BlackburnNews.com file photo of a Via Rail train . (Photo by Jason Viau)BlackburnNews.com file photo of a Via Rail train . (Photo by Jason Viau)
Windsor

VIA Reports Busiest Long Weekend

VIA Rail says the August long weekend was its busiest yet with ticket sales soaring 13% over the same period last year.

The rail service says 84,400 travellers boarded trains across the country, a 9.5% increase over 2016 when 69,859 passengers boarded. The most popular destinations were Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa in the Windsor-Quebec City corridor. A total of 77,000 people rode the train on that route.

Friday, August 4 was the busiest day of the weekend with 17,000 passengers. That compares with 16,364 on July 29, 2016.

VIA says 372 trains were in operation across Canada and 33-million km were travelled between August 3 and 8.

Read More Local Stories

File photo courtesy of  © Can Stock Photo Inc. / dehooks

Scoreboard, August 1

The Jays opened their home series against the Cardinals with a win off another Dylan Cease gem.

Grand Bend Beach June 25, 2020 Image courtesy of Grand Bend Pier Beach Cam.

Youth volunteers practice coastal conservation

Nine young volunteers aged 11 to 17 spent three days exploring and protecting the Lake Huron coastline during the Coastal Conservation Youth Corps' inaugural program in Grand Bend from July 21 to 23.