Discover Narcity
Get the latest and greatest stories every day in your inbox.
This gorgeous Ontario town was named among the top 10 destinations in the world for 2027
It's just road trip from Toronto.
If you're already planning some adventures for 2027, you'll want to keep this beautiful small town in mind.
With storybook streets, quaint shops, and old-world charm, it was recently named one of the world's top destinations to visit next year.
The best part is, you don't need to get on a plane or even leave the country to discover this gem. The town is located just a road trip from Toronto, so you can add a little getaway to your travel plans without venturing too far from home.
Expedia has just unveiled its largest travel report of the year, Unpack '27, which highlights the destinations and travel behaviours expected to shape the year ahead.
The 2027 Destinations of the Year list spotlights some of the world's fastest-rising travel hotspots, based on search data showing where travellers are most eager to go next.
Ontario's Niagara-on-the-Lake ranked ninth on the list, with searches up 35% year after year.
According to Expedia, it's "one of Canada's best-preserved 19th-century towns," and has "storybook streets" with"Victorian-era shopfronts and tea rooms."
You can spend a day wandering through the Heritage District, which looks like it was plucked from a postcard. The area is dotted with gift shops, gourmet cafes, boutiques, and more.
The town is also home to several spas and boutique hotels where you can relax and get pampered. Located about an hour and a half from Toronto, it's an idyllic spot for a weekend getaway or longer.
There are attractions to explore as well, from the Shaw Festival Theatre to Icewine Festivals and more.
One of Niagara-on-the-Lake's main attractions is the surrounding wineries. Nestled in the heart of wine country, the town is home to 40 distinct wineries, with even more to visit in the broader Niagara region.
Popular spots include Peller Estates Winery, Trius Winery, Two Sisters Vineyards, Inniskillin Wines, and Konzelmann Estate Winery, great for sipping, dining, and soaking up views.
Niagara-on-the-Lake was the only Canadian destination to make Expedia's 2027 Destinations of the Year list. South Lake Tahoe, U.S., was crowned the top destination for 2027, followed by Hyogo, Japan, and Punta del Este, Uruguay.
You can find the full ranking of Expedia's 2027 Destinations of the Year here.
With its historic charm, quaint streets, and stunning wineries, it's no surprise Niagara-on-the-Lake is one of the world's top travel spots for 2027.
Keep reading
Show less
European Investment Bank applies for exemption from foreign bank status
EU Investment Bank looks to operate in Canada
The European Investment Bank has applied for an exemption from foreign bank status in Canada, a move that would bring the lending arm of the European Union one step closer to operating here.
The request was published today in the Canada Gazette, the government's weekly publication listing new regulations and official notices.
The bank and the Canadian government signed a letter of intent in March committing to look for new ways to work together in areas like critical minerals.
The goal of that letter is to help ensure stable supply chains for various minerals and metals used in the clean energy, tech and defence sectors.
The March letter says that while the arrangement does not create financial commitments, it was meant to start discussions on allowing the investment bank to operate in Canada.
This application comes ahead of the Canada-EU Summit in Montreal at the end of October, where Canada and the EU are expected to announce the next steps in a deepening partnership.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.
By David Baxter | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Keep reading
Show less
Community papers connect remotely housed Albertans to satellite internet rebate
Eligible Alberta households can claim up to $1,000 for satellite internet hardware and installation.
The target audience for a new rebate in Alberta may need the print version of their community newspaper to first learn that the satellite-facing program even exists.
Rebates worth up to $1,000 are available until March 31 for hardware and installation costs to connect certain households to low-Earth-orbit satellites for internet service.
The challenge is that the 10,000 or so rural and remote households that qualify have, by definition, severely limited or non-existent internet access, a rural media roundtable organized by the provincial government heard Thursday.
The eligible homes are in areas of Alberta deprived of traditional ground-based internet because of distance and topography, Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish told about a dozen rural media representatives.
That makes community newspapers distributed along Alberta’s roads less travelled particularly important, he confirmed.
Glubish said major outlets have given the story little attention and “don’t want to talk to me about it. But I appreciate that it's your readers who are going to be more interested in this anyways.”
The program draws from a joint federal-Alberta fund worth $755 million to blanket the province with broadband. The new rebate addresses rural and remote residents that fell between the cracks because — until now — reaching them hasn’t been affordable, practical or even possible, Glubish said.
The difference today is that satellites in low-Earth orbit have become widely available to internet providers and users in Alberta.
Earlier, the government would have had to entice satellite companies to expand their service, Glubish said.
“We knew they were going to expand here anyway, but it was going to cost us tens of millions of dollars to persuade them to come here first, rather than just allowing them to come here as they normally were going to. And that patience has paid off,” said Glubish, the UCP member representing Strathcona-Sherwood Park.
