Your World Tonight Cross border travel, cost of living, ebooks costing libraries, and more
Dec 24, 2025
Marina von Stackelberg, a CBC reporter focused on passenger protection regulations, discusses the staggering backlog at the Canadian Transportation Agency affecting traveler compensation. Michelle Allen highlights the mounting cost-of-living pressures, with Prime Minister Mark Carney urging Canadians to brace for hardships in affording essentials. Karen Pauls reveals Ukraine's readiness to negotiate peace, suggesting a potential turning point in the conflict. They also dive into the rising demand for e-books in Canadian libraries, leading to financial strains.
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Asymmetric Cross-Border Travel
- While Canadians avoid the U.S. for political and economic reasons, Americans still visit Canada in increasing numbers.
- This creates opportunities for Canadian tourism but pain for border-proximate businesses dependent on outbound travel.
Canadians Cutting U.S. Travel
- Canadian trips to the U.S. fell about 25% year-over-year as political tensions and a weak currency discouraged travellers.
- Meanwhile U.S. visitors to Canada rose modestly, showing asymmetric travel patterns influenced by politics and marketing.
Duty-Free Sales Halved This Season
- Reginald Raju says Peace Arch Duty Free is down about 50% in sales this month and reduced staff accordingly.
- His on-the-ground example illustrates the local business impact of fewer Canadians crossing the border.