US-Canada Border Closure Will Be Extended
UPDATE: The US-Canada border closure continues to be extended on a month-to-month basis, starting the 21st of each month. We will update this story should things change.
Thanks to the continuing threat from the novel coronavirus, it appears that the US-Canada border closure will be extended for yet another month. CBC News quotes “sources with direct knowledge of the situation,” saying the agreement has yet to be signed.
In March, the United States and Canada agreed to close the world’s longest unprotected border to all but essential travel and commerce. It was an unprecedented move. Since Canada became independent from Great Britain in 1867, the border between our two nations has NEVER been closed.
The Border Closure is “Working Really Well”
At a press briefing on Wednesday, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland that the current closure is “working really well.”
That may be true, but for people who live along the border, it’s starting to get old.
I went to college at Western Washington University in Bellingham. From campus, you can see the lights at Grouse Mountain high above Vancouver, British Columbia. It took less than an hour from my apartment in Bellingham into the city, with only minimal delays at the border. I was there frequently and still feel at home in the city.
Canadians cross the border regularly, as well. Often to shop. Plenty of goods are cheaper in the United States, and many towns along the border depend on that trade. A quick trip across the border to stock up on gas and groceries likely won’t be deemed essential.
What’s Next?
So when can we expect the closures to end? There are some signs of a tentative opening. Friends and family have been able to reunite (if only temporarily) at parks that straddle the border. More important, Canada will now allow families separated by the border to reunite, with plenty of restrictions, including a 14-day quarantine. For those who can’t cross legally, the alternative has been face-to-face contact… across a ditch.
Airlines are taking the brunt of the US-Canada border closure. Air Canada shut down all flights to the United States on April 26th, but has since resumed some flights. While the Canadian government says the border restrictions are working out well, Air Canada’s CEO Calin Rovinescu responded harshly: “I can tell you one thing. It did not work OK for the 20,000 people who have been laid off.”
Final Thoughts
The US and Canada share not just a border, but a special relationship and (usually) a combined sense of purpose. Even if the reasons are understandable, it is stunning to see the border closed to non-essential travel for this long. Families are separated, and communities that share common bonds are being kept apart.
For Americans planning to visit Canada this summer, or vice versa, plans may have to change. Just this week, we learned that Covid-19 cases are on the rise in 26 U.S. states, and the U.S. already has the world’s highest death toll. If I was Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, I’d think long and hard before re-opening the border.
Still, Canada is our neighbor and best friend. We sometimes argue, but it’s never that serious. I’m hopeful that we can find a way to re-open our borders soon. For now, the US-Canada border closure will be extended for yet another month, and hopefully for the last time.
[Photo by Wbaron at Wikimedia Commons]
