Travel Slump Could Cost U.S. Economy Billions

ONTARIO PLACE BOMBSHELL: FORD GOVERNMENT DUPED Libby Znaimer is joined by Ana Bailao, a former Toronto Deputy Mayor, City Councillor and Mayoral Candidate, Jon Burnside, City Councillor for Ward 16 (Don Valley East) and Taylor Scollon, Co-Founder of The Peak. A bombshell NYT report exposes the Ford government’s billion-dollar blunder with Therme’s Ontario Place deal—95-year lease, dubious claims, and massive subsidies. Ford now promises to “investigate.” Meanwhile, violent crime escalates in public spaces once considered safe, and Olivia Chow’s soft-on-crime approach faces heat. BEYOND THE HEADLINES: KEY MOMENTS YOU MISSED IN THE FRENCH-LANGUAGE DEBATE Libby is joined by Tasha Kheiriddin, a public affairs commentator, consultant, lawyer and occasional guest host of Fight Back. We’ve all seen the headlines from last night’s French-language debate: Mark Carney held his ground, and Pierre Poilievre didn’t stumble. But beyond the big takeaways, a few key moments flew under the radar—subtle exchanges, strategic pivots, and missed opportunities worth a closer look. Libby and Tasha dig into what really went down. CANADIAN TOURISTS SHUN U.S.: TRAVEL SLUMP COULD COST A LOT OF MONEY Libby is joined by Natalie Preddie, Travel Expert and Travel Freelance Writer and John Gradek, a faculty lecturer at McGill University and a former executive with Air Canada. Canadian tourists are ditching U.S. travel in droves. March saw a 32% drop in road trips and a 13.5% decline in air travel compared to last year. It’s the third month of steep declines, and the U.S. Travel Association warns this could cost the U.S. economy $6 billion—despite California’s warm welcome.