'Relief' for Old Port businesses as Montreal welcomes first cruise ship in two years
The Port of Montreal welcomed its first cruise ship since the fall of 2019, after the COVID-19 pandemic grounded the cruise and travel industry.
On Saturday, hundreds of American tourists disembarked to explore the city.
"We've been stuck pretty much in Houston for the last two-and-a-half years, so this is our venture into the outside world," passenger Karen Chapman told CTV News.
The Ocean Navigator left Portland, Maine last week, and after stops in Halifax and Quebec City, sailed down the Saint Lawrence River to Montreal.
Tourists spent the day in the city before heading for their next destination: Toronto.
The Port of Montreal is expecting 45 cruise ship visits this season, bringing about 50,000 passengers to the metropolis.
But that's roughly half the number of ships and people as there were in the 2019 season, before the pandemic shut the industry down.
Cruise ships became hot-beds for COVID-19 infections and were banned from Canadian waters until this year.
Along with border restrictions, it was yet another blow to the tourist shops and restaurants of Old Montreal.
"It was a ghost town down here. At one point, someone was walking down the street reading a book because there were no cars," said Michelle Riglin of John Fluevog Shoes.
For businesses reliant on tourist dollars, there's hope that this Spring's slow return of travellers is a sign of a busy summer ahead, especially for the hard-hit service industry.
"It's a good relief for us. We are very happy to welcome everybody," said Adrian Becerra of restaurant La Catrina. "It's been very challenging times, but we have strong resilience at this point and [are] looking forward to welcoming everybody back."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed Thursday in Nepean dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
Mexican authorities say thieves killed 2 Australians and an American to steal their truck
Thieves killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip to Mexico in order to steal their truck, particularly because they wanted the tires, authorities said Sunday.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.