Canada

(Dive Travel Business News - September 21, 2012) -- For the few who have been thought foolish to brave the bone-chilling waters of the Pacific Northwest on a dive vacation, the critically acclaimed book Beneath Cold Seas: The Underwater Wilderness of the Pacific Northwest is a testament to the sagacity of these cold water dive travelers.   Filmed entirely in British Columbia, Canada, Beneath Cold Seas is one of the very few underwater photographic books to focus on a cold water ecosystem that features the most diverse and spectacular marine life of any such ecosystem on the planet.  read more »

Dive Travel Business News - April 21, 2012) -- Located in Montreal, Canada, Total Diving, has become the first dive centre in the world to join 1% for the Planet, Total Diving will generously donate 1% of their revenue to ocean protection. 
 
“As the first dive center in the world to join 1% for the Planet, we are breaking new ground for businesses whose survival and profitability depend on the wellbeing of the oceans,” said Darcy Kieran, owner of Total Diving.

Says Kieran, "It's not just about preserving scuba diving sites around the world, it’s a great fit and it’s a good feeling to know we are working together to ensure our underwater playground is protected for future generations.” read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - Feb 22, 2012) -- Recent statistics released by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) show that Canada far outpaced the U.S. market in 2011, with Canadian arrivals in the Caribbean up 6.8% over 2010.

Arrivals from the U.S. were up 1.7% last year. Anguilla, Barbados, Belize and Curacao registered the highest increases from U.S. travelers, followed by Aruba and Curacao. Visitor numbers from Europe remained flat, especially from the U.K., which showed a decline for the third straight year. CTO attributed the decline to a weak economy and increases in the U.K.'s departure tax.

The Caribbean welcomed 23.8 million tourists in 2011, a 3.3% rise over 2010. In a press conference, Sean Smith, the CTO’s statistical specialist, said arrivals to the Caribbean are not expected to increase more than 3% in 2012. He cited several factors, including high unemployment in main source markets, an election year in the U.S. that could keep travelers at home and the Summer Olympics in London, “all of which could be a significant distraction from north-south travel this year.” read more »

(May 29, 2009 - DTN) - Coming as it did so soon after the sinking of the Titanic, the loss of the Empress of Ireland on May 29, 1914, underlined the difficulty of building a ship that couldn't sink, even of building a ship guaranteed to sink so slowly that rescue was inevitable. 

The Empress of Ireland had a new captain, and it was his first voyage on the Saint Lawrence River in command of the ship carrying 1,477 passengers and crew. The Empress departed Quebec City the afternoon of May 28 on its way for the transatlantic trip to Liverpool. At 2:00 am on May 29th, a heavy fog had settled over the water. Suddenly, the Empress was struck broadside by another ship, the Storstad. Most of the passengers were asleep. The Empress quickly took on water and began to sink, near Pointe-au-Pere, Quebec. The ship rolled onto its side and 14 minutes later was gone with 1012 of its passengers and crew.  read more »