Caveats to Canada’s reopening
Fully vaccinated U.S. citizens will be welcome by mid-august, Trudeau says
U.S. citizens and permanent residents should be able to travel to Canada for tourism by mid-august if they are fully vaccinated, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday, while most vaccinated visitors from other countries will likely wait until September.
Lawmakers and tourism industry proponents on both sides of the border have put pressure on their governments for months to speed up the reopening process, but public opinion polls have indicated that at least half of Canadians were not eager to start letting American tourists into their country until the fall.
A survey released this month by Nanos Research also found that when it came to decisions about the U.s.-canada border, “a strong majority of Canadians say that public health is more important than the economy and jobs.”
Even so, according to scholar Dominic Lapointe from the Université du Québec à Montréal, this lengthy closure of the border between the U.S. and Canada — which share the longest non-militarized border in the world — has been unprecedented.
“Our economies are quite linked together,” Lapointe said, pointing to the cases of Americans who used to cross the border for essentials like diabetes medication in order to buy them at an affordable price. Cases like this go both ways, and some residents of border communities were even in the
habit of crossing daily to see loved ones or friends, or to go to work.
“For the tourism industry, especially in the main Canadian cities, (the government’s decision) will be seen as some fresh air,” Lapointe said, noting the large number of tourists from New York who regularly visit places like Montreal and Quebec City. “But I think it comes a little late for tourism, the fact that it comes in mid-august, when most Canadians and Americans have their holidays behind them.”
Garry Douglas, who leads the North Country Chamber of Commerce in upstate New York, expressed relief that the industry’s outreach “is having some effect.” But he said his surprise that Canada chose not to open the country to nonessential U.S. travelers when the current restrictions expire on July 21.
“While it is not clear why Canada is not starting the admission of fully vaccinated Americans now versus in an additional month,” Douglas said, “we certainly welcome this indication of meaningful progress.”
Trudeau first shared the news when asked about the border during a joint news conference on Thursday with Quebec leader Francois Legault in Montreal.
Trudeau reiterated his insistence on a “gradual and progressive” approach to reopening, while Legault emphasized the importance of requiring only “100 percent fully vaccinated” travelers with sufficient proof of their status.
Later that day, after meeting with all of the country’s provincial leaders, Trudeau’s office released a statement reiterating the plan in greater detail.
“The prime minister noted that, if our current positive path of vaccination rate and public health conditions continue, Canada would be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September,” the statement said.
“He noted the ongoing discussions with the United States on reopening plans, and indicated that we could expect to start allowing fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents into Canada as of mid-august for nonessential travel.”
According to the statement, provincial leaders expressed support for the plan.
But Douglas has joined the calls for the U.S. to take its own unilateral action, along with lawmakers from New York like Sen. Charles E. Schumer and co-chairs of the northern border caucus U.S. Reps. Elise Stefanik and Brian Higgins.
“We will all renew our calls for unilateral action this month by U.S. Homeland Security,” Douglas said. “If a Canadian federal election is called in August for September, we’ll be likely to see no further progress before fall on their part but can make further progress on our part.”
Many New Yorkers have been frustrated with Canada’s prohibition on most American visitors, which has kept people from doing regular activities like seeing family members or visiting their own properties. But the state’s tourism industry is more affected by the reciprocal U.S. closure, which prevents Canadians from driving across the land border unless they are traveling for a purpose deemed essential.
While people traveling from Canada are already allowed to fly into the U.S. for nonessential purposes, land border access is particularly crucial for northern New York communities that rely on incoming Canadians.
Both Stefanik and Schumer have advanced proposals to expand the category of travelers permitted to cross into the U.S. by land from Canada.