Setback in Quebec as Canada slowly reopens
Some national parks will be accessible starting in June for certain activities
MONTREAL—Even as much of Canada took steps Thursday toward resuming normal life, with the promise of reopened national parks and provincial economies, Quebec moved in the other direction by shelving plans to have students return to class in Montreal.
Ontario announced it would lift restrictions on some retailers, seasonal businesses and medical procedures next Tuesday, while Alberta began implementing the first phase of its own relaunch with the reopening of stores, daycares and museums.
Quebec has more than half of the country’s COVID-19 cases, with over 40,000 infections and 3,351 deaths as of Thursday. The province has already opened elementary schools and stores outside Montreal, but Premier François Legault said the situation in the city remains risky.
In Alberta, retail stores, hair salons, museums, daycares and day camps were allowed to open Thursday, with restrictions. Restaurants and cafés could reopen at half capacity.
The reopenings apply across the province, except in Calgary and Brooks, which will have to wait until May 25.
John Gee of Calgary drove to the nearby city of Airdrie on Thursday to get his first haircut in four months.
“My wife said maybe this will make you feel better,” he said. “I’ve been in a bit of a funk with everything going on.”
After his long grey locks fell to the floor, he said he felt more normal.
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said some national parks and historic sites across the country would reopen June 1 for select activities, including trails, day use areas and green spaces.
At his daily briefing, Trudeau noted that the coming May long weekend would look different this year due to the ongoing shutdowns and distancing restrictions.
“But this isn’t forever,” he added. “Canadians have been doing the right things these past many weeks, and that’s why we can announce some good news for the weeks ahead.”
Since the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 sent the country into lockdown in mid-March, all national parks and historic sites have been closed, with visitor services and all motor vehicle access suspended.
Trudeau said the choice of which parks would be allowed to open would align with the decisions of provincial and local governments. The gradual reopenings are to be accompanied by measures designed to ensure the safety of visitors and workers, he said. British Columbia opened many of its provincial parks Thursday, but kept several in and around the Vancouver area closed because of fears they would draw crowds.
In New Brunswick, Education Minister Dominic Cardy warned that all phases of reopening involve risk, including the planned reopening of licensed daycares next Tuesday.
“The only way you can avoid risk from the pandemic is by embracing a risk that would come from the destruction of our economy, our inability to collect taxes and pay for critical social programs,” Cardy said, as the province released a guide for parents ahead of the resumption of child-care services.