Hour 1 of Ottawa Now for Tues. July 14th, 2026

Canadians are hitting the open road, and some are heading South after an 18-month staredown with Trump. That’s according to new data from Statistics Canada, which is displaying a steady return to U.S. travel. Return trips by Canadian residents ticked up 3.2 percent this past June compared to June of 2025. That also marks 3 straight months of growth – highlighted by a massive 9.5 percent jump in May. Are you still buying Canadian, or is the American itch slowly creeping back? More importantly, what is fueling this trend? Kristy Cameron picks the brain of Wayne Smith in Hour 1. He is the Director of Toronto Metropolitan University's Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Research. Meantime, the wildfire smoke is billowing in Ottawa for the first time in 2026, as indicated by today’s Yellow reading. How long could it persist? And as we brace for another heavy dose of rain, is there a chance that this cloud of smoke could thwart Mother Nature’s downpour? CFRA’s Andrew Pinsent has the latest on that. But first, we bring you up to speed on today’s top headlines.