It’s one of the busiest travel times of the year and thousands of people are heading in and out of the city for the Thanksgiving long weekend. On Friday, the VIA Rail station in Ottawa was busy with those like Madisson Fonseca, a university student heading home for the long weekend. “I’m really excited,” she says. “I’m excited to see everybody that’s like my friends that are home from university. Just excited to see everybody really, friends, family, guests.” Fonseca says it’s the first time since her University of Ottawa classes began that she’s been able to visit her home of Oakville, Ont. For those hitting the roads, provincial police are reminding drivers to take their time. OPP Const. Michael Fathi says officers will have a large presence on the road and will watch for things like speeding and distracted driving. “Just put the phone away,” he says. “The phone is still the number one cause of serious collisions and fatal collisions in Ontario. If you have somebody in the car with you, let them use the phone.” Other Ottawa residents say they are skipping the traditional road trip this year because of high gas prices. Gerard Njoku says he would usually go to Toronto to visit family and a few friends, but the cost this year to go away for three days doesn’t add up for him. “It cost me $60 in the past, for a full tank to go to Toronto,” he says. “If we’re going to Toronto we’re looking at maybe double the amount (right now).” Instead, he has made other plans in town. “I never expected it to be this bad,” he says of the gas prices. “But it is what it is. We are in this situation, just hoping it gets better.”
