End in sight for COVID-19 border restrictions in Windsor, Ont.
By the end of September, the federal government is planning to drop its COVID-19 vaccine border requirements, and the ArriveCan application will become optional, sources confirmed to CTV News late Tuesday afternoon.
The government is expected to make this policy change by the end of the month, and the sources indicated the Liberals will also be ending the outstanding random COVID-19 testing for travellers.
Earlier in the day a group of border city politicians called on the Canadian and American governments to end pandemic restrictions at the Canada/U.S.A. border, sending a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau and President Biden on Tuesday.
It was signed by 22 Canada/U.S. border mayors and 16 members of Parliament and United States Congress.
They said it’s time for both governments to end “unnecessary” conditions at the border and return it to a normal pre-pandemic state. It continued saying border mayors have engaged health professionals and received advice on best practices, noting pandemic era measures are no longer meaningful or helpful.
“It’s time to move on,” says Windsor’s Mayor Drew Dilkens. “We know that in communities like ours, having the app in place, although it may seem simple for a lot of us, we know that it is a barrier for people to come to Canada.”
The letter points out that air travel has been allowed to resume in such high volume that air infrastructure is struggling to process the number of travellers and notes unvaccinated travellers can travel thousands of kilometres across Canada and the United States while land borders are regulated at the expense of communities whose livelihoods depend on the back-and-forth crossing of the border.
“It is a barrier for people to cross the border,” Dilkens continues. “And in a border city where we rely on smooth and efficient border crossings, any friction is bad for business.”
The group of politicians said that the letter makes clear that “this is a non-partisan issue,” and are imploring both federal governments for urgent action to help border communities recover and return to normal.
Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk tells CTV News Windsor he is optimistic about forthcoming news regarding border measures like the mandatory ArriveCAN app.
“I'm very confident that the government understands fully the challenges for border communities like ours when it comes to things like ArriveCan and other border measures,” Kusmierczyk says. “And so we've definitely made sure that our voices are heard up in Ottawa and I feel very optimistic.”
He explains, “We've definitely heard from residents, from constituents, we've heard from businesses, we've heard from seniors, we've heard from people in the disability community as well too just really telling us about the challenges that ArriveCAN presents to them.”
Kusmierczyk says people are used to having a seamless border that allows back and forth crossover traffic, saying, “That's the way it's always been and when you drive over, you know the one or two questions you might be asked at the border is where are you going and what are you bringing it over and that's about it. And so we want to get back to that time like before the pandemic when we had a seamless border and we want to get close back to that as close as possible.”
Kusmierczyk adds, “We're going to have some good news on the issue of ArriveCAN, on border measures on September 30.”
— With files from CTVNews.ca’s Rachel Aiello
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.