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Brett

Website | http://collettevacations.travel

Bio | Brett Walker Bio: Celebrating my 21st year with Collette Vacations. When I began in 1989, it was Collette Tours and things were much, much different. Like… there were no personal computers to speak of and the internet was still a closely guarded secret of some military agency. Anyways, none of us knew any different. Computers weren’t used for communicating with each other, but simply to process information we put into them. Wow, have things ever changed! Years ago, I used to wonder if me and my fellow Generation X’rs would see anything comparable to the changes our parents had seen in their lifetime – air travel and medical firsts such as the discovery and introduction of antibiotics to name just two. Well, the internet is certainly something my generation can hang it’s hat on. It’s transformed our lives. It’s made my chance to blog - a reality! So, a little bit about me. I graduated with an undergraduate degree from Bishop’s University in the beautiful Eastern Townships of Quebec. If You haven’t been to the Townships, you have to go! After working for many years with Collette, I returned to complete my MBA from Guelph University just this past year, specializing in Hospitality & Tourism. Apart from my work at Collette, I serve as a Board member for the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) and am actively involved in community service, including being a Wish Grantor for Make A Wish Foundation® and working with our own Collette Foundation.

Vancouver’s Stanley Park

I dropped in to see my friends at the Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) today! Pictured with me here (I’m on the far right) are the SPES’s Executive Director Patricia Thomson (second from right), and three keen Nature House volunteers.
The weather was beautiful and Vancouverites and visitors from all over were enjoying all Stanley Park has [...]

Israel – You have To See It To Believe It!

Israel. They say ‘you have to see it to believe it’. That axiom couldn’t be more true. Of course its history is of biblical proportions, and today religion remains a huge draw for many visitors, but modern day Israel is so much more. If it’s not on your bucket list, it should be. I know [...]

“True That” – The Family Trip of a Lifetime

I just returned from the trip of a lifetime. Yup “true that”, as my daughter would say. Absolutely no doubt about it – trip of a lifetime.
It’s no surprise that I harbor a certain bias toward one particular tour company, but when it comes to my own travel, my vocation has no bearing on where [...]

Sleeping Bears and Low Airfares: Winter Travel Part 2

Happy New Year!!
I’m here skiing in Upstate NY with my two daughters, Caylen and Riley. The sky is blue and the weather crisp and cold and I love it. It’s just so beautiful here.
I love winter and enjoy all there is to do this time of year. But I recognize not everyone feels the same way.
Wish [...]

Winter Travel: Part 1

Days after snowfall cancelled thousands of European flights, the London Telegraph was still running stories about inconvenienced passengers.
Of course, even major bumps in the road can’t take away from the thrill of traveling the globe and seeing landmarks such as Big Ben.
But back to the snow… Heathrow isn’t alone in its struggles.  Frankfurt, Schiphold and many [...]

Rockin’ the Canadian Rockies

The majestic Canadian Rockies in the fall…
Few things can compare to the exhilarating landscapes found in the National Parks of the Canadian Rockies; Jasper, Banff, Yoho and Kootenay. Some of the parks are more celebrated than others but all are equally awe-inspiring.
On this, my latest trip into the Rockies, I acted as Tour Manager for [...]

Beat The Long Flight Blues

A few months ago I wrote about a trip I’d recently taken to China. It truly was an unbelievable experience and one I would recommend for anyone. China is transforming right before our eyes. The country is rich with ancient history and full of experiences that shouldn’t be missed.
Yet, China’s location remains both challenging and [...]

Why The World Needs More Canada

July 1st was Canada Day! I thought I should at least give some thought to what it means, especially as my neighbors to the south recently celebrated Independence Day.
Sure, I know why we celebrate; it’s the day Canada began… just like that! One day there wasn’t Canada and the next day there was! On June [...]

Open your eyes to China

This past March I returned from a Collette tour to China. What an experience! I knew it would be a real ‘eye-opener’ but I had no idea the extent to which that would be true.
Here’s some quick context for any trip to China: 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions (among them Tibet and Inner Mongolia), 4 [...]

My trip to Switzerland and Austria… in the UK!

It sounds like one of those riddles we all used to tell as kids – How do you spend 9 days in Switzerland and Austria and never leave the UK? Or how do you get from England to Continental Europe during an ash cloud? The answer is easy…
You don’t!
It was no riddle and it was no [...]