June 15, 2026

VANCOUVER WORLD CUP GAME TRIP BEGINS IN NORTH BAY, VIA GRAVENHURST AND PEARSON AIRPORT ON FIRST DAY OF NEW FREE AIR CANADA BUS SERVICE — WITH 10 PASSENGERS

GRAVENHURST — Doug and Jen Taylor headed to Vancouver today for a World Cup Game June 26.

The North Bay couple had no trouble going “online a couple weeks ago” and securing coveted seats for a game between New Zealand and Belgium.

How much?

“A lot,” he said.

“$700 each,” she said.

Canada plays Qatar this Thursday, after earning its historic first World Cup point in a 1-1 tie with Bosnia and Herzegovina Friday. Canada also plays Switzerland June 24, so they will be out west to enjoy all the FIFA football festivities and games on TV.

After leaving home around noon today, the Taylors were halfway to Pearson Airport when we caught up with them at the Muskkoa Airport, at 3 p.m.

They already had their plane boarding passes and were onboard Air Canada’s free Landline bus service from Gravenhurst on the first day of its new twice-daily service to Pearson exclusively for ticket holders of the airline. And will be in Toronto at 5:30 p.m. in time for their evening flight out west and nightly overseas trips for at least one other passenger.

Doug and Jen Taylor were buckled in bound for Vancouver and the World Cup June 26 when they left Muskoka Airport on board Air Canada’s second free bus trip to Toronto. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont MuskokaTODAY.com

This was the second bus of the day and it left bound south for the two hour and 15-minute hour express ride with eight passengers.

Some of the other passengers came from locales closer to Gravenhurst, including Haliburton and Huntsville.

But none of them had soccer tickets.

However one woman yelled “I’m going to Ireland.”

This morning’s initial Monday 5 a.m. bus departure only had a couple of passengers for the one hour and 25-minute scheduled drive.

There were no bookings for the regularly planned 10 a.m. return bus from Pearson to Gravenhurst that leaves at 7:15 a.m.

A 7:15 p.m. return bus tonight from Toronto was due back at 9:15 p.m.

That’s the daily schedule.

Muskoka Airport CEO Maciej Habrych was glad to see the service up and running and he expects more passengers to take advantage of the summer as the summer comes along.

The service is scheduled to run twice daily from Gravenhurst to Pearson at 5 a.m. and 3:15 p.m, returning from Toronto at 8:10 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. for the two-hour trip