Cubans. Stepping through customs onto foreign soil, you can feel the pull to the nearest tobacconist. Maybe you drop your bags off at the hotel first, but that’s about it. As our nearest neighbor-at least from my part of the country-Canada is the top destination for Cuban cigars. In Montreal, go to the right shop instead of the closest one, and you will actually enjoy the results. La Casa del Habano should be at the top of your list.

Montreal is a world-class city, with top-tier dining, luxurious accommodations and a festival scene that includes independent film, comedy and the fine arts. If you’re on your way to Canada, Montreal should be your top priority, even beyond Vancouver and Toronto. There is a draw beyond illicit cigars, but for the cigar smoker who “just happens to be in town,” the fellowship of the leaf is a powerful force.

You have to be careful with Cuban cigars in Montreal. Counterfeits abound north of the border, and unfortunately, many smokers rush to the nearest cigar seller-specialist or not. The cigars may snap, burn unevenly or unwind … but who cares? They’re Cuban! Right?

If you’re a vanity smoker-showing off the label rather than enjoying the tobacco-then just hit the Duty Free store before you leave Dorval Airport. But, if you appreciate the complexity of a well-blended, property constructed stick, be patient. Grab a quick shower and a bite to eat before heading over to La Casa del Habano, Montreal’s premier smoking lounge.

Unlike most shops, which may have a few chairs along a wall, La Casa del Habano offers the full cigar-smoking experience-in a way that most jurisdictions in the United States don’t allow. Pick up a few sticks and settle into a comfortable lounge with a Cohiba Siglo VI or a Vegas Robaino. Sip on a glass of port. Relax. In addition to the full bar, the shop’s walk-in humidor is managed carefully. Whichever cigar you choose, it will not crackle in your fingertips. The lounge is designed to be an oasis, with soft leather chairs and couches offering plenty of comfortable seating. Ventilation is sufficient to ensure that you’ll enjoy every draw, without having to suffer those expelled by the other guests.

I’ve found that in cigar shops across Quebec, selections tend to be limited. The old stand-by brands are all available-Monte Cristo, Cohiba and Punch-but there is little depth. Fortunately, this is not the case at La Casa del Habano, which carries an array of Cuban cigars that would rival non-Cuban selections at the top retailers in the United States in terms of variety and desirability.

Too often, we have to compromise. At La Casa del Habano, this will not be necessary.

During the summer, La Casa del Habano is a brisk walk from Old Montreal-or a short taxi ride. If you happen to be up north on business, you’ll probably be right around the corner. La Queu de Cheval, Montreal’s premier steakhouse, is only a few blocks away. Bring a cigar with you to enjoy after dinner-or take one from the restaurant’s humidor. Either way, light up, and enjoy the fact that you have options.

Canadian gondola crash

by Annie Scott on

It’s that nightmare you have every time you ride a gondola. Not the one where your car falls, but the one where the tower goes down and all of the cars fall.

Yesterday at Whistler Blackcomb Resort, 177 km north of Vancouver, tragedy struck when a support tower for their gondola system snapped in half. Falling gondola cars hit a bus stop and a house, and another was suspended over an icy creek.

The good news is that all 53 passengers were successfully rescued, and while 5 required medical attention, no major injuries were reported.

Check out the story here on CNN for video footage.

Unmanned drone to finally crack down on wild US/Canada border

by Mike Barish on

While much attention is paid to the border between the United States and Mexico, our neighbors to the north have yet to encounter the scrutiny that they deserve. No prison-like fences or vigilante minutemen have stood in the way of people sneaking back and forth between the United States and Canada. Well, the U.S. government has decided that these shenanigans have gone on for long enough. According to Wired and the New York Times, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency will use an unmanned drone aircraft to patrol a stretch of the border between the two North American allies.

The Predator B aircraft will operate out of Grand Forks (ND) Air Force Base and will be the first of its kind on the northern border. Three similar drones currently patrol the border with Mexico. Residents of North Dakota and “a slim part of Minnesota” can now sleep easy knowing that a remote-controlled airplane is buzzing overhead and keeping maple syrup, hockey and the word “eh” where they belong.

Surely a great deal of research went into the decision to have the $10 million unmanned aircraft patrol just a 300 mile stretch of the 5,525 mile long border with our ally, right? Well, John Stanton, executive director of the Customs and Border Protection service’s national air security operations was asked if he expected the drone to uncover a rash of drug smuggling, illegal immigration or terrorism. His response: “We hope to actually use this aircraft to measure that. You don’t know what you don’t know.” Neat!

But at least these drones are foolproof. Well, about that. The drone was supposed to arrive in North Dakota last Thursday. Because of maintenance issues, it arrived on Saturday. And a similar drone on the southern border crashed in 2006 outside of Nogales, Arizona. No one was killed, but it did narrowly miss hitting a house. The cause of the accident was found to be human error.

Well, it may sound like a boondoggle, but I am certainly relieved that someone will be keeping an eye on those hosers. We’re still recovering from the Celine Dion invasion of the 1990s. There’s just no telling what they could sneak in next. Pray that it isn’t curling.

Obese passengers in Canada have the right to two seats for price of one

by Anna Brones on

Obesity on airlines is becoming a big issue. Just a couple weeks ago a flight attendant was ruled too fat to fly, and of course the overweight passenger debate is always one that flares up people’s opinions. There are two schools of thought. The first is from the view of the passenger stuck next to an overweight one who takes up more than their fair share of space; a lot of people believe that they should have to pay for a second seat. But the second opinion comes from overweight passengers themselves, who believe that they have a right to more space.

According to Reuters, today the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in the direction of the latter, declaring that obese people have the right to two seats for the price of one on flights within Canada. The original decision had been made by the Canadian Transportation Authority, who claimed that people that are “functionally disabled by obesity” deserve to have two seats for one fare. The Canadian airlines went to appeal, but the high court declined to hear it, meaning that the decision now stands.

Do you think the official decision is a fair one?