Alberta published a broadband strategy in January 2022 with the goal to hit 100 per cent connectivity by the end of this fiscal year.
The strategy said then that 67 per cent of rural Albertans and 80 per cent of the province’s Indigenous communities had unreliable internet access at federal target speeds.
But today, according to the minister’s office, the needle has moved dramatically.
An estimated 82.2 per cent of households in Alberta First Nations reserves have access to high-speed internet, up from just 19.6 per cent in 2019, the baseline cited in the strategy.
That represents an increase of about 8,400 on-reserve households, the ministry told The Macleod Gazette in an emailed follow-up to the roundtable.
Of all Alberta households, 98.2 per cent now have access to high-speed internet, said a news release on the rebate.
“I know it's been a long time coming. We've been working hard on this for the last four years,” Glubish told the roundtable.
“But I think we’re coming to the tail-end of an important initiative, and it's nice to see that we are getting close to achieving our goal of universal connectivity."
A “significant portion” of federal-provincial funding has gone towards improving reliable, non-satellite internet in Indigenous communities, he said.
“If there are any First Nations communities that are not yet covered, then absolutely, yes, they would be eligible to participate in this rebate program,” he said.
Affordability remains an issue for some rural Albertans, Glubish acknowledged. Living the remote life can be expensive, and paying a premium for internet service is one of those higher costs.
But “the biggest barrier … is the upfront investment for the hardware and the installation. And that's what this program addresses,” he said.
“So this will go a long way to helping anybody in a low-income scenario to be able to get their connection established.”
Connectivity keeps getting more important in the professional and personal lives of Albertans, Glubish said.
He pointed to education, employment, entrepreneurship, and medical and justice services as cornerstones of modern life that the internet has improved dramatically. “If you don't have connectivity, your options are limited."
Households that qualify for the rebate can purchase their satellite hardware and installation while the program is open, with eligible receipts dating from Aug. 11 of this year onward.
Hardware must be purchased from an authorized vendor to qualify. Rebates apply to satellite dishes, receiver kits and installation services and supplies. Receipts are submitted through an online portal.
Find out more at alberta.ca/alberta-satellite-rebate-program — assuming you have a way to connect to the internet.
“I think it's super important to get this message out to our rural newspapers,” said roundtable participant Lisa Sygutek, president of the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association and the publisher and owner of the Crowsnest Pass Herald.
Sygutek also wanted to know how the rebate would be rolled out to Albertans who don’t have the connectively yet to apply or submit receipts online.
The ministry is working with organizations like Rural Municipalities of Alberta and with MLAs to share information on the rebate. It will monitor how effective its efforts are before looking at other communications measures, including direct mailing.
“Our goal is to try and make sure it's very clear that anybody who is likely to be eligible for this will know that this is an option available to them,” Glubish said.
Copyright 2026, The Macleod Gazette. All rights reserved.
George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Macleod Gazette.
Keep reading
Show less
People Are Roasting The New Apple Mac Pro Made In Austin
So apparently Apple is listening to the fans by giving us what we want. They are releasing a newly, re-designed Mac Pro right out of Austin, and it's super exciting. Austin, Texas is a huge tech hub now, so to have bragging rights on an Apple product is even cooler. But while many would simply nod their heads to this news and move on, others want a say in this. Reddit users have taken to their platform to give their two cents on what they want Texans to contribute, and it's making for some hilarious reactions.
Texas is a pretty easy state to make fun of. Even people who live here find jokes about one of the most prideful states in the world hilarious. That, or they make them themselves. Reddit is probably one of the greatest platforms to roast anything going viral at the moment. So when news broke yesterday that the new Mac Pro would be manufactured in Austin, Reddit users wasted no time.
[rebelmouse-image 25949330 photo_credit="Screen Grab | Reddit" expand=1 original_size="750x187"]
BBQ and bullets are just two of the notable mentions in the comments on one particular thread. After the iPhone 11 underwent scrutiny for the way the cameras looked, you'd think the Mac Pro would be getting made fun of for it's appearance as well. But no, the fact that it's being made in Texas is funny all on its own.
[rebelmouse-image 25949331 photo_credit="Screen Grab | Reddit" expand=1 original_size="750x168"]
The company is making big moves with this decision, and we can't wait to see what they continue to come out with. For now, scrolling through Reddit and even other social media platforms where jokes about Texas can be found is the move. What's that Spongebob episode again?
[rebelmouse-image 25949332 photo_credit="Screen Grab | Reddit" expand=1 original_size="750x425"]
There are stories everywhere! If you spot a newsworthy event in your city, send us a message, photo, or video @NarcityUSA on Facebook and Instagram.